KR20200052602A - Magnetic stimulation device - Google Patents

Abstract

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, disclosed is a magnetic stimulation device. The magnetic stimulation device comprises: a first magnetic field forming unit forming a first magnetic field by a first permanent magnet; a first time-varying magnetic field generation unit rotating the first permanent magnet to convert the first magnetic field into a first time-varying magnetic field; a second magnetic field forming unit forming a second magnetic field by a second permanent magnet; a second time-varying magnetic field generation unit rotating the second permanent magnet to convert the second magnetic field into a second time-varying magnetic field; a magnetic field measuring unit disposed between the first magnetic field forming unit and the second magnetic field forming unit and measuring a first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and a second intensity of the time-varying magnetic field; and a control unit controlling the first time-varying magnetic field generation unit and the second time-varying magnetic field generation unit. The first time-varying magnetic field generation unit includes: a first driving unit coupled with the first magnetic field forming unit and providing a driving force to the first permanent magnet of the first magnetic field forming unit such that the first permanent magnet rotates; and a second driving unit coupled with the second magnetic field forming unit and providing a driving force to the second permanent magnet of the second magnetic field forming unit such that the second permanent magnet rotates. The control unit controls driving of the first driving unit and the second driving unit to control the intensities of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second time-varying magnetic field. The present disclosure can provide a small-sized TMS device which can be used for home use.

Description

Magnetic stimulation device {MAGNETIC STIMULATION DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a magnetic stimulation device, and more particularly, to a transcranial magnetic stimulation medical device that is miniaturized for use in the home.

The study of the present invention was carried out with the support of the Chungcheongbuk-do advanced medical technology value creation project conducted by the Osong Advanced Medical Industry Promotion Foundation with the appearance of Chungcheongbuk-do and Cheongju-si. (This research was supported by the grant from Osong Medical Innovation foundation funded by Chungbuk-do and Cheongju City.)

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a method that affects the brain using strong magnetic force without surgical treatment on the head. It was discovered in 1976 by Professor Anthony Baker in England that giving the brain a magnetic force of 2T (1T = 1 Wb / m2, Wb is the unit of magnetic flux) increases the speed of neuron information transmission. Meanwhile, TMS is an effective method for treating depression, and was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2008.

The principle of TMS is to interrupt a very strong flow of electricity in an electromagnetic coil to generate a magnetic field of about 2 Tesla intensity through the coil. This is a method of stimulating the brain by inducing depolarization to nerve cells up to a range of 1.5 to 2 cm below the coil by placing these coils at appropriate positions outside the two and transmitting the fluctuating energy of the magnetic field wave to the brain through the two.

A magnetic field is a space where a magnetic force acts around a magnet, an electric current, or a changing electric field, and is also called a magnetic field or a magnetic field. Currently, the TMS device used for medical purposes mainly forms a magnetic field using a coil.

TMS has been actively studied for therapeutic applications in depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, movement disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, and brain dysfunction, which do not respond well to drug and psychotherapy.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0123831 discloses a pseudo magnetic stimulator for confirming the effectiveness of the magnetic stimulation therapy.

On the other hand, the TMS may complain of discomfort due to sound every time it is irritated, but no special side effects have been found. In addition, repeated TMS (rTMS; repeated TMS), which repeatedly performs TMS, is known to be effective in treating depression.

Accordingly, there may be a demand for a miniaturized TMS medical device that can be easily used at home.

The present invention has been devised in response to the above-mentioned background technology, and has an object to provide a miniaturized TMS medical device for use in a home.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to form a time-varying magnetic field used in a TMS medical device using a permanent magnet rather than a coil.

The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure for solving the above-described problems, a magnetic stimulation device is disclosed. The magnetic stimulation device includes a first magnetic field forming unit forming a first magnetic field by a first permanent magnet; A first time-varying magnetic field generator configured to convert the first magnetic field into a first time-varying magnetic field by rotating the first permanent magnet; A second magnetic field forming unit forming a second magnetic field by the second permanent magnet; A second time-varying magnetic field generating unit converting the second magnetic field into a second time-varying magnetic field by rotating the second permanent magnet; A magnetic field measuring unit positioned between the first magnetic field forming unit and the second magnetic field forming unit and measuring a first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and a second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field; Includes; a control unit for controlling the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit and the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit; The first time-varying magnetic field generating unit is coupled to the first magnetic field forming unit, the first permanent magnet of the first magnetic field forming unit It includes a first driving unit for providing a driving force to the rotational movement, the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit is coupled to the second magnetic field forming unit, and provides a driving force to rotate the second permanent magnet of the second magnetic field forming unit And a second driving unit, and the control unit may control the driving of the first driving unit and the second driving unit to control the intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second time-varying magnetic field.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the magnetic stimulation apparatus includes: a communication unit that receives first information about a user's body; And a memory for storing information about the strength of the magnetic field mapped to the first information. Further comprising, the control unit may recognize the second information on the strength of the magnetic field mapped to the first information in the memory, and control the driving of the first driving unit and the driving unit based on the second information. have.

The first information on the user's body may include information on at least one of the user's disease name, gender, and age.

The second information on the strength of the magnetic field may include information on the strength of the magnetic field required to stimulate nerve cells of the user's brain by matching the first information on the user's body.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the magnetic field measurement unit generates third information on the intensity of the vector sum of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second time-varying magnetic field based on the first intensity and the second intensity, and the control unit Controls the first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field by controlling the driving of the first driving unit and the second driving unit based on the second information and the third information. Can be.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the intensity of the vector sum is greater than the intensity of a preset magnetic field required to stimulate nerve cells of the user's brain based on the second information and the third information, , The driving force of the first driving part and the second driving part may be reduced to decrease the first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the intensity of the vector sum is smaller than the intensity of a preset magnetic field required to stimulate nerve cells of the user's brain based on the second information and the third information, , The driving force of the first driving part and the second driving part may be increased to increase the first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the control unit may have a first polarity of the first permanent magnet and a second polarity of the second permanent magnet before the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet begin to rotate. The first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet may be rotated by controlling the first driving unit and the second driving unit to face each other.

The first polarity may be the same polarity as the second polarity.

The technical solutions that can be obtained in the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned solutions, and other solutions that are not mentioned are clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. Will be understandable.

The present disclosure can provide a miniaturized TMS device for home use. The time-varying magnetic field used in the TMS device may be formed using a permanent magnet, not a coil.

The effects obtainable in the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. .

Various aspects are now described with reference to the figures, in which like reference numerals are used collectively to refer to similar elements. In the following embodiments, for illustrative purposes, a number of specific details are presented to provide a holistic understanding of one or more aspects. However, it will be apparent that such aspect (s) may be practiced without these specific details.
1 is a perspective view of a magnetic stimulation device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
2 is a block diagram of a magnetic stimulation apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
3 is a view showing an example of the configuration of a magnetic stimulation device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
4 is a view for explaining the arrangement of the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
5 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a magnetic stimulation device mounted on a user's head communicates with a user terminal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of adjusting a magnetic field strength of a magnetic stimulation device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Various embodiments and / or aspects are now disclosed with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, a number of specific details are disclosed to assist in the overall understanding of one or more aspects. However, it will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art of the present disclosure that this aspect (s) can be practiced without these specific details. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative aspects of the one or more aspects. However, these aspects are exemplary and some of the various methods in the principles of the various aspects may be used, and the descriptions described are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Specifically, "an embodiment", "example", "a good", "an example", etc., as used herein is not to be construed as any aspect or design described being better or more advantageous than another aspect or designs. It may not.

Hereinafter, the same or similar components are assigned the same reference numbers regardless of the reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions thereof are omitted. In addition, in the description of the embodiments disclosed herein, when it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical spirit disclosed herein is not limited by the accompanying drawings.

The terminology used herein is for describing the embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. In the present specification, the singular form also includes the plural form unless otherwise specified in the phrase. As used herein, “comprises” and / or “comprising” does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components other than the components mentioned.

Although the first, second, etc. are used to describe various elements or components, it goes without saying that these elements or components are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element or component from another element or component. Therefore, it goes without saying that the first element or component mentioned below may be the second element or component within the technical spirit of the present invention.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the present specification may be used as meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. In addition, terms defined in the commonly used dictionary are not ideally or excessively interpreted unless specifically defined.

In addition, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise or unclear in context, "X uses A or B" is intended to mean one of the natural inclusive substitutions. That is, X uses A; X uses B; Or, if X uses both A and B, "X uses A or B" can be applied in either of these cases. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes all possible combinations of one or more of the listed related items.

In addition, the terms "information" and "data" as used herein can often be used interchangeably with each other.

The suffixes "modules" and "parts" for components used in the following description are given or mixed only considering the ease of writing the specification, and do not have meanings or roles that are distinguished from each other.

The objectives and effects of the present disclosure, and technical configurations for achieving them, will be apparent with reference to embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. In describing the present disclosure, when it is determined that a detailed description of a known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted. And terms to be described later are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present disclosure, which may vary according to a user's or operator's intention or practice.

However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and may be implemented in various different forms. Only the present embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure complete, and to fully inform the person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, the present disclosure is only defined by the scope of the claims. . Therefore, the definition should be made based on the contents throughout this specification.

1 is a perspective view of a magnetic stimulation device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 2 is a block diagram of a magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 3 is a view showing an example of the configuration of a magnetic stimulation device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As described above in the background technology of the present invention, the magnetic stimulation device is a medical device that uses transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and treatment that affects the brain by using a strong magnetic force without surgical treatment on the head. It is a medical device that performs the method.

Referring to FIG. 1, the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes a main body 200 providing a magnetic field to a user and a fixing part 300 capable of mounting the main body 200 on a user's head ). The user is provided with a time-varying magnetic field capable of generating an induced current that stimulates nerve cells in the brain by wearing the headband-shaped fixing part 300 and operating the main body 200.

An input unit 1000, a display unit 1100, and a battery charging terminal 1201 may be provided outside the main body 200.

The display unit 1100 may be provided on one side of the body 200 to output information. For example, the display unit 1100 may display the time when the magnetic stimulation device 100 is operated and the power charged in the battery unit 1200, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The detailed description of the input unit 1000, the display unit 1100 and the battery charging terminal 1201 will be described later.

2 and 3, as described above, the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 may include a main body 200 and a fixing part 300.

The main body 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes a first magnetic field forming unit 400, a first time varying magnetic field generating unit 500, a second magnetic field forming unit 600, and a second time varying magnetic field generating unit 700 , A magnetic field measurement unit 800 and a control unit 900. In addition, the main body 200 may further include an input unit 1000, a display unit 1100, a battery unit 1200, a communication unit 1300, and a memory 1400.

The components shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are not essential, and some components may be omitted or another component may be added to configure the magnetic stimulation device 100. Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail.

The body 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes the above components, and may form an external shape of the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100. The main body 200 may be made of various materials such as plastics and fabrics, and the above structures may be fixed to the main body and protected from external and / or internal shocks and vibrations.

The fixing part 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure means a means for attaching the magnetic stimulation device 100 to the user's head. That is, the fixing part 300 may attach the main body 200 to the user's head.

The fixing part 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a means for adjusting the length while surrounding the user's head. The body 200 may be fixed to the user's head by the fixing part 300.

The body 200 may be fixed to any part of the user's head. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the main body 200 may be positioned on the head of the user's forehead. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the body 200 may be located at the head of the head as if wearing a headband, and as shown in FIG. 1, the body 200 may be located at any area of the user's forehead. It might be.

On the other hand, the fixing part 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a hair band having elasticity by including a rubber band. In addition, the fixing part 300 may be made of various materials such as fabric, leather, PVC, urethane.

The means for adjusting the length of the fixing part 300 may include various means such as a buckle, a velcro, and a snap button.

The first magnetic field forming unit 400 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may form a first magnetic field by the first permanent magnet.

Conventional TMS medical devices have formed a magnetic field by varying the intensity, direction, etc. of a current applied to a coil. On the other hand, a magnetic field may be formed using a permanent magnet, in which a magnetic field having a constant intensity and direction is emitted to the outside.

In accordance with Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction, changes in magnetic flux generate electromotive force. A magnetic field having a constant intensity and direction toward the nerve cells of the brain cannot generate an induced current that stimulates the nerve cells of the brain. Therefore, in order to generate an induced current that stimulates the nerve cells in the brain, the permanent magnet must be moved to change the strength and direction of the magnetic field directed to the nerve cells in the brain.

The first time-varying magnetic field generator 500 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may rotate the first permanent magnet to convert the first magnetic field emitted by the first permanent magnet into a first time-varying magnetic field. The first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field converted by the first time-varying magnetic field generator 500 may be adjusted by the control of the control unit 900.

Specifically, the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 is coupled to the first magnetic field forming unit 400, the first driving unit for providing a driving force for the first permanent magnet of the first magnetic field forming unit 400 to rotate motion It can contain.

The first driving unit of the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 as described above should be operated by the user at the head, and may include a small motor having a small size to be accommodated in the small body 200. The motor may include an AC (AC) motor, a DC (DC) motor, and the like.

The motor of the first driving unit of the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 is a geared motor (a motor with a reduction mechanism such as a gear attached to a rotating shaft of the motor, capable of rotating at a low speed and generating large torque), a BLDC motor The motor rotates by an angle proportional to the number of pulses given by ordering the stepped motors (motors with reduced noise and reduced durability) and stepping motors (steps). And may also be referred to as pulse motor), and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

More specifically, the first driving unit of the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 has a rotation axis in a direction parallel to the tangent line of the portion where the first magnetic field forming unit 400 contacts the user's head, and the control unit 900 The first permanent magnet may be rotated by controlling the driving of the first driving unit. Therefore, the first permanent magnet of the first magnetic field forming unit 400 emits a magnetic field having a constant intensity and direction, but the first permanent magnet is random by driving the first driving unit of the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500. A magnetic field having the constant intensity and direction may be converted into a first time-varying magnetic field by rotating in a certain speed and in any direction. The first time-varying magnetic field affecting the user has various strengths and directions according to the speed and direction of the first driving unit of the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 and the type of the first permanent magnet of the first magnetic field forming unit 400. Can have A detailed description of the control operation of the control unit 900 that adjusts the first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field of the first time-varying magnetic field generator 500 will be described later.

The second magnetic field forming unit 600 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may form a second magnetic field by the second permanent magnet. The second magnetic field forming unit 600 may be disposed on the main body 200 so as to face the second permanent magnet and the first permanent magnet of the first magnetic field forming unit 400. The first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet are arranged to face each other so that the first and second magnetic fields emitted to the user do not cancel each other out. A detailed description thereof will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.

The second time-varying magnetic field generator 700 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may rotate the second permanent magnet to convert the second magnetic field emitted by the second permanent magnet into a second time-varying magnetic field. The second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field converted by the second time-varying magnetic field generator 700 may be controlled by the control of the control unit 900.

The second magnetic field forming unit 600 and the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700 are similar in configuration and operation to the aforementioned first magnetic field forming unit 400 and the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700. Is omitted.

The magnetic field measurement unit 800 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be located between the first magnetic field forming unit 400 and the second magnetic field forming unit 600. The magnetic field measurement unit 800 may measure the first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field. The first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field measured by the magnetic field measuring unit 800 and the second intensity of the time-varying magnetic field are controlled by the control unit 900 by the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 and the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700 ).

Specifically, the magnetic field measurement unit 800 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is converted from the first intensity and second time-varying magnetic field generation unit 700 of the first time-varying magnetic field converted by the first time-varying magnetic field generation unit 500 Based on the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field, third information on the intensity of the vector sum of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second time-varying magnetic field may be generated. Here, the strength of the magnetic field may be a vector value including the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field. The third information about the intensity of the vector sum of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second time-varying magnetic field is used by the control unit 900 to control the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 and the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700. A detailed description using the third information by the control unit 900 will be described later.

The input unit 1000 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may receive a signal capable of controlling the control unit 900.

Referring back to FIG. 1, for example, the input unit 1000 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a power button capable of receiving a signal to turn on / off the magnetic stimulation device 100, the strength of the magnetic field, or It may be equipped with an up / down control button to adjust the operating time. In addition, when using an additional function for storing the recorded operation or connecting with a user terminal device, another button may be added and provided, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The display unit 1100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may visually display a situation controlled by the control unit 900. In addition, the display unit 1100 may perform a function of checking a signal received from the input unit 1000. In addition, the display unit 1100 may perform a function of displaying a power state of the battery unit 1200, which will be described later, or whether it is connected to a user terminal device.

The display unit 151 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), and a flexible display (flexible). display) and at least one of an electronic ink display (e-ink display).

For example, the display unit 1100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may display the time when the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 is operated and the remaining power of the battery unit 1200. In addition, the display unit 1100 may visually display information such as the strength of the magnetic field and a portion of the user's head where the magnetic field acts strongly, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

* The battery unit 1200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may supply power to the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100.

For example, the battery unit 1200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be charged using a charger that can be connected to a household outlet provided in a house, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 1, as part of the battery unit 1200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery charging terminal 1201 for charging a battery located inside the main body 200 may be provided.

In addition, the battery unit 1200 may be configured to be provided with a disposable battery instead of a rechargeable battery to replace the battery. The battery may include batteries having various sizes and shapes such as AAA size and AA size, and may include batteries having various voltages such as 1.5V and 9V, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

 The communication unit 1300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may receive a signal necessary to control the control unit 900 or transmit information related to a situation controlled by the control unit 900.

The communication unit 1300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be a LAN, a WAN, an intranet, the Internet, or a combination of these so that the magnetic stimulation device 100 can be connected to a web object through the Internet. In addition, the communication unit 1300 may include a modem, an Internet communication network, a wired communication system, and a wireless communication system.

The communication unit 1300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be configured regardless of its communication mode, such as wired or wireless, and various communication networks such as a personal area network (PAN) and a wide area network (WAN). It can be composed of. In addition, the network unit 1000 may be a known World Wide Web (WWW), and may use a wireless transmission technology used for short-range communication such as infrared (Infrared Data Assoication) or Bluetooth (Bluetooth). It might be.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the communication unit 1300 may communicate with a program or application installed in a user terminal, for example, a laptop, a smartphone, etc., but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Specifically, the communication unit 1300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may receive first information about a user's body from a user terminal.

The first information about the user's body may include information about at least one of the user's disease name, gender, and age. The first information may be stored in the memory 1400 by mapping information about a required magnetic field strength according to a user.

The magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may have at least one user, and the strength, operating time, etc. of an effective magnetic field for each user may be different. For example, the intensity of a magnetic field for stimulating brain neurons in a man in his twenties may be different from that for a brain neuron in a woman in his twenties. In addition, the strength of the magnetic field for stimulating brain neurons that is helpful in the treatment of depression and the strength of the magnetic field for stimulating brain neurons that are helpful for the treatment of insomnia may be different.

 The information on the intensity of the magnetic field mapped to the first information may be used by the control unit 900 to control the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 and the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700. The first information on the user's body described above is only an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The memory 1400 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may store information related to a situation controlled by the controller 900.

The magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may have at least one user, and the strength, operating time, etc. of an effective magnetic field for each user may be different.

As described above, the communication unit 1300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may receive first information about a user's body. Depending on the user, information on the strength of a different magnetic field may be mapped to information on the user's body and stored in the memory 1400. The controller 900 may recognize the second information about the strength of the magnetic field mapped to the received first information based on the information about the strength of the magnetic field mapped to the information about the user's body stored in the memory 1400. have.

The information about the strength of the magnetic field stored in the memory may be matched with the first information about the user's body, and may include information about the strength of the magnetic field required to stimulate nerve cells of the user's brain. As described above, for example, the intensity of a magnetic field for stimulating brain neurons in a man in his twenties may be different from that for a brain nerve cell in a woman in his twenties. In addition, the strength of the magnetic field for stimulating brain neurons that is helpful in the treatment of depression and the strength of the magnetic field for stimulating brain neurons that are helpful for the treatment of insomnia may be different. Accordingly, a predetermined strength of the magnetic field required to stimulate the nerve cells of the user's brain may be stored in the memory 1400. After recognizing the second information about the magnetic field corresponding to the first information about the received user's body, the control unit 900 first and time-varying magnetic field generating units 500 and second time-varying based on the recognized second information The magnetic field generator 700 may be controlled. The second information on the magnetic field strength described above is only an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Also, for example, the memory 1400 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may store a program for the operation of the control unit 900, and input / output data (eg, the strength of a magnetic field formed and Direction, operating time, etc.). In addition, the memory 1400 may store various visual data output on the display unit 1100 (for example, a visual image of a magnetic field stimulated by a user's head).

The memory 1400 is a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory, etc.), Random Access Memory (RAM), Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPMROM), Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM), magnetic memory, It may include a storage medium of at least one of a magnetic disk and an optical disk. The magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 may operate in connection with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 1400 on the Internet. The above-described memory is only an example, and the present disclosure is not limited now.

The control unit 900 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented to control the overall operation of the magnetic stimulation device 100. Also, the control unit 900 may perform various operations performed by the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 and process data. The control unit 900 may drive an operating system (OS), an application, and a database manager for driving the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100.

The control unit 900 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a co-processor, an arithmetic processing unit (APU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a digital signal processor ( It may be a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Processor (AP), and a Communication Processor (CP).

The control unit 900 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may control the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 and the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700.

Specifically, the control unit 900 may control the first driving unit of the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 to adjust the first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field. Also, the control unit 900 may control the driving of the second driving unit of the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700 to adjust the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field.

More specifically, as described above, the communication unit 1300 may receive first information about the user's body. Information about the intensity of the magnetic field mapped to each information on the body may be stored in the memory 1400. The control unit 900 may recognize the second information about the strength of the magnetic field mapped to the received first information based on the information about the strength of the magnetic field mapped to the information about the user's body stored in the memory 1400. . The control unit 900 controls the driving of the first driving unit of the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 and the second driving unit of the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700 so that the intensity of the mapped magnetic field is emitted based on the second information. can do.

As described above, the magnetic field measurement unit 800 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes the first intensity and the second time-varying magnetic field generation unit 700 of the first time-varying magnetic field converted by the first time-varying magnetic field generation unit 500. Based on the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field transformed in, third information about the intensity of the vector sum of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second time-varying magnetic field may be generated. The control unit 900 controls the driving of the first driving unit and the second driving unit based on the second information and the third information to determine the first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field. Can be adjusted.

More specifically, the memory 1400 stores information about a predetermined magnetic field strength required for stimulating neurons in the user's brain, mapped to each user's body information. The magnetic field measurement unit 800 generates third information about the intensity of the vector sum of the first time-varying magnetic field converted by the first time-varying magnetic field generator 500 and the second time-varying magnetic field changed by the second time-varying magnetic field generator 700. can do. The control unit 900 may recognize information about a predetermined magnetic field strength required to stimulate nerve cells of the user's brain corresponding to the third information in the memory 1400. When the intensity of the vector sum included in the third information is greater than the intensity of a preset magnetic field required to stimulate the neurons of the user's brain, the control unit 900 controls to decrease the intensity of the time-varying magnetic field emitted to the user Can do That is, the control unit 900 performs control to reduce the driving force of the first driving unit of the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 and the second driving unit of the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700. The first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field can be reduced. In addition, when the intensity of the vector sum included in the third information is smaller than the intensity of the preset magnetic field required to stimulate the neurons of the user's brain, the control unit 900 increases the intensity of the time-varying magnetic field emitted to the user You can control it. That is, the control unit 900 performs control to increase the driving force of the first driving unit of the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 and the second driving unit of the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700. The first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field may be increased. Through this, it is possible to emit a magnetic field for stimulating brain neurons that conform to the user's body and minimize side effects.

4 is a view for explaining the arrangement of the first permanent magnet 410 and the second permanent magnet 610 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4, the first permanent magnet 410 and the second permanent magnet 610 may be disposed to face each other.

 When the first polarity of the first permanent magnet 410 and the second polarity of the second permanent magnet 610 face the same polarity, the first magnetic field and the second permanent magnet emitted from the first permanent magnet 410 ( 610) As the repulsive force acts between the second magnetic fields, the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field are reinforced, so that the sum of the vectors of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field may increase. On the other hand, when the first polarity of the first permanent magnet 410 and the second polarity of the second permanent magnet 610 face different polarities, the first magnetic field and the second permanent field emitted from the first permanent magnet 410 The attraction force between the magnet 610 and the second magnetic field acts to cancel the first and second magnetic fields, so that the sum of the vectors of the first and second magnetic fields can be reduced. In order to stimulate human brain neurons, a magnetic field of considerable intensity is required. The intensity of the required magnetic field may not be satisfied only by the first magnetic field emitted by the first magnetic field forming unit 400 or the second magnetic field emitted by the second magnetic field forming unit 600. Therefore, in order to obtain the maximum intensity of the vector sum of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field, it is preferable that the first polarity of the first permanent magnet 410 and the second polarity of the second permanent magnet 610 face the same polarity. Do. However, it is not limited thereto.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the control unit 900 may be configured before the first permanent magnet of the first magnetic field forming unit 400 and the second permanent magnet of the second magnetic field forming unit 600 start rotational motion. Control the first driving unit of the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 and the second driving unit of the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700 so that the first polarity of the first permanent magnet faces the second polarity of the second permanent magnet. By doing so, the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet can be rotated. Here, the first polarity of the first permanent magnet and the second polarity of the second permanent magnet may be the same polarity.

The control unit 900 determines whether the first polarity of the first permanent magnet and the second polarity of the second permanent magnet face the same polarity through the vector sum of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field measured by the magnetic field measurement unit 800. Can be recognized. For example, the control unit 900 may rotate the second permanent magnet by controlling only the second driving unit while the first driving unit rotating the first permanent magnet is fixed. When only the second driving unit is driven, when the intensity of the magnetic field measured by the magnetic field measuring unit 800 is maximum, the control unit 900 may control the control unit 900 by controlling the first polarity of the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet. 2 It can be recognized that the polarities are facing the same polarity. The method in which the aforementioned control unit 900 recognizes the same polarity is merely an example, and the present disclosure is not limited.

5 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a magnetic stimulation device mounted on a user's head according to some embodiments of the present disclosure communicates with a user terminal.

As described above, communication between the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 and the user terminal may be performed by the communication unit 1000. The magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be controlled by an application installed in a user terminal. In addition, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 is operating, the strength of the magnetic field formed, the operation time, and the time remaining to stop when the operation time is set may be displayed on the user terminal device. have. The user terminal may provide a user interface capable of storing or recalling settings according to each user when a plurality of users use the magnetic stimulation device 100. In addition, the user can perform various controls such as scheduling an operating time or adjusting the strength of a magnetic field through the user terminal. The connection relationship between the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 and the user terminal described above is only an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of adjusting the magnetic field strength of the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

First, the communication unit 1300 of the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 may receive the first information about the user's body from the user terminal (S100).

Specifically, the communication unit 1300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may receive first information about a user's body from a user terminal.

The first information about the user's body may include information about at least one of the user's disease name, gender, and age.

Information about the strength of the magnetic field required by the user may be mapped to each of the user's body information and stored in the memory 1400.

The magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may have at least one user, and the strength, operating time, etc. of an effective magnetic field for each user may be different. For example, the intensity of a magnetic field for stimulating brain neurons in a man in his twenties may be different from that for a brain neuron in a woman in his twenties. In addition, the strength of the magnetic field for stimulating brain neurons that is helpful in the treatment of depression and the strength of the magnetic field for stimulating brain neurons that are helpful for the treatment of insomnia may be different.

 The information on the intensity of the magnetic field mapped to the first information may be used by the control unit 900 to control the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 and the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700.

Next, the control unit 900 of the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 may recognize the second information about the strength of the magnetic field mapped to the first information about the user's body (S200).

Specifically, the control unit 900 is mapped to the first information about the user's body received in step (S100) of the information about the strength of the magnetic field mapped to each of the information about the user's body stored in the memory 1400 The second information about the magnetic field strength can be recognized.

The second information on the strength of the magnetic field is matched to each of the information on the user's body, and may include information on the strength of the magnetic field required to stimulate nerve cells of the user's brain. As described above, for example, the intensity of a magnetic field for stimulating brain neurons in a man in his twenties may be different from that for a brain nerve cell in a woman in his twenties. In addition, the strength of the magnetic field for stimulating brain neurons that is helpful in the treatment of depression and the strength of the magnetic field for stimulating brain neurons that are helpful for the treatment of insomnia may be different. Accordingly, a predetermined strength of the magnetic field required to stimulate the nerve cells of the user's brain may be stored in the memory 1400. As described later, the control unit 900 may control the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 and the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700 based on the second information about the magnetic field.

Next, the magnetic field measurement unit 800 of the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 may generate third information about the intensity of the vector sum of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second time-varying magnetic field (S300).

Specifically, the magnetic field measurement unit 800 includes a first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field converted by the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 and a second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field converted by the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700. Based on the intensity, third information about the intensity of the vector sum of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second time-varying magnetic field may be generated.

Next, the control unit 900 of the magnetic stimulation apparatus 100 drives the first driver and the second driver based on the second information recognized in step S200 and the third information generated in step S300. By controlling, the first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field may be adjusted (S400).

Specifically, the control unit 900 may recognize the second information about the strength of the preset magnetic field required to stimulate the nerve cells of the user's brain stored in the memory 1400. The control unit 900 may recognize the intensity of the vector sum of the time-varying magnetic field emitted to the user from the third information generated by the magnetic field measurement unit 800. When the intensity of the vector sum is greater than the intensity of the preset magnetic field required to stimulate the neurons of the user's brain, the controller 900 may control to decrease the intensity of the time-varying magnetic field emitted to the user. That is, the control unit 900 performs control to reduce the driving force of the first driving unit of the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 and the second driving unit of the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700. The first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field can be reduced. In addition, when the intensity of the vector sum is smaller than the intensity of the preset magnetic field required to stimulate the neurons of the user's brain, the control unit 900 may control to increase the intensity of the time-varying magnetic field emitted to the user. . That is, the control unit 900 performs control to increase the driving force of the first driving unit of the first time-varying magnetic field generating unit 500 and the second driving unit of the second time-varying magnetic field generating unit 700. The first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field may be increased. Through this, it is possible to emit a magnetic field for stimulating brain neurons that conform to the user's body and minimize side effects.

Descriptions of the presented embodiments are provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art of the present disclosure, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure should not be limited to the embodiments presented herein, but should be interpreted in the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features presented herein.

Claims (8)

As a home transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) device,
A first magnetic field forming unit forming a first magnetic field by the first permanent magnet;
A first time-varying magnetic field generator configured to convert the first magnetic field into a first time-varying magnetic field by rotating the first permanent magnet;
A second magnetic field forming unit forming a second magnetic field by the second permanent magnet;
A second time-varying magnetic field generator configured to convert the second magnetic field into a second time-varying magnetic field by rotating the second permanent magnet;
A magnetic field measuring unit positioned between the first magnetic field forming unit and the second magnetic field forming unit and measuring a first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and a second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field;
A control unit for controlling the first time-varying magnetic field generator and the second time-varying magnetic field generator;
Including,
The first time-varying magnetic field generating unit,
It includes a first driving unit coupled to the first magnetic field forming unit, and providing a driving force to the first permanent magnet of the first magnetic field forming unit to rotate,
The second time-varying magnetic field generating unit,
And a second driving unit coupled to the second magnetic field forming unit and providing a driving force to rotate the second permanent magnet of the second magnetic field forming unit,
The control unit
Controlling the driving of the first driving unit and the second driving unit to control the intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second time-varying magnetic field,
Magnetic stimulation device.
According to claim 1,
A communication unit that receives first information about a user's body; And
A memory for storing information about the strength of the magnetic field mapped to the first information;
Further comprising,
The control unit,
Recognizing the second information on the intensity of the magnetic field mapped to the first information in the memory, and controls the driving of the first driver and the second driver based on the second information,
Magnetic stimulation device.
According to claim 2,
The first information about the user's body,
Including information about at least one of the user's disease name, gender and age,
Magnetic stimulation device.
According to claim 2,
The second information about the strength of the magnetic field,
Matching the first information about the user's body, including information about the strength of the magnetic field required to stimulate the nerve cells of the user's brain,
Magnetic stimulation device.
According to claim 2,
The magnetic field measurement unit,
Generate third information about the intensity of the vector sum of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second time-varying magnetic field based on the first intensity and the second intensity,
The control unit,
Adjusting the first intensity of the first time-varying magnetic field and the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field by controlling driving of the first driving part and the second driving part based on the second information and the third information
Magnetic stimulation device.
The method of claim 5,
The control unit,
Based on the second information and the third information,
When the intensity of the vector sum is greater than the intensity of a predetermined magnetic field required to stimulate nerve cells of the user's brain, the driving force of the first driving part and the second driving part is reduced to reduce the driving force of the first time-varying magnetic field. Decrease the intensity and the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field,
When the intensity of the vector sum is smaller than the intensity of the predetermined magnetic field required to stimulate the neurons of the user's brain, the driving force of the first driving part and the second driving part is increased to increase the driving force of the first time-varying magnetic field. Increasing the intensity and the second intensity of the second time-varying magnetic field,
Magnetic stimulation device.
According to claim 1,
The control unit,
Before the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet start rotating motion,
Rotating the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet by controlling the first driving unit and the second driving unit such that the first polarity of the first permanent magnet faces the second polarity of the second permanent magnet,
Magnetic stimulation device.
The method of claim 7,
The first polarity,
The same polarity as the second polarity,
Magnetic stimulation device.

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