TWI818390B - Ultrasonic wave acupuncture device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an ultrasonic acupuncture device, which includes an ultrasonic source, a liquid lens, an ultrasonic source controller, a liquid lens controller, and a power supply. The ultrasonic source, is used to generate ultrasonic waves. The liquid lens is used to focus the ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic source controller is electrically connected to the ultrasonic source and generates a plurality of ultrasonic source voltage pulses to control the frequency, amplitude and pulse length of the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic source. The liquid lens controller is electrically connected to the liquid lens, and generates a plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses to control the focal length of the liquid lens to focus the ultrasonic wave on a specific position. The power supply, is electrically connected to the ultrasonic source controller and the liquid lens controller, to provide voltage to the ultrasonic source controller to control the ultrasonic source, and to provide voltage to the liquid lens controller to control the liquid lens. The plurality of ultrasonic source voltage pulses generated by the ultrasonic source controller and the plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses generated by the liquid lens controller are aligned with each other.

Description

Ultrasonic acupuncture device

The invention relates to an ultrasonic acupuncture device.

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese treatment method. Stimulating specific acupoints through acupuncture and moxibustion can produce good therapeutic effects on some diseases, such as motion sickness. Motion sickness is an imbalance of the balance system. The systems responsible for balance in the human body include the eyes, inner ear, etc. When riding a vehicle, the rotation or turning of the vehicle, the starting or deceleration of the car, the rocking or bumping of the ship may cause confusion in the balance mechanism of the vision and the inner ear, resulting in nausea and vomiting, such as motion sickness, airsickness, seasickness and other symptoms. . In addition, using virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) may cause symptoms such as dizziness.

According to statistics, about 25-30% of the world's population has suffered from motion sickness, and children aged 2-12 are the most vulnerable group to suffer from motion sickness. On the other hand, adult women are more likely to suffer from motion sickness than men, especially those who are between menstruation or pregnant. In addition, patients with migraines, inner ear nerves, and central nervous system imbalances are at high risk for motion sickness. In addition, people who are in poor mental condition, lack sleep, or have a hangover are more likely to suffer from motion sickness.

The current treatment methods for motion sickness can be roughly divided into chemical methods and physical methods. Chemical methods include taking drugs 30-60 minutes before taking transportation to reduce the sensitivity of the vestibule of the inner ear and simultaneously antiemetic the central nervous system. However, the use of drugs may cause side effects. For example, motion sickness drugs are blockers of parasympathetic nerves in the autonomic nervous system, which will reduce the transmission of acetylcholine. After taking motion sickness drugs, you may experience drowsiness, dry mouth, blurred vision, difficulty urinating, Constipation and possible side effects such as heart palpitations. Physical methods include using anti-dizziness patches 4 hours before departure for transportation, or using traditional Chinese medicine acupoint pressure, anti-dizziness bracelets, etc. However, generally speaking, motion sickness has not been effectively relieved at present.

Acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine is considered an effective method for treating motion sickness. But acupuncture also has some disadvantages. For example, acupuncture will cause strong stimulation and trauma to the patient. Acupuncture will pierce the skin and easily cause infection. The technical difficulty of acupuncture also makes it difficult to replicate the effects of acupuncture. In addition, the smoke accompanying moxibustion treatment and improper use can easily leave scars on the skin, causing air pollution and permanent scarring for the patient.

The present invention provides an ultrasonic acupuncture device. By arbitrarily dynamically adjusting the focusing depth of the liquid lens in the ultrasonic acupuncture device, the acupuncture points are stimulated with ultrasonic pulses in a non-invasive manner to achieve effects similar to those of traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, an ultrasonic acupuncture device is provided, including: an ultrasonic source for generating ultrasonic waves; a liquid lens for focusing the ultrasonic waves; and an ultrasonic source controller electrically connected The ultrasonic source generates a plurality of ultrasonic source voltage pulses to control the vibration frequency, vibration intensity and pulse length of the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic source; a liquid lens controller is electrically connected to the liquid a lens that generates a plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses to control the focal length of the liquid lens to focus the ultrasonic wave at a specific position; and a power supply that is electrically connected to the ultrasonic source controller and the liquid lens controller. Sexual connection, used to provide voltage to the ultrasonic source controller to control the ultrasonic source, and to provide voltage to the liquid lens controller to control the liquid lens, wherein the ultrasonic source controller generates The plurality of ultrasonic source voltage pulses and the plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses generated by the liquid lens controller are aligned with each other.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, an ultrasonic acupuncture device is provided, including: an ultrasonic acupuncture device, including: an infrared source for generating far-infrared rays; an ultrasonic source for generating ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic waves The source has a hole to allow the far-infrared ray to pass; a liquid lens to focus the ultrasonic wave and the far-infrared ray; an ultrasonic source controller to electrically connect the ultrasonic source to generate multiple ultrasonic waves. A sound wave source voltage pulse is used to control the vibration frequency, vibration intensity and pulse length of the ultrasonic wave generated by the ultrasonic source; an infrared source controller is electrically connected to the infrared source to generate a plurality of infrared source voltage pulses, To control the energy and pulse length of the far-infrared ray generated by the infrared source; a liquid lens controller is electrically connected to the liquid lens and generates a plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses to control the focal length of the liquid lens. Focus the ultrasonic waves and the infrared rays on a specific position; and a power supply electrically connected to the infrared ray source controller, the ultrasonic wave source controller and the liquid lens controller for controlling the infrared rays. The source controller provides a voltage to control the infrared source, provides a voltage to the ultrasonic source controller to control the ultrasonic source, and provides a voltage to the liquid lens controller to control the liquid lens, wherein when When the ultrasonic source emits the ultrasonic wave, the infrared source does not emit the infrared ray; when the infrared source emits the infrared ray, the ultrasonic source does not emit the ultrasonic wave, wherein the ultrasonic wave The plurality of ultrasonic source voltage pulses generated by the source controller and the plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses generated by the liquid lens controller are aligned with each other, wherein the plurality of infrared rays of the infrared source controller The source voltage pulses are aligned with the plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses generated by the liquid lens controller.

Based on the above, the present disclosure provides an ultrasonic acupuncture device. A liquid lens is used to focus the energy of ultrasound pulses on a point, and the liquid lens has the characteristic of arbitrarily controlling the curvature of the liquid lens to achieve different focusing positions. By continuously changing the focal length of the liquid lens, a continuous energy focusing point is generated, so that the ultrasonic pulse can have acupuncture effect similar to that in acupuncture, and it is a non-invasive method that does not puncture the skin. The ultrasonic acupuncture device provided by the present disclosure can also use far-infrared rays to stimulate specific acupuncture points through a liquid lens to achieve effects similar to moxibustion (burning mugwort and burning the acupuncture points, and heating the acupuncture points to stimulate the acupuncture points). produce stimulating) effects. Therefore, using this ultrasonic acupuncture device can have a soothing effect on some diseases. For example, motion sickness can be avoided without taking medicine or injections.

Please refer to the following embodiments and accompanying drawings to more fully understand the present invention, but the present invention can still be practiced in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, components and their relative sizes may not be drawn to actual scale for clarity.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic acupuncture device according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the ultrasonic acupuncture device 100 includes an ultrasonic source 110, a liquid lens 130A and an electrode 130B. The ultrasonic acupuncture device 100 further includes a controller 160 and a power supply 170. The controller 160 includes an ultrasonic source controller 162, an infrared source controller 164 and a liquid lens controller 166.

The ultrasonic source 110 is electrically connected to the ultrasonic source controller 162 . The ultrasonic source 110 generates ultrasonic waves by rapidly vibrating and emits ultrasonic waves in the form of pulses. The ultrasonic source controller 162 generates a plurality of ultrasonic source voltage pulses to control the vibration frequency, vibration intensity and pulse length of the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic source 110, and causes the ultrasonic source 110 to emit ultrasonic waves in the form of pulses. Sound waves to produce acupuncture-like effects on specific acupuncture points. According to the selected mode, the ultrasonic source controller 162 inputs a pulse voltage of a specific intensity to the ultrasonic source 110, so that the ultrasonic source 110 generates ultrasonic waves of a specific vibration frequency and intensity, and causes the ultrasonic source 110 to emit in the form of pulses. Ultrasound. According to some embodiments, the ultrasonic source 110 may be a piezoelectric sheet, wherein the piezoelectric sheet is made of materials including barium titanate (BaTiO ₃ ), lead titanate (PbTiO ₃ ), and lead zirconate titanate (Pb(ZrTi)O ₃ , PZT) piezoelectric ceramic materials, or other materials with similar properties, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, the ultrasonic source 110 can generate ultrasonic waves with a vibration frequency of 1-3 MHz and a power range of 100-300 mW, but is not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, the output power of the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic wave source 110 is preferably 230 mW. According to some embodiments, the pulse length of the ultrasonic pulses generated by the ultrasonic source 110 ranges from 0.5 to 10 seconds, and the pulse interval ranges from 1 to 30 seconds, but is not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, the surface 110S of the ultrasonic source 110 facing the liquid lens 130A may be a flat surface or a curved surface, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. When the surface 110S is flat, the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic wave source 110 are focused by the liquid lens 130A to produce acupuncture-like stimulation on specific acupuncture points. When the surface 110S is a curved surface, it can be used to focus the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic wave source 110 . According to some embodiments, the ultrasonic waves focused by the liquid lens 130A have a focused ultrasonic spot diameter less than 0.5 mm, thereby producing acupuncture-like stimulation to specific acupuncture points.

The ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic wave source 110 are focused on the focal point 150 via the liquid lens 130A. In this embodiment, the liquid lens 130A is a convex lens. Convex lenses are lenses that are thicker in the center and thinner at the edges. They are divided into biconvex, planoconvex and concave-convex forms. Convex lenses have the function of condensing light (energy), so they are also called converging lenses. In this embodiment, the liquid lens 130A is a plano-convex lens. According to other embodiments, the liquid lens 130A may also be a biconvex lens, and the disclosure is not limited thereto.

The liquid lens controller 166 is electrically connected to the liquid lens 130A. The liquid lens controller 166 generates a plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses and inputs them to the liquid lens 130A through the electrode 130B to change the shape of the liquid lens 130A and control the focal length of the liquid lens 130A to focus the ultrasonic wave on a specific position to produce something like The effect of inserting or lifting a pin. According to some embodiments, the plurality of ultrasonic source voltage pulses generated by the ultrasonic source controller 162 and the plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses generated by the liquid lens controller 166 are aligned with each other (will be explained in FIGS. 5 and 6 ). . According to some embodiments, the liquid lens 130A is one or more liquid lenses, or other lenses that can change the focal length, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

According to some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 , the ultrasonic acupuncture device 100 further includes an infrared source 120 and an infrared source controller 164 . The infrared source 120 is electrically connected to the infrared source controller 164. The infrared source 120 is located on the side of the ultrasonic source 110 facing away from the liquid lens 130A. In order to allow the far-infrared rays generated by the infrared ray source 120 to penetrate the ultrasonic wave source 110, a hole 112 is opened in the ultrasonic wave source 110 to allow the far-infrared rays generated by the infrared ray source 120 to pass through. According to other embodiments, the infrared source 120 may also be located between the ultrasonic source 110 and the liquid lens 130A. When the infrared source 120 is located between the ultrasonic source 110 and the liquid lens 130A, the infrared source 120 will block part of the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic source 110. Therefore, the ultrasonic source 110 needs to adjust the ultrasonic transmission power to achieve a specific The acupuncture points can receive enough ultrasonic energy.

The infrared source controller 164 generates a plurality of infrared source voltage pulses to control the energy and pulse length of the far infrared rays generated by the infrared source 120 . The far-infrared rays generated by the infrared ray source 120 are focused by the liquid lens 130A to heat specific acupuncture points to produce moxibustion-like stimulation. According to some embodiments, the plurality of infrared source voltage pulses of the infrared source controller 164 are aligned with the plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses generated by the liquid lens controller 166 . According to some embodiments, the infrared source 120 may be a light-emitting diode, or other components that can generate far-infrared rays, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, the wavelength range of the far-infrared rays generated by the infrared ray source 120 is 8-14 μm, but is not limited thereto.

The power supply 170 is electrically connected to the ultrasonic source controller 162, the infrared source controller 164 and the liquid lens controller 166 respectively, and is used to provide control to the ultrasonic source controller 162, the infrared source controller 164 and the liquid lens controller 166 respectively. voltage to respectively control the ultrasonic source 110, the infrared ray 120 and the liquid lens 130A.

2A-2D are schematic diagrams of liquid lenses according to some embodiments of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1 , the liquid lens 130A can change the focal length of the lens by applying an electric field to the electrode 130B to focus the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic source 110 or the far-infrared rays generated by the infrared source 120 . In FIGS. 2A to 2C , as the electrode 130B passes through different voltages, the liquid lens 130A can produce different deformations, so that the liquid lens 130A has different focal lengths. For example, in FIG. 2A , the voltage of electrode 130B passing through liquid lens 130A is small. At this time, liquid lens 130A has a small thickness, and at this time, liquid lens 130A has a longer focal length f1. When the voltage passing through the electrode 130B gradually increases, the thickness of the liquid lens 130A gradually increases, and the focal length of the liquid lens 130A also gradually decreases, as shown in the focal length f2 of FIG. 2B and the focal length f3 of FIG. 2C . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2D , by applying different voltages to the liquid lens 130A, the focal length f of the liquid lens 130A can be changed. The focal length f changes along a straight line (the black dot in the figure is the focus), so that the liquid lens 130A penetrates the liquid lens 130A. Ultrasound or far-infrared rays can be focused on specific locations and along a straight line.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a liquid lens according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3 , the liquid lens 132 is an embodiment of the liquid lens 130A and the electrode 130B in FIG. 1 . The liquid lens 132 includes an electrode 132A and an electrode 132B, in which ultrasonic waves or far-infrared rays enter the liquid lens 132 through the electrode 132B.

The liquid lens 132 further includes a lens liquid 132C and a sealing liquid 132D. The lens liquid 132C and the encapsulating liquid 132D are two immiscible liquids. According to some embodiments, lens fluid 132C may be oil and encapsulation fluid 132D may be water. The lens liquid 132C and the sealing liquid 132D are located between the electrode 132A and the electrode 132B, and the sealing liquid surrounds and covers the lens liquid 132C. The liquid lens 132 further includes an insulating layer 132E for insulating the lens liquid 132C and the electrode 132A from each other.

When the electrodes 132A and 132B are energized, the generated electric field will change the thickness of the lens liquid 132C, thereby changing the focal length of the liquid lens 132 so that the ultrasonic waves or far-infrared rays can be focused on a specific location as required.

4A and 4B are schematic diagrams of another liquid lens according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4A , the liquid lens 134 is an embodiment of the liquid lens 130A and the electrode 130B in FIG. 1 . The liquid lens 134 includes a window 134A and a window 134B. According to some embodiments, the window 134A and the window 134B are glass sheets, or other transparent materials that can penetrate ultrasonic waves or far-infrared rays, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The liquid lens 134 further includes a lens liquid 134E and a sealing liquid 134F. The lens liquid 134E and the sealing liquid 134F are located between the viewing window 134A and the viewing window 134B. The lens liquid 134E and the sealing liquid 134F are two immiscible liquids. According to some embodiments, the lens fluid 134E may be oil, and the encapsulating fluid 134F may be water, but is not limited thereto. The electrode 134C and the electrode 134D are located between the lens liquid 134E/sealing liquid 134F and the window 134A, and are covered with an insulating layer 134G for insulating from the lens liquid 134E/sealing liquid 134F.

When electrode 134C and electrode 134D are energized, the generated electric field 134H (as shown in FIG. 4A) or the electric field 134I (as shown in FIG. 4B) will change the thickness of the lens liquid 134E, thereby changing the focal length of the liquid lens 134, causing the ultrasonic wave to Or far infrared rays can be focused on specific locations as needed.

Figure 5 is a timing diagram of liquid lens voltage and ultrasonic source voltage according to some embodiments of the invention. Since the ultrasonic acupuncture device 100 shown in FIG. 1 uses ultrasound to simulate the effect of acupuncture, a brief introduction to the practice of acupuncture will be given here.

Traditional Chinese medicine generally performs acupuncture at acupuncture points, inserting steel needles vertically from the skin surface above the acupoints, and inserting, retaining, and withdrawing needles at the acupoints to stimulate the acupoints. During acupuncture, the needle is inserted downward from the superficial layer of the acupoint, which is called needle insertion; and the needle is inserted upward from the deep layer of the acupoint, which is called needle lifting. This vertical acupuncture technique is called the lifting and inserting technique. The in and out amplitude and speed of the needle insertion and lifting needle are equal, and the force is evenly applied and alternated repeatedly. The amplitude and frequency of lifting and insertion can also be determined according to treatment requirements, but should not be too large or too fast.

Combining a variety of acupuncture techniques for different conditions is a common way to improve treatment effects. The following is an example of two common acupuncture techniques called "Shaoshanhuo" and "Tongtianliang".

The method of "burning mountain fire" is to divide the acupuncture points into three levels: shallow, medium and deep according to the puncture depth. After acupuncture to gain Qi, lift the needle to the superficial layer and perform the tonic method 3-9 times on the superficial layer, then insert the needle into the middle layer to perform the tonic method 3-9 times, and then insert the needle into the deep layer to perform the tonic method 3-9 times. Finally, the needle is withdrawn to a shallow layer, which is called one degree. Among them, tonic methods are acupuncture methods that restore weak functions to strong levels and are used to replenish deficient substances in the body. Repeat this operation several times until a warm feeling is produced under the needle or the patient's body feels warm. Suitable for deficiency and cold syndrome.

The method of "Tiantianliang" is to insert the needle into the deep layer after acupuncture to achieve qi, and perform the purgative method at the deep layer for 6-8 times, then lift the needle to the middle layer and perform the purgative method for 6-8 times, and then lift the needle to the shallow layer. Perform the layer-by-layer purgative method 6-8 times, and finally insert the needle into the deep layer, which is called first degree. Among them, the purgative method is an acupuncture method that restores hyperactive functions to normal and eliminates unnecessary or harmful substances from the body. Repeat this procedure several times until a cooling sensation appears under the needle or on the patient's body. Suitable for febrile diseases.

Since acupuncture requires the use of stainless steel needles to puncture the skin, possible problems include: strong stimulation, trauma, skin puncture, and easy cross-infection. In addition, acupuncture involves risks, technical difficulties, and difficulty in replicating, making the repetition and accuracy of acupuncture another problem.

The timing diagram of the liquid lens voltage and the ultrasonic source voltage in Figure 5 allows the ultrasonic acupuncture device 100 to produce an acupuncture method similar to the aforementioned "burning mountain fire". Timing 500 is an applied voltage timing diagram of liquid lens 130A. Timing 510 is a timing diagram of the applied voltage of the ultrasonic source 110 . The focal length of the liquid lens 130A can be changed according to the applied voltage of the liquid lens 130A. The greater the applied voltage, the smaller the focal length of the liquid lens 130A, which can focus the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic source 110 at a shallower position.

As shown in FIG. 5 , in sequence 500 , the liquid lens controller 162 outputs the plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses 502 , 504 , and 506 to the liquid lens 130A at fixed intervals. The pulses 502, 504, and 506 have different voltages and are used to change the focal length of the liquid lens 130A. The pulse duration of pulse 502, pulse 504, and pulse 506 is all t1, and the interval duration between pulses is t2. The interval duration t2 between pulses is greater than the pulse duration t1. In other embodiments, the interval duration t2 between pulses may be equal to the pulse duration t1, or may be shorter than the pulse duration t1, and the disclosure is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, one "degree", that is, one liquid lens voltage cycle, includes five pulses 502, five pulses 504, and five pulses 506. The pulses 502, 504, and 506 respectively have different voltages to change the focal length of the liquid lens 130A in Figure 1.

On the other hand, timing 510 has multiple pulses 512 . Pulse 512 has the same pulse duration t1 as pulse 502, pulse 504, and pulse 506, and the same interval duration t2 between pulses, and pulse 512 of timing sequence 510 is synchronized with pulse 502, pulse 504, and pulse 506 of timing sequence 500, That is, each pulse of the timing sequence 500 of the liquid lens 130A and each pulse of the timing sequence 510 of the ultrasonic source 110 will be aligned with each other. The voltage of the pulse 512 is used to cause the ultrasonic source 110 in FIG. 1 to generate ultrasonic waves of a specific frequency and intensity.

As shown in Figure 5, pulse 502 has a voltage _VL (a first voltage intensity) and is repeated five times (a first plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses). This means that at the time of pulse 502, the liquid lens 130A of FIG. 1 has a focal length f1 due to the applied voltage V _L. In timing sequence 510 , pulse 512 has voltage V _US and appears synchronously at the time corresponding to pulse 502 . This means that at the time of pulse 512, the ultrasonic source 110 generates ultrasonic waves of corresponding intensity due to the applied voltage V _US . When the ultrasonic wave generated by the ultrasonic source 110 passes through the liquid lens 130A, it will be focused at the focal length f1 (first focal length), which is equivalent to the point where the needle penetrates the focal length f1. When pulse 502 and pulse 512 disappear, it is equivalent to needle withdrawal. As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C , the smaller the applied voltage of the liquid lens, the larger the focal length of the liquid lens, and the larger the applied voltage of the liquid lens, the smaller the focal length of the liquid lens. Therefore, in Figure 5, pulse 502 is performed 5 times, which is equivalent to performing the steps of "lifting the needle to the deep layer and performing the supplementary method 5 times in the deep layer".

Next, in sequence 500, pulse 504 has voltage _VM (a second voltage intensity) and is repeated five times (a second plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses). This means that at the time of pulse 504, the liquid lens 130A has a focal length f2 (second focal length) due to the applied voltage _VM . As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C , the smaller the applied voltage of the liquid lens, the larger the focal length of the liquid lens, and the larger the applied voltage of the liquid lens, the smaller the focal length of the liquid lens. Since the applied voltage _VM is greater than V _L , the focal length f2 is smaller than the focal length f1. In timing sequence 510 , pulse 512 with voltage V _US still appears at the time corresponding to pulse 504 . This means that at the time of pulse 504, when the ultrasonic source 110 generates an ultrasonic pulse of corresponding intensity due to the applied voltage V _US and passes through the liquid lens 130A, it will focus on the focal length f2, which is equivalent to the place where the needle penetrates the focal length f2. Therefore, in Figure 5, pulse 504 is performed 5 times, which is equivalent to performing the step of "inserting the needle into the middle row 5 times".

Next, in sequence 500, pulse 506 has voltage _VH (third voltage intensity) and is repeated five times (third plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses). This means that at the time of pulse 506, the liquid lens 130A has a focal length f3 (third focal length) due to the applied voltage V _H. As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C , the smaller the applied voltage of the liquid lens, the larger the focal length of the liquid lens, and the larger the applied voltage of the liquid lens, the smaller the focal length of the liquid lens. Since the applied voltage V _H is greater than _VM , the focal length f3 is smaller than the focal length f2. In timing sequence 510 , pulse 512 with voltage V _US still appears at the time corresponding to pulse 506 . This means that at the time of pulse 506, when the ultrasonic source 110 generates an ultrasonic pulse of corresponding intensity due to the applied voltage V _US and passes through the liquid lens 130A, it will focus on the focal length f3, which is equivalent to the place where the needle penetrates the focal length f3. Therefore, in Figure 5, pulse 506 is performed 5 times, which is equivalent to performing the step of "reinserting the shallow row complement method 5 times".

After pulse 506 has been performed five times, sequence 500 returns to pulse 502. This is equivalent to finally inserting the needle into the deep layer, which is the position of the focal length f1 of the liquid lens 130A. Such a cycle includes 5 pulses 502, 5 pulses 504, and 5 pulses 506, which is called one degree. According to some embodiments, one time may include multiple different liquid lens voltages, and the number of occurrences of each liquid lens voltage may be more than once, depending on requirements, which is not limited by this disclosure.

In FIG. 5 , it is worth noting that in the timing sequence 500 and the timing sequence 510 , only the liquid lens voltage changes, that is, the focal length of the liquid lens 130A changes. However, the voltage 512 of the ultrasonic source 110 remains constant. Therefore, it is equivalent to the ultrasonic source 110 continuously generating ultrasonic waves with the same power. By changing the focal length of the liquid lens 130A, the ultrasonic waves can be focused on specific acupuncture points at different depths.

FIG. 6 is a timing diagram of liquid lens voltage and ultrasonic source voltage according to other embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6 , timing 600 is a timing diagram of the applied voltage of liquid lens 130A. Timing 610 is a timing diagram of the applied voltage of the ultrasonic source 110 . The corresponding numbers in Figure 6 and Figure 5 have similar properties, and therefore will not be described again. The differences between Figure 6 and Figure 5 are as follows. In the timing sequence 600, the pulse 602 not only has the voltage V _L , but also changes periodically within a perturbation voltage ΔV, that is, the voltage changes periodically between V _L and V _L + ΔV (the first perturbation voltage range). The disturbance voltage ΔV is less than or much less than the voltage V _L . According to other embodiments, the voltage variation range may vary periodically between V _L and V _L -ΔV, or between V _L -ΔV and V _L +ΔV, and the disclosure is not limited thereto. This means that the liquid lens 130A has a focal length f1 due to the applied voltage V _L. It has a focal length f1-Δf (the first perturbation focal length) when the external voltage V _L +ΔV (the first perturbation voltage) is applied. The perturbation focal length Δf is less than or much less than Focal length f1. In other words, the focal length f1 of the liquid lens 130A changes correspondingly as the voltage changes near V _L. In the timing sequence 610, the pulse 612 has the voltage V _US and appears at the time corresponding to the pulse 602. Each pulse 602 is synchronized with the pulse 612 and aligned with each other. This means that at the time of pulse 612, the ultrasonic source 110 generates ultrasonic pulses of corresponding intensity due to the applied voltage V _US . When this ultrasonic pulse passes through the liquid lens 130A, it will be focused at the focal length f1, which is equivalent to the point where the needle penetrates into the focal length f1. As the voltage of the pulse 602 changes, it will focus on f1 and f1-Δf in sequence. Such a combination of pulse 602 and pulse 612 is equivalent to performing a small amplitude of needle advancement and needle withdrawal at f1, that is, perturbation at f1. In the same way, the voltages at pulses 604 and 606 are also V _M +ΔV (the second perturbation voltage) and V _H +ΔV (the third perturbation voltage) respectively, changing between V _M and V _M +ΔV respectively. (The second perturbation voltage range); convert between V _H and V _H + ΔV (the third perturbation voltage range) to generate disturbances at the focal lengths f2 and f3 corresponding to V _M and V _H respectively, respectively. f2-Δf (second perturbation focal length), f3-Δf (third perturbation focal length). According to some embodiments, the voltage disturbance ΔV provided to the liquid lens 130A can cause a change in focal length of 0.5-10 mm, but is not limited to this. In practical applications, the amount of change in focal length depends on the location of the acupuncture points and the desired treatment method.

FIG. 7 is a timing diagram of liquid lens voltage and infrared source voltage according to other embodiments of the present invention. Timing 700 is an applied voltage timing diagram of liquid lens 130A. Timing 710 is a timing diagram of the applied voltage of the infrared source 120 . Compared with the acupuncture mode shown in Figures 5 and 6, if the moxibustion mode is used, that is, when far-infrared rays are used to irradiate acupuncture points, the focal length of the liquid lens 130A is controlled to a fixed value, and the focused far-infrared rays are irradiated to the acupoints. When the moxibustion mode is adopted, the ultrasonic source 110 is turned off.

As shown in FIG. 7 , in the sequence 700 , the liquid lens controller 162 outputs the plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses 702 at fixed intervals to the liquid lens 130A to change the focal length of the liquid lens 130A. The pulse duration of pulse 702 is t3, and the interval duration between pulses is t4. Pulse 702 is used to change the focal length of liquid lens 130A in FIG. 1 .

On the other hand, timing 710 has pulse 712 . Pulse 712 has the same pulse duration t3 as pulse 702 and the same pulse interval duration t4. Pulse duration t3 is greater than pulse interval duration t4, and pulse 712 of sequence 710 is synchronized with pulse 702 of sequence 700. In other embodiments, the interval duration t4 between pulses may be equal to the pulse duration t3, or may be greater than the pulse duration t3, and the disclosure is not limited thereto. The voltage of the pulse 712 is used to cause the infrared source 120 in Figure 1 to generate infrared rays of a specific intensity. The use of infrared ray irradiation is equivalent to "moxibustion" in traditional Chinese medicine, and heat stimulation is performed on the acupoints.

In the timing sequence 700 of the liquid lens 130A, the pulse 702 has a voltage V, which means that at the time of the pulse 702, the liquid lens 130A has a focal length f due to the applied voltage V. In the timing sequence 710 of the infrared source 120 , the pulse 712 has the voltage V _IR and appears at the time corresponding to the pulse 702 . This means that at the time of pulse 712, the infrared source 120 generates infrared light of corresponding intensity due to the applied voltage V _IR . When the infrared light generated by the infrared source 120 passes through the liquid lens 130A, it will be focused on the location at the focal length f, which is equivalent to heating the location at the focal length f. According to some embodiments, the pulse length is 30 seconds, and the interval between two pulses is 10 seconds, which is equivalent to 30 seconds of irradiation and 10 seconds of rest, but is not limited to this.

Figure 8 is an operational flow chart of an ultrasonic acupuncture device according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in Figure 8, in step S02, the indication operation mode is selected to determine the applied voltage timing sequence of the liquid lens and the ultrasonic source, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, or to determine the applied voltage timing sequence of the liquid lens and the infrared light source. , as shown in Figure 7, to determine the focusing position of the liquid lens and the intensity of the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic source. For example, the acupuncture technique is selected to burn mountain fire or cool the sky, or the acupuncture technique is to replenish qi or deflate qi, but it is not limited to this.

In step S04, a combination of acupoints to be performed is selected, for example, Hegu point or a combination of other acupoints, but is not limited to this. According to the selected acupoint combination, the focal length range of the liquid lens can be determined.

In step S06, acupuncture treatment is selected, for example, "needle" mode or "moxibustion" mode is selected to determine whether to use an ultrasonic source to generate ultrasonic waves or an infrared source to generate far-infrared rays.

In step S08, parameter setting is performed. If you select the "needle" mode, you need to set parameters such as pulse length, pulse frequency, speed, and degree, but it is not limited to this. If you select the "moxibustion" mode, you need to set parameters such as pulse length, but it is not limited to this.

In step S10, the operation is started according to the parameters set in steps S02 to S08. At this time, the ultrasonic source controller 162, the infrared source controller 164, and the liquid lens controller 166 respectively send control signals to control the ultrasonic source 110, the infrared source 120, and the liquid lens 130A to convert the generated ultrasonic waves or far-infrared rays. Focus on a specific location.

In step S12, after the acupuncture process is completed, the treatment ends.

To sum up, the present invention uses a liquid lens to focus ultrasonic waves or far-infrared rays, and by changing the focal length of the liquid lens, it achieves an effect similar to the needle insertion or withdrawal in acupuncture, so as to achieve the effect of non-invasive treatment.

100: Ultrasonic acupuncture device 110: Ultrasonic source 110S: Surface 112: Hole 120: Infrared source 130A: Liquid lens 130B: Electrode 132, 134: Liquid lens 132A, 132B: Electrode 132C: Lens liquid 132D: Encapsulating liquid 132E, 134G : Insulating layer 134A, 134B: Window 134C, 134D: Electrode 134E: Lens liquid 134F: Encapsulation liquid 134H, 134I: Electric field 150: Focus 160: Controller 162: Ultrasonic source controller 164: Infrared source controller 166: Liquid lens Controller 170: power supply 500, 510, 600, 610, 700, 710: timing 502, 504, 506, 512, 602, 604, 606, 612, 702, 712: pulse f, f1, f2, f3: focal length S2, S4, S6, S8, S10, S12: steps t1, t2, t3, t4: duration V, V _H , V _L , _VM , V _US , V _IR ,: voltage Δf: perturbation focal length ΔV: perturbation voltage

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic acupuncture device according to some embodiments of the present invention. 2A-2D are schematic diagrams of liquid lenses according to some embodiments of the invention. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a liquid lens according to some embodiments of the present invention. 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams of another liquid lens according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5 is a timing diagram of liquid lens voltage and ultrasonic source voltage according to some embodiments of the invention. FIG. 6 is a timing diagram of liquid lens voltage and ultrasonic source voltage according to other embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a timing diagram of liquid lens voltage and infrared source voltage according to other embodiments of the present invention. Figure 8 is an operational flow chart of an ultrasonic acupuncture device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

100: Ultrasonic acupuncture device 110: Ultrasonic source 110S: Surface 112:hole 120: Infrared source 130A: Liquid lens 130B:Electrode 150:Focus 160:Controller 162: Ultrasonic source controller 164:Liquid lens controller 166:Infrared source controller 170:Power supply

Claims (18)

An ultrasonic acupuncture device includes: an ultrasonic source for generating ultrasonic waves; a liquid lens for focusing the ultrasonic waves; an ultrasonic source controller electrically connected to the ultrasonic source to generate a plurality of Ultrasonic source voltage pulses to control the vibration frequency, vibration intensity and pulse length of the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic source; a liquid lens controller electrically connected to the liquid lens to generate a plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses , to control the focal length of the liquid lens to focus the ultrasonic wave at a specific position; and a power supply electrically connected to the ultrasonic source controller and the liquid lens controller to control the ultrasonic wave. The sonic source controller provides a voltage to control the ultrasonic source, and the liquid lens controller provides a voltage to control the liquid lens, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic source voltage pulses generated by the ultrasonic source controller The plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses generated by the liquid lens controller are aligned and synchronized with each other in the time domain. The ultrasonic acupuncture device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid lens controller outputs the plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses to the liquid lens at fixed intervals, and the plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses have different voltages, with to change the focal length of the liquid lens. The ultrasonic acupuncture device of claim 2, wherein the voltage value of each of the plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses changes periodically within a perturbation voltage range. The ultrasonic acupuncture device of claim 1, wherein the liquid lens controller is used to generate a plurality of liquid lens voltage cycles, each of the plurality of liquid lens voltage cycles including generating a first voltage intensity at a fixed interval. A first plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses are used to cause the liquid lens to generate a first focal length corresponding to the first voltage intensity; and then a second plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses are generated at a second voltage intensity at the fixed intervals to generate causing the liquid lens to generate a second focal length corresponding to the second voltage intensity; and then generating a third plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses at a third voltage intensity at the fixed intervals, so that the liquid lens generates a second focal length corresponding to the second voltage intensity. The third focal length of three voltage intensities. The ultrasonic acupuncture device according to claim 4, wherein the first voltage intensity changes within a first perturbation voltage range, so that the liquid lens at the first focal length corresponds to the first perturbation voltage. The voltage changes within the first perturbation focal length; the second voltage intensity changes within a second perturbation voltage range, so that the liquid lens is at the second focal length corresponding to the second perturbation voltage. Change within the second perturbation focal length; the third voltage intensity changes within a third perturbation voltage range, so that the liquid lens at the third focal length and the third perturbation corresponding to the third perturbation voltage changes within the focal length. The ultrasonic acupuncture device according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the spot after the ultrasonic wave is focused by the liquid lens is less than 0.5 mm. The ultrasonic acupuncture device according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of the ultrasonic waves is 1-3 MHz. The ultrasonic acupuncture device according to claim 1, wherein the power of the ultrasonic wave is 100-300mW. The ultrasonic acupuncture device according to claim 1, wherein the side of the ultrasonic source facing the liquid lens is flat. The ultrasonic acupuncture device according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic source is a piezoelectric piece. The ultrasonic acupuncture device according to claim 10, wherein the material of the piezoelectric sheet is piezoelectric ceramics. The ultrasonic acupuncture device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid lens is a plano-convex lens. The ultrasonic acupuncture device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the focal length of the liquid lens changes along a straight line. The ultrasonic acupuncture device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an infrared source located on the side of the ultrasonic source facing away from the liquid lens for generating far infrared rays; an infrared source controller electrically connected The infrared source generates a plurality of infrared source voltage pulses to control the energy and pulse length of the far-infrared rays generated by the infrared ray source; wherein the ultrasonic source has a hole to allow the far-infrared rays to pass through, wherein the power supply is electrically connected to the infrared source controller for providing voltage to the infrared source controller to control the infrared source, The plurality of infrared source voltage pulses of the infrared source controller and the plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses generated by the liquid lens controller are aligned with each other. The ultrasonic acupuncture device of claim 14, wherein the liquid lens controller outputs a plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses to the liquid lens at fixed intervals, and the pulse length of each of the plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses is greater than the pulse interval. The ultrasonic acupuncture device according to claim 14, wherein the infrared source is a light emitting diode. The ultrasonic acupuncture device according to claim 14, wherein the far-infrared ray has a wavelength range of 8-14 μm. An ultrasonic acupuncture device, including: an infrared source used to generate far-infrared rays; an ultrasonic source used to generate ultrasonic waves; the ultrasonic source has a hole to allow the far-infrared rays to pass through; a liquid lens, used to focus the ultrasonic wave and the far-infrared ray; an ultrasonic source controller, electrically connected to the ultrasonic source, generates a plurality of ultrasonic source voltage pulses to control the ultrasonic wave generated by the ultrasonic source. The vibration frequency, vibration intensity and pulse length of the sound wave; an infrared source controller, electrically connected to the infrared source, generates a plurality of infrared source voltage pulses to control the energy and pulses of the far infrared ray generated by the infrared source length; a liquid lens controller electrically connected to the liquid lens to generate a plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses to control the focal length of the liquid lens to focus the ultrasonic waves and the infrared rays on a specific position; and a power supply, and The infrared source controller, the ultrasonic source controller and the liquid lens controller are electrically connected to provide voltage to the infrared source controller to control the infrared source to control the ultrasonic wave. A source controller provides a voltage to control the ultrasonic source, and the liquid lens controller provides a voltage to control the liquid lens, wherein when the ultrasonic source emits the ultrasonic wave, the infrared source turns off the Infrared ray, when the infrared ray source emits the infrared ray, the ultrasonic wave source turns off the ultrasonic wave, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic source voltage pulses generated by the ultrasonic source controller are controlled by the liquid lens The plurality of liquid lens voltage pulses generated by the device are aligned and synchronized with each other in the time domain, wherein the plurality of infrared source voltage pulses of the infrared source controller and the multiple voltage pulses generated by the liquid lens controller are The liquid lens voltage pulses are aligned and synchronized with each other in the time domain.

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