WO2003085508A1

WO2003085508A1 - Electronic needle mouse and telemedicine service system using it

Info

Publication number: WO2003085508A1
Application number: PCT/KR2003/000594
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jae-Hong Jung; Jun-Hee Jeong
Original assignee: Symbiont Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2002-04-04
Filing date: 2003-03-26
Publication date: 2003-10-16
Also published as: AU2003215955A1; KR100405105B1; KR20030079526A

Abstract

This invention relates to a mouse connected to a mouse port of a computer through a connecting cable, comprising a control part; a frequency-regulating and pulse-generating (FRPG) part that generates pulses of specific frequencies under the regulation of the control part; a pulse-amplifying part that amplifies the pulses generated from the FRPG part; and a pulse-output part comprised of several electronic needles connected to the pulse-amplifying part that outputs the amplified pulses, wherein the control part receives control data generated by a driving driver installed in the computer through the connecting cable, commands the FRPG part to generate pulses in response to the control data, and controls the pulse-output part so that the generated pulses come out through the electronic needles.

Description

ELECTRONIC NEEDLE MOUSE AND TELEMEDICINE SERVICE SYSTEM USING IT

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an electronic needle mouse electronically stimulating points on meridians of a human body while it is used such that it can give the same effects as a normal needle treatment, not to mention having the original function as an input device, and to a telemedicine service system using the electronic needle mouse by which health condition of users can be remotely monitored. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electronic needle mouse, which has excellent convenience and treatment effectiveness and which can provide wider medicine service.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Existing electronic needle devices were disclosed in Korean utility model Nos.

1985-1503 (title: portable electromagnetic needle device) and No. 1991-2387 (title: electronic needle device), and Korean patent No. 239850 (title: electronic needle device for stimulating the meridian system on hands and feet).

As shown in the descriptions of the prior arts, the needle therapy is a kind of oriental medicine that cures diseases by improving blood flow and decomposition of body wastes, such as stagnated blood, by stimulating points on meridians of a human body.

Especially, the human body has about 700 points on meridians. When a disease occurs inside the human body, there occurs oversensitive sickness at specific relevant points, on the skin, of the meridian system. Moreover, these kinds of symptoms are strengthened gradually as you reach the tip of the human body. In the oriental medicine, one stimulates these points on meridians, on the skin, with needles so that it suppresses and sedates exasperations in the internal organs, the blood vessel and the autonomic nerve and enhances the imier regulation activity of the human body to enhance the immune power of the human body which contributes to the cure and prevention of diseases.

In order to conduct these needle treatment one usually inserts needles at points on meridians. These kinds of methods, however, may induce problems such as infection of the points by invasion of unwanted bacteria. To solve those problems, electronic needle methods have been introduced in which the points on meridians were electronically stimulated so that it can give similar effects as insertion of needles.

As exploding numbers of people are using computers, a mouse has become one of the most frequently used devices as an input device. Moreover, as the number of the Internet users increases, the usage of the mouse, which replaces a keyboard as an input device, is explosively increased.

Nowadays, due to shortage of exercise, most people are exposed to such symptoms as stress, dyspepsia, fatness, arthritis, and so on. Moreover, new computer- related symptoms, such as pains at wrist joint, arm, shoulder, or neck, eyeball strain, sight decline, and/or dyspepsia, are spreading among company employees who use computers for a long time and students who like computer on-line games.

For the sake of those contemporary people called as a computer generation, an electronic needle mouse, which has given a mouse the role of electronic needles, has been introduced. Examples of them are the Korean published patent No. 2001-105666 (title: a mouse, a needle treatment system and a method using it) and Korean utility model No. 198049 (title: mouse assembling).

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing brief constitutions of an existing electronic needle mouse disclosed in the Korea published patent No. 2001-105666. As shown in the FIG. 1, the mouse is connected to a computer and it comprises the main body 21 with an outside click button 23 and projected multiple electrode needles 25; a power supply part 41 connected to the electrode needles 25, which applies constant electric potential to the electrode needles 25 to make 'on' or 'off; and a control part 43 that controls the power supply part 41 so that it can apply constant, predetermined patterns of electric potential to the selected electronic needles 25 during the click button 23 is in a state of "on", in response to a driving pattern signal.

In the patent, there is also disclosed a treatment system using the mouse, comprising: the mouse 20 connected to the computer which is equipped with the outside click button 23 and the multiple projected electrode needles 25; a needle treatment guidance driver installed in the computer which provides through an display device types of symptoms on human body and multiple electrode needles driving pattern mode that a user can select according to the symptoms; and an electrode needle driving control part 40 that applies the constant electric potential corresponding to the mode selected by the user with a input device of the computer to the electrode needles 25 while the click button 23 is in a state of "on". In the FIG. 1, unexplained reference numeral 24 is a supplementary needle treatment cord; 24a is a conducting needle supplement; 24b is a connecting cord; 27 is anti-slip part; and 29 is a light-emitting device.

The existing electronic needle mouse of the FIG. 1 has an advantage for the user to be treated by the electronic needle with ease, with no additional efforts or time, by combining the mouse and the electronic needles device that had been independently used.

However, the electronic mouse of the FIG. 1 suffers from several disadvantages. First, in the electronic needle mouse of FIG. 1, electric potential can be applied to the electrode needles only when the click button is in a state of "on" . The user, therefore, is not treated by the electronic needles, when the click button is off. Considering that sufficient treatments requires at least more than a few ten minutes (about 15 - 20 minutes) which may vary with the type of symptoms, the user should click the mouse to maintain the state "on" during the treatment. This yields user inconvenience, as well as harms to the human body by causing lasting stress on the muscle of the finger.

On the other hand, it disturbs computing. On computing, the user activates a working window, and the computer understands click-on of the mouse as an input. Therefore, the user should move the mouse to another place of the screen, where no input icon exists, which may disturb the computing when the user wants to be treated while doing computing.

Second, there is a required treatment time to each symptom; that is, the effect of the treatment will not be shown promptly only with a few seconds of treatment, or the effect is not better by several hours of treatment. Therefore, not only the points on meridians but also duration of the treatment are important factors for a sufficient therapy, and which depend on each symptom. In case of the electronic mouse of FIG. 1, the user should know in advance the duration of treatment for each symptom. Third, the electronic needle mouse of FIG. 1 has no function of time reservation so that the user should run the treatment guidance driver whenever he/she wants to be treated. Therefore, one cannot be subject to regular treatments such as treatment on dyspepsia after meal or treatment on eyes strain at night. Compared with irregular or discrete treatment, the effect is strengthened by regular treatments. As thus, the time reservation has especially important meaning in a needle therapy.

In another aspect, an ordinary electrical device usually requires additional circuit or timer for a time reservation function, but the computer has a built-in timer so that the time reservation function can be easily added by software. In other words, the user's convenience can be highly improved by using the advantage of the computer with no additional cost or complexity in the device. Hence the electronic needle mouse in FIG. 1 has a defect that it has not fully used this advantage of the computer.

Fourth, the response to the electric potential applied to the electrode needles differs person by person. Therefore, the electric potential applied to the electrode needles should be able to be regulated by the user referring to the characteristics of each user. In this point, the electronic needle mouse of FIG. 1 allows to regulate the electric potential through software, this is, by regulation of the function of the needle therapy guidance driver. Therefore the user in computing should follow multi steps: activation of the needle therapy guidance driver -> movement to the electric potential regulating mode -- regulating the electric potential -- reactivation of the window in work. It occurs in itself inconvenience to the user; moreover, the change of the activated windows may reduce the efficiency of computing by disturbing the work.

Fifth, in the electronic needle mouse of FIG. 1, a power is externally supplied with the power supply part 41 to apply electric potential. However, requirement of the additional external power supply source makes the mouse very unrealistic and deteriorates the productivity of computing work by restricting the movement of the mouse. Moreover, Considering the fact that the computer is provided in combination with a monitor and a printer and that they all gets electric power from separated power cables, the increasing number of electric cables yields the crudeness of the working environment.

Sixth, pulses are not transferred to the electrode needle 25 of FIG. 1. Instead, the electric potential of the power supply part 41 is directly applied to the electrode needles 25 from the power supply part 41 and the electrode needles 25 are conducted. In case of electronic needle device, the depth of penetration inside a skin depends on the frequency applied. That is, high frequency waves flows along the surface of the skin, while low frequency waves penetrate deeply through the skin. Therefore the mouse of FIG. 1 does not give sufficient treatment effect, because the regulation of the frequency, in addition to pulse generation, is not possible. Seventh, the role of the electronic mouse of FIG. 1 is confined within the intrinsic role as a simple needle treatment device so that it cannot be extended as a device for supplementary medicine service.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been contrived to solve the above-mentioned problems. According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic needle mouse in which start and stop of treatment is controlled by software such that any additional mouse-click motion of the user is not required; hence the electronic needle mouse according to the present invention removes user's inconvenience and any disturbance in computing.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic needle mouse in which setting of optimum treatment time depending on symptoms and/or reservation of the treatment is allowed; hence the electronic needle mouse according to the present invention can give the user maximum effect of the treatment with no additional cost or complexity in the device.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic needle mouse in which an output intensity regulating part is attached outside the mouse for easy regulation of the output intensity of the pulses; hence the electronic needle mouse according to the present invention can enhance the user's convenience.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic needle mouse in which a power is supplied through a connecting cable of the mouse, with no additional external power supply source; hence the electronic needle mouse according to the present invention provides an electric needle mouse deprived of any factors that complexes the working environment and deteriorates the movement of the mouse.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic needle mouse in which pulses of specific frequencies are allowed to come out through specific electric needles; hence the electronic needle mouse according to the present invention increases the effectiveness of the needle treatment. Moreover, it is also allowed to set the optimum frequency, or the points on meridians; hence the electronic needle mouse according to the present invention provides highly enhanced treatment effects. According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a telemedicine service system by allowing the mouse to work as a device for a broader medicine service, not to mention the device as a treatment device. One of the advantages of Korean traditional needle treatment is not an usual medicine that has restricted effects on some symptoms, but a different kind of medicine that treats overall symptoms by systemize the points on meridians relevant to various symptoms. On the other hand the mouse is, in its function, a supplementary input device for a computer; it is a device based on the environment where it can be connected to the characteristic space-freeness through the Internet. That is, the object of the present invention is to provide overall telemedicine service or counseling service by combining the totality of the traditional needle treatment and the space-freeness through the Internet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an existing electronic needle mouse.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an electronic needle mouse in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a resolved perspective view of an electronic needle mouse in accordance with the present invention showing the inner part of the mouse of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing constitutions of the mouse of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5a is a diagram showing an overall flow in a control part of the electronic needle mouse of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5b is a diagram showing a flow relevant to the electronic needles of the control part of the mouse of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6a and 6b are diagrams showing telemedicine systems using the mouse of FIG. 3, wherein FIG. 6a is a diagram showing a flowchart in a user computer and FIG. 6b shows a flowchart in a server computer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In order to accomplish the above-mentioned objectives, there is provided a mouse connected to a mouse port of a computer through a connecting cable, comprising a control part; a frequency-regulating and pulse-generating (FRPG) part that generates pulses of specific frequencies under the regulation of the control part; a pulse- amplifying part that amplifies the pulses generated by the FRPG part; and a pulse- output part comprised of several electronic needles connected to the pulse-amplifying part that outputs the amplified pulses, wherein the control part receives control data generated by a driving driver installed in the computer through the connecting cable, commands the FRPG part to generate pulses in response to the control data, and controls the pulse-output part so that the generated pulses come out through the electronic needles.

According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mouse further comprises a switch part between the pulse-amplifying part and the electronic needles, and the switch part switches so that the pulses can come out through chosen electronic needles under the control of the control part. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the driving driver generates a stop signal, by detecting the duration of the predetermined time with a timer installed in the computer, after a predetermined treatment time elapses, and the control part receives the stop signal through the connecting cable and controls the FRPG part and the pulse-output part to stop. According to further another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mouse further comprises an output intensity regulating part at outside of the main body of the above electronic needle mouse so that a user can easily regulate an output pulse intensity by manipulating the intensity regulating part.

According to further another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the driving driver automatically generates control data at a predetermined, reserved time, and the control part receives the generated control data through the connecting cable and controls the FRPG part and pulse output part so that the generated pulses can come out through the electronic needles at the predetermined, reserved time.

The present invention also relates to a telemedicine service system by using the electronic needle mouse, the system comprising: a user computer connected to the above-mentioned electronic needle mouse and a server computer that is connected to the user computer through a network, in which a driving driver installed in the user computer transmits treatment information to the server computer through the network; and the server computer stores the information transmitted from the user computer in a database.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the server computer receives the treatment information, stores it in the database, and sends medicine information relevant to the received information to the user computer through the network.

In the following, the present invention will be more fully described referring to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an electronic needle mouse 120 in accordance with the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mouse 120 is similar as the existing one except that electronic needles 146 and an output intensity regulating part 142 are projected outside the mouse 120. A click button 130 is on the outer part of the mouse 120, and the mouse 120 is connected to a mouse port of a computer through a connecting cable 122. FIG. 3 is a resolved perspective view of an electronic needle mouse 120 showing the inner part of the mouse 120 of FIG. 2.

In FIG. 3, the mouse 120 represents an example of a ball mouse equipped with the invented electronic needles; the electronic needles can be equipped similarly on any mouse such as optical mouse, a mouse with a scroll wheel, and so on, not to mention the ball mouse.

Since constitutions and functions of each part of the existing mouse is well known as open technology, in the following the detailed constitution of electronic needles related to the present invention will be only described in detail.

The electronic needle mouse 120 of the present invention comprises a control part 132, a FRPG part 134, a pulse-amplifying part 136, and a pulse-output part.

The FRPG part 134 generates pulses of specific frequencies under the control of the control part 132, wherein a power is supplied through the connecting cable 122 of the mouse 120.

The pulse-amplifying part 136 amplifies the pulses generated from the FRPG part 134.

The pulse-output part connected to the pulse-amplifying part 136 outputs pulses. The pulse output part is comprised of a switch part 138 and several electronic needles 146. The switch part 138 switches under the control of the control part 132 so that the pulses can come out through a specific electronic needle of the electronic needles 146. Moreover, the mouse 120 of FIG. 3 may further comprise an output intensity regulating part 142 on the outer side of the mouse so that a user can easily and promptly regulate the output pulse intensity which comes out the electronic needles 146.

Connectors 140a and 140b electronically connect the switch part 138 to the electronic needles 146 so that the pulses from the switch part 138 can be transferred to the electronic needles 146 fixed on a plate 144. An unexplained reference numeral 124 in the drawing represents a ball.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the constitution of the mouse 120 of FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the electronic needle mouse 120 in FIG. 3 is connected to the computer 110 through the connecting cable 122. A driving driver 112, which is installed in the computer 110, is an application software program that drives the electronic needle mouse 120.

A user can configure a driving mode by using the [Set Driving Mode] menu that the driving driver 112 provides. The [Set Driving Mode] menu has [Set Symptoms], [Set Treatment Time], [Set Reserved Time], and so on as its submenus. These submenus can be provided either as parallel menus or as sub-submenus of another submenu. For example, when a user clicks the [Set Driving Mode] menu, the driving driver 112 displays the [Set Symptoms] menu; after the user selects his/her own symptom, the [Set Treatment Time] menu is displayed for the user to set the treatment time. The [Set Treatment Time] menu has, in advance, an optimum value as a default value; the default value is set unless the user changes the treatment time.

When a user sends a driving start signal, the driving driver 112 creates control data corresponding to the driving mode and transmits them to the control part 132 through the connecting cable 122. In case of the reserved treatment, the driving driver sends the control data automatically to the control part 132, when a timer installed in the computer 110 detects that the reserved time has been reached. Included in the above control data are, for example, information on the frequency of the pulses, information on electronic needles 146 through which the pulses should come out, and so on. When the control part 132 receives the control data, it commands the FRPG part 134 to generate the pulses of specific frequencies.

The pulses generated form the FRPG part 134 are amplified by the pulse- amplifying part 136.

The switch part 138 switches so that the amplified pulses can come out through a specific electronic needle 146 under the control of the control part 132.

FIG. 5a briefly shows overall flow of the control part 132 of the electronic needle mouse 120 of FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 5a, the mouse 120 has its own function as an input device — it detects the movement of the ball or the pressure on the click button and sends the movement- or pressure-detection data, as ASCII codes, to the computer 110 through the connecting cable 122. A function of the mouse 120 as an electronic needle is explained with FIG. 5b.

FIG. 5b is a diagram showing a flow relevant to the electronic needles of the control part of the mouse 120 of FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 5b, if the control part 132 receives the control data from the driving driver 112 through the connecting cable 122, the control part 132 analyzes the control data. Then, the control part 132 commands the FRPG part 134 to generate pulses of specific frequencies and controls the switch part 138 so that the generated pulses can come out through specific electronic needles 146.

Then, the driving driver 112 sends a stop signal to the control part 132, by detecting the duration of the predetermined time with a timer installed in the computer, when the default value or predetermined treatment time elapses. If the control part 132 receives the stop signal, it commands the FRPG part 134 to stop the generation of pulses. Moreover, it breaks all the electric linkage to the electric needles 146, by controlling the switch part 138, so that it can prevent any danger to the human body occurred by leakage of electricity. FIG. 6a and 6b show a telemedicine system using the mouse of FIG. 3, wherein

FIG. 6a shows the flowchart in the user computer, and FIG. 6b shows the flowchart in the server computer.

As shown in FIG. 6a, when the driving driver 112 in the user computer executes, it receives the selection and entry of the driving mode from the user by the [Set Driving Mode] menu.

Then, the driving driver 112 sends the control data to the control part 132 through the mouse port of the computer. At the same time, it sends the information on the detailed treatment and the user information to the server computer through the Internet. The information on the detailed treatment includes, for example, symptoms of the user, times of treatments, and so on. hi addition, as shown in FIG. 6b, after the server computer receives the information on the detailed treatment and the user information from the user computer, it sores the information on the detailed treatment after user identification. Then, it sends the medicine information relevant to the received information on the treatment to the user computer to provide the user with the medicine knowledge. The server computer also stores the medicine information transmitted to the user in the database so that it may not send the information repeatedly in case that the information has already been transmitted to the specific user. The medicine information includes information on diet, exercise-therapy, and so on; for example, information on what kind of food is adequate for fatness, on what kind of exercise is good, and on how long the user should do the exercise. h a case that useful medicine information can not be provided even though it is updated due to non-execution of the driving driver 112, the server computer searches the database that contains information on the detailed treatment, and it sends the updated medicine information by itself.

In addition, when the user visits a hospital where the server computer can be accessed, the detailed treatment information in the database can be printed as a bar graph or figures so that a doctor can precisely check the health condition of the user.

Moreover, an electric needle mouse manufacturer can make use of this kind of information on the detailed treatment in order to make an electric needle mouse later by adding points on meridians, setting the default value of appropriate output intensity, and so on. The electric needle mouse of the present invention allows the user to be treated by the electric needles by just touching his/her hand on the mouse, with no additional action, even during he/she is using the mouse, and has an effect to provide an excellent electric needle mouse concerning user-friendliness and computer- working.

Moreover, the electric needle mouse of the present invention enables to set an optimum treatment time to each symptom and to reserve the time of treatment so that it has an effect to give the user maximum treatment effect with no additional cost or no complexity in the device.

Moreover, instillation of the output intensity regulating part outside the mouse provides to regulate the intensity of the pulses so that it has an effect to increase the usefulness of the user.

Moreover, the electric needle mouse of the present invention allows to use a power provided through the connecting cable of the mouse, without any additional external power supply source, so that it has an effect to provide an electric needle mouse deprived of any factors that complexes the working environment and that reduced the movement of the mouse.

Moreover, the invention enables pulses of specific frequencies to come out through the electric needles so that it can increase the effectiveness of the needle treatment; it additionally enables to set the optimum frequencies according to the points on meridians so that it has an effect to provide an electronic needle mouse that enhances the treatment effects.

Moreover, the invention has an effect to provide a telemedicine service system by allowing the mouse to work as a device for a broader medicine service, not to mention the device as a treatment device.

Claims

1. An electronic needle mouse connected to a mouse port of a computer, comprising; a control part; a frequency-regulating and pulse-generating (FRPG) part that generates pulses of specific frequencies, by using a power provided through a above connecting cable, under control of the above control part; a pulse-amplifying part that which amplifies the pulses generated from the FRPG part, and a pulse-output part comprised of several electronic needles connected to the pulse- amplifying part, which outputs the amplified pulses, wherein the control part receives control data generated by a driving driver installed in the computer through the connecting cable, commands the FRPG part to generate pulses in response to the control data, and controls the pulse-output part so that the generated pulses come out through the electronic needles.

2. The electronic needle mouse according to claim 1, wherein the pulse-output part further comprises a switch part between the pulse-amplifying part and the electronic needles, and the switch part switches so that the pulses can come out through a specific electronic needle under the control of the control part.

3. The electronic needle mouse according to claim 1, wherein the driving driver generates a stop signal by detecting elapse of a predetermined treatment time with a timer installed in the computer, and the control part receives the stop signal through the connecting cable and commands the FRPG part and the pulse-output part to stop.

4. The electronic needle mouse according to claim 1, wherein it further comprises an output intensity regulating part outside the main body of the electronic needle mouse so that a user can regulate an output pulse intensity.

5. The electronic needle mouse according to claim 1, wherein the driving driver automatically generates the control data at a predetermined, reserved time, and the control part receives the generated control data through the connecting cable and commands the FRPG part to generated pulses which are output through the electronic needles.

6. A telemedicine service system with the electronic needle mouse of any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: a user computer connected to the electronic needle mouse of any one of claims 1 to 5; and a server computer that is connected to the user computer through a network; wherein, a driving driver installed in the user computer transmits information on treatment to the server computer through the network; and the server computer stores the information which has been transmitted from the user computer in a database.

7. The telemedicine service system according to claim 6, wherein the server computer receives the information on treatment, stores it in the database, and sends the medicine information relevant to the received information to the user computer through the network.