JPH0451808Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (a) Field of Industrial Application This invention relates to a pressing force control device for a treatment electrode that performs heat treatment by applying a high frequency power to cancer tissue, for example.

(b) Prior Art FIG. 8 is a front view showing a state in which cancerous tissue of a patient is treated with a high-frequency thermotherapy device.

The high-frequency thermotherapy device has a pair of electrode mounting bodies 92 protruding from a main body 91 of the device, and each electrode mounting body 92 is provided with a telescoping arm 93, and a treatment electrode 94 is attached to the tip of the telescoping arm 92. It is removably installed. During treatment, the affected area of the patient lying supine on the treatment table 95 is positioned corresponding to the treatment hole 96 . Then, the two electrode attachment bodies 92 are arranged to face the treatment hole 96, for example in the vertical direction,
The telescopic arm 93 is extended and contracted. This telescopic arm 9
The stretching operation No. 3 is continued until both electrodes 94 reach an appropriate contact pressure with the affected skin surface.
Both electrodes clamp the affected area from both sides, and when the clamping pressure reaches an appropriate state, a high frequency power source is applied to perform heat treatment.

(c) Problems to be solved by the invention Conventional electrode mounting bodies are not equipped with means for regulating the movement of the telescoping arm. Therefore, when bringing the electrode into contact with the skin surface of the affected area, the operator visually confirms the proximity of the electrode to the affected area, and when the operator determines that the electrode has come into contact with the appropriate contact pressure,
The drive (motor) for the telescoping arm had been stopped.

For this reason, if the operator is not careful or makes a mistake in stopping the extension of the telescoping arm, the electrode may press too hard against the affected area, and if the affected area is located on a soft abdomen, for example, the patient may complain of pain. There were other disadvantages. Also, as shown in Figure 9,
A pair of opposing electrodes may be brought into contact with the affected part of the body from above and below diagonally, and in this case, the electrode that presses the affected part from diagonally below may sometimes come into contact with the outer edge (frame) of the treatment table. There are cases. Normally, it is difficult for the operator to confirm this collision state, resulting in disadvantages such as the operator missing the timing to stop the extension of the telescoping arm, and the electrodes being damaged by the hard frame.

This idea solves the above problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pressing force control device for a therapeutic electrode, in which the contact pressure of the electrode against the affected area is always in an appropriate state.

(d) Means and action for solving the problem In order to achieve this objective, the therapeutic electrode pressing force control device of this invention has the following configuration.

A pressing force control device for a therapeutic electrode includes a therapeutic electrode, an electrode mounting body into which a mounting shaft of the therapeutic electrode is removably fitted, and an advancing/retracting means fixed to the electrode mounting body for moving the electrode mounting body forward and backward. , and a control means disposed at a suitable position on the electrode mounting body to detect distortion of the electrode mounting body and control driving of the advancing and retracting means.

The pressing force control device for therapeutic electrodes having such a configuration is equipped with a control means (strain gauge) that detects strain in the electrode attachment body and stops driving the advancing/retracting means. Therefore, when the electrode attachment body is extended by the advancing/retracting means and the electrode is brought into contact with the affected skin surface,
The pressure reaction force of the electrode against the affected skin surface acts on the electrode mounting body, causing distortion in the electrode mounting body and the same distortion in the strain gauge wire. As a result, the semiconductor element of the strain gauge is deformed under pressure, for example, and the electrical resistance of the semiconductor element changes, so that the strain of the electrode attachment is detected. This means that the electrode is already in contact with the affected skin surface. Here, by stopping the drive (motor) of the advancing/retracting means, the extension of the telescoping arm is stopped. In this way, the electrode can be brought into contact with the affected skin surface at an appropriate contact pressure, thereby eliminating unnecessary pressure on the patient.

(E) Embodiment FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a high frequency thermotherapy device.

The high-frequency thermotherapy device 8 has a curved C-shaped arm 82 between a pair of supports 81 installed opposite to each other.
is rotatably arranged, and electrode mounting bodies 2 are fixed to opposite ends of the C-shaped arm 82, respectively. A therapeutic electrode 1 is removably disposed on this electrode attachment body 2.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the therapeutic electrode 1 and the electrode attachment body 2 to which the electrode 1 is detachably attached.

The electrode 1 is formed into a disk shape, and has a mounting shaft 11 protruding from the center in the plane. And this mounting shaft 1
A mounting groove 12 is recessed in the upper surface of 1. On the other hand, the electrode mounting body 2 is a cylindrical body, and is fitted into the cylindrical cover case 3 with one end portion (mounting surface portion) 21 exposed. This mounting surface portion 21 includes
Mounting hole 2 for fitting the electrode mounting shaft 11
2 is open. In addition, this protruding mounting surface portion 21
and the opening surface of the cover case 3 are connected via a flexible stretchable material 31, and are set to allow angular displacement of the electrode mounting body 1 and movement of the electrode mounting body 1 back and forth. Furthermore, a power switch 32 and a switch 33 for an advancing/retracting means (motor) 6, which will be described later, are provided at appropriate locations on the outer surface of the cover case 3.

FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main parts of the electrode mounting body 2. As shown in FIG.

The electrode mounting body 2 is provided with a stopper shaft 23 that moves up and down perpendicularly to the mounting hole 22 from above, and a high frequency power supply section 24 that projects from the lower part of the mounting hole 22. This stopper shaft 23 is connected to a forward/reverse rotating motor 26 via a transmission means (pulley, belt) 25, and moves in and out of the groove 12 of the electrode mounting shaft 11 to fix and release the electrode 1. Further, the high frequency power supply section 24 is connected to a high frequency power source (not shown) via a lead wire 27,
The lower surface of the electrode mounting shaft 11, which is pressed downward by the stopper shaft 23, is supported and electrically connected.

Further, the electrode mounting body 2 has a through hole 28 opened parallel to the mounting surface 21, that is, perpendicular to the mounting hole 22, and the electrode angle variable means 4 is provided in this through hole 28. be. This electrode angle variable means 4 has a movable cylindrical case 4 with upper and lower openings.
1, the lower part of the sphere 42 is supported by a fixed base 43, and the upper part of the sphere 42 is pressed by a screw shaft 44 equipped with a disc spring. It is set to hold state. By moving the electrode mounting body 2 up and down and left and right by hand, the ball 42 and the screw shaft 44 are
The contact point is movable, and the electrode mounting body 2 itself is set to be able to move vertically and horizontally. Further, a support shaft 45 is provided at the lower part of the fixed body 43 to protrude downward,
The lower end of this support shaft 45 is fixed to an advancing/retracting means 6, which will be described later.

The advancing/retracting means 6 is constituted by a telescoping arm 61 whose base end is connected to a drive motor (not shown) via a linear motion conversion means, and the distal end of this telescoping arm 61 is connected to the above-mentioned motor through a mounting flange 62. Bearing shaft 4
It is fixed to the lower end of 5. In other words, the electrode mounting body 2 is set to move forward and backward in the direction of the electrode as the telescoping arm 61 moves forward and backward.

A feature of this invention is that a strain transducer 5 constituting a control means is provided at the lower part (base) of the support shaft 45 of the electrode mounting body 2.

In the embodiment, the strain transducer 5 uses a semiconductor strain gauge that utilizes the piezoresistance effect of silicon. This strain gauge 5 utilizes the change in resistance of a semiconductor due to strain, and as shown in FIG.
2 and a lead wire 53 is connected to the support shaft 45, and two strain gauges 5 are attached to the circumferential surface of the support shaft 45 so as to face each other (see FIG. 1). Electrode 1
When the electrode comes into contact with the affected skin surface and presses it, the reaction force of the pressure causes distortion in the support shaft 45 of the electrode attachment body 2. At this time, the strain gauge 5 is also similarly strained and the electrical resistance changes. The lead wire 53 of this strain gauge 5 is
It is connected to measurement circuits such as an AC bridge circuit and an amplifier, which will be described later, and outputs changing electrical resistance.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of the pressing force control device for the therapeutic electrode according to the embodiment.

The strain transducer (strain gauge) 5 detects local strain in the electrode attachment body (supporting shaft 45 ) 2 and outputs a strain signal (resistance change signal) to the amplifier 71 . and,
The amplifier 71 amplifies this output signal and sends it to the comparator 72. The comparator 72 reads out the reference value preset in the setting device 73, compares this reference value with the output signal, and when the output signal is equal to or higher than the reference value, the motor controller 67 instructs the motor controller 67 to stop the motor. A signal is output to stop the driving of the motor, that is, to stop the extension of the advancing/retracting means (advancing/retracting arm 61) 6.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another example of the circuit configuration of the pressing force control device for the therapeutic electrode according to the embodiment.

In the previous embodiment, an example was shown in which the reference value was set in the setting device 73 according to the type (electrode diameter) of the electrode 1 attached to the electrode mounting body 2. An example of a circuit configuration is shown in which an electrode type recognition device for detecting the type of electrode attached is provided between the body 2 and the body 2. The electrode type recognition device is configured by, for example, providing a bar code on the electrode 1 side to identify the electrode type, and on the other hand, providing a receiving/emitting element for reading the bar code on the electrode mounting body 2 side, so that the attached electrode can be For example, it is determined whether the electrode is an abdominal electrode, a neck electrode, an arm electrode, or the like.

In this embodiment, an electrode type recognition device 78 detects the type of the attached electrode 1 and outputs this detection signal (for example, a cervical electrode signal) to a CPU (central processing unit) 76. CPU7
In step 6, the reference value of the electrode (cervical electrode) 1 corresponding to this detection signal is read from the memory 77. on the other hand,
An analog distortion signal (resistance change signal) outputted by the distortion converter 5 is converted into a digital value by an A/D converter 75 via an amplifier 71, and then taken into the CPU 76. Then, the CPU 77 compares this distortion signal with the reference value, and outputs a motor stop signal to the motor controller 74 when the distortion signal is greater than or equal to the reference value. According to this embodiment, the electrode pressing force corresponding to the electrode type is appropriately controlled.

FIG. 5 is a circuit block diagram showing another embodiment of the pressing force control device for the therapeutic electrode according to the embodiment.

This embodiment shows an example of a circuit configuration in which an angle detector 79 for detecting the angle of the attached electrode 1 is provided in the electrode mounting body 2.

This embodiment takes into consideration the mounting angle of the electrode 1, and the type of the mounted electrode 1 as well as the angle of the mounted electrode are output to the CPU 76 as a detection signal.
The CPU 76 reads the reference value data based on the electrode type and the reference value data based on the electrode angle recorded in the memory 77, and determines whether the output signal output from the strain converter 5 based on these two data is equal to or greater than the reference value. A motor stop signal is output to the motor controller 74 when it is equal to or greater than a reference value.
In this embodiment, the weight of the electrode, which varies depending on the angle, is also taken into consideration, and more accurate pressing force control is achieved.

In order to bring the electrode 1 attached to the electrode mounting body 2 into contact with the affected skin surface using the therapeutic electrode pressing force control device having such a configuration, the switch 33 for the advancing/retracting means is turned on. As a result, the telescoping arm 61 of the advancing/retracting means 6 extends, and the electrode mounting body 2
extends toward the affected part of the body. That is, the electrode 1 approaches the affected area. When the electrode 1 comes into contact with the skin surface of the affected area, the electrode 1 presses against the skin surface. A reaction force of this pressing force acts from the electrode 1 to the electrode mounting body 2,
The support shaft 45 of the electrode attachment body 2 is distorted. At this time, strain occurs in the strain gauge 5 attached to the support shaft 45, and the electrical resistance changes. Furthermore, this changed electrical resistance is compared with a reference value by a comparator 72, and when the change in resistance is greater than or equal to the reference value, distortion of the electrode attachment body 2 is detected. In other words, it is detected that the electrode 1 is in contact with the affected skin surface and that the appropriate contact pressure has been achieved.
The extension of the telescopic arm 61 is automatically stopped. Therefore, the electrode 1 maintains an appropriate contact force against the skin surface of the affected area, and no unnecessary pressing force is applied to the affected area.

(f) Effects of the invention As described above, in this invention, the electrode mounting body that removably fits the electrode is arranged so that it can move forward and backward, and the distortion of the electrode mounting body is detected at the appropriate place on the electrode mounting body, and the movement of the electrode mounting body is detected. Since we decided to provide a control means to control the drive of the means, when distortion of the electrode attachment body is detected,
The extension operation of the electrode attachment body is automatically stopped, and the pressing force of the electrode against the affected skin surface can be controlled to an appropriate state.

Therefore, the electrode always comes into contact with the skin surface of the affected area with an appropriate pressing force, and the conventional disadvantages such as pressing the electrode too much against the affected area due to an operator's mistake are eliminated. In addition, even if a situation such as the electrode colliding with the frame of the treatment table occurs, the electrode extension will automatically stop due to the distortion of the electrode mounting body, preventing electrode damage. obtain, etc.
It has excellent effects that achieve the purpose of the invention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part showing the pressing force control device of the electrode for treatment of the example, Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the main part showing the mounting state of the strain gauge, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the main part showing the pressing force control device for the treatment electrode of the example. A block diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of an electrode pressing force control device, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the circuit configuration example, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing yet another embodiment of the circuit configuration example. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the relationship between the electrode and the electrode mounting body, and FIG.
The figure is a perspective view showing a high-frequency thermotherapy device, FIG. 8 is a front view showing a state in which an affected area is treated with a conventional treatment device, and FIG. 9 is a state in which the electrodes of a conventional treatment device collide with a treatment table. FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Electrode, 2... Electrode mounting body, 5... Strain converter, 6... Advance/retreat means, 72... Comparator.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A therapeutic electrode, an electrode mounting body into which a mounting shaft of the therapeutic electrode is removably fitted, an advancing/retracting means fixed to the electrode mounting body for advancing and retracting the electrode mounting body, and a means for advancing and retracting the electrode mounting body, which is disposed at an appropriate position on the electrode mounting body. 1. A pressing force control device for a therapeutic electrode, comprising: a control means for detecting distortion of the electrode attachment body and controlling driving of the advancing and retracting means.