KR20210114730A - Therapeutic apparatus and method for hearing impairment by using PEMF - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention comprises an applicator unit which is selected from at least one of a headset type applicator mounted in a headset shape on a rear wheel of the temporal region or an external auditory meatus type applicator used by being inserted into the external auditory meatus; and a control and power unit which generates pulse waves to supply predetermined PEMF power to the selected applicator unit and combines the same with appropriate characteristics to be transmitted, thereby having an effect of treating hearing loss and tinnitus disorders.

Description

Therapeutic apparatus and method for hearing impairment by using PEMF

The present invention relates to the treatment of hearing impairment, and by distributing a magnetic field of sufficient strength to treat the entire inner ear tissue through two types of PEMF applicator, headset type and earphone type, hearing impairment using PEFM to treat hearing loss and tinnitus disorders It relates to treatment devices and methods.

Since the function of the human hearing organ gradually deteriorates with aging, most of them have some degree of hearing impairment when they become older. are said to be doing Hearing loss is one of the major perceptual disorders in the human body, which interferes with daily life.

Hearing loss refers to cases where hearing is impaired and interferes with daily life. Specifically, mild hearing loss (26-40 dBHL), moderate hearing loss (41-55 dBHL), semi-severe hearing loss (56-70 dBHL), and severe hearing loss Hearing loss (71~90 dBHL) and extreme hearing loss (90 dBHL or higher) are classified, and severe hearing loss of 100 dBHL or higher is generally classified as total deafness.

On the other hand, tinnitus refers to a condition in which continuous or intermittent noise is heard in the ear even when there is no external sound source. According to one statistic, 15-20% of adults experience tinnitus. % said they suffered from common tinnitus. Tinnitus includes subjective tinnitus and subjective tinnitus, but most of them belong to the former, and it is known that about 80-90% of them occur accompanying hearing loss.

Hearing loss is individual and has various causes. Generally, transmission hearing loss, which is caused by organic disorders such as fatigue and degeneration of the tissues of the outer and middle ear, transmission hearing loss, inner ear, or Sensorineural hearing loss, in which the auditory nerve, particularly the sensory nervous system including the hair cells of the cochlea, is damaged or degenerates due to fatigue, aging, disease, etc. There are three types of mixed hearing loss in which the above two are mixed, and degenerative hearing loss in the elderly often belongs to mixed hearing loss. In particular, in recent years, due to the enlargement of various industrial machines and the dissemination of high-power IT devices, high-level acoustic energy fills the living space, causing fatigue and dysfunction in the peripheral parts of the brain, such as the inner ear tissue and auditory nerve, resulting in hearing impairment. It can be seen that the age of onset is decreasing rapidly.

Functional impairment due to short-term fatigue of the auditory organ can be recovered to a significant extent by improving the living environment. However, when the fatigue state of the auditory tissue continues for a long time, or when the function of the tissue is deteriorated due to aging, it is known as an incurable disease that is very difficult to cure because it develops into an irreversible disorder.

Currently, treatment by administration of steroid hormones, vitamins, and vasodilators is applied to patients with hearing loss/tinnitus. Because it is known, an effective treatment has not yet been found.

Recently, as one of the non-pharmacological treatments for such intractable diseases, a non-invasive treatment method using a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) has been developed and attracts a lot of attention. In this therapy, when a microelectromotive force and eddy current are generated inside the living body by applying an electromagnetic pulse in the range of several tens of Hz from outside the living body, the metabolism of the cell tissue is activated, and the effects such as ATP transpiration and endocrine activity are promoted. It can be obtained and, as a result, various chronic diseases incurable can be cured.

Currently, the field in which Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMFT) is most actively applied is the clinical field of musculoskeletal disorders. It has been reported that drug therapy is being applied to diseases known to be intractable and obtaining good effects. Recently, this method is also being tried in the field of soft tissue clinical trials. If the applied electromagnetic field is properly selected, burns, cuts, bruises, sprains, various inflammations, ulcers, edema, endometritis, Parkinson's disease, etc. , erectile dysfunction, optic neuropathy (glaucoma), arrhythmia, high blood pressure, vascular headache (migraine headache), various pain, loss of vision, heart disease, varicose veins, etc. It has been reported to have a great effect in promoting and preventing healing.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0105868

Accordingly, the present invention has been proposed in consideration of the above matters, and by distributing a magnetic field of sufficient strength to treat the entire inner ear tissue through two types of PEMF applicators, a headset type and an earphone type, it treats hearing loss and tinnitus disorders. aim to do

Another object of the present invention is to treat hearing loss and tinnitus disorders by alternately switching or simultaneously irradiating as needed through different mode settings considering the simplicity and convenience of hardware.

In order to achieve the above object, the hearing impairment treatment device using PEMF according to the technical idea of the present invention is selected as at least one of a headset-type applicator mounted in a headset shape on the rear wheel of the temporal region or an external ear canal-type applicator inserted into the external auditory meatus It may include an applicator unit and a control and power supply unit that generates a pulse wave to supply a predetermined PEMF power to the selected applicator unit, and combines it with appropriate characteristics and transmits it.

In order to achieve the above object, the hearing impairment treatment method using PEMF according to the technical idea of the present invention comprises a pulse wave generating step of generating a pulse wave suitable for an applicator unit, combining the generated pulse wave with appropriate characteristics and transmitting it It may include a pulse wave transmitting step, and a PEMF power supply step of supplying a predetermined PEMF power to the application unit based on the transmitted pulse wave.

The apparatus and method for treating hearing impairment using PEMF according to the present invention can treat hearing loss and tinnitus disorders by distributing a magnetic field of sufficient strength to treat the entire inner ear tissue through two types of PEMF applicators, a headset type and an earphone type. have an effect

In addition, the present invention has the effect of treating hearing loss and tinnitus disorders by alternately switching or simultaneously irradiating as needed through different mode settings considering the simplicity and convenience of hardware.

1 is a block diagram showing a hearing impairment treatment apparatus using PEMF according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for treating hearing impairment using PEMF according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view showing a pulse waveform in mode 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a view showing a pulse waveform of mode 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a view showing a central axis magnetic field strength calculation model of the solenoid coil according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view showing magnetic field attenuation characteristics versus distance of a solenoid coil having a length of 4 times a radius according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram showing a PEMF waveform and a generating circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;
8 is a view showing the configuration of a headset-type applicator treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a view showing an applicator unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a view showing the magnetic field distribution of the applicator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a control/power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a block diagram of a control module according to an embodiment of the present invention;
13 is a diagram of a trigger pulse train of a control module according to an embodiment of the present invention;
14 is a circuit diagram of a pulse generating module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
15 is a structure of Model 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention;
16 is an example of a simulation result of a magnetic field distribution according to an embodiment of the present invention;
17 is a magnetic field measured value when 0 mA and I=1000 mA are respectively applied according to an embodiment of the present invention.
18 is a structure of Model 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
19 is a simulation result of a magnetic field distribution of Model 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
20 is a view showing a magnetic field distribution measurement of a model 2 prototype according to an embodiment of the present invention.

An apparatus and method for treating hearing impairment using PEMF according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Since the present invention can have various changes and can have various forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific disclosed form, it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. In describing each figure, like reference numerals have been used for like elements. In the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of the structures are enlarged than actual for clarity of the present invention, or shown reduced from reality in order to understand the schematic configuration.

Also, terms such as first and second may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component. Meanwhile, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present application. does not

1 is a block diagram showing an apparatus for treating hearing impairment using PEMF according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the hearing impairment treatment device using PEMF according to an embodiment of the present invention is an applicator selected from at least one of a headset-type applicator mounted in a headset shape on the rear wheel of the temporal region or an external ear canal-type applicator inserted into the external auditory meatus It may include a control and power unit 20 for generating a pulse wave to supply a predetermined PEMF power to the unit 10 and the selected applicator unit, combining it with appropriate characteristics and transmitting it.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for treating hearing impairment using PEMF according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 2, the hearing impairment treatment method using PEMF according to an embodiment of the present invention is a pulse wave generating step (S10) of generating a pulse wave suitable for the applicator unit, combining the generated pulse wave with appropriate characteristics and transmitting It may include a pulse wave transmitting step (S20), and a PEMF power supply step (S30) of supplying a predetermined PEMF power to the application unit based on the transmitted pulse wave.

Based on this, the present invention will be described in more detail as follows.

1. Effect of PEMF on the living body

A capacitive coupling method and an inductive coupling method can be considered as a method of applying PEMF to a living tissue from the outside. When the PEMF is at a low frequency, it is advantageous in terms of power efficiency due to the structure of the applicator and the driving power source to adopt the inductive coupling method. .

The inductive coupling method is basically adopted as a method of placing a coil parallel to the surface of a living body and applying a pulse current. Since pulse current is a synthesis of alternating current, an alternating magnetic field proportional to the current is generated around the coil, and this magnetic field generates an induced electromotive force according to Faraday's law in living tissue. It can be said that the therapeutic effect of PEMF mainly utilizes the physiological action that occurs as a result of this voltage acting on the living tissue cells.

는 교번전계,

는 교번자계이고,

는 미소 면적,

은 형성하는 폐회로(closed loop)의 길이이다.Faraday's law is defined by the following <Equation 1>, where

is the alternating electric field,

is an alternating magnetic field,

is the microscopic area,

is the length of the closed loop it forms.

<Equation 1>

가 유한치인 까닭에 생체 내에 발생한

는 다음 <수학식 2>와 같은 와류(eddy current)

를 흐르게 한다.A typical living tissue has conductivity

Since is a finite value,

is an eddy current as in the following <Equation 2>

to flow

<Equation 2>

와 일치할 때 최대가 될 것이므로 이 때 세포막의 투과율이 최대가 되어 세포 기능이 증진된다. 사이클론 주파수

와 이온의 전하(electric charge)

, 이온의 질량을

으로 한다면

와 같은 관계가 있으므로 이론적으로는 PEMF의 주파수가

일 때, 공진 현상이 나타난다.These electric fields and eddy currents induced in living tissue exert various physiological effects beneficial to the living body by acting on the cellular tissue in the vicinity thereof, and the size is determined according to the electrical response characteristics of the living body to the applied PEMF. Many research results have been published on the selective effect of PEMF on the living body. A representative theory is that PEMF energy excites a kind of cyclotron motion to ions in the cell membrane and causes the ions to increase in cell membrane permeability (permeability). do. In this cyclotron motion, the frequency of the PEMF is the period of the cyclonic motion.

Since it will be maximum when coincident with , the permeability of the cell membrane is maximized at this time, and cell function is enhanced. cyclone frequency

and the electric charge of ions

, the mass of the ion

if

Since there is a relationship such as , theoretically, the frequency of PEMF is

When , a resonance phenomenon appears.

In addition, PEMF can normalize the cell membrane potential distorted by damage by excitation of atoms of cell tissues with electron energy, increasing the spin of electrons, and arranging molecular arrangements. The microcurrent generated in the process of adjusting the cell membrane potential is an intrinsic current called Current of Injury (COI), and if this current is properly compensated by an exogenous eddy current, the healing of damaged cells is accelerated, and this principle has already been applied to MCT ( Microcurrent Therapy) is being applied clinically.

In addition, the ion-ligand binding of the control chain (regulatory cascade) generated by PEMF becomes a pathway for signal transduction, which can contribute to the proliferation and healing of living tissue, and externally applied PEMF signal Waveforms designed to resonate with the underlying intrinsic electrical parameters may have the strongest physiological effects.

The relationship between the electrical properties of PEMF and its biochemical effects on the body is generally applied by applying a magnetic field with a minimum strength of 0.2 mT to a maximum of 3 mT as a pulse series with a period of 5 to 75 Hz. It is said that the inclusion of a DC component gives good performance. In addition, in clinical practice, this pulse series is continuously applied for a minimum of 12 hours to a maximum of 72 hours, and if necessary, it can be confirmed that the effect can be expected only if it is continued for several days to several tens of days.

If a living tissue is irradiated with PEMF having the above conditions, signal transduction between cells is activated, blood circulation is promoted, metabolism is increased, oxygenation, alkalinization, ATP generation, etc. Various experiments have shown that the physiological effect of increasing the number of fibroblasts and granulation tissue can be obtained while promoting the concentration of neutrophils and macrophages, promoting epidermal cell migration. revealed in the report.

The physiological effects of PEMF, such as abnormalities, result in healing of damaged areas in body tissues, prevention of aging, regeneration of degenerated tissue functions, increase in immunity, normalization of brain nerve activity, and analgesic action.

As far as electrical properties are concerned, the auditory organ is composed of cartilage tissue, muscle tissue, nerve tissue, and capillaries similar to other organ tissues. It can be seen that it can also be applied to

2. Characteristics of PEMF

PEMF is affected by the frequency, energy level, and period of the applied magnetic field, and the effect is clear because there is an optimal value. However, since these variables are affected by the waveform of the applied magnetic field, the repetition period, the tissue and region of the target living body, and the experimental environment, it is difficult to estimate the characteristics of PEMF, which is particularly effective for tinnitus and hearing loss.

In general PEMFT, the effect is clear when looking at the magnetic field in the range of 0.2 to 3.5 mT using pulses with a width of 100 nS to several thousand nS and a pulse series of about several tens of Hz.

As is well known, all pulse waves consist of a set of countless sine waves as shown in Equation 3 below, which is expressed as a Fourier series.

<Equation 3>

,

,

는 펄스 주기,

는 펄스 반복주파수,

는 펄스폭이고,

는 충격률(duty factor)이다.here

is the pulse period,

is the pulse repetition frequency,

is the pulse width,

is the duty factor.

가 적으면 고차 고조파까지 많은 에너지가 분포되기 때문에 전체 에너지 스펙트럼은 폭이 크게 벌어진다. 따라서 펄스 주파수

가 수십 Hz 라고 해서 PEMF의 생리적 효과에 수십 Hz 의 ELF 에너지가 주로 기여하고 있는 것으로는 할 수 없다. PEMF 치료에 거의 예외 없이 펄스파가 쓰이는 것은 상기 <수학식 3>의 제2항에 포함된 많은 고조파 성분이 각각 생체 조직 내의 상응되는 세포에 선택적으로 작용하여 분자 레벨로 공명 내지 자극하여 세포 기능을 촉진하기 때문인 것으로 추정된다. 또, 상기 <수학식 3>의 제1항은 DC 성분으로서 세포군의 전위 변화를 유도하고 유사손상전류(pseudo COI)가 되어 손상 부위의 치유를 촉진하는 것으로 해석할 수는 있다.

If is small, a lot of energy is distributed up to higher harmonics, so the entire energy spectrum is widened. So the pulse frequency

It cannot be said that the ELF energy of several tens of Hz mainly contributes to the physiological effect of PEMF if α is several tens of Hz. Pulsed waves are used in PEMF treatment with almost no exceptions. Many harmonic components included in item 2 of <Equation 3> selectively act on the corresponding cells in the living tissue, respectively, to resonate or stimulate the cell function at the molecular level. This is presumably because it promotes In addition, the first term in <Equation 3> can be interpreted as a DC component that induces a change in the potential of a cell group and becomes a pseudo-damage current (pseudo COI) to promote healing of the damaged area.

As such, PEMF therapy promotes the function of cellular tissues by inducing resonance at the cellular and molecular level by causing harmonic energy in the low-frequency region included in the pulsed magnetic field, and the pseudo-DC component with a long cycle of several hundred mS or more. Acting as a pseudo-COI (Current of Injury) on the affected area, it accelerates the recovery of damaged cells and induces a change in potential between cells and tissues, thereby generating beneficial biochemical changes.

Therefore, PEMF for the treatment of hearing loss/tinnitus can selectively or simultaneously apply a narrow, high repetition rate pulse containing as many harmonics as possible to the inner ear tissue including the cochlea and a slow cycle pulse with a relatively long width. It is judged that it should be possible to apply a plurality of independent pulsed magnetic fields.

2-1. A mode (fast pulse burst mode)

3 is a diagram illustrating a pulse waveform of mode 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

는 정 펄스의 폭

가 200~250 uS, 부 펄스의 폭

가 10~50 uS 이 되는 구형파가 되도록 한다. 이러한 파형은 유도성 부하에 도 3(a)와 같은 톱니파 전압을 인가하면 얻을 수가 있다.As shown in Fig. 3, in Mode 1, as shown in Fig. 3(b), the induced voltage in the living body

is the width of the positive pulse

200~250 uS, width of sub pulse

to be a square wave with a value of 10 to 50 uS. Such a waveform can be obtained by applying a sawtooth voltage as shown in Fig. 3(a) to the inductive load.

In this mode, 10 to 15 of these pulse waves are combined to form a burst with a length of about 2.1 to 4.5 mS, and the burst is intermittently repeated at a frequency of 5 to 20 times per second.

2-2. B mode (slow single pulse mode)

4 is a diagram illustrating a pulse waveform in mode 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

는 정 펄스의 폭

가 350~400 uS, 부 펄스의 폭

가 4~5 mS 이 되는 구형파가 되도록 한다. 이러한 파형은 유도성 부하에 도 5(a)와 같은 톱니파 전압을 인가하면 얻을 수가 있다. 이 때, 최대 자계 강도

는 1.7~3.4 mT 의 범위가 되도록 한다.As shown in Fig. 4, in Mode 2, as shown in Fig. 4(b), the induced voltage in the living body

is the width of the positive pulse

is 350-400 uS, the width of the sub-pulse

Make it a square wave with 4~5 mS. Such a waveform can be obtained by applying a sawtooth voltage as shown in Fig. 5(a) to the inductive load. At this time, the maximum magnetic field strength

to be in the range of 1.7 to 3.4 mT.

However, since the effect of PEMF varies greatly among individuals and the optimal irradiation value varies depending on the target site and the condition of the affected area, it goes without saying that the pulse sequence generator should be a circuit that can easily adjust the pulse period, shape, and burst length period in the field.

3. Applicator of the present invention

와 와류

의 크기는 자계

의 도함수에 비례한다. 지금까지의 보고에 의하면 PEMF의 생체 효과는 주로 수십 Hz 이하의 ELF 대역에서 나타나고 있으므로

는 극히 적어서 자계강도

를 크게 하지 않으면 생체 내에 충분한 전계 강도와 와류를 발생시킬 수가 없다. 특히, 이명/난청 치료의 대상 부위는 측두부의 심부에 위치하고 있어서 어플리케이터로부터의 거리가 멀어 어플리케이터 출력의 극히 일부만이 대상 부위에 도달하게 된다. 따라서, PEMF 치료를 위한 어플리케이터는 많은 권선수를 지니고 대전류를 허용할 수 있는 대형 솔레노이드를 필요로 하게 된다.Looking at the <Equation 1>, the induced voltage

vortex

the size of the magnetic field

is proportional to the derivative of According to the reports so far, the bio-effect of PEMF is mainly shown in the ELF band below several tens of Hz.

is very small, so the magnetic field strength

If it is not increased, sufficient electric field strength and eddy current cannot be generated in the living body. In particular, since the target site for tinnitus/hearing loss treatment is located in the deep part of the temporal region, it is far from the applicator, so that only a small part of the output of the applicator reaches the target site. Therefore, the applicator for PEMF treatment requires a large solenoid having a large number of turns and allowing a large current.

5 is a view showing a central axis magnetic field strength calculation model of a solenoid coil according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a distance versus magnetic field attenuation characteristic of a solenoid coil whose length is 4 times the radius according to an embodiment of the present invention It is a drawing.

, 권선수가 N 인 코일이 생체조직 상부에 위치하여 전류

가 흐르고 있다면, 이 코일의 중심에서 중심축을 따라 거리 d 되는 위치 P 의 자계는 다음 <수학식 4>에 의해 계산된다.The basic type of the PEMF applicator is configured to apply an alternating magnetic field to a living body surface using a solenoid coil as shown in FIG. 5 . Now, radius r, length

, the coil with the number of turns N is located on the top of the living tissue, so that the current

If is flowing, the magnetic field at the position P at a distance d from the center of this coil along the central axis is calculated by the following <Equation 4>.

<Equation 4>

(A/m)

(A/m)

At this time, the magnetic field density is defined as in Equation 5 below.

<Equation 5>

에 관한 자계강도

의 변화를 보기 위하여

일 때의

의 변화를 보면 도 6과 같이 된다. 여기서 보면 코일의 반경

이 클수록 자계의 감쇄도는 완만하여 보다 깊은 부위까지 PEMF 에너지를 도달시킬 수 있다는 것을 알 수가 있다. 그러나 거리에 따른 감쇄도가 워낙 크기 때문에 고투자율 코어를 사용하여야만 실용적인 크기의 솔레노이드를 구현할 수가 있다.

magnetic field strength about

to see the change in

when

The change of is shown in FIG. 6 . Here, the radius of the coil

It can be seen that the larger the value, the gentler the attenuation of the magnetic field, and thus the PEMF energy can be reached to a deeper part. However, since the degree of attenuation according to the distance is so large, it is possible to implement a solenoid of a practical size only by using a high permeability core.

4. Generation of PEMF Waveforms

The pulse-type induction electromagnetic field can be generated by basically configuring a circuit as shown in FIG. 7(a) and turning the switch SW on and off. 7 is a diagram illustrating a PEMF waveform and a generating circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

과 권선저항

의 직렬 회로로 표시되기 때문에, 시간

에서 SW를 on 상태로 동작시켜

를 인가해주면 코일에는 다음 <수학식 6>과 같은 전류

이 흐른다.Coils used in applicators are typically inductance

and winding resistance

Since it is represented as a series circuit of

SW is turned on in

When is applied, the coil receives a current as shown in Equation 6 below.

it flows

<Equation 6>

,

,

에 정확히 비례하므로 이 자계에 의해 생체 내에 유기되는 기전력

는 상기 <수학식 1>에 의해 다음 <수학식 7>과 같이 구해진다. In the case of an air-core coil, the magnetic field generated in the coil is

It is precisely proportional to the electromotive force induced in the living body by this magnetic field.

is obtained as in the following <Equation 7> by the <Equation 1>.

<Equation 7>

)에

가 되었다가 서서히 지수 함수적으로 감소하는데

정도로 크면 감소율은 무시할 수 있을 정도가 되어 구형파 전압이 된다.According to the <Equation 7>, the induced electromotive force of the magnetic field is the moment when the on state (

)to

and then gradually decreases exponentially.

If it is large enough, the rate of decrease becomes negligible and becomes a square wave voltage.

에,

이 적은 코일을 사용할 필요가 있는데,

이 적으면 자계강도

자체가 감소하는 까닭에 적절한 타협점을 찾을 필요가 있다.According to the above <Equation 7>, in order to obtain a high square wave voltage,

to,

I need to use this little coil,

If this is small, the magnetic field strength

Since it is decreasing itself, it is necessary to find a suitable compromise.

이 되면 SW가 off 상태가 되어

은

점에서 갑자기 차단되고

에 저장되었던 에너지는 L-R-

로 된 폐회로를 통해 방전하게 되는데, 방전전류

은

을 시점으로 할 때, 다음과 같은 곡선을 그리면서 0 으로 돌아간다.

When this happens, SW is turned off.

silver

suddenly blocked at the point

The energy stored in LR-

It is discharged through a closed circuit of

silver

When , it returns to 0 while drawing the following curve.

은 시정수

가 클수록 완만한 경사를 나타낸다. 이 전류가 만드는 자계에 의해 발생하는 유도 기전력

는 위의 식을 미분하여 다음 <수학식 8>과 같이 된다.in other words,

silver time constant

The larger the value, the smoother the slope. The induced electromotive force generated by the magnetic field created by this current

Differentiates the above equation and becomes as in the following <Equation 8>.

<Equation 8>

As described above, the pulse-type electromotive force induced in the living body is used for treatment of the living body and the resulting vortex. Such a pulse wave can be viewed as a synthesis of countless harmonics, but it is not yet known for certain which harmonic component mainly contributes to the physiological effect of living tissue.

가 대체로 200 uS 이상인 구형파가 될 때, 현저한 효과가 나타난 바 있다. 그리고 구형파에 있어서도

의 크기가

의 1/4 보다 작은 일그러진 파형의 경우는 효과가 적다는 것도 밝혀진 바 있다. 그 이유는

의 평탄한 부분이 너무 짧으면 세포의 생리 작용 변화가 따라오지 못하기 때문이다. 여기서 정, 부 극성은 생체 조직 평면에 평행으로, 특정 방향을 정으로 정하고 그 반대를 부로 정의한다.However, in vivo experiments conducted at the cellular level showed that the pulse width

When is a square wave of 200 uS or more, a remarkable effect has been shown. And even in the square wave

the size of

It was also found that in the case of a distorted waveform smaller than 1/4 of , the effect is small. The reason is that

This is because, if the flat part of the cell is too short, the physiological changes of the cells cannot follow. Here, the positive and negative polarities are defined as being parallel to the plane of the living tissue, defining a specific direction as positive and vice versa as negative.

은 0.001~0.01 V/cm 의 전계 강도를 지니는 것이 바람직한데, 이 값과 일반적인 생체 조직의 도전율을 상기 <수학식 2>에 따라 계산하면 0.1~10

에 해당한다.the maximum of a square wave,

It is preferable to have an electric field strength of 0.001 to 0.01 V/cm, and when this value and the conductivity of a general living tissue are calculated according to Equation 2 above, 0.1 to 10

corresponds to

To this end, in the present invention, as a treatment system for basic PEMF therapy, the applicator unit and the control/power unit may be main components. In case of adopting the inductive coupling method for applying PEMF to the human body, the applicator unit becomes a solenoid and includes an accessory device such as a fixing device and a connection cord to fix it to the head.

8 is a view showing the configuration of a headset-type applicator treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the application unit of the present invention may take various forms, but in this embodiment, a headset-type applicator as shown in FIG. -type applicator) 1a and canal-type applicator 1b inserted into the ear canal are proposed.

In addition, in order to supply predetermined PEMF power to these applicator units, a device for generating a pulse wave suitable for a purpose and combining it with appropriate characteristics is required. Control/power unit 14 in FIG. 8 is a device for this.

9 is a view showing an applicator unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9 , a solenoid coil is basically used as the PEMF applicator of the present invention, but for practical practicality in clinical practice, a headset-type mounted on the auricle (pinna) of the temporal region and inserted into the external auditory meatus are used Two types of canal can be considered. In FIG. 9, (a) is a headset type, and (b) is a representative structure of the external auditory meatus type. In the figure, 112a and 112b are high permeability cores, and 111a and 111b are coils.

10 is a view showing the magnetic field distribution of the applicator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

를 인가하면 도 10과 같은 모양으로 자력선이 분포하며 생체 조직 내에는 자력선의 방향과 직교하는 방향으로 와류가 흐른다. 이 중에서 특히 중심축에 따라 생기는 와류는 와우 조직의 표면에 중심축과 직교하는 원 모양이 되며 그 크기는 다음 <수학식 9>에서 정해진다.Current in the solenoid coil as shown in Fig. 11a

When is applied, magnetic force lines are distributed in the shape shown in FIG. 10, and eddy currents flow in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the magnetic force lines in the living tissue. Among them, the vortex generated along the central axis has a circular shape perpendicular to the central axis on the surface of the cochlea tissue, and its size is determined by the following <Equation 9>.

<Equation 9>

(

)

(

)

에 비해 상대적으로 크다. 따라서 상기 <수학시 4>에 의거, 중심축상의 자계는 반경 r 의 크기에 많이 의존하되, 반경 r 이 작은 경우에 비해 거리에 따른 감쇄도가 완만하다는 것이 특징이다.This applicator 11a has a ring-shaped structure, so the radius r is longer than that of a general solenoid coil.

relatively large compared to Therefore, based on <Mathematics 4>, the magnetic field on the central axis depends a lot on the size of the radius r, but it is characterized in that the attenuation according to the distance is gentle compared to the case where the radius r is small.

Considering that the size of the auricle of an adult Korean is about 7-8 cm, it is desirable that the size of the coil that can be attached and detached without inconvenience should be within 6-9 cm in diameter and less than 0.5 kg in weight.

=1 cm 의 공심(air core) 솔레노이드 코일을 가정하고 코일 의 중심에서 4 cm 되는 위치에 있는 와우관 표면에 최소한의 치료 효과를 기대할 수 있는 자계 강도인 0.2~3.5 (T) 를 형성할 수 있는 기자력

를 구해 본다면 상기 <수학식 5>에서

이고

이니

가 되어 도저히 실현 불가능하다는 것을 알 수가 있다. 그러나

정도의 고투자율 코어를 사용하면 권선수

이 수백 회 정도에 동작 전류가 수백 mA 가 되므로 실용적인 어플리케이터를 구현할 수가 있다는 것을 알 수 있다.Now, as an example, r=3 cm,

Assuming an air core solenoid coil of 1 cm, it is possible to form a magnetic field strength of 0.2 to 3.5 (T) that can be expected to have a minimal therapeutic effect on the surface of the cochlea at a position 4 cm from the center of the coil. magnetism

In the above <Equation 5>,

ego

ini

It turns out that this is absolutely impossible to achieve. But

If a high permeability core is used, the number of turns

It can be seen that a practical applicator can be realized because the operating current becomes several hundred mA in about several hundred cycles.

11 is a control/power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11 , the control/power unit of the present invention includes a control module 142, a pulse generation module 141, a power supply unit, a battery, a keyboard, an LCD, and the like.

Since PEMF pulse waveforms and sequences effective for hearing loss/tinnitus differ greatly depending on the patient, as described above, it is possible to switch to Mode A and Mode B, which generate pulse sequences with different characteristics, and fine-tuning within a certain range within each mode. making this possible.

12 is a block diagram of a control module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a diagram related to a trigger pulse train of the control module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

의 클록 펄스를 받아 제어 단자에 입력되어 있는 지연 시간

펄스를 발생함으로써 만들어진다. 이 출력 펄스는 도 13(b)와 같이

초 마다 반복하는 폭

의 펄스 계열이 되어 게이트 1에 인가되고 여기서 버스트 트리거 펄스(burst trigger pulse)

에 의해 단속되어 펄스 버스트 계열이 된 후, 다시 게이트 2에 인가된다. 여기서 조사 시간 트리거 펄스(exposure trigger pulse)

에 의해 설정된 조사 간격으로 단속되어 출력 단자 A를 통해 송출된다.각 게이트를 제어하는 게이트 트리거 신호

,

와 멀티바이브레이터의 펄스 길이와 주기를 결정하는

와

트리거 신호는 마이크로컨트롤러가 별도 내장된 각종 데이터와 지시 프로그램에 의거하여 적정치가 산출되어 각 게이트에 분배된다.12 and 13 , the control module 142 includes a plurality of monostable multivibrators and gates centered on a microcontroller chip as shown in FIG. 12 . The basic pulse of PEMF is a monostable multivibrator

Delay time input to the control terminal by receiving the clock pulse of

It is created by generating pulses. This output pulse is shown in Fig. 13(b)

width that repeats every second

is applied to gate 1 as a pulse sequence of

is interrupted by , to form a pulse burst sequence, and then is applied to gate 2 again. where the exposure trigger pulse

It is interrupted at the irradiation interval set by

,

and to determine the pulse length and period of the multivibrator.

Wow

The trigger signal is distributed to each gate after calculating an appropriate value based on various data and instruction programs built into the microcontroller.

마다

길이만큼 샘플링되어 도 13(a)와 같은 펄스 계열이 된다. 그러나 B 모드에서는

펄스는 항시 1로 유지되고

만이 작동한다.The output of the monostable multivibrator in A mode is cycled by gate 1 and gate 2

every

It is sampled by the length and becomes a pulse sequence as shown in Fig. 13(a). But in B mode

The pulse is always held at 1.

only works

에 의해, 자계

를 발생시킨다. 이 자계는 도 3(a)와 같은 톱니파가 되어 도 3(b)와 같은 길이

의 정극성 유기 전압을 생체 표면에 유기한다. 입력 펄스가 시간

를 경유하여

시점이 되면 0 으로 돌아오므로 Q3는 off 상태가 된다. 따라서 이 시점에서

은 방전 전류가 되어 지수 함수적으로 하강하면서 생체 표면에 도 3(b)의

에 해당하는 부극성 유기 기전력을 발생시킨다.14 is a circuit diagram of a pulse generating module according to an embodiment of the present invention. The pulse generating module 141 has a circuit as shown in FIG. 14 . A control signal from the control circuit is applied to the switching transistor Q3 via terminal A. Q3 turns on when the pulse of terminal A becomes 1, and the collector current flowing from DC power Vcc through the applicator coil 111a

by, magnetic field

causes This magnetic field becomes a sawtooth wave as shown in Fig. 3(a) and has the same length as Fig. 3(b).

induced positive induced voltage on the surface of the living body. input pulse time

via

At the time point, it returns to 0, so Q3 is off. So at this point

Silver becomes a discharge current and falls exponentially on the surface of the living body as shown in Fig. 3(b).

A negative organic electromotive force corresponding to

는 마이크로컨트롤러의 제어 전원 143b를 제어하여 Q3의 콜렉터 전원 전압을 변화시킴으로써 조절한다. 회로망 113은 부극성 펄스 기간 중 코일 111b 회로에 부하로 삽입되어 111a의 자기 에너지를 흡수함으로써

의 크기를 제한하고 시정수를 늘려서 방전 시간을 길게 하는 역할을 한다. Q4는 이것을 위한 스위칭 소자로서 컨트롤러의

지시가 있을 때, on 상태가 되어 부하저항 113을 코일 111b에 접속시키는 역할을 한다.In the circuit, the network 112 is to compensate for the shape of the positive pulse, and while absorbing the excessive spike voltage generated in the Q3 collector, it achieves flattening of the positive pulse wave through an appropriate negative feedback action. Maximum value of positive pulse

Controls the control power supply 143b of the microcontroller to adjust by changing the collector supply voltage of Q3. Network 113 is inserted into the coil 111b circuit as a load during the negative pulse period to absorb the magnetic energy of 111a.

It serves to lengthen the discharge time by limiting the size of the battery and increasing the time constant. Q4 is the switching element for this

When there is an instruction, it turns on and serves to connect the load resistor 113 to the coil 111b.

As such, the present invention can supply a PEMF magnetic field sufficient for treatment to the middle and inner ear regions of the auditory organ, and design, start, and measure the characteristics of two models as shown in FIG. 9 as a simple and practical application unit as possible. have.

(1) Model 1 (headset type applicator)

15 is a structure of Model 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 15 , model 1 is the same model as FIG. 9( a ), which is made of a cylindrical solenoid to be in close contact with the auricle as shown in FIG. 8 . This model has the advantage that, when the diameter is large compared to the length, the magnetic field can be widely irradiated to the entire temporal region, and the attenuation is small even to the deep part.

=

인 철심 위에 SWG#35 에나멜 동선(

)¹1 안전전류 500 mA을 N=975 회 감은, 도 15와 같은 모델을 설정하였으며, KKK로서 그 자장을 시뮬레이션 하여 이 모델의 특성을 확인한 후, 시작품을 제작하여 주위 공간의 자계 분포를 MAGNET METER Lutron MG-3002를 사용하여 측정하였다.The prototype is a practical size that can be easily fixed to the headset-type mounting hole, with a diameter of D=25 mm and a length of L=22 mm.

=

SWG#35 enameled copper wire (

) ¹ 1 Safety current 500 mA was wound N=975 times, the model shown in Fig. 15 was set, and after confirming the characteristics of this model by simulating the magnetic field as KKK, a prototype was manufactured and the magnetic field distribution of the surrounding space was measured by MAGNET METER. Measurements were made using a Lutron MG-3002.

16 is an example of a simulation result of a magnetic field distribution according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 17 is a magnetic field measured value when 0 mA and I=1000 mA are respectively applied according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to this distribution diagram, it can be confirmed that the magnetic field strength at a position 30-40 mm from the center of the core 112 along the external auditory meatus was 1.32 to 2.04 mT for 500 mA and 2.24 to 4.04 mT for 1000 mA. Corresponds to the position of the cochlea in the average adult male.

In general, the minimum effective magnetic field strength for PEMFT is known to be 0.2 mT, indicating that sufficient PEMF can be irradiated to the inner ear tissue including the cochlea using this model.

This model not only has a simple structure, but also can apply a stronger magnetic field if the core is enlarged and the ampere-turn (NI) is increased. Therefore, it is a model suitable for fixed equipment used in clinics, etc.

(2) Model 2 (Wido-type applicator)

18 is a structure of model 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 19 is a magnetic field distribution simulation result of model 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 20 is a magnetic field of a model 2 prototype according to an embodiment of the present invention. A diagram showing distribution measurements.

=

인 철심 위에 SWG#35 에나멜 동선(

)을 N=540 회 감은, 도 18과 같은 구조로 되어 있다. 이 모델에 관하여 역시 모델 1과 동일한 방법으로 자계 분포를 시뮬레이션 하여 그 특성을 계측한 결과는 도 19와 같았다.In Model 1, the distance between the stimulation and the inner ear area increases, so the iron core and ampere turn are large to apply a sufficient magnetic field for treatment. Therefore, it is not suitable for general use. Model 2 inserts an applicator into the external auditory canal so that the location of stimulation can be closer to the inner ear. This model has a diameter of D=8 mm and a length of L=35 mm.

=

SWG#35 enameled copper wire (

) is wound N = 540 times, and has the same structure as in FIG. 18 . With respect to this model, the magnetic field distribution was simulated in the same manner as in Model 1, and the result of measuring its characteristics is shown in FIG. 19 .

This prototype was fixed in space and the magnetic field distribution around it was measured using a MAGNET METER Lutron MG-3002 in a state where 500 mA DC was applied to the winding, and the results were as shown in FIG. 20 .

According to the results of this experiment, it was confirmed that effective PEMFT is possible because a magnetic field in the range of 0.48 to 3 mT exists in the inner ear region including the cochlea.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various changes, modifications and equivalents may be used in the present invention. It is clear that the present invention can be equally applied by appropriately modifying the above embodiments. Accordingly, the above description is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the limits of the following claims.

10: applicator unit 20: control and power unit

Claims (2)

An applicator unit selected from at least one of a headset-type applicator mounted on the rear wheel of the temporal part in a headset shape or an external auditory canal-type applicator inserted into the external auditory meatus; and
Hearing impairment treatment apparatus using PEMF comprising a; a control and power unit for generating a pulse wave to supply a predetermined PEMF power to the selected applicator unit, and combining it with appropriate characteristics to transmit. a pulse wave generating step of generating a pulse wave suitable for the applicator unit;
a pulse wave transmitting step of combining and transmitting the generated pulse wave with appropriate characteristics; and
A PEMF power supply step of supplying predetermined PEMF power to the application unit based on the transmitted pulse wave.

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