WO2015122014A1

WO2015122014A1 - Pad for electric thermal therapy device

Info

Publication number: WO2015122014A1
Application number: PCT/JP2014/053640
Authority: WO
Inventors: 倉田　雄平; 道信下田; 明文松田
Original assignee: つちやゴム株式会社
Priority date: 2014-02-17
Filing date: 2014-02-17
Publication date: 2015-08-20
Also published as: JPWO2015122014A1

Abstract

Through innovation of the shape of the electrodes and the shape and structure of a heat generating layer, the entire pad is heated to a uniform temperature to effectively apply thermal stimulation to a target. This pad for an electric thermal therapy device is provided with a current applying unit (21) which applies an electric stimulus to the organism (10), an insulating layer (25) which is laminated on the current applying unit (21) and has heat transfer characteristics, a heat generating sheet (28) which is laminated on the insulating substrate (25) and which comprises oriented carbon fibers, a pair of elongate heat generating electrodes (26, 27) which are disposed on both ends of and pass a current through the heat generating sheet (28) and which are arranged such that the longitudinal direction is the orientation direction of the carbon fibers, an electrode cover (29) which cover a region of the heat generating electrodes (26, 27) not in contact with the heat generating sheet (28) and which comprises carbon fibers having the aforementioned orientation, and an outer sheet (32) which covers the exposed surface of the heat generating sheet (28) and the electrode cover (29). Each of the pair of heat generating electrodes (26, 27) is cut from a prescribed position in the central portion of the heat generating electrodes (26, 27) towards the end portion, forming a tapered shape.

Description

Electric thermotherapy device pad

The present invention relates to a pad for an electric thermotherapy device for simultaneously treating the same site by electric stimulation and thermal stimulation.

For example, techniques disclosed in

Patent Documents

1 and 2 are disclosed as techniques for treating a predetermined site by electrical stimulation and thermal stimulation. As shown in each of

Patent Documents

1 and 2, it is possible to normalize abnormalities in biological tissues through heat shock proteins and ubiquitinated proteins by applying electrical stimulation and thermal stimulation. It is known.

In the technique shown in Patent Document 1, a pair of

pad elements

1 and 2 are attached to different parts of a living body 100, and current control means 3 supplies a current from a power source between the pair of

pad elements

1 and 2. Since the normalization mechanism in the living body or the living tissue is activated through the protein, normalization of the abnormal living body or the living tissue can be performed quickly and accurately. The effect can be further enhanced.

In the technique shown in Patent Document 2, a weak direct current generated by intermittently applying a DC voltage at a predetermined interval is applied to a living body or a living tissue, and heat is applied to the living body or the living tissue. In a biological tissue normalization apparatus that activates a normalization mechanism in biological tissue via a protein, a pulse waveform of an applied input voltage is a rectangular wave, and a time that indicates a rising peak value in one cycle of the pulse wave It is 0.05 milliseconds or more and 0.2 milliseconds or less, and the peak value is 3.0 V or more and 20.0 V or less.

In addition, as shown in Non-Patent Document 3, the inventors have developed a technique for making the heat of the pad uniform by inserting an aluminum punching plate into the pad.

JP 2006-263456 A JP 2009-125549 A

The techniques shown in

Patent Documents

1 and 2 both give thermal stimulation to living tissue by using carbon fibers having orientation in the heat generation layer, but carbon fibers having orientation between long electrodes. Since it is difficult to keep the temperature of the entire pad uniform only by disposing the pad, unevenness of the pad temperature may occur, and thermal stimulation may not be applied effectively. In particular, the temperature of the region of the central portion of the electrode tends to be low, and the temperature of the region of both end portions of the electrode tends to be high.

The technique shown in Non-Patent Document 3 makes the temperature of the pad uniform by an aluminum punching plate, but has the problem that the thickness of the pad increases and the flexibility becomes inferior as the number of layers increases.

The present invention provides a pad for an electric thermotherapy device capable of giving an effective thermal stimulus to an object by bringing the entire pad to a uniform temperature by devising the shape of the electrode and the shape and structure of the heat generating layer. I will provide a.

An electric thermotherapy device pad according to the present invention is laminated on a current application unit that applies electrical stimulation to an object, an insulating layer having heat transfer characteristics that is laminated on the current application unit, and the insulating layer. A pair of heat-generating sheets made of carbon fibers having orientation and a pair of elongated electrodes having the orientation direction of the carbon fibers as longitudinal directions at both ends of the heat-generating sheet, A heating electrode cover made of carbon fiber having the orientation that covers a non-contact area between the heating electrode and the heating sheet in the heating electrode; and an exposed surface of the heating sheet and the heating cover for the electrode. Each of the pair of heat generating electrodes is cut out in a tapered shape from a predetermined position of the central portion of the heat generating electrode toward an end portion thereof. .

As described above, in the electric thermotherapy device pad according to the present invention, a current application unit that applies electrical stimulation to an object, an insulating layer having a heat transfer characteristic that is stacked on the current application unit, A heat generating sheet made of carbon fibers having an orientation and laminated on an insulating layer, and a long electrode having the orientation direction of the carbon fiber as a longitudinal direction at both ends of the heat generating sheet, current is passed through the heat generating sheet. A pair of heat generating electrodes for forming the electrode, a heat generating cover for the electrode made of carbon fiber having the orientation covering the non-contact region of the heat generating electrode with the heat generating sheet, and the heat generating sheet and the heat generating cover for the electrode A covering cover for covering the exposed surface, and each of the pair of heat generating electrodes is cut in a tapered shape from a predetermined position of the central portion of the heat generating electrode toward the end. Due to the lack, the current tends to flow in the central portion of the heating electrode, current hardly flows across the portion of the heating electrode, an effect that it is possible to equalize the temperature distribution.

The electric thermotherapy device pad according to the present invention is disposed adjacent to the heating electrode at the center inner portion of the heating electrode for each of the pair of heating electrodes, and orthogonal to the orientation direction of the carbon fibers. It is provided with an orthogonal carbon layer having orientation in the direction to be aligned.

Thus, in the electric thermotherapy device pad according to the present invention, each of the pair of heating electrodes is disposed adjacent to the heating electrode in a central inner portion of the heating electrode, and the carbon fiber. Since the orthogonal carbon layer having the orientation in the direction perpendicular to the orientation direction is provided, an electric current easily flows through the central portion of the heating electrode, and the temperature distribution of the pad can be made uniform.

The electric thermotherapy device pad according to the present invention is such that the current application section is composed of a plate-like electrode having the same outer shape as the electric thermotherapy device pad.

As described above, in the electric thermotherapy device pad according to the present invention, the current application part is composed of a plate electrode having the same outer shape as the electric thermotherapy device pad, and therefore the heat generating sheet is formed by the heat transfer characteristics of the plate electrode. As a result, the temperature distribution of the pad can be diffused and the temperature distribution of the pad can be made uniform.

The electric thermotherapy device pad according to the present invention uses the plate electrode as a punching metal.

As described above, in the electric thermotherapy device pad according to the present invention, since the plate-like electrode is made of punching metal, the flexibility of the pad is improved and, for example, it is possible to attach it closely to the human body. There is an effect.

In the pad for an electric thermotherapy device according to the present invention, the punching density of the punching metal is varied according to the temperature difference for each region between the heating electrodes.

As described above, in the electric thermotherapy device pad according to the present invention, the punching density in the punching metal is varied according to the temperature difference for each region between the heat generating electrodes, which is suitable for the difference in temperature distribution. Punching is performed, and the effect of eliminating the non-uniformity of the temperature distribution according to the punching density can be achieved.

The electric thermotherapy device pad according to the present invention is composed of a plate-like electrode having the same outer shape as the pad portion, and includes a current application unit that applies electrical stimulation to an object, and a laminate that is stacked on the current application unit. An insulating layer having thermal properties, a heat generating sheet made of carbon fibers having an orientation and laminated on the insulating layer, and a long electrode having the orientation direction of the carbon fiber as a longitudinal direction at both ends of the heat generating sheet A pair of heat generating electrodes for energizing the heat generating sheet, an electrode heat generating cover made of carbon fiber having the orientation covering the non-contact region of the heat generating electrode with the heat generating sheet, and A heating sheet and a covering cover that covers an exposed surface of the electrode heating cover are provided.

As described above, in the electric thermotherapy device pad according to the present invention, the current application unit includes a plate-like electrode having the same outer shape as the pad part, and applies an electrical stimulus to the object, and the current application unit. An insulating layer having heat transfer characteristics laminated on the insulating layer, a heat generation sheet made of carbon fibers having an orientation and laminated on the insulating layer, and an orientation direction of the carbon fiber at both ends of the heat generation sheet as a longitudinal direction A pair of heat generating electrodes for applying a current to the heat generating sheet with a long electrode, and an electrode made of carbon fiber having the orientation covering the non-contact region of the heat generating electrode with the heat generating sheet Since it includes a heat generating cover and a covering cover that covers the exposed surfaces of the heat generating sheet and the electrode heat generating cover, a plate-like electrode to which a current is applied serves as a diffusion plate for diffusing heat. It can also function, an effect that it is possible to provide electrical stimulation and thermal stimulation effectively.

It is a figure which shows the usage example of the pad for electric thermotherapy devices which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a top view of the pad for electric thermal therapy equipment concerning a 1st embodiment. It is sectional drawing at the time of seeing from the arrow A in FIG. It is sectional drawing at the time of seeing from the arrow B in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the temperature distribution of the pad for electric thermotherapy devices which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a top view of the pad for electric thermal therapy equipment concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is sectional drawing at the time of seeing from the arrow A in FIG. It is sectional drawing at the time of seeing from the arrow B in FIG. It is a top view of the pad for electric thermal therapy equipment concerning a 3rd embodiment. It is sectional drawing at the time of seeing from the arrow A in FIG. It is sectional drawing at the time of seeing from the arrow B in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the punching plate in the pad for electric thermotherapy apparatuses which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the pad for electric thermal therapy equipment at the time of using a thermal diffusion plate.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. Also, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements throughout the present embodiment.

(First embodiment of the present invention)
The electric thermotherapy device pad according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The electric thermotherapy device using the electric thermotherapy device pad according to the present embodiment attaches a pair of electric thermotherapy device pads to different parts of a living body or a living tissue, and applies electrical current by applying a weak current. Then, heat is applied to the energized part to give a thermal stimulus. By doing so, it is possible to normalize abnormalities in living organisms and living tissues via heat shock proteins and ubiquitinated proteins. At this time, it is important to provide an optimal current value and heat suitable for the protein. That is, it is an important issue to supply a stable and uniform temperature and current.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of use of a pad for an electric thermotherapy device according to the present embodiment. The electric thermotherapy device 100 using the electric thermotherapy device pad 1 according to the present embodiment attaches a pair of electric

thermotherapy device pads

1 and 2 to different parts of the living body 10, and this pair of electric thermotherapy device devices is used. An electric current is generated between the

pads

1 and 2, and an electric voltage and a thermal stimulus are given to the living body 10 by controlling the input voltage supplied from the power supply 3 in order to generate heat for the

pads

1 and 2 for each electric and thermotherapy device. .

As will be described in detail below, each of the

pads

1 and 2 for an electric thermotherapy device can simultaneously apply electrical stimulation and thermal stimulation to the site to which the living body 10 is attached, and therefore, via heat shock proteins and ubiquitinated proteins. The living body can be normalized.

2 is a plan view of the

pads

1 and 2 for an electric thermotherapy device according to the present embodiment, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view when viewed from the arrow A in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is viewed from the arrow B in FIG. It is sectional drawing in the case. The electric

thermotherapy device pads

1 and 2 include a surface-side current application unit 21 and a back-side heating unit 22 that are directly attached to a living body. The current application unit 21 includes an oscillation electrode 23 and a conductive weak current sheet 24 that supplies a weak current from the oscillation electrode 23. An insulating layer 25 having heat transfer characteristics is laminated on the back side of the current application unit 21 to insulate the electrical connection while transferring heat to and from the heating unit 22.

On the back side of the insulating layer 25, a heat generating sheet 28 made of oriented carbon fiber is disposed, and elongated

heat generating electrodes

26 and 27 are disposed on the heat generating sheet 28. The

heat generating electrodes

26 and 27 are disposed so that the orientation direction and the longitudinal direction of the heat generating sheet 28 coincide with each other, and are spaced apart from each other along both

end portions

30 and 31 of the heat generating sheet 28. The exposed portions on the side and back sides of the

heat generating electrodes

26 and 27 are covered with an electrode cover 29 having the same material as the heat generating sheet 28 and having the orientation in the same direction (the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the heat generating electrodes 26 and 27). The Since the resistance between the

heating electrodes

26 and 27 is formed of carbon fibers having orientation in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the electrodes, the

heating electrodes

26 and 27 are not short-circuited by the carbon fibers. Heat can be generated by an appropriate resistance value between the parallel carbon fibers.

The outer sheet 32 is disposed on the back side. A thermocouple 33 is provided to measure the surface temperature of the

pads

1 and 2 for the electric thermotherapy device. By applying pressure from above and below, such a laminated state is formed, and

pads

1 and 2 for an electric thermotherapy device are produced.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the

heating electrodes

26 and 27 are not rectangular (strip-shaped), and the predetermined positions P _{1 to} P _{4 in} the central portion of the

heating electrodes

26 and 27 are not used. It is cut out in a tapered shape toward the longitudinal end portions Q _{1 ~ 4.} That is, in the case where the

heating electrodes

26 and 27 have a strip shape as in the prior art, as shown in FIG. 5, the temperature of the end regions in the longitudinal direction of the

heating electrodes

26 and 27 becomes high, and the region in the center portion. However, as shown in FIG. 2, the both ends of the

heating electrodes

26 and 27 are notched in a tapered shape so that a current easily flows in the region of the central portion. This makes it difficult for current to flow through the region, and makes the temperature distribution uniform.

As described above, since the temperature distribution on the surfaces of the

pads

1 and 2 for the electric thermotherapy device approaches uniformly, it is possible to effectively normalize the living body.

(Second embodiment of the present invention)
The electric thermotherapy device pad according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The pad for the electric thermotherapy device according to the present embodiment makes the temperature distribution of the pad uniform with higher accuracy by further improving the heating portion 22 in the pad for the electric thermotherapy device according to the first embodiment. is there.

6 is a plan view of

pads

1 and 2 for an electric thermotherapy device according to this embodiment, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view when viewed from arrow A in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is viewed from arrow B in FIG. It is sectional drawing in the case. In FIG. 7, the orthogonal carbon layer 61 is indicated by a two-dot chain line, which is a projection of the orthogonal carbon layer 61 disposed on the near side toward the paper surface for easy understanding. .

In the

pads

1 and 2 for the electric thermotherapy device according to the present embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment is that each of the pair of

heat generating electrodes

26 and 27 is provided in the central inner portion of the

heat generating electrodes

26 and 27. It is provided with the orthogonal carbon layers 60 and 61 disposed adjacent to the electrode cover 29 and having an orientation in a direction orthogonal to the orientation direction of the carbon fibers of the heat generating sheet 28.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 8, by having the orthogonal carbon layers 60 and 61 in the central inner part of the

heating electrodes

26 and 27, the impedance of the central part of the

heating electrodes

26 and 27 is reduced and the current is reduced. Can easily flow, and uneven temperature distribution as shown in FIG. 5 in the first embodiment can be eliminated.

(Third embodiment of the present invention)
The electric thermotherapy device pad according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12. The electric thermotherapy device pad according to the present embodiment is the electric thermotherapy device pad according to each of the embodiments described above, wherein the current application unit 21 includes a plate-like electrode having the same outer shape as the electric

thermotherapy device pads

1 and 2. It is.

9 is a plan view of the

pads

1 and 2 for an electric thermotherapy device according to the present embodiment, FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view when viewed from the arrow A in FIG. 9, and FIG. 11 is viewed from the arrow B in FIG. It is sectional drawing in the case. The difference from the second embodiment is that the current application unit 21 has a plate-like electrode 90 having the same outer shape as the

pads

1 and 2 for the electrothermal therapy device. The plate electrode 90 is conductive and has excellent thermal conductivity. For example, aluminum is used.

That is, the plate-like electrode 90 has a function as a weak current electrode, and can also make the temperature distribution uniform by diffusing the heat generated in the heating section 22. Although the pad flexibility may be deteriorated by having the plate electrode 90, the flexibility can be improved by making the plate electrode 90 a punching plate as shown in FIG. It becomes possible to make it adhere to the part of the living body.

In the above description, the plate electrode 90 has been described as having both a function as a weak current electrode and a function of heat diffusion. However, the plate electrode 90 may be configured to function only as a heat diffusion plate. That is, as shown in FIG. 13, a heat diffusion unit 130 having a heat diffusion plate 131 sandwiched between the insulating

layers

25 a and 25 b may be provided between the current application unit 21 and the heating unit 22.

Further, the punching density in the punching metal may be adjusted as appropriate according to the temperature distribution. That is, for example, a portion having a high temperature (regions at both ends of the heating electrodes 26 and 27) has a high punching density to suppress heat conduction, and a portion having a low temperature (a region in the central portion of the

heating electrodes

26 and 27). ) Reduces the punching density and promotes heat conduction. By doing so, the uneven temperature distribution can be eliminated.

Furthermore, the thickness of the punching metal may be appropriately adjusted according to the temperature distribution in the same way as described above. That is, for example, the non-uniform temperature distribution can be eliminated by increasing the thickness of the punching metal in the portion where the temperature is high and reducing the thickness of the punching metal in the portion where the temperature is low.

Furthermore, when the plate-like electrode 90 and the heat diffusion plate 131 are provided, the wiring cord of the thermocouple 33 may be disconnected due to the stress due to bending, so that the wiring cord is corrugated as shown in FIG. It is desirable to have a space by meandering.

DESCRIPTION OF

SYMBOLS

1, 2 Pad for electric thermotherapy device 3 Power supply 10 Living body 21 Current application part 22 Heating part 23 Oscillation electrode 24 Weak current sheet 25 (25a, 25b) Insulating

layer

26, 27 Heating electrode 28 Heating sheet 29 Electrode cover 32 Outer sheet 33

thermocouple

60, 61 orthogonal carbon layer 90 plate electrode 100 electric thermotherapy device 130 heat diffusion part 131 heat diffusion plate

Claims

A current application unit for applying electrical stimulation to an object;
An insulating layer having heat transfer characteristics laminated on the current application unit;
A heat generating sheet made of carbon fibers laminated on the insulating layer and having orientation;
A pair of heat generating electrodes for energizing the heat generating sheet with a long electrode having the orientation direction of the carbon fiber as a longitudinal direction at both ends of the heat generating sheet;
A heating cover for an electrode made of carbon fiber having the orientation covering the non-contact region with the heating sheet in the heating electrode;
A cover covering the exposed surface of the heat generating sheet and the electrode heat generating cover;
A pad for an electric thermotherapy device, wherein each of the pair of heat generating electrodes is cut out in a tapered shape from a predetermined position of a central portion of the heat generating electrode toward an end portion.
The electric thermotherapy device pad according to claim 1,
For each of the pair of heat generating electrodes, an orthogonal carbon layer disposed adjacent to the heat generating electrode in a central inner portion of the heat generating electrode and having an orientation in a direction orthogonal to the alignment direction of the carbon fibers. A pad for an electric thermotherapy device, comprising:
The electric thermotherapy device pad according to claim 1 or 2,
The electric thermotherapy device pad, wherein the current application section is composed of a plate-like electrode having the same external shape as the electric thermotherapy device pad.
The electric thermotherapy device pad according to claim 3,
A pad for an electric thermotherapy device, wherein the plate electrode is a punching metal.
The electric thermotherapy device pad according to claim 4,
A pad for an electric thermotherapy device, wherein the punching density of the punching metal is varied according to the temperature difference for each region between the heating electrodes.
It consists of a plate-like electrode having the same external shape as the pad part, and a current application unit that gives electrical stimulation to the object,
An insulating layer having heat transfer characteristics laminated on the current application unit;
A heat generating sheet made of carbon fibers laminated on the insulating layer and having orientation;
A pair of heat generating electrodes for energizing the heat generating sheet with a long electrode having the orientation direction of the carbon fiber as a longitudinal direction at both ends of the heat generating sheet;
A heating cover for an electrode made of carbon fibers having the orientation covering the non-contact region of the heating electrode with the heating sheet;
A pad for an electric thermotherapy device, comprising a covering cover for covering the heat generating sheet and an exposed surface of the electrode heat generating cover.