WO2018016929A1

WO2018016929A1 - Therapeutic rf energy transmitter and method for controlling same

Info

Publication number: WO2018016929A1
Application number: PCT/KR2017/007947
Authority: WO
Inventors: 고광천
Original assignee: 주식회사 루트로닉
Priority date: 2016-07-22
Filing date: 2017-07-24
Publication date: 2018-01-25
Also published as: KR20180010806A; KR101860803B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a therapeutic RF energy transmitter and a method for controlling the therapeutic RF energy transmitter. The therapeutic RF energy transmitter comprises: an RF energy generating unit; a first circuit connected to the RF energy generating unit and comprising a first impedance conversion unit; a second circuit for receiving transmission of power from the first circuit and comprising a second impedance conversion unit; a transmission unit connected to the second circuit and for transmitting RF energy to a patient; and a control unit for controlling the impedance of the first impedance conversion unit and the second impedance conversion unit so as to enable reduction of reflected waves reflected toward the RF energy generating unit in accordance with the tissue properties or location of the patient.

Description

RF energy delivery device for therapy and control method thereof

The present invention relates to an RF energy delivery device for treatment and a control method of the RF energy delivery device for treatment, and more particularly, to transfer the RF energy to the treatment location by using an antenna structure that is electrically spaced apart from the treatment location. The present invention relates to an RF energy delivery device and a control method thereof.

Recently, adult diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and vascular disorders have emerged as serious social problems in modern society. One of the causes of adult diseases is known as obesity, and it is common to burn body fat by activating metabolism through suppression of exercise and calorie intake for the treatment of obesity, but various techniques for reducing body fat in a therapeutic manner are also introduced. It is becoming.

Subcutaneous fat is formed by the accumulation of fat cells distributed in the subcutaneous layer. Subcutaneous fat, when mature, has a much larger volume than normal cells, of which 95% is made up of fat. Adipose cells contain less water than other cells, so when they absorb energy they are heated to a higher temperature than other cells and are selectively killed. Therefore, various techniques for treating obesity by applying an energy source such as RF energy to fat cells have been proposed, which is also disclosed in Korean Patent No. 1483588.

Obesity treatment using the RF energy has a different therapeutic effect depending on various variables such as the treatment environment, the characteristics, shape, and location of the treatment tissue. However, the conventional device has a disadvantage in that the treatment proceeds without considering these various variables, the deviation occurs in the treatment effect, and damage the skin of the patient.

The present invention is to provide an RF energy delivery device and a control method for the treatment that can control the RF energy delivery circuit in consideration of the characteristics of the patient and the characteristics of the treatment environment in order to solve the above problems.

In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, the present invention, RF energy generating unit, the first circuit is connected to the RF energy generating unit, including a first impedance converter, configured to receive power from the first circuit And a second circuit including a second impedance converter, a transmitter connected to the second circuit to deliver RF energy to the patient, and a reflected wave reflected to the RF energy generator according to a tissue characteristic or position of the patient. It provides an RF energy transfer device for treatment comprising a control unit for adjusting the impedance of the first impedance converter and the second impedance converter so that.

Here, the controller measures the magnitude of the reflected reflected wave while adjusting and adjusting the impedance values of the first impedance converter and the second impedance converter, and the value of the first impedance converter that the magnitude of the reflected wave is equal to or less than a reference value. And adjust the impedance of the first impedance converter and the second impedance converter by one of a combination of the values of the second impedance converter.

The reference value may range from 1.3 to 1.7 voltage standing wave ratio.

In this case, when there are a plurality of combinations of the first impedance converting unit value and the second impedance converting unit value in which the magnitude of the reflected wave is equal to or less than a reference value, the control unit may reflect the reflected wave according to the impedance change in the corresponding combination among the plurality of combinations. You can choose the one with the smallest change rate. Specifically, the smallest change rate of the reflected wave according to the impedance change of the second impedance converter may be selected.

Further, the control unit monitors the change in the magnitude of the reflected wave while the RF energy is transmitted through the transfer unit and the treatment is in progress, and when the magnitude of the reflected wave exceeds a reference value, the first impedance conversion unit or the second impedance conversion unit It is also possible to adjust the impedance. Specifically, the first impedance converter may adjust the impedance of the second impedance converter in a fixed state so that the magnitude of the reflected wave is equal to or less than a reference value.

The first impedance converter and the impedance converter may be configured to vary respective capacitances. For example, the first impedance converter may be configured such that a plurality of capacitors having different capacitances are arranged in parallel and alternatively connected by a switching element, and the second impedance converter may be configured as a variable capacitor.

On the other hand, the object of the present invention described above, the step of supplying the RF energy through the RF energy generation unit connected to the first circuit, the patient through the transmission unit connected to the second circuit configured to receive power from the first circuit Delivering RF energy to a treatment location and setting impedances of the first impedance converter of the first circuit and the second impedance converter of the second circuit to reduce reflected waves reflected by the RF energy generator; It can also be achieved by a method of controlling the RF energy delivery device for the treatment.

The setting of the impedance may include monitoring a magnitude of a reflected wave reflected by the RF energy generator while varying impedances of the first impedance converter and the second impedance, wherein the magnitude of the reflected wave is equal to or less than a reference value. Extracting impedance combinations of the first impedance conversion unit and the second impedance conversion unit, selecting one impedance combination in consideration of a reflected wave change rate according to an impedance among the extracted plurality of impedance combinations, and selecting the impedance combination as the selected impedance combination; The method may include setting a first impedance converter and a second impedance converter.

Furthermore, monitoring whether the magnitude of the reflected wave increases during the treatment while the RF energy is supplied and when the magnitude of the reflected wave increases during the treatment, the first impedance conversion unit or the second impedance conversion unit. It is also possible to further comprise the step of adjusting the impedance.

According to the present invention, by setting the optimal RF transmission circuit in consideration of the characteristics of the patient and the treatment environment to proceed with the treatment, it is possible to proceed effectively for a predetermined time.

In addition, by continuously controlling the RF transmission circuit in consideration of the movement of the patient during the treatment, changes in the treatment environment, there is an advantage that can improve the treatment effect.

1 is a perspective view of an RF energy delivery device for treatment according to the present invention,

2 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the RF energy transfer device of FIG.

3 is a view showing a treatment state by the RF energy delivery device of FIG.

4 is a circuit diagram schematically showing the RF circuit of FIG.

5 is a circuit diagram illustrating a first impedance converter of FIG. 4;

6 is a perspective view illustrating a second impedance converter of FIG. 4;

7 is a graph showing the magnitude of the reflected wave with respect to the impedance change;

8 and 9 are graphs showing two examples of extracted impedance combinations,

10 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the RF energy transmitting device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating detailed steps of an impedance setting step of FIG. 10.

12 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the control method of FIG. 10.

Hereinafter, a therapeutic RF energy delivery device and a control method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the positional relationship of each component is explained based on the drawings in principle. In addition, the drawings may be displayed by simplifying the structure of the invention or by exaggerating if necessary for the convenience of description. Therefore, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various other devices may be added, modified or omitted.

In addition, the present embodiment will be described with reference to a device for reducing body fat by transmitting RF energy, but this is an example and the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, it is noted that the RF energy can be applied to various devices for carrying out treatment by delivering RF energy to the treatment site.

1 is a perspective view of an RF energy delivery device for treatment in accordance with the present invention. As shown, the RF energy delivery device according to the present invention comprises a body portion 100, the connection portion 200 and the applicator 300.

Body portion 100 forms the main appearance of the device, the inside is provided with various components for operating the device. A power supply unit (not shown) connected to an external power source may be provided to supply power therein. An RF generator 430 for generating RF energy and an electric circuit for transmitting the same may be provided. Control circuits for controlling various components may be provided. The outer surface of the body portion 100 may be provided with an interface 120 for the user to manipulate or display various information to the user.

The applicator 300 is configured to be adjacent to the treatment site of the patient to apply RF energy to the treatment location of the patient. The applicator 300 is configured to include an applicator body 310, the RF transmission unit 460, the cooling unit 330, the sensor unit 320, etc., each configuration will be described in detail below.

The connection part 200 is configured to mechanically connect the body part 100 and the applicator 300, and may be configured as a link structure having a plurality of joints. Thereby, the position of the applicator can be adjusted to the treatment position of the patient, and the position during the treatment can be fixed. Various cables (not shown) are disposed inside the connection part 200 to electrically connect the body part 100 and the applicator 300 and to transmit control-related signals generated from one side to the other side.

2 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the RF energy transfer device of FIG. Hereinafter, various configurations of the apparatus will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the body part 100 includes a power supply 110, an RF generator 430, an interface 120, a data storage 130, and a controller 140. In addition, the applicator 300 includes an RF transmission unit 460, a sensor unit 320, and a cooling unit 330.

The power supply unit 110 is connected to an external power source. In addition, it is connected to various components inside the apparatus including the RF generator, the interface, and the cooling unit to supply power.

The RF generator 430 generates RF energy by using the power applied from the power supply 110. The RF generator 430 according to the present exemplary embodiment is configured to generate RF energy having a frequency of 27.12 MHz, and in addition to the frequency of the ISM band such as 13.553 to 13.567 MHz, 26.975 to 27.283 MHz, and 40.66 to 40.70 MHz. It can be configured to generate a corresponding RF energy.

The RF energy generated by the RF generator 430 is transmitted to the RF transmitter 460 through the RF circuit unit 400 and transferred to the treatment site of the patient. The configuration of the RF circuit unit 400 will be described in more detail below.

On the other hand, the interface 120, as described above, is provided on the outer surface of the body portion 100, the user sets the treatment mode, etc., and is configured to display various information to the user. The interface 120 is connected to the control unit 140, transmits a control signal input from the user to the control unit, and displays various treatment information collected / operated from the control unit 140 to the user through the interface 120. The interface 120 may be variously configured using various input devices such as a control panel and a touch screen, and various display devices including a display and a speaker. As an example, the interface 120 of the present embodiment is configured using a touch screen, a user inputs setting information by touching the touch screen, and various treatment information may be displayed to the user through a screen of the touch screen. have.

The data storage unit 130 stores various information necessary for driving the device, and may store various algorithms corresponding to user input items or information detected during treatment. Therefore, the controller 140 may control each component of the device based on the information stored in the data storage unit 130.

On the other hand, the RF transmitter 460 provided in the applicator 300 receives the RF energy generated from the RF generator 430, and delivers to the treatment position of the patient. The RF transmitter 460 is provided with a plurality of antenna structures and is disposed to be electrically spaced from the treatment position to transmit RF energy to the treatment position in a non-contact manner. Here, the term "electrically spaced apart" means that the portion where the RF energy is transmitted and the treatment location are electrically spaced apart and do not come into contact with each other. Therefore, the air gap may be formed without any configuration between the delivery unit and the treatment position, or a separate spacer member (not shown) made of an electrically insulating material may be disposed between the delivery unit and the treatment position to maintain a gap. It may be a structure arranged to be interposed in.

The RF transmitter 460 of this embodiment is composed of two antenna structures disposed on both sides of the applicator body 310. The two RF transmitters are disposed on both sides of the treatment position such that the path of progression of the RF during treatment passes through the treatment position. When the RF energy is transmitted from the RF transmitter 460, the treatment location absorbs the energy and the treatment is performed while the temperature is increased. The RF transmitter 460 has a planar structure having a predetermined area, and may be configured to have a corresponding area in consideration of the area of the treatment location.

On the other hand, the sensor unit 320 is configured to include a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the treatment position during treatment. Thereby, it can prevent that a treatment position rises too much during treatment, and thermal damage arises on a skin surface. For example, the sensor unit 320 may be configured as an infrared sensor so that the temperature of the surface of the skin may be measured while not in contact with the treatment position.

The cooling unit 330 is configured to cool the skin surface to prevent the skin surface from overheating during treatment. The cooling unit 330 is controlled to selectively drive during the treatment process based on the temperature information detected by the sensor unit 320. The cooling unit 330 may be configured using various cooling structures, and the cooling unit 330 of the present embodiment is configured using a cooling fan structure to cool the skin surface without contacting the treatment position.

On the other hand, the control unit 140 is a configuration for controlling the operation of various components of the device, such as the output of the RF generator, the impedance of the RF circuit, the operation of the cooling unit. The controller 140 receives the setting information input by the user through the interface 120, and controls various components by referring to contents previously stored in the data storage unit 130. In addition, the information detected by the sensor unit 320 during the treatment is transmitted to the controller 140, and the controller 140 controls the operation contents of the device to reflect the information and proceed to the optimal treatment.

3 is a diagram illustrating a treatment state by the RF energy delivery device of FIG. 1. As described above, in the apparatus according to the present embodiment, the treatment is performed by transmitting RF energy to the treatment position of the patient P while two RF transmitting units 460 are spaced apart from the treatment position. Treatment is aimed at reducing subcutaneous fat at the treatment site. As the subcutaneous fat (hatched area of P) is maintained at a temperature of 45 degrees Celsius or more for a predetermined time, the volume of the subcutaneous fat decreases due to the death of fat cells and the like. Therefore, the controller 140 transmits the RF energy to the treatment position through the RF transmitter 460 to increase the temperature of the subcutaneous fat to a treatment temperature range of 45 degrees to 50 degrees Celsius for a predetermined time.

The treatment content may be designed in various ways, but the controller 140 according to the present embodiment may divide the treatment process into three sections and proceed with the treatment. First, in the first section, the RF energy of the high power is transmitted through the RF transmitter 460 to rapidly increase the temperature of the subcutaneous fat from the normal temperature to the temperature adjacent to the treatment temperature. By transmitting RF energy to the output, the temperature of the subcutaneous fat is gradually raised to the treatment temperature, and in the third section, the RF energy is delivered to the output lower than the second section to control the temperature of the subcutaneous fat to be maintained in the treatment temperature range. have. When the skin temperature rises excessively through the sensor unit 320, the cooling unit 330 is driven to selectively cool the skin surface. In this case, by reducing the time for the temperature of the subcutaneous fat to reach the treatment temperature range where the actual treatment is made, there is an advantage that can reduce the overall treatment time. However, the control content is an example, and in addition to this, it is also possible to design in various ways.

4 is a circuit diagram schematically illustrating the RF circuit of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the RF circuit unit 400 includes an RF supply unit 410 and an RF output unit 420.

The RF supply unit 410 is composed of an RF generator 430 and a first circuit 440 connected to the RF generator. The first circuit 440 includes a first impedance converter 441 that can adjust the impedance of the RF supply unit 410.

The RF output unit 420 includes a second circuit 450 configured to transmit power from the first circuit 440 and an RF transmitter 460 connected to the second circuit to transfer RF energy to a treatment position. It is composed. The second circuit 450 includes a second impedance converter 451 that can adjust the impedance of the RF output unit 420.

Here, the RF generator 430 and the first circuit 440 is provided in the body portion 100 of the device, the second circuit 450 from the body portion 100 via the connection portion 200 to the applicator 300 Is configured to reach, the RF transmitter 460 may be installed in the applicator (300). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the installation positions of the respective configurations may be variously changed and implemented such that the RF generator, the first circuit, and the second circuit are all provided with an applicator.

Here, the circuit means not only an electrical path that is directly connected, but a trans structure by an induction method includes an electrical path that is indirectly connected by an induction method. Therefore, in FIG. 4, the first circuit or the second circuit is illustrated as constituting one closed loop. However, this is for convenience of description and the first circuit or the second circuit may be indirectly using its own trans structure. It is also possible to configure to form an electrical path.

In the RF circuit unit 400, RF energy generated from the RF supply unit 410 is transferred to the RF output unit 420 through a power transmission structure such as a transformer, and the transferred RF energy is transmitted through the RF transmission unit 460. Delivered to the treatment site. However, when impedance matching between the RF supply unit 410 and the RF output unit 420 is not performed in the RF circuit unit 400, RF energy is reflected to the RF supply unit 410. When the reflected wave is large in size, sufficient RF energy may not be transmitted to the treatment position through the RF transmitter 460. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the target therapeutic effect is not seen or the treatment time is delayed. In addition, when the size of the reflected wave increases, it may cause a problem of damaging the RF generator 430. Therefore, the first circuit 440 and the second circuit 450 in the design of the device is generally designed to minimize the reflected wave, the device according to the present invention, the impedance through the RF transmission unit 460, such as patient characteristics, etc. The structure is greatly variable depending on the treatment environment. That is, the total impedance on the RF output side is determined differently according to the volume, shape, tissue characteristics and separation distance of the patient's subcutaneous fat, humidity and temperature of the treatment environment. Therefore, the present invention includes a first impedance converter 441 in the first circuit 440 and a second impedance converter 451 in the second circuit 450 to be reflected to the RF supply unit 410. Each impedance can be adjusted to reduce the reflected wave. Thereby, the RF circuit is configured to reflect the characteristics of the treatment environment at each treatment, so that effective treatment can be performed.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram illustrating the first impedance converter of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the second impedance converter of FIG. 4. The first impedance converter 441 and the second impedance converter 451 of the present exemplary embodiment may be configured to adjust capacitance values. Such a configuration may be configured using various kinds of devices.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the first impedance converter 441 may have a structure in which a plurality of capacitors C1 to C6 having different capacitance values are arranged in parallel. The switching element S is provided to be alternatively connected to the plurality of capacitors to intermittently adjust the impedance value of the first impedance converter 441 (hereinafter referred to as 'first impedance') by adjusting the connection position of the switching element. It is possible to adjust with.

The second impedance converter 451 may be configured as a variable capacitor. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the variable capacitor of the second impedance converter 451 is configured such that one side plate 451a constituting the capacitor is rotatable 180 degrees. The variable capacitor controls the rotation angle of the rotatable one side electrode plate 451a to continuously change the impedance value (hereinafter referred to as 'second impedance') by changing the size of the area that is opposed to the fixed other side electrode plate 451b. It is possible to adjust.

Here, the first impedance converter 441 comprises a plurality of capacitors having a large difference in capacitance values to configure a relatively large range of capacitance values, and the second impedance converter 451 has a capacitance The variable range of values can be configured to be relatively small. However, the configuration of the first impedance converter 441 and the second impedance converter 451 is an example, and may be configured by using various electric elements.

In the meantime, the controller 140 performs the treatment using the apparatus according to the present embodiment, so that the impedance value of the first impedance converter and the second impedance converter may be reduced to reduce the magnitude of the reflected wave transmitted to the RF generator 430. Set negative impedance value. Specifically, the control unit 140 monitors the magnitude of the reflected wave in the RF circuit unit 400 according to each combination while adjusting to all combinations of impedances that can be combined by the first impedance value and the second impedance value. The impedance combination of the first impedance converter 441 and the second impedance converter 451 may be set by selecting an appropriate impedance combination according to the monitored result.

7 is a graph showing the magnitude of the reflected wave with respect to the impedance change. Specifically, in FIG. 7, the first impedance converter 441 is fixed to the first capacitor C1 to rotate the one side plate of the second impedance converter 451 by 180 degrees to vary the second impedance value. This shows the magnitude of the reflected wave. In this way, the controller 140 monitors the magnitude of the reflected wave according to each impedance combination. In the case of the first impedance converter, each of the six capacitors C1 to C2, as well as the first capacitor C1, is the second impedance converter. By converting the impedance value of 451, the magnitude of the reflected wave according to all possible combinations is monitored.

As a result of the monitoring, the controller 140 may extract impedance combinations in which the magnitude of the reflected wave is equal to or less than a preset reference value. The reference value may be set in various ways. For example, the reference value may be set by a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR). Specifically, the reference value may be set in a range in which the voltage standing wave ratio is 1.3 to 1.7. In this embodiment, the reference value is assumed to be a state in which the voltage standing wave ratio is 1.5.

According to FIG. 7, two impedance combinations P1 and P2 are extracted as cases in which reflected waves below the reference value are generated. However, since FIG. 7 is a graph in which the value of the first impedance converter is fixed to C1, more combinations may be extracted as the first impedance converter 441 is converted to C2 to C6. The controller 140 may select one of the extracted impedance combinations and set values of the first impedance converter 441 and the second impedance converter 451.

8 and 9 are graphs showing two examples of extracted impedance combinations. The controller 140 may select the impedance combination having the lowest value of the voltage standing wave ratio among the extracted impedance combinations as the set impedance, but in this embodiment, the set impedance is considered in consideration of the change rate of the voltage standing wave ratio to the impedance among the extracted impedance combinations. Choose. Although FIG. 8 shows the lowest voltage standing wave ratio, when the impedance is changed, the ratio of the reflected wave may be greatly increased to exceed the reference value. On the other hand, FIG. 9 shows a higher voltage standing wave compared to FIG. 8, but the reflected wave is maintained below the reference value without relatively increasing the magnitude of the reflected wave even when the impedance is changed.

During the treatment using the apparatus according to the present embodiment, the treatment position is finely moved while the patient is correcting the posture, or the RF output unit 420 is caused by a change in temperature or humidity in the treatment environment. The impedance can vary. In this case, the impedance combination of FIG. 9 compared to FIG. 8 has an advantage of exhibiting more uniform treatment performance even if the impedance changes during treatment. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the impedance combination having the smallest change rate of the reflected wave according to the impedance change among the impedance combinations satisfying the reference value or less is selected as the set impedance combination. The first impedance converter 441 and the second impedance converter 451 may be set to a combination of set impedances to perform a treatment operation.

In addition, the controller 140 may continuously monitor the magnitude of the reflected wave reflected to the RF supply unit 410 while the treatment is in progress. As described above, the impedance value of the RF output unit 420 may be changed by various causes during treatment, and in some cases, the magnitude of the reflected wave may exceed the reference value. In this case, the controller 140 may adjust the impedance value from the set impedance combination to reduce the magnitude of the reflected wave to a reference value or less. However, since the impedance change of the RF output unit 420 generated during the treatment is relatively minute, the impedance of the first impedance converter 441 may be adjusted, and only the impedance of the second impedance converter 451 may be adjusted. have.

In detail, when the magnitude of the reflected wave during the treatment is monitored to be greater than or equal to the reference value, the controller 140 adjusts the impedance of the second impedance converter 451. At this time, the control unit 140 monitors the magnitude of the reflected wave while rotating in the direction of increasing and decreasing the impedance value of the second impedance converter 451, respectively, and then converts the second impedance in the direction of decreasing the magnitude of the reflected wave. The impedance of the unit 451 may be adjusted. As such, by adjusting the second impedance value such that the magnitude of the reflected wave is less than or equal to the reference value, a uniform treatment effect can be seen despite the change in the treatment environment.

Hereinafter, a method of controlling the RF energy transmitting apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling the RF energy transmitting device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a sequence of impedance setting in FIG. 10 in more detail.

As shown in Figure 10, in order to proceed with the treatment operation, first performing a step of fixing the position of the patient with respect to the applicator (300) (S10). The treatment location (eg, abdomen) of the patient at this stage allows the two RF transmitters 460 to be spaced apart on both sides of the treatment location.

When the position of the patient is fixed, the RF generator 430 is operated to generate RF energy (S20), and the generated RF energy passes through the RF circuit unit 400 to the treatment position of the patient through the RF transmitter 460. It is delivered (S30). At this time, the RF circuit unit 400 does not effectively transmit RF energy to the treatment position without the impedance setting considering the characteristics of the patient. Therefore, the controller 140 controls the first impedance converter 441 and the second impedance converter 451 to set the impedance (S40).

In the impedance setting step S40, first, the magnitude of the reflected wave is monitored while changing the combination of the first impedance value and the second impedance value (S41). At this time, the switching element S of the first impedance converter 441 changes the position of the capacitor to be switched, and the second impedance converter 451 rotates the one side plate 451a, in all possible combinations. The magnitude of the reflected wave can be monitored for.

Through the above-described steps, after monitoring the magnitude of the reflected wave for each combination, a step of extracting a plurality of impedance combinations in which the magnitude of the reflected wave is equal to or less than a reference value is performed (S42). Among the extracted impedance combinations, an impedance combination having the smallest change rate of the reflected wave according to the impedance change rate is selected as the set impedance combination (S43).

As such, when the set impedance combination is determined, the controller 140 sets the impedance values of the first impedance converter 441 and the second impedance converter 451 to the set impedance combination (S44), so that the characteristics of the patient, etc. The optimal RF circuit is considered.

As such, when the impedance setting step S40 is completed, the RF energy generated by the RF generator 430 is transferred to the treatment position through the RF transmitter 460 to proceed with the treatment (S50). By this step, the subcutaneous fat of the patient absorbs the RF energy, the temperature rises, and the fat volume is reduced as fat cells are killed.

On the other hand, while the treatment is in progress, the controller 140 continuously monitors the magnitude of the reflected wave transmitted to the RF supply unit 410 (S60), and determines whether the magnitude of the monitored reflected wave exceeds the reference value (S70). The reference value in this step may be the same value as the reference value in step S42, but may be determined based on a value larger than the reference value in step S42 (for example, VSWR is 1.6).

If the magnitude of the monitored reflected wave during the treatment exceeds the reference value, the controller 140 performs the step of adjusting the impedance (S80). In this step, the controller 140 may reset the impedance while converting both the impedance values of the first impedance converter 441 and the second impedance converter 451, but in the present embodiment, the first impedance value is reset. In the fixed state, only the second impedance value can be adjusted. Therefore, the controller may adjust the second impedance value such that the magnitude of the reflected wave is less than or equal to the reference value, and then continue treatment.

On the other hand, if the magnitude of the monitored reflected wave during the treatment is maintained below the reference value, the control unit 140 continues the treatment, and when the set treatment time is over (S90) ends the treatment by ending the RF energy delivery can do.

However, in the flowchart of FIG. 10, the impedance setting step S40 is configured to be performed as a continuous step of the treatment process. However, as shown in FIG. 12, the step S120 of generating test RF energy distinguished from the treatment RF is performed and the test is performed. The setting of the impedance using RF energy may be performed (S130). Then, the impedance may be configured to generate a treatment RF energy (S140) to proceed with the treatment. In this case, the test RF energy may be configured to have a lower output than the initial output (the output of the first section) of the therapeutic RF energy. Thereafter, in FIG. 12, the reflected wave may be continuously monitored during the treatment to be controlled in a manner of adjusting the impedance when the size of the reflected wave increases during the treatment.

As described above, the RF energy delivery device and control method thereof according to the present invention can improve the therapeutic effect by optimizing the RF delivery circuit in consideration of the characteristics of the patient and the treatment environment. Furthermore, even when an event due to movement of the patient occurs during treatment, the RF transmission circuit is adjusted by reflecting this in real time, thereby providing a uniform treatment performance.

As mentioned above, although one Example of this invention was described in detail, this invention is not limited to the said Example. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be modified or modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the technical features of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Put it.

Claims

RF energy generator;

A first circuit connected to the RF energy generator and including a first impedance converter;

A second circuit configured to receive power from the first circuit, the second circuit including a second impedance converter;

A transmission unit connected to the second circuit to transfer RF energy to a patient; And

And a control unit configured to adjust impedances of the first impedance converter and the second impedance converter to reduce reflected waves reflected to the RF energy generator according to a tissue characteristic or position of a patient. .
The method of claim 1,

The delivery unit is arranged to be electrically spaced apart from the patient, RF energy delivery device for treatment, characterized in that for transmitting the RF energy to the affected part of the patient in an antenna manner.
The method of claim 2,

And the delivery unit delivers RF energy to the subcutaneous fat layer of the patient, thereby reducing the subcutaneous fat layer.
The method of claim 1,

The controller measures the magnitude of the reflected reflected wave while adjusting the combined impedance values of the first impedance converter and the second impedance converter,

And treating the impedance of the first impedance converter and the second impedance converter by one of a combination of the first impedance converter and the second impedance converter such that the magnitude of the reflected wave is equal to or less than a reference value. RF energy delivery device.
The method of claim 4, wherein

Said reference value being a voltage standing wave ratio in the range of 1.3 to 1.7.
The method of claim 4, wherein

When there are a plurality of combinations of the first impedance converter and the second impedance converter, in which the magnitude of the reflected wave is equal to or less than a reference value, the controller determines a rate of change of the reflected wave according to the impedance change in the corresponding combination among the plurality of combinations. Choose the smallest one,

RF energy transfer device for treatment, characterized in that for adjusting the impedance of the first impedance converter and the second impedance converter in the selected combination.
The method of claim 6,

And the control unit selects one of the plurality of combinations having the smallest change rate of the reflected wave according to the impedance change of the second impedance converter.
The method of claim 1,

The control unit monitors the change in the magnitude of the reflected wave while the RF energy is transmitted through the transmission unit during the treatment,

RF energy transfer device for treatment, characterized in that for adjusting the impedance of the first impedance converter or the second impedance converter when the magnitude of the reflected wave exceeds a reference value.
The method of claim 2,

When the magnitude of the reflected wave exceeds a reference value during the treatment, the controller adjusts the impedance of the second impedance converter in a state where the first impedance converter is fixed so that the magnitude of the reflected wave is equal to or less than the reference value. RF energy delivery device.
The method of claim 1,

The first impedance converter and the impedance converter is configured to vary the capacitance of each capacitance (capacitance) RF energy delivery device for treatment, characterized in that.
The method of claim 10,

The first impedance converter is configured such that a plurality of capacitors having different capacitances are arranged in parallel and alternatively connected by a switching element.

The second impedance converter is RF energy delivery device for treatment, characterized in that consisting of a variable capacitor.
Supplying RF energy through an RF energy generator connected to the first circuit;

Delivering RF energy to a treatment location of a patient via a delivery unit coupled to a second circuit configured to receive power from the first circuit; And

Setting an impedance of the first impedance converter of the first circuit and the second impedance converter of the second circuit so as to reduce the reflected waves reflected by the RF energy generator; Control method.
The method of claim 12,

The transmission unit is configured to be electrically spaced apart from the patient, the control method of the RF energy delivery device for the treatment, characterized in that for transmitting the RF energy to the subcutaneous fat layer of the patient to reduce the subcutaneous fat layer.
The method of claim 12,

The setting of the impedance may include varying impedances of the first impedance converter and the second impedance converter, and using one of combinations of impedances in which the magnitude of the reflected wave is equal to or less than a reference value. Control method of the RF energy transfer device for treatment, characterized in that for setting the impedance of the impedance converter.
The method of claim 14,

And the reference value is a voltage standing wave ratio in the range of 1.3 to 1.7.
The method of claim 14,

The setting of the impedance may include the first impedance converter and the second impedance as a combination having the smallest change rate of the reflected wave according to the impedance change when there are a plurality of combinations of impedances in which the magnitude of the reflected wave is equal to or less than a reference value. Control method of the RF energy transfer device for the treatment, characterized in that for adjusting the impedance of the converter.
The method of claim 16,

The setting of the impedance may include selecting the smallest change rate of the reflected wave according to the change of the impedance of the second impedance converter of the plurality of combinations.
The method of claim 12, wherein setting the impedance comprises:

Monitoring magnitudes of reflected waves reflected to the RF energy generator while changing impedances of the first impedance converter and the second impedance;

Extracting impedance combinations of the first impedance converter and the second impedance converter of which the magnitude of the reflected wave is equal to or less than a reference value;

Selecting one impedance combination from the extracted plurality of impedance combinations in consideration of a reflection wave change rate according to impedance; And

And setting the first impedance converter and the second impedance converter with the selected impedance combination.
The method of claim 12,

Monitoring whether the magnitude of the reflected wave increases during treatment while the RF energy is supplied; And

And adjusting the impedance of the first impedance converter or the second impedance converter when the magnitude of the reflected wave increases during the treatment.
The method of claim 19,

If the magnitude of the reflected wave is monitored to increase by more than the reference value during the treatment, the treatment characterized in that for adjusting the impedance of the second impedance converter in a fixed state so that the magnitude of the reflected wave is less than the reference value RF energy transmission device control method for.
The method of claim 12,

The first impedance converter and the impedance converter is configured to vary the capacitance of each capacitance (capacitance) RF energy delivery device for treatment, characterized in that.