JPH01198565A - Hyperthermia apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect the detachment of a temp. sensor and to prevent danger generating a burn by a rise in the temp. of a part to be heated, by providing a means for prohibiting the heating due to a heating means when such a state that heating efficiency due to the temp. sensor for controlling heating becomes a reference value or less reaches the predetermined number of times or more. CONSTITUTION:When a temp. sensor 13c is detached, the measured temp. Ti of the temp. sensor 13c does not rise too much even at the time of heating, that is, at the time of the application of high frequency voltage. Therefore, heating efficiency Tei becomes lower than a set lower limit value K and judgement becomes NO. Then, a variable (n) is made incremental. It is judged whether said variable (n) is a predetermined value N or more and the judgement is NO until the variable (n) reaches N and usual temp. control is continued. When such a state that (n) reaches N or more, for example, the heating efficiency Tei is lower than the set lower limit value K continues N times from the state of n=0, judgement becomes YES. On the basis of this judgement YES, it is cleared that the temp. sensor 13c is detached or positionally shifted and, herein, the application of high frequency voltage is stopped, that is, heating is stopped and an information buzzer 19 is turned ON.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application This invention relates to a thermotherapy device that heats and kills cancer cells and the like.

(B) Conventional Technology Some thermotherapy devices used for cancer treatment include, for example, one in which an affected area is sandwiched between an applicator composed of a cooler and electrodes, and a high-frequency voltage is applied between the two electrodes.

In this thermotherapy device, heating to 43° C. or higher is required to kill cancer cells with heat.

On the other hand, although normal cells around cancer cells can withstand 43°C, raising the temperature too much will kill the normal cells. The temperature is measured, and the heating output applied to the tissue containing cancer cells through the electrodes is controlled so that the temperature reaches 43°C.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the above-mentioned conventional thermotherapy device, the temperature sensor for control may come out of the inserted part or be displaced due to the movement of the patient during heating.

In this case, the temperature sensor does not sufficiently detect the temperature of the heating section, so even though the temperature of the heating section has been raised, the control is performed as if further heating is necessary, and further heating is required. Control is performed in the direction of increasing thermal output. Therefore,
There is a problem that the patient may suffer from burns, which is extremely dangerous.

This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problem, and if the temperature sensor is dislodged or misaligned, it is detected, and further heating is prohibited to protect the patient. ,
The purpose is to provide a thermotherapy device that can ensure safety.

(d) Means and action for solving the problem Generally, in a thermotherapy device, when a human body is irradiated with a heating output by applying a high frequency voltage or the like, the temperature of the heated part always rises. This invention has been made by focusing on this point. The thermotherapy device of the present invention includes a heating means, at least one temperature sensor that measures the temperature of a heated part, and responds to the measured value of a predetermined temperature sensor, and the measured value becomes a predetermined value. In the heating means, the heating means is configured to calculate heating efficiency from the rate of increase in temperature measured by the predetermined temperature sensor and the output of the heating means for each predetermined cycle; a first determining means for determining whether the heating efficiency is lower than a predetermined reference value; and a number of times the first determining means determines that the heating efficiency is lower than the predetermined reference value is a predetermined number or more. It is characteristically equipped with a second determining means for determining whether or not the temperature is 1, and a means for prohibiting heating by the heating means in response to a determination output from the second determining means a predetermined number of times or more. There is. Note that the heating efficiency is defined by the ratio of the temperature increase rate of the temperature sensor and the heating output.

In this thermotherapy device, when a predetermined temperature sensor for control is normally attached, normal temperature measurement is performed, normal control is performed, and the heating section is also maintained at a predetermined temperature. In other words, the temperature sensor is installed correctly, so
When the heated part is heated by the heating means,
Increase the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. Therefore, the heating efficiency is also higher than the predetermined reference value, and the first determination means does not output that the heating efficiency is lower than the reference value, but in this case,
There is no prohibition on the heating operation of the heating means.

However, if the temperature sensor for control comes off or shifts from the attachment point, the temperature measured by the temperature sensor will not rise accordingly even if the heated part is heated by the heating means.
Heating efficiency decreases. Then, when the heating efficiency becomes lower than the reference value, the first determining means outputs an output indicating that. When the output indicating that the efficiency is low is output, the second determining means determines this and prohibits the heating operation of the heating means. In other words, if the heating efficiency is continuously low even though heating is being performed, it is likely that the control temperature sensor has come off and is not properly detecting the temperature of the heated part. This means that the heating is stopped in order to prevent the heating from running out of control and the temperature of the heated part rising.Please note that the heating efficiency is lower than the standard value. At the operating cycle level, heating itself may be thinned out in the temperature control process of the heated portion, so in this case, subsequent heating is not prohibited.

(e) Examples The present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to Examples below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a thermotherapy device showing one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a pair of applicators 1
2a and 12b are composed of electrodes for voltage application and a cooling bag, and a high frequency voltage is applied to the electrodes from the high frequency generator 10. The high frequency voltage is applied intermittently for a predetermined period of the sampling period. The cooling bag has cooling section 1
1, cooling water is circulated.

During treatment, applicators 12a and 12b are used as shown in the figure.
temperature sensors 13C and 13d are installed on the skin surface of the applicator 12a side and the skin surface of the applicator 12b side, respectively, so as to sandwich the affected area 2 of the patient 1;
Temperature sensors 13a and 13b are inserted into the affected area 2. These temperature sensors 13a, 13b, 13c,
Each of the detection signals l 3 d is taken into the control unit 14 via the temperature measurement circuit 15 . In addition, this thermotherapy device
In addition to a normal operating section 16 having an operation start switch and the like, a setting section 17 is provided for setting a lower limit value K of heating efficiency as a reference value. The heating efficiency lower limit value set by the heating efficiency lower limit setting section 17 is taken into the control section 14 .

The control unit 14 is composed of a microcomputer, etc., and has a function of controlling the high frequency generation unit 10 and the cooling unit 11, as well as a function of determining whether the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 13c is 43°C or higher, and a temperature sensor. A function to calculate the temperature increase rate of 13c, a function to measure the heating output, that is, electric power, a function to calculate the heating efficiency from the calculated temperature increase rate and the heating output, the heating efficiency is lower than the set lower limit value function to determine whether the heating efficiency is lower than the set lower limit, function to count the number of times, function to determine whether this count value has reached a predetermined value, function to determine whether the count value has reached the predetermined value. Then, it has a function of prohibiting the application of high frequency voltage from the high frequency generating section 10. The heating control state, such as the temperature of each part, obtained by the control unit 14 is displayed on the display device 18. Further, a buzzer 19 is provided to notify when the control temperature sensor 13c is disconnected. Instead of the buzzer 19, a blinking indicator light or the like may be used.

Next, the operation of this thermotherapy device will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, when the power is turned on and the start switch of the operation section 16 is turned on, the operation starts, and the flags, registers, etc. of the control section 14 are cleared and initialized (
Step 5TI). Next, it is determined whether the sample time has arrived (step 5T2), and for example, every time a sampling period of 1 second elapses, the determination in step ST2 is Y.
ES, and subsequent processing is executed. Step S
At T3, it is determined whether "flag F=1". This flag F indicates whether or not to perform heating by applying high frequency voltage in this cycle, and is "0".

The flag F indicates heating, and the flag F indicates non-heating when the flag F is "0". A high frequency voltage is applied to the electrodes of the applicators 12a and 12b for a predetermined period to heat the affected area 2 (step 5T4). Next, the heating output of the high frequency generator IO, that is, the high frequency power P
, is measured and stored (step 5T5). In this case, a high frequency voltage or a high frequency current may be used as the heating output. Next, the temperature T measured this time.

From the previous measured temperature T, -, the temperature increase rate T, , = (
Calculate T4−+ −Ti )/1 (step 5T6
). From this temperature increase rate TRI and the current measured power P, the heating efficiency T, i=T, , /P is calculated (step 5T7). Then, it is determined whether the heating efficiencies T and A are low according to the set lower limit values (step 5T8). When the temperature sensor 13c is installed normally, the temperature rise of the heated part due to heating is directly measured by the temperature sensor 13c, so in this case, the heating efficiency T a i is determined by the set lower limit value. Also classy. Therefore, the determination in step ST8 is NO, and the variable n, which will be described later, is decremented by 1 (
Step 5T16), the process moves to step ST9, and it is determined whether the currently measured temperature T is 43°C or higher. If it is not 43°C or higher, set flag F to 0 (step 5T17),
The process returns to step ST2, but if the temperature is 43°C or higher, the flag F is set to 1 in step 5TIO, and the process returns to step ST2. Then, when the next sample time arrives again,
In step ST3, it is determined whether flag F is 1 or not. If the measured temperature T has not yet reached 43°C or higher, the flag F=O, so high frequency voltage application is further executed (
Step 5T4), heating is continued, but the measured temperature T,
is 43°C or higher, flag F=1,
In this case, the application of the high frequency voltage in this cycle is stopped (step 5T15), the process moves to step ST5, the above process is repeated, and the skin temperature is controlled to be maintained at 43°C.

Now, if the temperature sensor 13c comes off, this temperature sensor 13
The measured temperature T of c does not rise very much even when heated, that is, when a high frequency voltage is applied. Therefore, the heating efficiency T. becomes lower than the set lower limit value, and the determination in step ST8 becomes No. Then, the variable n is incremented (step 5T11). This variable n is the heating efficiency T s
i indicates the number of measurement cycles higher than the number of measurement cycles lower than the set lower limit value.

In step 5T12, it is determined whether or not n is greater than or equal to the predetermined value N. Until the variable n reaches N, the determination is NO and the process moves to step ST9 to continue normal temperature control. If n is greater than or equal to N, for example, if the heating efficiency T e i is lower than the set lower limit value N times consecutively than the state where n=o, step 5
The determination at T12 becomes YES. If this determination is YES, it is assumed that the temperature sensor 13c has come off or has shifted, and the application of the high frequency voltage is stopped, that is, the heating is stopped (step 5T13), and the notification buzzer 19 is turned on. (Step 5T14). With this notification, the doctor or the like can immediately know that the temperature sensor 13c has been removed, and after correctly reattaching the temperature sensor 13c, can start thermotherapy again.

Note that even if the flag F is 1" and no high-frequency voltage is applied until step ST3, the heating efficiency T, 5 may become lower due to the set lower limit value, but in this case, it may become lower continuously. Therefore, the deterioration n never reaches N. Therefore, the determination in step 5T12 does not become YES, and the application of the high frequency voltage is not stopped.

In the above embodiment, when the heating efficiency T ta L is smaller than K, the variable n is incremented, and conversely, when it is larger than K, the variable n is decremented, and when the variable n is larger than N, the high frequency voltage is applied. However, when the heating efficiency exceeds Tai, the variable n is cleared and n
is greater than or equal to N, that is, N times heating efficiency T
, 5 is smaller than K, the high frequency voltage application may be stopped.

(F) Effects of the Invention According to this invention, when the heating efficiency by the temperature sensor for heating control falls below a reference value a predetermined number of times or more,
Since heating by heating means is prohibited, even if the temperature sensor comes off for some reason, this can be detected and
It is possible to prevent the temperature of the heated part from rising more than necessary and causing burns.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a thermotherapy device showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flow diagram for explaining the operation of the thermotherapy device. 10: High frequency generation section, 12a-12b: 7fri) r-yu, 13c:
Temperature sensor for control, 14: control section, 17: heating efficiency lower limit setting section. Patent applicant Tateishi Electric Co., Ltd. Agent Patent attorney Shigeru Nakamura

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A heating means, at least one temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the heated part, and a heating unit that responds to the measured value of a predetermined temperature sensor and heats the heated part so that the measured value becomes a predetermined value. In the thermotherapy apparatus, the heating efficiency includes means for calculating heating efficiency from the rate of increase in temperature measured by the predetermined temperature sensor and the output of the heating means for each predetermined cycle; A first determining means determines whether the heating efficiency is lower than a predetermined reference value, and whether the number of times the first determining means determines that the heating efficiency is lower than the predetermined reference value is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times. A heating device characterized by comprising: a second determining means for determining whether or not the heating is performed; and a means for prohibiting heating by the heating means in response to a determination output from the second determining means a predetermined number of times or more. treatment equipment.