Ultrasonic treatment device that determines quality of ultrasonic output, and operation method and program for ultrasonic treatment device

Abstract

To provide an ultrasonic treatment device that can easily check the quality of ultrasonic output irradiated from transducers.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic treatment device 100 for irradiating ultrasonic to a treatment part of a patient through transducers 41, 42 that convert electrical signals into ultrasonic includes: transmission condition setting means 12 for setting transmission condition information 22 on the transmission conditions of ultrasonic which includes a transmission frequency, a transmission repetition time, the number of waves per transmission, and a signal amplitude; a transmitter 31 for generating a transmission signal TX for generating ultrasonic from the transducers 41, 42, on the basis of the transmission condition information 22; and determination means 14 for determining the quality of the ultrasonic output generated by the transducers 41, 42, on the basis of the received signal RX of the ultrasonic and the transmission signal TX or the transmission condition information 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic treatment device for determining whether an ultrasonic output is good or bad, and to an operating method and program for said device. [Background technology]

[0002] Ultrasonic therapy devices are used to treat various symptoms such as neuralgia and bone fractures, relieve pain, and promote healing. In recent years, therapy devices that output low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) have attracted attention, and attempts have been made to treat various parts, symptoms, and diseases. For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses an ultrasonic therapy device intended for the treatment of dementia.

[0003] When treating a specific disease using such an ultrasonic therapy device, ultrasonic waves conforming to predetermined transmission conditions are irradiated to the patient's treatment area. There are three methods for checking the quality of the ultrasonic output irradiated from the transducer, for example: The first method is to observe the waveform with an oscilloscope using a dedicated microphone that matches the shape of the transducer; The second method is to measure using a water tank and a hydrophone; and The third method is to measure using an ultrasonic power meter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 181991 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] If it were possible to easily check whether the ultrasonic output emitted from the transducer is good or bad, the use of ultrasonic therapy devices for treating specific diseases such as dementia would be promoted in treatment sites such as treatment rooms in treatment facilities. However, due to the following factors, the use of ultrasonic therapy devices in these treatment sites has not yet been promoted.

[0006] The first method for checking whether the ultrasound output is good or not requires space to install an oscilloscope for observing the waveform. The second method, like the first method, also requires space to install a measurement system including a water tank. As inspection technology has become more sophisticated, many inspection devices for different purposes are installed in treatment rooms in recent years, and it is not easy to secure additional installation space in the treatment room. In the second method, the setting up of the measurement system is also complicated, and doctors at treatment facilities cannot frequently measure each patient. In the third method, ultrasonic power meters are expensive, which is a large financial burden.

[0007] Thus, in a field where an ultrasonic treatment device is used to treat a patient, there is a demand for a technique for easily checking whether the ultrasonic output radiated from the transducer is good or bad.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic treatment device that can easily check whether the ultrasonic output radiated from a transducer is good or bad. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention for solving the above problems includes, for example, the following aspects. (Section 1) An ultrasonic treatment device that irradiates ultrasonic waves to a treatment site of a patient through a transducer that converts an electrical signal into ultrasonic waves, a transmission condition setting means for setting transmission condition information including a transmission frequency, a transmission repetition time, a wave number per transmission, and a signal amplitude, which is information regarding the transmission conditions of the ultrasonic wave; a transmitter that generates a transmission signal for generating an ultrasonic wave from the transducer based on the transmission condition information; a determination means for determining whether the output of the ultrasonic waves generated by the transducer is good or bad based on a reception signal of the ultrasonic waves and the transmission signal or the transmission condition information; An ultrasonic treatment device comprising: (Section 2) Based on a switching signal from the transmission condition setting means, When the transducer generates an ultrasonic wave based on the transmission signal, the transmitter and the transducer are connected to each other; Item 1. The ultrasonic treatment device according to item 1, further comprising a transmission / reception switch that connects the transducer to the determination means when the transducer receives ultrasonic waves and generates the reception signal. (Section 3) 3. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reception signal is a reception signal of an ultrasonic wave passing through an ultrasonic propagation medium. (Section 4) Further comprising a rod-shaped body, Item 4. The ultrasonic treatment device according to item 3, wherein the ultrasonic propagation medium is disposed in a hollow portion of the rod-shaped body. (Section 5) One of the pair of transducers disposed at one end of the rod-shaped body generates the ultrasonic wave, 5. The ultrasonic treatment device according to item 4, wherein the other of the pair of transducers arranged at the other end of the rod-shaped body generates the reception signal. (Section 6) Item 4. The ultrasonic treatment device according to item 3, wherein the ultrasonic propagation medium is the human body. (Section 7) 3. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 2, wherein the reception signal is an ultrasonic reception signal reflected by an ultrasonic reflector. (Section 8) Further comprising a rod-shaped body, Item 8. The ultrasonic therapeutic device according to item 7, wherein the reflector is disposed at an end of the rod-shaped body or at an intermediate portion along the longitudinal direction. (Section 9) Item 8. The ultrasonic treatment device according to item 7, wherein the reflector is disposed at an irradiation port of the transducer. (Section 10) 3. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reception signal is an ultrasonic reception signal received by a receiving transducer arranged on the irradiation port side of the transducer. (Section 11) Further comprising a rod-shaped body, Item 11. The ultrasonic treatment device according to item 10, wherein the receiving transducer is disposed at an end of the rod-shaped body. (Section 12) Item 11. The ultrasonic treatment device according to item 10, wherein the receiving transducer is a microphone. (Section 13) A method for operating an ultrasonic treatment device that irradiates ultrasonic waves to a treatment site of a patient through a transducer that converts an electrical signal into ultrasonic waves, comprising: a transmission condition setting step of setting transmission condition information, which is information regarding the transmission conditions of the ultrasonic waves and includes a transmission frequency, a transmission repetition time, a wave number per transmission, and a signal amplitude; a transmission signal generating step of generating a transmission signal for generating an ultrasonic wave from the transducer based on the transmission condition information; a determination step of determining whether the output of the ultrasonic wave generated by the transducer is good or bad based on a reception signal of the ultrasonic wave and the transmission signal or the transmission condition information; A method for operating an ultrasonic therapy device, comprising: (Section 14) A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the ultrasonic treatment device according to any one of items 1 to 12. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic treatment device that can easily check whether the ultrasonic output radiated from the transducer is good or bad. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an external view of an ultrasonic treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram for explaining functions of an ultrasonic treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3]4 is an example of the waveform and transmission conditions of ultrasonic waves irradiated by the device. [Figure 4] 1 is an example of a treatment protocol using ultrasound irradiation. [Diagram 5] 1 is an example of a timing chart showing a transmission signal output by a transmitter, ultrasonic signals generated by two transducers, and a switching signal input to a transmission / reception switch. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram for explaining a first mode for determining whether an ultrasonic output generated by a transducer is good or bad. FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is a diagram for explaining a second mode for determining whether the ultrasonic output generated by the transducer is good or bad. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a diagram for explaining a third manner for judging whether the ultrasonic output generated by the transducer is good or bad. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description and drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same or similar components, and therefore, redundant description of the same or similar components will be omitted.

[0013] [Device configuration] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the outline of the appearance of an ultrasonic treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the function of the ultrasonic treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] The ultrasonic treatment device 100 according to one embodiment (hereinafter, also simply referred to as device 100) is an ultrasonic treatment device that irradiates ultrasonic waves to a treatment site of a patient through ultrasonic transducers (hereinafter, also simply referred to as transducers) 41 and 42 that convert electrical signals into ultrasonic waves. a transmission condition setting unit 12 that sets transmission condition information 22, which is information about ultrasonic transmission conditions and includes a transmission frequency, a transmission repetition time, the number of waves per transmission, and a signal amplitude; A transmitter 31 that generates a transmission signal TX for transmitting ultrasonic waves from transducers 41 and 42 based on transmission condition information 22; a determination unit 14 for determining whether the ultrasonic output generated by the transducers 41 and 42 is good or bad based on an ultrasonic reception signal RX and a transmission signal TX or transmission condition information 22; It is an ultrasonic treatment device equipped with.

[0015] In this embodiment, the ultrasound output by the device 100 is low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS). The device 100 enhances the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by irradiating the patient's heart and brain with low-intensity pulsed ultrasound, and has been shown to be effective for angina pectoris, heart failure with preserved ejection function (HFpEF), pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and Alzheimer's dementia. Considering the effect of enhancing the expression of eNOS and VEGF, the device 100 is also expected to be effective in treating other diseases caused by microcirculatory failure, such as Lewy body dementia, cerebrovascular dementia, cerebral infarction, Parkinson's disease, HFrEF, ASO, CKD, and ED.

[0016] The device 100 according to one embodiment includes a data processing unit 10, an auxiliary storage device 20, a transmitter 31, a receiver 32, a transmission / reception switch 33, an input unit 34, a display unit 35, a microphone 36, and a communication interface unit (communication I / F unit) 39. The data processing unit 10 is configured as software, while the auxiliary storage device 20, the transmitter 31, the receiver 32, the transmission / reception switch 33, the input unit 34, the display unit 35, the microphone 36, and the communication I / F unit 39 are configured as hardware. Although not shown, the device 100 further includes, as hardware configuration, a processor such as a CPU that performs data processing, and a memory that the processor uses as a working area for data processing.

[0017] The data processing unit 10 is a functional block realized by a processor executing a control program 29 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the program 29), which will be described later. In this embodiment, the data processing unit 10 is provided as a software functional block. In this embodiment, the data processing unit 10 includes a treatment information acquisition unit 11, a transmission condition setting unit 12, a treatment protocol management unit 13, and a judgment unit 14.

[0018] The treatment information acquisition unit 11 acquires treatment information 21 from the operator via the input unit 34. The treatment information 21 includes, for example, information on the treatment site of the patient (e.g., brain), information on the disease to be treated (e.g., dementia), and patient information. The patient information includes, for example, the patient's name, date of birth, patient ID, and sex.

[0019] The transmission condition setting unit 12 sets the transmission condition information 22 based on the treatment information 21. The transmission condition information 22 is information on the transmission conditions of ultrasound, and includes the transmission frequency, the transmission repetition time (PRF=1 / transmission repetition time), the number of waves per transmission, and the signal amplitude.

[0020] FIG. 3 shows an example of the waveform and transmission conditions of the ultrasound emitted by the device. When ultrasound is irradiated to the brain as an example of treatment, for example, ultrasound is irradiated to the pathological part of the brain with a frequency of 500 kHz, a wave number of 32 waves, a transmission repetition time of 1.28 ms (transmitting waves alternately from both sides using multiple transducers), and a sound pressure in the range of 0.5-0.05 MPa. When ultrasound is irradiated to the heart as another example of treatment, for example, the frequency can be set to 1.875 MHz. In this way, different transmission conditions can be set for different irradiation targets.

[0021] The transmission condition setting unit 12 also generates a switching signal SW for controlling a transmission / reception switch 33, which will be described later. The generated switching signal SW is input to the transmission / reception switch 33.

[0022] The treatment protocol management unit 13 sets the treatment protocol information 23 based on the treatment information 21 and manages the progress of the treatment. The treatment protocol information 23 is information on the ultrasound irradiation conditions, including the irradiation time per irradiation, the total number of irradiations per day, and the irradiation interruption time between each irradiation. The treatment protocol information 23 is information set for each patient for each disease to be treated.

[0023] FIG. 4 is an example of a treatment protocol using ultrasonic irradiation. In the illustrated treatment protocol for treating dementia with the brain as the irradiation target, for example, ultrasonic irradiation is performed for 20 minutes per session, three times per day with a 5-minute interval between each session, and this irradiation per day is performed three times a week as one course, and irradiation is performed for 3 to 9 courses every 2 to 3 months. In FIG. 4, six courses are performed at three-month intervals in the upper part, and nine courses are performed at two-month intervals in the lower part. Improvement of dementia is observed by ultrasonic irradiation according to the illustrated treatment protocol. In the treatment protocol for treating the heart including angina pectoris and ischemic tissue, the irradiation time and number of times per day, the number of days per course, and the total number of courses are specified as in the illustrated dementia case. The difference between treating the heart and treating the brain is that the improvement effect of the pathology is observed even with a smaller total number of courses, and the improvement effect of the pathology may be observed even with, for example, three courses.

[0024] 1 and 2 will be referred to again. The judgment unit 14 judges whether the ultrasonic output generated by the transducers 41, 42 is good or bad based on the ultrasonic reception signal RX and the transmission signal TX or the transmission condition information 22. The transmission signal TX is a signal generated by the transmitter 31, and the reception signal RX is a signal generated by the transducers 41, 42 upon receiving ultrasonic waves. The transmitter 31 and the receiver 32 will be described later.

[0025] The transducers 41, 42 receive ultrasonic waves in various ways, which will be described later, and generate a reception signal RX. The reception signal RX is input to the determination unit 14 through the transmission / reception switch 33 and the receiver 32. The determination unit 14 determines whether the reception signal RX has been appropriately generated from ultrasonic waves generated by the transducers in accordance with the transmission signal TX. To perform such a determination, at least one of the transmission signal TX generated by the transmitter 31 and the transmission condition information 22 is input to the determination unit 14. In this embodiment, both the transmission signal TX and the reception signal RX are analog signals, and are A / D converted before being input to the determination unit 14. The transmission condition information 22 is digital data.

[0026] A description will now be given of an example of a mode in which the determining unit 14 determines whether the ultrasonic output generated by the transducers 41 and 42 is good or bad by performing, for example, the following three steps.

[0027] In the first step, a judgment condition is generated. The judgment unit 14 sets, for example, a threshold value used as the judgment condition based on the transmission signal TX or the transmission condition information 22. The threshold value can be set for each piece of information related to the transmission condition of the ultrasonic wave. The transmission condition of the ultrasonic wave is, for example, at least one of the transmission frequency, the transmission repetition time, the number of waves per transmission, and the signal amplitude. For example, the threshold value is the amplitude value of the ultrasonic wave desired to be irradiated from the transducers 41 and 42. The transmission voltage is set by the transmission signal TX or the transmission condition information 22, and the ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the transducer. The transmitted ultrasonic wave is received and converted into an electrical signal. The ideal amplitude value of the electrical signal received by the set transmission voltage can be obtained in advance. The threshold value is, for example, 80% of the ideal amplitude value that can be obtained. For example, when the voltage of the signal amplitude is set to 100 Vpp as the transmission condition of the ultrasonic wave, the threshold voltage of the signal amplitude used as the judgment condition is 80 mVpp. The subscript pp stands for Peak to Peak, and represents the voltage between the maximum and minimum amplitude values.

[0028] In the second step, data to be judged is generated. The judgement unit 14 generates the data to be judged from the received signal RX. The data to be judged can be set for each piece of information related to the transmission conditions of the ultrasonic waves. For example, when the signal amplitude is used as the data to be judged, the judgement unit 14 focuses on a certain section of the received signal RX, calculates, for example, the average value of the signal amplitude within the focused section, and sets the calculated average value as the data to be judged. In another aspect, the maximum value can be used as the data to be judged instead of the average value.

[0029] In the third step, the quality of the ultrasonic output generated by the transducers 41 and 42 is judged. The judgment unit 14 judges whether the reception signal RX is appropriately generated from the ultrasonic waves generated by the transmitter 31 in accordance with the transmission signal TX, based on the judgment conditions generated in the first step and the data to be judged generated in the second step, and judges whether the ultrasonic output generated by the transducers 41 and 42 is quality.

[0030] For example, when the average value of the voltage of the signal amplitude in a certain section of the received signal RX is higher than the voltage of the signal amplitude set as the threshold value, the judgment unit 14 judges that the received signal RX is properly generated from the ultrasonic waves generated by the transmitter 31 in accordance with the transmission signal TX, and judges that the ultrasonic waves generated by the transducers 41 and 42 are normal. Conversely, when the average value of the voltage of the signal amplitude in a certain section of the received signal RX is lower than the voltage of the signal amplitude set as the threshold value, the judgment unit 14 judges that the received signal RX is not properly generated from the ultrasonic waves generated by the transmitter 31 in accordance with the transmission signal TX, and judges that the ultrasonic waves generated by the transducers 41 and 42 are abnormal.

[0031] The auxiliary storage device 20 is a non-volatile storage device that stores an operating system (OS), various control programs, and data generated by the programs, and is configured, for example, by a flash memory, an eMMC (embedded multi media card), an SSD (solid state drive), etc. In this embodiment, the auxiliary storage device 20 stores treatment information 21, transmission condition information 22, treatment protocol information 23, and a program 29.

[0032] The program 29 is a computer program for implementing each of the units 11 to 14 in the data processing unit 10, which are functional blocks implemented by software and will be described later. The program 29 may be installed in the device 100 via a network 99, such as the Internet, connected by a communication I / F unit 39. Alternatively, the program 29 may be installed in the device 100 by having the device 100 read a computer-readable, non-transitory, tangible recording medium, such as a memory card, on which the program 29 is recorded.

[0033] The transmitter 31 generates a transmission signal TX based on the transmission condition information 22 from the transmission condition setting unit 12 and the treatment protocol information 23 from the treatment protocol management unit 13, and outputs the generated transmission signal TX to the transducers 41, 42 through the transmission / reception switcher 33. The transmission signal TX is an electric signal for the transducers 41, 42 to generate ultrasonic waves, and the transducers 41, 42 convert the input transmission signal TX into ultrasonic waves and output the ultrasonic waves to the treatment site (e.g., the brain) of the patient. For example, when the device 100 is used to treat dementia, the transducers 41, 42 are placed on the temporal bone of the patient 93. When the device 100 is not used, the transducers 41, 42 can be placed on both ends of a rod-shaped handle 44 (rod-shaped body 44) provided on the device 100, as shown in FIG. 1. The transmitter 31 can be composed of an electric circuit such as a high-frequency oscillator. The transducers 41, 42 can be composed of a piezoelectric element, for example. The oscillation frequency of the transmitter 31 is, for example, 0.5 MHz to 10 MHz.

[0034] The receiver 32 receives an ultrasonic reception signal RX generated by the transducers 41 and 42 receiving ultrasonic waves. The reception signal RX received by the receiver 32 is input to the determination unit 14. In this embodiment, the receiver 32 is configured using an amplifier that amplifies the reception signal RX, a filter circuit that removes or reduces noise in the signal, and an A / D converter.

[0035] The transmission / reception switch 33 connects the transmitter 31 to the transducers 41, 42 when the transducers 41, 42 generate ultrasonic waves based on a transmission signal TX based on a switching signal SW from the transmission condition setting unit 12, and connects the transducers 41, 42 to the receiver 32 (i.e., to the judgment unit 14) when the transducers 41, 42 receive ultrasonic waves and generate a reception signal RX.

[0036] Since the two transducers 41, 42 alternately transmit and receive ultrasonic waves, the transmission / reception switch 33 switches the transmission path so as not to cause interference between the transmission signal TX and the reception signal RX. In this embodiment, the transmission / reception switch 33 includes two transmission / reception switching circuits 331, 332, and the switching operations of the transmission / reception switching circuits 331, 332 are controlled by a switching signal SW.

[0037] The first transmission / reception switching circuit 331 switches the connection between the first transducer 41 and the transmitter 31 or the receiver 32. The second transmission / reception switching circuit 332 switches the connection between the second transducer 42 and the transmitter 31 or the receiver 32. The transmission / reception switcher 33 (the first and second transmission / reception switching circuits 331, 332) can be configured with an electric circuit. The transmission / reception switcher 33 can connect both the first transducer 41 and the second transducer 42 to the transmitter 31, and can connect both the first transducer 41 and the second transducer 42 to the receiver 32. An example of a timing chart showing the transmission signal output by the transmitter, the ultrasonic signals generated by the two transducers, and the switching signal input to the transmission / reception switcher is shown in FIG. 5. The switching signal SW generated by the transmission condition setting unit 12 is generated to switch the transmission path so as to prevent interference between the transmission signal TX and the reception signal RX, thereby enabling the two transducers 41, 42 to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves alternately.

[0038] The input unit 34 is a device that accepts input from an operator, and the display unit 35 is a device that displays information to the operator. The input unit 34 can be configured, for example, by an input switch, a pointing device, a keyboard, etc., and the display unit 35 can be configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, etc. In this embodiment, the input unit 34 and the display unit 35 are configured as an integrated touch panel.

[0039] The microphone 36 is a known microphone that receives sound and generates a reception signal RX. The generated reception signal RX is input to the determination unit 14 via the receiver 32.

[0040] The communication I / F unit 39 is a device that transmits and receives data to and from an external device (not shown, for example, a cloud server) via a wireless or wired network 99. The communication I / F unit 39 can transmit and receive data via various wireless connections such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and ZigBee (registered trademark), or via wired connections such as Ethernet (registered trademark). In other embodiments, the communication I / F unit 39 can have any configuration.

[0041] [Device operation] The method of operating the ultrasonic treatment device 100 according to one embodiment is a method of operating an ultrasonic treatment device that irradiates ultrasonic waves to a treatment site of a patient through ultrasonic transducers 41 and 42 that convert electrical signals into ultrasonic waves, a transmission condition setting step of setting transmission condition information 22, which is information on the transmission conditions of the ultrasonic waves and includes a transmission frequency, a transmission repetition time, the number of waves per transmission, and a signal amplitude; a transmission signal generating step of generating a transmission signal TX for transmitting ultrasonic waves from the transducers 41 and 42 based on the transmission condition information 22; a determination step of determining whether the ultrasonic output generated by the transducers 41 and 42 is good or bad based on the ultrasonic reception signal RX and the transmission signal TX or the transmission condition information 22; Includes.

[0042] [Determination mode] Hereinafter, various aspects of the ultrasonic treatment device 100 according to one embodiment when determining whether the ultrasonic output irradiated from the transducers 41 and 42 is good or bad will be described with reference to Figs.

[0043] Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining a first mode for determining whether the ultrasonic output generated by the transducer is good or bad. In the first mode shown in Fig. 6, the quality of the ultrasonic output generated by the transducer is determined based on the received signal of the ultrasonic wave passing through ultrasonic propagation media 51, 52. For the ultrasonic propagation medium 51, for example, various resin materials such as acrylic resin, various liquids such as water, various oils such as liquid paraffin (mineral oil), various metal materials such as aluminum, and composite materials of the above materials can be used. It is preferable that the reflection coefficient of the ultrasonic wave for the ultrasonic propagation media 51, 52 is known.

[0044] In the embodiment shown in (A), the ultrasonic propagation medium 51 is disposed in the hollow portion of the rod-shaped body 44. When determining whether the ultrasonic output is good or bad, of the pair of transducers 41, 42, one transducer 41 disposed at one end of the rod-shaped body 44 generates ultrasonic waves, and the other transducer 42 disposed at the other end of the rod-shaped body 44 generates a reception signal RX. Conversely, one transducer 42 disposed at one end of the rod-shaped body 44 may generate ultrasonic waves, and the other transducer 41 disposed at the other end of the rod-shaped body 44 may generate a reception signal RX.

[0045] In the embodiment shown in (B), a human body 52 is used as an ultrasonic propagation medium, and a pair of transducers 41, 42 are arranged on a straight line on the surface of the human body 52 with the human body 52 in between. As in the embodiment shown in (A), of the pair of transducers 41, 42, one transducer 41 arranged on one surface of the human body 52 generates ultrasonic waves, and the other transducer 42 arranged on the other surface of the human body 52 generates a reception signal RX. Conversely, one transducer 42 arranged on one surface of the human body 52 may generate ultrasonic waves, and the other transducer 41 arranged on the other surface of the human body 52 may generate a reception signal RX.

[0046] Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining a second aspect of judging whether the ultrasonic output generated by the transducer is good or bad. In the second aspect shown in Fig. 7, the quality of the ultrasonic output generated by the transducer is judged based on the received signal of the ultrasonic reflected by the ultrasonic reflectors 53, 54. It is preferable that the reflection coefficient of the ultrasonic wave for the ultrasonic reflectors 53, 54 is known.

[0047] In the embodiment shown in (A), the reflector 53 is disposed at the end of the rod-shaped body 44. When determining whether the ultrasonic output is good or bad, the transducer 41 is disposed at the end of the rod-shaped body 44 with the reflector 53 sandwiched therebetween. The transducer 41 disposed at the end of the rod-shaped body 44 generates ultrasonic waves toward the reflector 53, receives the reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves reflected by the reflector 53, and generates a reception signal RX. The first transmission / reception switching circuit 331 connects the transmitter 31 and the transducer 41 when the transducer 41 generates ultrasonic waves based on the transmission signal TX, and connects the transducer 41 and the receiver 32 when the transducer 41 receives the reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves and generates a reception signal RX.

[0048] As with transducer 41, transducer 42, which is disposed at the end of rod-shaped body 44, generates ultrasonic waves toward reflector 53 and receives the reflected ultrasonic waves reflected by reflector 53 to generate a reception signal RX. The second transmission / reception switching circuit 332 connects transmitter 31 and transducer 42 when transducer 42 generates ultrasonic waves based on transmission signal TX, and connects transducer 42 and receiver 32 when transducer 42 receives the reflected ultrasonic waves to generate a reception signal RX.

[0049] In addition, since the ultrasonic treatment device 100 judges whether the ultrasonic output to be irradiated is good or bad for each of the transducers 41 and 42, it is sufficient that at least one of the pair of transducers 41 and 42 is disposed at the end of the rod-shaped body 44.

[0050] In the embodiment shown in (A), the reflector 53 is disposed at the end of the rod-shaped body 44, but the position at which the reflector 53 is disposed is not limited to this. In the embodiment shown in (B), the reflector 53 is disposed at a middle portion along the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped body 44. The rod-shaped body 44 is preferably hollow, and an ultrasonic propagation medium 51 is disposed in the hollow portion of the rod-shaped body 44. It is preferable that the reflection coefficient of ultrasonic waves for the ultrasonic propagation medium 51 is known.

[0051] In the embodiment shown in (B), similarly to the embodiment shown in (A), when determining whether the ultrasonic output is good or bad, the transducer 41 is disposed at the end of the rod-shaped body 44. Compared to the embodiment shown in (A), the distance between the transducer faces of the transducers 41, 42 and the reflector 53 is longer in the embodiment shown in (B). As a result, compared to the embodiment shown in (A), the embodiment shown in (B) has the advantage that it is easier to separate the transmitted wave from the received wave, and that only one reflector 53 is required.

[0052] In the embodiment shown in (C), the reflector 54 is disposed at the irradiation port of the transducers 41 and 42. When determining whether the ultrasonic output is good or bad, the transducer 41 generates ultrasonic waves toward the reflector 54 covering the irradiation port of the transducer 41, receives the reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves reflected by the reflector 54, and generates a received signal RX. The transducer 42 is similar to the transducer 41.

[0053] Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining a third mode for determining whether the ultrasonic output generated by the transducer is good or bad. In the third mode shown in Fig. 8, the quality of the ultrasonic output generated by the transducer is determined based on a reception signal of the ultrasonic wave received by a receiving transducer 55 arranged on the irradiation port side of the transducers 41 and 42.

[0054] The receiving transducer 55 is a separate structure from the ultrasonic treatment device 100, and is used by being connected to the receiver 32. The receiving transducer 55, like the transducers 41 and , is formed of, for example, a piezoelectric element.

[0055] In the embodiment shown in (A), the receiving transducer 55 is disposed at the end of the rod-shaped body 44. When determining whether the ultrasonic output is good or bad, the transducer 41 is disposed at the end of the rod-shaped body 44 with the receiving transducer 55 sandwiched therebetween. The transducer 41 disposed at the end of the rod-shaped body 44 generates ultrasonic waves toward the receiving transducer 55, and the receiving transducer 55 receives the ultrasonic waves generated by the transducer 41 to generate a reception signal RX. As with the transducer 41, the transducer 42 disposed at the end of the rod-shaped body 44 generates ultrasonic waves toward the receiving transducer 55, and the receiving transducer 55 receives the ultrasonic waves generated by the transducer 42 to generate a reception signal RX.

[0056] In addition, since the ultrasonic treatment device 100 judges whether the ultrasonic output to be irradiated is good or bad for each of the transducers 41 and 42, it is sufficient that at least one of the pair of transducers 41 and 42 is disposed at the end of the rod-shaped body 44.

[0057] In the embodiment shown in (B), a microphone 36 is used as the receiving transducer. When determining whether the ultrasonic output is good or bad, the transducer 41 generates ultrasonic waves toward the microphone 36 arranged on the irradiation port side of the transducer 41, and the microphone 36 receives the ultrasonic waves generated by the transducer 41 to generate a reception signal RX. The transducer 42 is similar to the transducer 41.

[0058] It is sufficient that the microphone 36 is placed on the irradiation port side of the transducers 41, 42, and as long as the microphone 36 can detect the ultrasonic waves generated by the transducers 41, 42, the microphone 36 may be in contact with the irradiation port of the transducers 41, 42 or may be separated from it.

[0059] As described above, according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic treatment device that can easily check whether the ultrasonic output radiated from the transducer is good or bad.

[0060] The ultrasonic treatment device 100 according to one embodiment includes a judgment unit 14, which judges whether the ultrasonic output generated by the transducers 41, 42 is good or bad based on the ultrasonic reception signal RX and the transmission signal TX or transmission condition information 22. The transmission signal TX or transmission condition information 22 is information related to the transmission conditions of the ultrasonic waves irradiated from the transducers 41, 42, and the transmitter 31 generates ultrasonic waves according to the transmission signal TX or transmission condition information 22. The reception signal RX is a reception signal of the ultrasonic waves actually irradiated from the transducers 41, 42. The judgment unit 14 judges whether the reception signal RX is appropriately generated from the ultrasonic waves generated by the transmitter 31 according to the transmission signal TX or transmission condition information 22, and judges whether the ultrasonic output generated by the transducers 41, 42 is good or bad.

[0061] This makes it possible to easily check whether the ultrasound output emitted from the transducer is good or bad without using separate inspection equipment such as an oscilloscope for observing waveforms or a measurement system including a water tank, thereby promoting the use of ultrasound therapy devices for the treatment of specific diseases, such as dementia, in settings where patients are treated using ultrasound therapy devices.

[0062] [Other formats] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the ultrasonic therapy device 100 outputs low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), but the ultrasonic waves output by the device 100 are not limited to this low-intensity pulsed ultrasound. The treatment site of the patient is not limited to the brain, and the disease to be treated is not limited to dementia, as exemplified. As long as the patient is treated, the ultrasonic therapy device 100 can output ultrasonic waves of any frequency, wave number, amplitude, waveform, etc. to any treatment site for any disease.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the treatment information 21 is acquired from the operator via the input unit 34, but the manner of acquiring the treatment information 21 is not limited to this. The treatment information 21 may be input and recorded in advance in an external device (e.g., a cloud server) and then imported into the device 100 via the communication I / F unit 39 and the network 99.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the ultrasonic treatment device 100 is realized as an integrated device, but the device 100 does not need to be an integrated device, and the processor, memory, auxiliary storage device 20, etc. may be located in different places and connected to each other via a network. The input unit 34, the display unit 35, and the microphone 36 do not necessarily need to be located in one place, and may be located in different places and connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a network.

[0066] In the above embodiment, each of the functional blocks 11-14 constituting the data processing unit 10 is realized by software, but each of these functional blocks 11-14 may be realized partly or entirely as hardware. For example, the determination unit 14 may be realized as an electronic circuit that processes analog or digital signals. The processing of each of the functional blocks 11-14 constituting the data processing unit 10 does not need to be processed by a single processor, and may be distributed and processed by multiple processors. The functions of the data processing unit 10 and the data items in the auxiliary storage device 20 may be clouded partly or entirely in an external device (e.g., a cloud server) connected via the communication I / F unit 39 and the network 99. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10 Data Processing Section 11 Treatment Information Acquisition Department 12 Transmission condition setting section 13 Treatment Protocol Management Department 14 Judgment section 20 Auxiliary storage 21 Treatment information 22 Transmission condition information 23 Treatment Protocol Information 29 Programs 31 Transmitter 32 Receiver 33 Transmitter / receiver switch 34 Input section 35 Display section 36. Mike 39 Communication interface section (communication I / F section) 41,42 Ultrasonic transducer 44 Rod-shaped handle (rod-shaped body) 51,52 Ultrasonic propagation medium 53,54 Reflector 55 Receiving transducer 92 Headset 93 patients 99 Network 100 Ultrasonic therapy device

Claims

1. An ultrasonic treatment device that irradiates ultrasonic waves to a treatment site of a patient through a transducer that converts an electrical signal into ultrasonic waves, a transmission condition setting means for setting transmission condition information including a transmission frequency, a transmission repetition time, a wave number per transmission, and a signal amplitude, which is information regarding the transmission conditions of the ultrasonic wave; a transmitter that generates a transmission signal for generating an ultrasonic wave from the transducer based on the transmission condition information; a determination means for determining whether the output of the ultrasonic waves generated by the transducer is good or bad based on a reception signal of the ultrasonic waves and the transmission signal or the transmission condition information; An ultrasonic treatment device comprising:

2. Based on a switching signal from the transmission condition setting means, When the transducer generates an ultrasonic wave based on the transmission signal, the transmitter and the transducer are connected to each other; 2. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission / reception switch that connects said transducer to said determination means when said transducer receives ultrasonic waves and generates said reception signal.

3. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the received signal is a received signal of an ultrasonic wave passing through an ultrasonic propagation medium.

4. Further comprising a rod-shaped body, The ultrasonic therapy device according to claim 3 , wherein the ultrasonic propagation medium is disposed in a hollow portion of the rod-shaped body.

5. One of the pair of transducers disposed at one end of the rod-shaped body generates the ultrasonic wave, The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 4 , wherein the other of the pair of transducers arranged at the other end of the rod-shaped body generates the reception signal.

6. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 3 , wherein the ultrasonic propagation medium is a human body.

7. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 2 , wherein the reception signal is a reception signal of ultrasonic waves reflected by an ultrasonic reflector.

8. Further comprising a rod-shaped body, The ultrasonic therapeutic device according to claim 7 , wherein the reflector is disposed at an end of the rod-shaped body or at an intermediate portion along the longitudinal direction.

9. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 7 , wherein the reflector is disposed at an irradiation port of the transducer.

10. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the reception signal is an ultrasonic reception signal received by a receiving transducer arranged on the irradiation port side of the transducer.

11. Further comprising a rod-shaped body, The ultrasonic therapy device according to claim 10, wherein the receiving transducer is disposed at an end of the rod-shaped body.

12. The ultrasonic therapy device according to claim 10, wherein the receiving transducer is a microphone.

13. A method for operating an ultrasonic treatment device that irradiates ultrasonic waves to a treatment site of a patient through a transducer that converts an electrical signal into ultrasonic waves, comprising: a transmission condition setting step of setting transmission condition information, which is information regarding the transmission conditions of the ultrasonic waves and includes a transmission frequency, a transmission repetition time, a wave number per transmission, and a signal amplitude; a transmission signal generating step of generating a transmission signal for generating an ultrasonic wave from the transducer based on the transmission condition information; a determination step of determining whether the output of the ultrasonic wave generated by the transducer is good or bad based on a reception signal of the ultrasonic wave and the transmission signal or the transmission condition information; A method for operating an ultrasonic therapy device, comprising:

14. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the ultrasonic treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

Images