KR20210047852A - Stimulating device for growth plate - Google Patents

Abstract

In the present invention, a light source unit not only promotes immediate cell activation by applying red light and infrared light, but also applies the light to the epiphysis region of the femur (first region), the epiphysis region of the tibia (second region), and the blood vessel region behind the knee (third region) together, so the highest efficiency light required for growth can be applied to the optimal location of the human body. Accordingly, a growth plate stimulation apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes the light source unit which directly emits light of 600 nm to 900 nm to at least one of the epiphysis region of the femur (region 1), the epiphysis region of the tibia (second region), and the blood vessel region behind the knee (third region).

Description

Growth plate stimulation device {STIMULATING DEVICE FOR GROWTH PLATE}

The present invention relates to a growth plate stimulation apparatus, and more particularly, to a growth plate stimulation apparatus using light.

Light therapy is a medical technology that has long been used for the treatment of various diseases. The use of sunlight to treat skin diseases has been used in Egypt, India and China for thousands of years.

The treatment using sunlight was re-examined by Niels Ryberg Finsen, a winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1903, and later, phototherapy using artificial light was born.

Recently, among the light sources for the treatment of skin diseases, a method using an LED light source has emerged. The LED light source can effectively treat a large area of a diseased area with an appropriate light output, unlike a high-power laser that intensively treats a local area.

LED light source has a narrow wavelength bandwidth and emits a light source of a specific wavelength, so it does not emit harmful ultraviolet (UV) or unnecessary visible light, so it has high energy efficiency and low energy, so there are few side effects that damage tissues or eyes. For this reason, the U.S. FDA permits treatment using LED light sources in the red light and infrared regions to be used on humans.

The physical characteristics of the LED light source include a long lifespan, low power consumption, which is environmentally friendly, and has the advantage of being easy to use space due to its small volume. However, most of the phototherapy technologies developed to date are limited to the skin, and development in other fields is very insufficient.

In particular, there are almost no growth plate stimulation devices commercially available to date except for traditional physical massage devices. In addition, devices that apply ultrasonic waves or the like are theoretically being developed, but they have not been commercialized due to side effects such as hemolysis of cells.

That is, although prior art document 1 discloses a hand-held development promotion device equipped with an ultrasonic wave and an LED element, the optical characteristics of the LED are not disclosed at all, and as described above, the side effects affecting the growth plate cells upon application of the ultrasonic wave are problematic, Even in this case, since the user must directly stimulate the corresponding part of the human body by holding the device, it is difficult to express the effect of stimulating the growth plate closely.

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0975595 (2010.8.13)

The present invention is to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a growth plate stimulation device capable of continuously and effectively stimulating the growth plate non-invasively by the source of the cell side effects and optimal light.

The growth plate stimulation apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention directly emits light of 600 to 900 nm to at least one of the femoral epiphysis region (first region), tibia epiphysis region (second region), and the blood vessel region behind the knee (third region). It includes a light source unit.

In this case, a vibration unit for applying vibration to any one of the first to third regions may be further included.

In addition, the light source unit may be applied to the first to third areas, and the vibration unit may be applied to the third area.

In addition, red light and infrared light may be simultaneously applied to the first to third regions.

In addition, the red light may be 630 to 730 nm, and the infrared light may be 750 to 900 nm.

In addition, the vibration of the vibration unit may be applied alternately or simultaneously with the light emission of the light source unit.

In addition, the light source unit includes a first module disposed in the first region and the second region, respectively, a light source device is disposed in the first module, and the light source device is disposed so that the light emission amount above and below the center is greater. I can.

In addition, the light source unit further includes a second module disposed to face the first module, a light source element is disposed in the second module, and the vibration unit connects the first module and the second module. It can be formed to be.

In addition, the growth plate stimulation device may be formed to continuously surround the first region, the second region, and the third region.

In addition, the growth plate stimulation device may simultaneously apply light and vibration to the first to third regions.

In the present invention, the light source unit applies red light and infrared light to promote immediate growth plate cell activity, as well as femoral epiphysis area (first area), tibial epiphysis area (second area), and blood vessel area at the back of the knee ( By applying light to the third area) together, blood flow activity is activated, so that the light of the highest efficiency required for growth can be applied to the optimal position of the human body without cell side effects.

1 is a configuration diagram of a growth plate stimulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a light source unit in FIG. 1.
3 is a diagram illustrating a control unit in FIG. 1.
4 is a diagram for explaining applying light to a first region and a second region.
5 is a diagram for explaining applying light to a second region and a third region.
6 and 7 are rendering images of the growth plate stimulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a view for explaining a wearing example of the growth plate stimulation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. The present invention will be described in detail by exemplifying specific embodiments in the drawings as various modifications may be made and various embodiments may be provided. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific embodiment, it should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component.

For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. The term and/or includes a combination of a plurality of related listed items or any of a plurality of related listed items.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein including technical or scientific terms have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms as defined in a commonly used dictionary should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and should not be interpreted as an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present application. Does not.

Hereinafter, a device for stimulating a growth plate according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. 1 is a configuration diagram of a growth plate stimulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view showing a light source unit in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a view showing a control unit in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is It is a figure explaining the application of light to a 1st area|region and a 2nd area, and FIG. 5 is a figure explaining the application of light to a 2nd area|region and a 3rd area.

Referring to the drawings, the growth plate stimulation apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a light source unit 100 and a control unit 200, and may further include a vibration unit 300.

At this time, the light source unit 100 emits LED light or laser light, in at least one of the femoral epiphysis area (first area, A1), tibia epiphysis area (second area, A2), and the blood vessel area A3 behind the knee. Apply light. Preferably, it is preferable that the light source unit 100 simultaneously applies light to the first area A1 and the second area A2. This is because the blood vessel region is separated into upper and lower regions in the first region A1 and the second region A2, so when only one light is applied, the balance of expression of growth factors in the upper and lower regions may be broken. .

Further, the light source unit 100 may also emit light to a third area A3 that connects the separated first area A1 and the second area A2 to each other through blood vessel circulation. The third area A3 is a blood vessel area behind the knee, and is connected to the first area A1 and the second area A2, so when light is applied to the first area A1 and the second area A3, the When light is applied to the three regions A4 together, the frequency of expression of the growth factor is remarkably increased. That is, among the growth plates, especially when stimulating the growth plate of the knee, it is most preferable to simultaneously stimulate the femoral epiphysis area as the first area and the tibia epiphysis area as the second area, and simultaneously stimulate the blood vessels behind the knee connected to both.

Meanwhile, the light source unit 100 includes a visible light emitting device 110 and a non-visible light emitting device 120. In the prior art literature mentioned in the prior art, it is described that it is advantageous to use infrared light with a much deeper skin penetration depth.If the infrared light is continuously applied to the growth plate cells alone, the photoinhibition phenomenon is intensified. Not desirable. In addition, when red-based visible light is used, the activation effect of cartilage, which is a constituent of the growth plate, is further enhanced. Accordingly, the growth plate stimulating device according to an embodiment of the present invention reinforces cell recovery and regeneration functions by using both infrared and red-based visible light, and can more effectively stimulate the growth plate.

Accordingly, the light source unit according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a visible light emitting device 110 that emits red light, and the red light emits light of 630 to 730 nm.

When light of 630 to 730 nm is irradiated to the skin, it is absorbed into the mitochondria and then promotes ATP production, promotes energy metabolism in cells, and promotes cell growth and cell regeneration. However, due to the high absorption of hemoglobin, which is mainly distributed in blood vessel cells, it is difficult to transfer photons to deeper growth plate cells in areas with many blood vessels.

However, the light source unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to the knee, and the depth to the cartilage on which the knee joint and the growth plate are disposed is only about 5 mm, and unlike other parts of the body, photons are transmitted by hemoglobin. The disturbance is very low frequency. Therefore, the red light with a minimum wavelength in the vicinity of 630 nm sufficiently reaches the cartilage growth plate like infrared light.

Furthermore, the light source unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further emit light of 750 to 900 nm. This is to activate cartilage cells of the growth plate and directly stimulate the blood vessels connected to the growth plate and the blood vessel region behind the knee. That is, when infrared light in the present wavelength range is applied, it is possible to penetrate deeply while avoiding the above-described interference with the absorption of hemoglobin, and to directly stimulate growth plate cells to further increase the frequency of expression of growth factors.

When the wavelengths in this range are emitted together, complex IV (cytochrome c oxidase) acts as a photo-receptor in the mitochondrial respiratory chain in cells to stimulate the production of ATP. In addition, it initiates a secondary cell messenger signaling pathway, consequently activating energy metabolism and enhancing cell viability, preventing apoptosis in the ischemic region and enhancing the mechanism of nerve regeneration.

Through this mechanism, cell growth and cell regeneration are promoted, and it affects the growth plate cells, such as osteoblasts or undifferentiated mesoderm cells that will be differentiated into osteocytes, to play a useful function in the regeneration of bone tissue. As a result, the production of collagen, which is a cartilage material, is promoted, and the differentiation of osteoblasts and bone cells is promoted, leading to direct growth.

As described above, in the growth plate stimulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the light source unit applies red light and infrared light to promote immediate cellular activity, as well as femoral epiphysis area (first area), tibial epiphysis area (first area). 2) and the blood vessel area behind the knee (third area), the light with the highest efficiency required for growth can be applied to the optimal position of the human body.

Meanwhile, the growth plate stimulation apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a vibration unit 300 that applies vibration to any one of the first to third regions A1 to A3. . More preferably, it is preferable that the light source unit 100 applies the above-described light to the entire first area A1 to the third area A3, and the vibration unit 300 applies vibration to the third area A3. . Since the first area A1 and the second area A2 correspond to the side of the knee, the effect of applying vibration to the growth plate cells as a block of the joint is insufficient, and the third area A3 is a blood vessel due to a relatively wide skin. This is because the distribution is remarkable, and the applied continuous wave or pulse wave form of vibration stimulates cells in blood vessels. In this case, the vibration application of the vibration unit 300 may be performed alternately with or at the same time as the light output of the light source unit. In other words, by adding an appropriate physical stimulation, it expresses the effect of promoting growth due to more efficient improvement of blood flow.

The control unit 200 further includes a light emission control module 21 and a vibration control module 220 for this purpose, and a fatigue control module 230 for controlling the entire operation by measuring cell activation and cell fatigue according to driving. I can. The fatigue control module is preferably capable of controlling the light emission time when the light irradiation amount of the light source unit is composed of 1 to 4J/cm2, and is preferably set within 20 minutes to maximize the cell stimulation effect. However, it is preferable that the fatigue control module 230 calculates the light intensity and the irradiation time according to the total amount of irradiation energy.

Hereinafter, a growth plate stimulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail. 6 and 7 are rendering images of the growth plate stimulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of wearing the growth plate stimulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, in the growth plate stimulation device, two side pads 420 for attachment to the side housing 410 are installed for installation, and a rear housing 430 and a rear pad 440 are connected therebetween. .

At this time, the light source unit 100 includes a first module 100_1 of the same configuration installed inside the side housing 410 and a second module 100_2 disposed to face the first module 100_1. This is to simultaneously stimulate the side of the knee where the growth plate is placed in the knee.

In this case, the first module 100_1 and the second module 100_2 both have light source elements disposed thereon. The light source device simultaneously applies light to the first region A1 and the second region A2 described above. In this case, in order to concentrate light on the growth plate A1s of the first region A1 and the growth plate A2s of the second region A2, the light source elements may be disposed so that the light output amount of the upper and lower portions of the first region A1 is greater than the center. As an example, referring to FIG. 6, it can be seen that a light source element is not disposed between the first region and the second region. However, it goes without saying that the light source device may be evenly disposed at the boundary between the first region and the second region for a design aesthetic.

In this case, the vibration unit 300 is disposed inside the rear housing 430 so that the first module 100_1 and the second module 100_2 are connected. Accordingly, light may be applied to the first region A1 and the second region A2 in the first module 100_1 and the second module 100_2, and vibration may be simultaneously applied in the third region A3. .

Further, the growth plate stimulation apparatus is formed to continuously surround the first region, the second region, and the third region, and the front of the knee is formed with an open optical path. The front of the knee is composed of a shape wrapped around the patella, so it is difficult to transmit light, so the front of the knee is open to prevent power wastage. However, it is possible to use a fixing member for fixing the front of the knee as well.

On the other hand, the application of light and vibration is to confirm the driving through the indicator 460 disposed on the rear surface or the housing in other places, and exemplifies a structure in which the cover 450 is attached for replacement and insertion of power, but the present invention It is natural that this is not limited thereto.

8 is a view for explaining an example of wearing the growth plate stimulation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the growth plate stimulation apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention simultaneously emits light to the growth plate A1s in the first region, the growth plate A2s in the second region, and the third region A3. It can be seen that vibration is simultaneously applied in the third area A3.

As described above, in the present specification and drawings, a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed, and although specific terms are used, this is only used in a general meaning to easily explain the technical content of the present invention and to aid understanding of the invention. , It is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition to the embodiments disclosed herein, it is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other modified examples based on the technical idea of the present invention can be implemented.

1000: growth plate stimulation device
100: light source
100_1: first module
100_2: second module
110: visible light emitting module
120: invisible light emitting module
200: control unit
210: light emission control module
220: fatigue control module
300: vibration unit
410: side housing
420: side pad
430: rear housing
440: rear pad
450: cover
460: indicator
A1: first area
A2: second area
A3: Area 3
A1s: Growth plate of the first area
a2s: growth plate of the second region

Claims (3)

In the growth plate stimulation device,
And a light source for directly emitting light of 600 to 900 nm to at least one of the femoral epiphysis region (first region), the tibia epiphysis region (second region), and the blood vessel region behind the knee (third region),
The growth plate stimulation device, characterized in that the growth plate stimulation device, characterized in that the surface contacting the back of the knee is formed narrower than the surface contacting the side of the knee.
The method of claim 1,
The growth plate stimulation device, characterized in that it comprises a first module or a second module for applying light to the side of the knee and a vibration unit for applying light or vibration to the back of the knee.
The method of claim 1,
The first module or the second module is disposed inside a side pad, the vibration unit has a rear pad, and a light source is inserted into the rear pad.

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