KR20200000754A - High intensity focused ultrasound generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, provided is a high intensity focused ultrasound generator which comprises: a handpiece; and a cartridge replaceably mounted to the handpiece, and including an ultrasonic focusing unit for generating a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). The cartridge includes: a head portion having a contact surface in contact with the skin; a vacuum portion forming a vacuum between the skin, on which the procedure is performed, and the head portion, and a sensor portion disposed on a contact surface of the head portion and sensing the contact between the contact surface and the skin sucked by the vacuum.

Description

High intensity focused ultrasound generator {HIGH INTENSITY FOCUSED ULTRASOUND GENERATING DEVICE}

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a high intensity focused ultrasound generator.

In recent years, in the medical beauty field, a procedure using high intensity focused ultrasound has been performed to improve skin such as wrinkle removal. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy is a non-invasive and non-traumatic approach to therapy that focuses the emitted ultrasound at a specific point of focus. It can generate heat.

Specifically, the skin has a dermal and epidermal layer and a layer of adipose tissue disposed beneath it. Excess fat tissue can cause obesity, cellulite, sagging skin and wrinkles. Therefore, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is used to remove the fat layer present at specific locations, thereby lifting the skin or removing wrinkles. It is possible.

However, the procedure using high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) may change the focal position of the ultrasound depending on the operator, causing damage to the skin other than the target adipose tissue.

In order to solve the above problems and / or limitations, it is an object of the present invention to provide a high-intensity focused ultrasound generator that can be used stably.

One embodiment of the present invention includes a cartridge which is connected to the main body and the handpiece that is replaceably mounted to the handpiece, and including an ultrasonic focusing unit for generating a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), the cartridge A head portion having a contact surface in contact with the skin, a vacuum portion for forming a vacuum between the skin on which the procedure is performed and the head portion, and a contact surface with the skin and the contact surface which are sucked by vacuum; It provides a high-intensity focused ultrasound generating device comprising a sensor unit for detecting the contact of the.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum portion may be detachable but may be formed in a structure surrounding the head portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, it may further include a control unit for controlling the operation of the ultrasonic focusing unit by using the detection signal provided from the sensor unit.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the sensor unit is disposed on one side of the contact surface and the first sensor unit for generating a first detection signal by detecting the contact between the contact surface and the skin, and the other side other than one side of the contact surface A second sensor unit disposed in the sensing unit and configured to sense a contact between the contact surface and the skin and generate a second detection signal, wherein the controller is configured to provide the first detection signal and the second detection signal when the ultrasonic focusing unit is provided; Can be controlled to operate.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the handpiece includes a cooling generating unit for generating cooling energy, the cartridge, one side is located on the contact surface and in contact with the skin, the other side is disposed toward the handpiece The apparatus may further include a cooling performing unit connected to the cooling generating unit.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a cartridge that is replaceably mounted to the handpiece of the high-intensity focused ultrasound generating device, the cartridge is a head portion having a contact surface in contact with the skin, the skin and the head portion is a procedure It is disposed on the contact surface of the vacuum unit and the head portion to form a vacuum therebetween, and may include a sensor unit for detecting the contact of the skin and the contact surface sucked by the vacuum.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum portion may be detachable but may be formed in a structure surrounding the head portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the sensor unit is disposed on one side of the contact surface and the first sensor unit for generating a first detection signal by detecting the contact between the contact surface and the skin, and the other side other than one side of the contact surface And a second sensor unit disposed in the sensing unit and generating a second detection signal by detecting contact between the contact surface and the skin.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the cartridge is one side is located in the contact surface is in contact with the skin, the other side is disposed toward the handpiece is connected to the cooling generating portion disposed in the interior of the handpiece It may further include wealth.

Another embodiment of the present invention is connected to the body, the handpiece having a cooling generating unit for generating cooling energy and replaceably mounted to the handpiece, generating a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) And a cartridge including an ultrasonic focusing part, wherein the cartridge has a head portion having a contact surface in contact with the skin and one side of the cartridge is in contact with the skin, and the other side is disposed toward the handpiece. By being connected to the cooling generating unit, it provides a high-intensity focused ultrasound generating apparatus comprising a cooling performing unit for performing cooling on the skin.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the cooling execution portion may be in direct contact with a medium, a portion of which is accommodated in the head portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the cooling generating unit includes a thermoelectric element having a cooling surface, the handpiece is disposed in a position opposite to the cooling surface, the heat generated from the cooling generating unit to the outside The heat dissipation unit may be further included.

Another embodiment of the present invention includes a cartridge including a handpiece that is provided as a handheld and an ultrasonic focusing unit that is replaceably mounted to the handpiece and generates a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), The cartridge includes a head portion having a contact surface in contact with the skin, a vacuum portion for forming a vacuum between the skin on which the procedure is performed and the head portion, and a contact portion of the head portion which is sucked by a vacuum, It provides a portable high-intensity focused ultrasound generator comprising a; sensor unit for detecting whether the contact surface.

Other aspects, features, and advantages other than those described above will become apparent from the following drawings, claims, and detailed description of the invention.

The high-intensity focused ultrasound generating device according to the embodiments of the present invention may form a vacuum on the treatment area before irradiating high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to inhale the skin, thereby enabling stable skin contact. In particular, since the procedure proceeds while the skin is pulled by the vacuum, pain can be reduced. In addition, the high-intensity focused ultrasound generator detects the degree of inhalation of the skin through the sensor unit, and if it is determined that the contact is stable, the high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is irradiated, so that the deviation of the procedure according to the operator can be reduced and anyone can safely perform the procedure. have.

1 is a conceptual diagram schematically showing a high intensity focused ultrasound generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a view for explaining an operating method of the high intensity focused ultrasound generator of FIG. 1.
3 is a view for explaining the coupling structure of the head portion and the vacuum portion of the cartridge of FIG.
4 is a view for explaining a high-intensity focused ultrasound generator according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a view for explaining a high-intensity focused ultrasound generation apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a modification of the portable form of FIG. 5.
7 and 8 are views for explaining various embodiments of the cooling execution unit of FIG. 5 or FIG.
9 is a block diagram of a high intensity focused ultrasound generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is an operation signal diagram briefly illustrating an operation signal between components of the high intensity focused ultrasound generator of FIG. 9.

Hereinafter, the following embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the same or corresponding components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

The embodiments are capable of various transformations, and specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the written description. Effects and features of the embodiments and a method of achieving them will be apparent with reference to the following description in detail in conjunction with the drawings. However, the present embodiments are not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various forms.

In the following embodiments, the terms "first" and "second" are used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components rather than having a limiting meaning.

In the following examples, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In the following embodiments, the term "include" or "having" means that a feature or component described in the specification is present and does not preclude the possibility of adding one or more other features or components.

In the following embodiments, when a part such as a unit, an area, a component, or the like is located on or on another part, as well as being directly above another part, other units, areas, components, etc. are interposed therebetween. It also includes the case.

In the following embodiments, the terms connect or combine, and the like, do not necessarily mean direct and / or fixed connection or coupling of two members, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is not excluded.

It means that there is a feature or component described in the specification and does not preclude the possibility of adding one or more other features or components.

In the drawings, components may be exaggerated or reduced in size for convenience of description. For example, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for convenience of description, and therefore the following embodiments are not necessarily limited to those shown.

1 is a conceptual diagram schematically showing a high intensity focused ultrasound generator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a view for explaining the operation method of the high intensity focused ultrasound generator 1 of FIG. 3 is a view for explaining the coupling structure between the head portion 300 and the vacuum portion 320 of the cartridge 30 of FIG.

In the present specification, the high-intensity focused ultrasound generator is a device that generates high-intensity focused ultrasound, and focuses the ultrasonic waves generated from an ultrasonic transducer at a constant focusing point (ie, focus, f). Means to strengthen the device.

The high-intensity focused ultrasound generating apparatus focuses and irradiates high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to the treatment site, thereby making it possible to perform non-invasive treatment of only the desired area without damaging the skin at other locations. However, the high-intensity focused ultrasound generating device may have a problem in that the location of the focal point where the ultrasound is focused is changed when the probe is unstablely contacted with the skin, thus making it difficult to perform a desired area and damaging the surrounding skin tissue. Therefore, the procedure should be proceeded by contacting the probe to the skin stably, since the probe provided in the high-intensity focused ultrasound generating device is configured in the form of a hand-held, the procedure deviation due to the handling of the operator was inevitable.

The high-intensity focused ultrasound generating device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is equipped with a vacuum unit 320 on the cartridge 30 so as to inhale the skin of the surgical site, thereby ensuring stable skin. Can provide contact. Through this, anyone who is the operator can be the same procedure, it can be safely performed without skin damage.

1 to 3, the high intensity focused ultrasound generator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a main body 10, a handpiece 20, and a cartridge 30.

The main body 10 includes a power supply unit (not shown), a control unit 150 (see FIG. 8), and a vacuum generating unit for controlling the operation of the handpiece 20 in which the procedure of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is performed. Configurations such as 110 may be disposed therein. The main body 10 may include an input means for receiving a user input and an output means for outputting a procedure result to the outside, which may perform a function through a monitor configured as a touch screen. The main body 10 may include a mounting portion for mounting the handpiece 20 and a wheel for facilitating movement.

The vacuum generating unit 110 may generate a vacuum pressure to form a vacuum in the vacuum space formed by the vacuum unit 320 to be described later. For example, the vacuum generator 110 may be a vacuum pump. The vacuum generating unit 110 may be controlled by the vacuum pressure by the control unit 150. Since the degree of inhalation of the treatment site may vary depending on the skin condition of the subject, the vacuum generating unit 110 may control the vacuum pressure to enable the treatment of the subject.

The handpiece 20 is connected to the main body 10 of the high intensity focused ultrasound generator 1 and may be implemented in the form of a handheld for convenience of operation. The handpiece 20 may be integrally formed with the cartridge 30 having the ultrasonic focusing unit described later, but may be interchangeably accommodated with different types of cartridges 30 according to the purpose of the procedure. The handpiece 20 may transmit an electric signal, etc. input from the main body 10 to the cartridge 30. In addition, although not shown, the handpiece 20 may include a flow path connecting the vacuum generating unit 110 and the cartridge 30.

The cartridge 30 is replaceably mounted to the handpiece 20 and may include a head part 300, an ultrasonic focusing part 310, a vacuum part 320, and a sensor part 330. The cartridge 30 may include a contact surface A1 in contact with the skin, and the ultrasonic focusing unit 310 may be disposed inside the head 300 forming the exterior of the cartridge 30.

The head part 300 may have a medium such as water having a low ultrasonic loss factor so that ultrasonic waves radiated from the ultrasonic focusing unit 310 may be transmitted without loss. window, A2) can be placed. Meanwhile, the head part 300 may further include one or more connection pipes 325 connected to the flow path of the vacuum generating unit 110 and the handpiece 20. One end of the connection pipe 325 is connected to the flow path of the handpiece 20, and the other end is disposed at the contact surface A1 of the head part 300 to apply a vacuum pressure to the vacuum space formed by the vacuum part 320. can do. The connector 325 may be disposed adjacent to the outside of the head 300 so as not to interfere with the operation of the ultrasonic focusing unit 310.

The ultrasound focusing unit 310 may include at least one ultrasound transducer that generates high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), and may radiate ultrasound toward the skin of the subject. As shown in Figure 2, the ultrasonic transducer is formed in a curved surface, the focal point f of the ultrasonic wave may be formed at a specific position.

In one embodiment, the curved surface may consist of a single radius. The ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic transducers have a higher energy intensity as they get closer to the focal point f, so that the temperature increases at the focal point f. The ultrasonic focusing unit 310 may perform a function such as removing fat disposed at a corresponding position by using the same. On the other hand, the ultrasonic transducer is not necessarily made of a curved surface of a single radius, it may be formed in a structure capable of multi-focus through the curved surface consisting of aspherical surface. In this case, the size of the focal point may be larger than that of a single radius.

Here, the skin (skin) is an organ covering the outside of the human body is composed of a layer of the epidermis (S1), dermis (S2) and subcutaneous fat layer (S3) from the outside. The high-intensity focused ultrasound generating device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention has the main purpose of reducing fat by focusing ultrasound at the location of the subcutaneous fat layer S3, but if necessary, at a specific location of the dermis S2. Of course, the procedure can be made by focusing the ultrasound.

The vacuum unit 320 may perform a function of forming a vacuum between the skin where the procedure is performed and the head unit 300. One end of the vacuum part 320 is mounted to the head part 300, and the other end opposite to the one end may directly contact the skin of the subject. In other words, the vacuum unit 320 may be mounted on one side of the head unit 300 to form a vacuum space by maintaining a predetermined distance between the contact surface A1 of the head unit 300 and the skin. The vacuum unit 320 may be made of a transparent material so that the surgical site located in the vacuum unit 320 can be checked from the outside. For example, the vacuum unit 320 may be made of a glass material. In addition, the vacuum unit 320 may have a durability that can withstand the vacuum pressure.

The vacuum unit 320 may be detachably attached to the head 300, and may have a structure surrounding the head 300. In an embodiment, the vacuum unit 320 may have an attachment surface B1 attached to the contact surface A1 of the head unit 300, and may be fixed to the contact surface A1 of the head unit 300 by magnetic force. have. For example, first magnets 371 are disposed on the contact surface A1 of the head part 300, and opposite polarities to the first magnets 371 are provided on the attachment surface B1 of the vacuum part 320. The second magnets 321 may be disposed, and the vacuum part 320 may be attached to the head part 300 by the combination of the first magnet 371 and the second magnet 321.

In this case, the cartridge 30 may further include a packing member 305 for maintaining a constant vacuum pressure in a state in which the vacuum unit 320 is mounted. In FIG. 3, the packing member 305 is disposed on the contact surface A1 of the head part 300, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the packing member may be attached to the attachment surface B1 of the vacuum part 320. Of course, it may be arranged.

4 is a view for explaining the high-intensity focused ultrasound generator 1-1 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the vacuum unit 320 according to another embodiment may be provided to be fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the head unit 300. At this time, the cartridge 30 is a packing member (not shown) in contact with the vacuum portion 320 and the head portion 300 to improve the adhesion between the vacuum portion 320 and the head portion 300 and to maintain the vacuum pressure. C) may be further provided. For example, the packing part may be disposed in the vacuum part 320 along an inner side surface of the portion fitted to the head part 300.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 to 3, the sensor unit 330 may be disposed on the contact surface A1 of the head 300 and detect whether the skin is in contact with the contact surface A1 by suction. The sensor unit 330 is disposed on one side of the contact surface A1 and detects contact between the contact surface A1 and the skin to generate a first detection signal, and one side of the contact surface A1 The second sensor unit 333 is disposed on the other side and detects contact between the contact surface A1 and the skin to generate a second detection signal. In an embodiment, the first sensor unit 331 and the second sensor unit 333 may be resistance sensors.

The high intensity focused ultrasound wave generator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may detect skin contact on the contact surface A1 through the sensor unit 330 disposed on the contact surface A1 of the head 300. have. In particular, the sensor unit 330 may sense stable contact between the head unit 300 and the skin by using the first sensor unit 331 and the second sensor unit 333 disposed at different positions. . Specifically, when the contact between the vacuum unit 320 and the skin is unstable, the vacuum is not properly formed and neither the first sensor unit 331 nor the second sensor unit 333 detects the skin or any one of the skins. Will not be detected.

If the head portion 300 and the skin contact is unstable, the high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) radiation may not be made properly or the focus position may be different, it may be difficult to accurately perform the procedure. Therefore, the high-intensity focused ultrasound generator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention uses the first sensor unit 331 and the second sensor unit 333 at different positions, and the head unit 300 and the skin. The stable contact of the can be detected, through which anyone can safely perform the procedure. The high-intensity focused ultrasound generating device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes more sensors than this, so that it is possible to improve the accuracy by detecting the skin sucked by the vacuum at different positions.

As another example, the sensor unit 330 may further include a third sensor unit (not shown) at one end of the vacuum unit 320 in contact with the skin. When the third sensor unit (not shown) detects that the vacuum unit 320 is in contact with the skin, the third sensor unit may generate a third detection signal and provide the third detection signal to the controller 150. The third sensor unit (not shown) may be, for example, a touch sensor or a temperature sensor.

Meanwhile, the controller 150 (refer to FIG. 8) may control the operation of the ultrasonic focusing unit 310 or the vacuum generator 110 using the detection signal provided from the sensor unit 330. The controller 150 may be provided in the main body 10, but it is not necessary to do so. Hereinafter, the control method of the control unit 150 will be described with reference to FIG. 8 first.

8 is a block diagram of the high intensity focused ultrasound generator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, first, the controller 150 may control the vacuum generator 110 to operate when a third detection signal is provided from a third sensor unit (not shown) disposed in the vacuum unit 320. have. Thereafter, the skin in contact with the vacuum unit 320 is sucked and raised by the vacuum generating unit 110, and the controller 150 detects the first from the first sensor unit 331 and the second sensor unit 333. The signal sg1 or the second sensing signal sg2 may be provided. At this time, the controller 150 determines that the vacuum unit 320 and the head unit 300 are in stable contact with the skin only when both the first detection signal sg1 and the second detection signal sg2 are detected, and the ultrasound is detected. By controlling the focusing unit 310, high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) may be irradiated to the surgical site.

If one of the first sensing signal sg1 and the second sensing signal sg2 is not detected from the first sensor unit 331 and the second sensor unit 33, the controller 150 may include a head unit ( It is determined that 300 and the skin did not stably contact, and the ultrasound focusing unit 310 is not operated. Here, the controller 150 is provided with a third detection signal from the third sensor unit (not shown) to operate the vacuum generator 110, the first sensor unit 331 and the second sensor unit 333. When the detection signal from at least one of the furnace is not provided within a predetermined time, the vacuum generating unit 110 may be turned off and the operator may be provided with a guide signal to correct the procedure position. Through such a control method, the high intensity focused ultrasound generator 1 may generate a vacuum by contacting the skin, and may automate a series of processes of irradiating high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU).

The high-intensity focused ultrasound generating apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may form a vacuum on the surgical site before the high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is operated to inhale the skin, thereby enabling stable skin contact. In particular, since the procedure proceeds while the skin is pulled by the vacuum, pain can be reduced. In addition, the high-intensity focused ultrasound generator 1 detects the degree of inhalation of the skin through the sensor unit 330, and irradiates the high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) when it is determined to be a stable contact, thereby reducing the deviation of the procedure according to the operator. Anyone can be safely treated.

5 is a view for explaining the high-intensity focused ultrasound generator 2 according to another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 is a view for explaining a modification of the portable form of FIG. 7 and 8 are views for explaining various embodiments of the cooling unit 380 of FIG. 5 or 6. Hereinafter, for the convenience of description, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements as in the exemplary embodiment, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

5 to 8, the high intensity focused ultrasound generator 2 according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a main body 10, a handpiece 20, and a cartridge 30.

The main body 10 may include components such as a power supply unit (not shown) and a control unit 150 for controlling the operation of the handpiece 20 in which high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is performed.

The handpiece 20 may be connected to the main body 10 and may include a cooling generator 220 for generating cooling energy. The cooling generator 220 may have any configuration capable of generating cooling energy. In one embodiment, the cooling generator 220 may include a thermoelectric element having a cooling surface. Here, the Peltier effect refers to a phenomenon in which one side generates heat and the other endothermic (cools) when n, p type thermoelectric materials are paired to flow an electric current. The Peltier effect is, in other words, a heat-pump capable of electrical feedback control.

In addition, in the thermoelectric element using the Peltier effect, the endotherm occurs in accordance with the direction of the current, at this time, the endothermic amount in the endotherm occurs in the formula as follows.

= 단위 시간에 흡열되는 열량의 절대값,

= 주위 온도에 따른 a, b 두 재질의 상대 열전능,

펠티에 계수, I = 전류를 나타낸다. here,

= Absolute value of heat absorbed in unit time,

= Relative thermoelectric properties of two materials, a and b, depending on the ambient temperature,

Peltier coefficient, I = current.

When the cooling generating unit 220 uses a thermoelectric element, when a current is applied to the thermoelectric element, cooling may occur on the cooling surface, and heat may be generated on the opposite surface opposite to the cooling surface due to the Peltier effect.

The handpiece 20 may further include a heat dissipation unit 230 disposed at a position opposite to the cooling surface in order to discharge the heat generated to the outside. The heat dissipation unit 230 may be made of a thermally conductive material in order to efficiently discharge the heat generated during the cooling generation unit 220 to generate the cooling energy, and may perform a heat dissipation function by air cooling or water cooling. The heat dissipation unit 230 efficiently arranges the cooling passage 235 along the area where the cooling generation unit 220 overlaps, and thus the cooling generation unit 220 through a heat transfer medium such as air or water circulating along the cooling passage. Heat can be released to the outside. However, it does not necessarily have to be made in such a circulation manner, and as shown in FIG. 6, a fan may be provided to release heat into the air. Since the handpiece 20 of FIG. 6 is portable, it may be effective to discharge heat by air cooling using a fan rather than the heat dissipation unit 230 of the circulation method as described above. In this case, the handpiece 20 forms a plurality of through holes (not shown) in the body region corresponding to the heat dissipation unit 230, so that heated air generated from the heat dissipation unit 230 may be discharged to the outside. On the other hand, when the high-intensity focused ultrasound generator 2 'is provided as a portable as shown in Figure 6, the power supply unit (not shown) and the control unit 150 may be disposed in the handpiece 20.

The handpiece 20 may further include a cooling transmission unit 210 for transferring cooling energy from the cooling generation unit 220. The cooling transmission unit 210 may be formed such that one end is in contact with the cooling surface of the cooling generation unit 220 and the other end is connected to the cartridge 30, specifically, the cooling execution unit 380 of the cartridge 30. . The cooling transmission unit 210 may be made of a metal material having high thermal conductivity. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the cooling transmission unit 210 may include a contact member contacting the cooling generator 220 and a connection member extending from the contact region and connected to the cooling execution unit 380. As another embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the cooling transmission unit 210 may be directly connected to the cooling execution unit 380 by using a contact member that contacts the cooling generation unit 220 without a connection member. The connection member or the contact member may be exposed to the outer surface of the handpiece 20 to be in contact with the cooling unit 380 when the cartridge 30 is mounted to the handpiece 20, and thus the cooling unit 380. The cooling energy may be transferred to 380.

The cartridge 30 may include a head unit 300, an ultrasonic focusing unit 310, and a cooling unit 380.

Cooling performing part 380 is disposed on the contact surface (A1) of the head portion 300 is in contact with the skin, the other side is disposed toward the handpiece 20 is connected to the cooling generating unit 220, Cooling on the skin can be performed. As shown, the cooling unit 380 may include a first region P1 in contact with the skin and a second region P2 connecting the first region P1 and the cooling transfer unit 210 described above. Can be. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, the cooling unit 380 may include a third region P3 connected to the second region P2 and in surface contact with the cooling transfer unit 210. You may. The shape of the cooling execution unit 380 according to the present invention is not limited to that shown in the drawings, of course, any shape that can effectively transfer cooling energy to the skin is possible.

Here, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the first region P1 of the cooling unit 380 may be disposed along both sides of the window A2 of the contact surface A1 of the head unit 300, and FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the window A2 may be disposed to surround the window A2. The cooling execution unit 380 may be made of a metal material having high thermal conductivity, or may be made of the same material as the cooling transfer unit 210.

The high intensity focused ultrasound generator 2 may also generate heat in unwanted areas of the skin while focusing the ultrasound at the focal point. The high-intensity focused ultrasound wave generator 2 according to another embodiment performs cooling by arranging the cooling unit 380 adjacent to the window A2 in which the ultrasound is focused, thereby minimizing a thermal image of a portion other than the focus position. And cooling can reduce pain.

On the other hand, the cartridge 30 may further include a fourth sensor unit (not shown) that senses a temperature on the contact surface of the head unit 300, and may detect the skin temperature by cooling and provide it to the controller 150. In this case, the controller 150 may control the operation of the cooling generator 220 in a preset temperature range so that the skin temperature is not too low.

In addition, the cooling performance unit 380 may simultaneously transmit cooling energy to the second region P2 connecting the first region P1 and the cooling transmission unit 210. In detail, the second area P2 of the cooling unit 380 penetrates the inside of the cartridge 30. In this case, a medium such as water disposed inside the cartridge 30 to minimize the loss of ultrasonic waves. Contact with (M). The second region P2 may perform cooling of the medium M while the first region P1 performs cooling on the skin, thereby minimizing a high temperature of the medium while radiating high intensity focused ultrasound HIFU. can do. Through this, the high-intensity focused ultrasound generator 2 according to another embodiment of the present invention can improve the function of the ultrasonic focusing unit 310 degraded by repeated use, and extend the life of the cartridge 30. It can have an effect.

Meanwhile, in the drawings, the high intensity focused ultrasound generator 1 of FIG. 2 and the high intensity focused ultrasound generator 5 of FIG. 5 are separately shown for convenience of description, but as shown in FIG. High intensity focused ultrasound generator according to the above can be configured to perform both vacuum and cooling, of course. At this time, the vacuum unit 320 is formed of a thermally conductive material, and may be in thermal contact with the cooling unit 380, so that the vacuum unit 320 is in contact with the skin even if the cooling unit 380 does not directly contact the skin. The cooling function can also be performed.

FIG. 10 is an operation signal diagram briefly showing an operation signal between components of the high intensity focused ultrasound generator 1 of FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 10, the high intensity focused ultrasound generator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may drive a cooling step, a vacuum sound pressure, and a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) irradiation in a sequence manner using the controller 150. have. Here, the high intensity focused ultrasound generator 1 according to the present invention may control to operate the high intensity focused ultrasound HIHI when a detection signal is input through the sensor unit 330. In particular, the controller 150 may drive the ultrasonic focusing unit 310 only when a detection signal is input from both the first sensor unit 331 and the second sensor unit 333.

Specifically, when the procedure is started using the high intensity focused ultrasound generator 1, the cooling generator 220 is operated (t1) to prepare the cooling performing unit 380 to perform cooling. The cartridge 30 may further include a temperature sensor, and when the temperature range reaches a preset temperature range, for example, 5 ° C. to 20 ° C., the cooling unit 380 is ready to perform cooling. May be determined, and the user may be informed.

Thereafter, the controller 150 may drive the vacuum generator 110. In this case, as described above, when the skin contact of the vacuum unit 320 is detected by the third sensor unit (not shown), the controller 150 may drive the vacuum generating unit 110. When the vacuum generator 320 is driven by the vacuum unit 320 in contact with the skin, the skin region defined by the vacuum unit 320 may be sucked by the negative pressure. The sensor unit 330 generates a detection signal by contacting the skin sucked up by the sound pressure (t3), and when the detection signal is provided, the control unit 150 determines that the contact with the skin is stable, and focuses the ultrasound. The unit 310 may be driven (t4). Through this, the high-intensity focused ultrasound generating device 1 enables safe and accurate procedures regardless of the variation of the skill of the operator.

The controller 150 may drive the ultrasonic focusing unit 310 for a predetermined time to irradiate high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), and then turn off the vacuum generating unit 110. When the driving of the vacuum generator 110 stops, the skin sucked by the negative pressure returns to its original position and falls off from the contact surface A1 of the cartridge 30, so that the sensor unit 330 does not generate a detection signal. When the detection signal is no longer provided from the sensor unit 330, the controller 150 may also turn off the operation of the cooling generator 220.

The high-intensity focused ultrasound generator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention operates in the above-described sequence at the first surgical site T1, and then the second surgical site T2 different from the first surgical site T1. In the same manner, the procedure may proceed.

So far I looked at the center of the preferred embodiment for the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be embodied in a modified form without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The scope of the present invention is shown not in the above description but in the claims, and all differences within the scope should be construed as being included in the present invention.

1, 2: high intensity focused ultrasound generator
10: main body
20: handpiece
30: Cartridge
300 head portion
310: ultrasonic focusing unit
320: vacuum unit
330: sensor
380: Cooling section
110: vacuum generator
150: control unit

Claims (13)

A handpiece connected to the body; And
And a cartridge that is replaceably mounted to the handpiece and includes an ultrasonic focusing unit for generating high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU).
The cartridge,
A head portion having a contact surface in contact with the skin;
A vacuum unit for forming a vacuum between the skin and the head unit where the procedure is performed; And
And a sensor unit disposed on the contact surface of the head and configured to detect whether the skin is inhaled by vacuum and the contact surface. According to claim 1,
The vacuum portion is detachable to the head portion but is formed in a structure surrounding the head portion, high intensity focused ultrasound generator. According to claim 1,
And a control unit for controlling the operation of the ultrasonic focusing unit by using the detection signal provided from the sensor unit. The method of claim 3, wherein
The sensor unit is disposed on one side of the contact surface and detects the contact between the contact surface and the skin to generate a first detection signal, and is disposed on the other side of the contact surface instead of one side and the contact surface and the skin. A second sensor unit configured to generate a second detection signal by detecting a contact of
The controller controls the ultrasonic focusing unit to operate when both the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal are provided. According to claim 1,
The handpiece includes a cooling generating unit for generating cooling energy,
The cartridge,
One side is located on the contact surface and in contact with the skin, the other side is disposed toward the handpiece further comprises a cooling execution unit connected to the cooling generating unit, high intensity focused ultrasound generator. A cartridge replaceably mounted to a handpiece of a high intensity focused ultrasound generator,
The cartridge,
A head portion having a contact surface in contact with the skin;
A vacuum unit for forming a vacuum between the skin and the head unit where the procedure is performed; And
And a sensor unit disposed on the contact surface of the head and configured to sense whether the skin is sucked by the vacuum and the contact surface. The method of claim 6,
The vacuum portion is detachable to the head portion but is formed in a structure surrounding the head portion, high intensity focused ultrasound cartridge. The method of claim 6,
The sensor unit is disposed on one side of the contact surface and detects the contact between the contact surface and the skin to generate a first detection signal, and is disposed on the other side of the contact surface instead of one side and the contact surface and the skin. And a second sensor unit configured to detect a contact of the second sensor to generate a second detection signal. The method of claim 6,
The cartridge further includes a cooling performing part connected to a cooling generating part disposed at one side of the handpiece and contacting the skin, and the other side of the cartridge being disposed toward the handpiece and disposed inside the handpiece. cartridge. A handpiece connected to the main body, the handpiece having a cooling generating unit generating cooling energy; And
And a cartridge that is replaceably mounted to the handpiece and includes an ultrasonic focusing unit for generating high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU).
The cartridge,
A head portion having a contact surface in contact with the skin; And
One side is disposed on the contact surface of the head portion is in contact with the skin, the other side is disposed toward the handpiece is connected to the cooling generating portion, the cooling performing unit for performing cooling in the skin; , High intensity focused ultrasound generator. The method of claim 10,
The high intensity focused ultrasound generation device, wherein the cooling performance part is in direct contact with a medium accommodated in the head portion. The method of claim 10,
The cooling generating unit includes a thermoelectric element having a cooling surface,
The handpiece is disposed in a position opposite to the cooling surface, further comprising a heat dissipation unit for discharging the heat generated from the cooling generating unit to the outside, high intensity focused ultrasound generator. A handpiece provided to be portable; And
And a cartridge that is replaceably mounted to the handpiece and includes an ultrasonic focusing unit for generating high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU).
The cartridge,
A head portion having a contact surface in contact with the skin;
A vacuum unit for forming a vacuum between the skin and the head unit where the procedure is performed; And
And a sensor unit disposed on the contact surface of the head unit and configured to sense whether the skin inhaled by the vacuum and the contact surface are in contact with each other.

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