Ac magnetic field generation device for cancer treatment

Abstract

To provide an AC magnetic field generation device for disease treatment which is significantly safe and has fewer side effects compared with a method for treating tumor using existing magnetic nanoparticles, and to provide a system thereof.SOLUTION: An AC magnetic field generation device includes a coil head 10 for surrounding a target region of the body and generating an AC magnetic field inside, a current generator for applying AC current to the coil head, and a control unit for adjusting the intensity and the frequency of the AC magnetic field, the coil being arranged in a parallel structure of a plurality of coils. The AC magnetic field generation device can further include a ferrite core outside the coil, and through this, an AC magnetic field which is more uniform and denser can be applied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to alternating current magnetic field generating devices and systems for disease treatment, and more particularly to alternating current magnetic field generating devices and systems that can reduce the size of tumors by applying an alternating current magnetic field of a specific frequency to a target area of ​​the body to treat diseases such as intracorporeal tumors. [Background technology]

[0002] In the treatment of malignant or benign tumors, methods such as tumor tissue removal surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are widely used, but these treatment methods have the disadvantage of causing side effects that are harmful to the body along with tumor treatment. Specifically, if the boundary between tumor tissue and normal tissue is unclear, it may be impossible to completely remove tumor tissue by surgery, and radiation therapy may affect proliferating normal cells and cause side effects such as hair loss. In addition, chemotherapy may cause multiple side effects such as dizziness, vomiting, and physical weakness, so a treatment method that can minimize such side effects is required.

[0003] For this reason, when magnetic nanoparticles are administered to a target area where a tumor is located and an alternating magnetic field is applied to the area, heat is generated from the magnetic nanoparticles that react to the alternating magnetic field, and a device for a treatment method that reduces the size of the tumor through this heat effect has been used in the past. However, when magnetic nanoparticles such as iron oxide particles are administered into the human body, they cannot be retrieved again, which may cause other fatal side effects, and there is also a drawback in that the affected area is inevitably colored darkly due to the characteristics of the magnetic nanoparticles.

[0004] The technology for treating tumors is a priority issue in modern society based on people's desire to maintain a healthy life, and the need for the development of devices that minimize side effects on the human body during the treatment of various diseases is increasing. Therefore, there is a continuous demand for a technology that realizes an AC magnetic field generator that shows a therapeutic effect without using magnetic nanoparticles, which can solve the problems of existing radiation therapy or AC magnetic field generators using nanoparticles and minimize side effects on the human body. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The technology disclosed in this specification provides an alternating magnetic field generating device that generates an alternating magnetic field that has a therapeutic effect on tumors without the use of magnetic nanoparticles, in order to minimize side effects in the treatment of diseases.

[0006] In addition, the technology disclosed in this specification provides an AC magnetic field generating device having a plurality of coil heads with different diameters so that an AC magnetic field can be applied to various body parts.

[0007] In addition, the technology disclosed in this specification provides an AC magnetic field generating system for disease treatment, which includes an AC magnetic field generating device, and is configured to set the frequency and intensity of the AC magnetic field through a control unit, generate an AC current having the set frequency and intensity with a current generator, and pass the AC current through a coil to generate an AC magnetic field in a target area of ​​the body.

[0008] The technical objectives that the AC magnetic field generating device and system according to the technical ideas of the technology disclosed in this specification aim to achieve are not limited to the objectives of solving the problems mentioned above, and other objectives not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An AC magnetic field generating device for disease treatment according to one embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification includes a coil head that surrounds a target area of ​​the body and generates an AC magnetic field therein; a current generator that receives power from a power source and applies AC current to the coil head; and a control unit that adjusts the intensity and frequency of the AC magnetic field, wherein the coil head includes a coil, and the coils are arranged in a parallel structure.

[0010] The coil may further include a ferrite core on the outside of the coil.

[0011] The ferrite core is configured to shield an outer surface of the coil.

[0012] The frequency of the AC field generated in the coil head is characterized by being 80 kHz to 120 kHz.

[0013] In addition, the AC magnetic field generating apparatus for treating a disease according to still another embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification further includes a heat reducing device disposed outside the coil head.

[0014] In an AC magnetic field generating apparatus for disease treatment according to one embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification, the coil head is configured to have a plurality of different inner diameters according to target areas of the body.

[0015] According to yet another embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification, an AC magnetic field generating device for disease treatment is characterized in that, in addition to the AC magnetic field generating device for disease treatment, it further includes a visual sensor for visually detecting a target area of ​​the body.

[0016] In addition, an AC magnetic field generating system for disease treatment according to yet another embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification includes any one of the AC magnetic field generating devices described above, and the system is configured to set a frequency and intensity of the AC magnetic field through the control unit, the current generator generates the AC current having the set frequency and intensity, and the AC current flows through the coil to generate the AC magnetic field in the target area of ​​the body. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the alternating magnetic field generating device for disease treatment according to the embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification, it is possible to obtain a therapeutic effect with reduced side effects, such as reducing the size of a tumor, by applying only an alternating magnetic field to a target area of ​​the body without using magnetic nanoparticles.

[0018] According to an AC magnetic field generating device according to an embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification, in comparison with the use of existing coils with a series structure, by configuring multiple coils in a parallel structure, the heat generated in the AC magnetic field generating device can be significantly reduced, thereby improving the safety of the device.

[0019] In addition, according to the embodiments of the technology disclosed in this specification, by varying the inner diameter of the coil of the AC magnetic field generating device according to various parts of the body, an AC magnetic field generating device that can be applied to any part of the body can be obtained, and convenience can be maximized by using a small-sized device for portability.

[0020] In addition, according to the embodiments of the technology disclosed in this specification, by providing a ferrite core that shields the outside of the coil, it is possible to apply a constant and uniform magnetic field to the target area, and by using a low frequency that is harmless to the human body, it is possible to prevent unexpected side effects.

[0021] On the other hand, the effects that can be achieved by the AC magnetic field generating device for disease treatment according to one embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description.

[0022] In order to more fully understand the drawings referred to herein, a brief description of each of the drawings is provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] An overall AC magnetic field generating device is shown as an example of the technology disclosed in this specification. [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates a parallel configuration of multiple coils contained within a coil head of the technology disclosed herein. [Figure 3A] 1 illustrates a state in which the ferrite core of the technology disclosed in this specification shields the outside of the coil, and magnetic field lines due to an alternating magnetic field. [Figure 3B] 1 illustrates a state in which the ferrite core of the technology disclosed in this specification shields the outside of the coil, and magnetic field lines due to an alternating magnetic field. [Figure 3C] 1 illustrates a state in which the ferrite core of the technology disclosed in this specification shields the outside of the coil, and magnetic field lines due to an alternating magnetic field. [Figure 3D] 1 illustrates a state in which the ferrite core of the technology disclosed in this specification shields the outside of the coil, and magnetic field lines due to an alternating magnetic field. [Figure 4] 1 is a detailed graph showing the therapeutic effect of reducing tumor volume of the technology disclosed herein. [Diagram 5] 1 is a visual representation of the change in tumor size in experimental subjects with and without magnetic nanoparticles and with and without application of an alternating magnetic field, with regard to the therapeutic effect of reducing tumor volume of the technology disclosed in this specification. [Figure 6] 1 is a detailed graph showing the tumor volume reduction effect that can be confirmed by using an AC magnetic field generating device of the technology disclosed in this specification, with and without magnetic nanoparticles and with and without application of an AC magnetic field. [Figure 7] The results of confirming the tumor treatment effect according to an embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification through a number of markers are shown. [Figure 8] 13 is a graph showing experimental results based on the tumor treatment effect according to an embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates an embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification. [Figure 10] 13 illustrates yet another embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] The technology disclosed in the present specification can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and will be described in detail through detailed descriptions. However, this is not intended to limit the technology disclosed in the present specification to a specific embodiment, and it should be understood that the technology disclosed in the present specification includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives included in the spirit and technical scope of the technology disclosed in the present specification.

[0025] In describing the technology disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a detailed description of related publicly known technology may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the technology disclosed in this specification, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, numbers (e.g., 1, 2, etc.) used in the description of this specification are merely identification symbols for distinguishing one component from another.

[0026] In addition, when a component is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another component in this specification, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected or coupled to the other component, but unless otherwise specified, it may also be connected or coupled via another component in between.

[0027] In addition, in this specification, a component expressed as "part" may be two or more components combined into one component, or one component may be divided into two or more components according to a more detailed function. In addition, each of the components described below may additionally perform some or all of the functions of other components in addition to its own main function, and it goes without saying that some of the main functions of each component may be exclusively performed by other components.

[0028] The terms "first," "second," "first," "second," and the like used in the various embodiments may modify various components regardless of order and / or importance, and do not limit the relevant components. For example, a first component may be named a second component, and similarly, a second component may be named instead of a first component, without departing from the scope of the technology disclosed herein.

[0029] Hereinafter, the AC magnetic field generating apparatus for treating diseases according to a preferred embodiment will be described in detail.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows an overall view of an AC magnetic field generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 1, the AC magnetic field generating device for treating a disease according to the present embodiment includes a coil head 10 including a coil for generating an AC magnetic field, a current generator 20 that receives power from a power source and converts DC current into AC current to apply AC current to the coil head 10, and further includes a control unit 30 configured to adjust the frequency of the AC current generated by the current generator 20 and the strength of the magnetic field.

[0032] The coil head 10 includes a coil 110 therein. When an AC current applied from a current generator 20 flows through the coil 110, a substantially uniform AC magnetic field is formed inside the coil 110. This AC magnetic field can be applied to a target area of ​​the body to reduce the volume and size of a tumor.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a circuit in which a plurality of coils 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention are arranged in parallel.

[0034] 2, each coil 110 is not a single coil in series but is a multiple coil in parallel. Such a parallel coil configuration has the effect of significantly reducing heat generation in the AC magnetic field generating device according to this embodiment and improving the safety of the device. Specifically, when the current intensity is set to 1.8A and the AC magnetic field frequency is set to 98kHz in the circuit of FIG. 2, the temperature measurement results shown in the table below are obtained.

[0035] [Table 1]

[0036] By configuring the coils in a parallel structure, the voltage across the capacitor 120 can be lowered, making the circuit configuration easier, and since the voltage across the capacitor 120 and coil 110 is very low compared to a circuit configured in series, it is safer and allows the use of an AC magnetic field generator with very low heat generation. Figures 3a to 3d show a ferrite core 130 coupled to a coil 110 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] 3A in more detail, this is a side view of the coil 110 wound in a circle, with the ferrite core 130 surrounding the coil 110 in a shape that completely shields the outside of the coil 110. FIG 3B is a front view of the shape of the ferrite core 130 surrounding the coil 110, with the ferrite core 130 shielding all parts of the circular coil 110 except for the inside.

[0038] Therefore, unlike the magnetic field lines 140 of the alternating magnetic field shown in Fig. 3C, the magnetic field lines 140 of the alternating magnetic field shown in Fig. 3D, which has a ferrite core 130 on the outside of the coil 110, are shown in a form in which the magnetic field is applied only to the inside. The magnetic field is further amplified by concentrating the alternating magnetic field in the inside, and it can be seen that this is a more efficient increase in the magnitude of the amplification of the magnetic field compared to a case in which a ferrite core in a "1" shape is simply installed.

[0039] In this embodiment, the ferrite core 130 is made of a polycrystalline material made by sintering materials such as zinc, manganese, iron oxide, and nickel, and has properties of high magnetic permeability and high electrical resistance. Therefore, the AC magnetic field generated by the current is amplified toward the inside by the ferrite core 130, and the magnetic field applied to the outside of the ferrite core 130 can be shielded.

[0040] In a method for treating a tumor by applying an AC magnetic field, it is necessary to apply a constant and uniform AC magnetic field to a target area of ​​the body to further improve the stability and reliability of the treatment method. Therefore, one embodiment of the present invention provides an AC magnetic field generating device that can apply a more uniform and concentrated AC magnetic field to a target area of ​​the body by utilizing a coil 110 with an additional ferrite core 130, and with such excellent effect, can efficiently reduce the size of the tumor in a shorter time.

[0041] FIG. 4 shows a graph of the experimental results in which an AC magnetic field was applied to a tumor, which was a target region of an experimental subject, under the same conditions for about 24 days using an AC magnetic field generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 4 shows the experimental results of applying an AC magnetic field for 30 minutes at a magnetic field strength of 140 Oe and a frequency of 100 kHz to a tumor that had grown in size due to the proliferation of tumor cells. The graph shows that an AC magnetic field was applied under the same conditions for 24 days, and the experimental group to which the AC magnetic field was applied is shown as a circular dot. It can be seen that the tumor size increased at a very small rate compared to the control group to which no AC magnetic field was applied. Considering the nature of malignant tumors, in which cell division progresses continuously and rapidly, this result shows that the rate of cell division was rapidly reduced by applying an AC magnetic field to the tumor site.

[0043] Figure 5 shows the results of an experiment in which tumor cells were injected into a subject with and without magnetic nanoparticles and with and without application of an AC magnetic field.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 5, the first row shows the experimental subjects in which only tumor cells were injected, no magnetic nanoparticles were injected, and no alternating magnetic field was applied. The second row shows the experimental subjects in which only an alternating magnetic field was applied to tumor cells. The third row shows the experimental subjects in which only magnetic nanoparticles were injected to tumor cells. The fourth row shows the experimental subjects in which magnetic nanoparticles were injected to tumor cells and an alternating magnetic field was applied. Referring to the experimental results of each row, there are a total of eight experimental subjects along each column. The first row shows the result in which the tumor size increased significantly due to cell division because no work was performed. In the second row, it can be seen that when magnetic nanoparticles were not injected and only an alternating magnetic field was applied to the target area of ​​the experimental subject, the tumor size decreased significantly compared to the experimental subject in the first row. The third row shows the experimental results in which only magnetic nanoparticles were injected, and it can be seen that the area where the magnetic nanoparticles were injected was colored darker, and the tumor size in the corresponding area increased. This shows that magnetic nanoparticles may cause other unpredictable side effects when injected into the body or experimental subjects. The fourth row shows the results after injecting magnetic nanoparticles and applying an AC magnetic field. It can be seen that the area where the magnetic nanoparticles were injected became slightly darker, and the size of the tumor was also significantly reduced.

[0045] From the above experimental results, it was confirmed that although the application of an AC magnetic field to magnetic nanoparticles can reduce the size of tumors through its heating effect, many side effects are unavoidable when magnetic nanoparticles are injected into the human body. Therefore, it was confirmed that the method of applying only an AC magnetic field to a target area of ​​the body is safer and more effective as a treatment method that can reduce the size of tumors to a significant extent while reducing such side effects.

[0046] FIG. 6 is a graph showing the experimental results under the same conditions as FIG.

[0047] In Figure 6, the square points indicate the tumor volume of experimental subjects where no changes were made, the circular points indicate the tumor volume of experimental subjects where only magnetic nanoparticles were injected, the triangular points indicate the tumor volume of experimental subjects where an alternating magnetic field was applied, and the inverted triangular points indicate the tumor volume of experimental subjects where magnetic nanoparticles were injected and an alternating magnetic field was applied.

[0048] Looking at the experimental results shown in Figure 6 in detail, as seen in Figure 5, the change in tumor volume of the experimental subjects was visually confirmed, and it was confirmed that the tumor volume increased further in the experimental group that only received magnetic nanoparticles, and the tumor volume decreased to a certain extent in the remaining experimental groups, compared to the control group that did not undergo any operation. Here, the fact that it was confirmed that the tumor size can be reduced even without injecting magnetic nanoparticles and only applying an AC magnetic field is a very breakthrough in the research of a safe tumor treatment method with few side effects on the human body.

[0049] FIG. 7 shows the results of an experiment using an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the degree of cell division or cell death under each experimental condition was confirmed using a corresponding marker.

[0050] Figure 7 shows the results of staining each cell tissue with H&E and Prussian Blue staining under the same experimental conditions as Figures 5 and 6, as well as markers Ki67, Active-caspase3, and TUNEL to confirm the results of cell division and cell death. H&E and Prussian Blue staining are widely used in medical diagnosis, and the composition of the tissue can be confirmed by biopsying tissue suspected as cancer through pathology and staining the tissue section with H&E and Prussian Blue staining.

[0051] In addition, by checking the distribution of nuclear proteins in tumor cells through the marker Ki67, it is possible to verify through experiments how actively tumor cell division is progressing. In contrast, Active-caspase3 and TUNEL are markers that indicate cell death, and indicate the progression of the suicide mechanism in which cells die, called apoptosis. Therefore, the more these markers are activated, the more tumor cells are reduced.

[0052] Looking again at Figure 7, the control group (Control) was able to confirm the extent to which tumor cells divided according to the meaning of each marker, while the experimental group (AMF(+)) in which only an AC magnetic field was applied showed a significant decrease in tumor cell division and an increase in cell death compared to the control group. The experimental group (MNP(+)) in which only magnetic nanoparticles were injected showed an active level of cell division similar to that of the control group, with no cell death observed at all. Finally, the experimental group (AMF(+)MNP(+)) in which magnetic nanoparticles were injected and an AC magnetic field was also applied showed a noticeable decrease in the level of cell division and the most significant increase in the cell death rate.

[0053] In relation to FIG. 7, FIG. 8 shows a graph illustrating the experimental results through the corresponding markers in more detail.

[0054] As seen in Figure 8, just as in Figure 7, Ki67, which indicates cell division, was significantly decreased in the experimental group to which only an AC magnetic field was applied, and Active-caspase3 and TUNEL, which indicate cell death, were significantly increased in the experimental group to which only an AC magnetic field was applied.

[0055] FIG. 9 illustrates an AC magnetic field generating device for treating a disease according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 9, it can be seen that the AC magnetic field generator is configured to have a sufficiently large internal diameter so that the coil head 10 and internal coil 110 of the magnetic field generator can completely surround a human body.

[0057] 9 shows that the AC magnetic field generating device further includes a bed section 150 capable of stably supporting a human body in a lying position. The bed section 150 can be moved forward or backward so that a target area of ​​the body can be appropriately targeted to apply the AC magnetic field.

[0058] Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 9, the device may further include a ferrite core 130 for shielding the outer surface of the coil 110, and may further include a control unit 30 for adjusting the intensity and frequency of the AC magnetic field and a camera unit.

[0059] The camera unit is installed in the internal region of the coil head and can capture images of the target area of ​​the body and display them on various displays. Also, by further including a visual sensor in addition to the camera unit, changes in the area and volume of the target area of ​​the body can be sensed and tracked during the treatment process.

[0060] FIG. 10 shows an AC magnetic field generating device according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 10, the coil head 10 and the coil 110 of the AC magnetic field generating device can be formed in shapes having various inner diameters so as to surround various parts of the body.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 10, the coil head 10 and the coil 110 have diameters that fit the head, arms, torso, and legs, and the size is significantly reduced compared to the AC magnetic field generating device according to the embodiment of Fig. 9, and it can be confirmed that the reduction in size has further improved portability and convenience. According to this embodiment, there is provided an AC magnetic field generating system that includes a portable current generator 20, a coil head 10, and a coil 110, and the current generator 20 is connected to the coil head 10 to pass an AC current to generate an AC magnetic field, thereby providing an AC magnetic field generating system designed to easily target a target area of ​​the body and treat a disease.

[0063] Although the present invention has been described in detail above, the scope of the invention is not limited thereto, and it will be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and variations are possible within the scope that does not deviate from the technical idea of ​​the invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 10: Coil head 20: Current generator 30: Control unit 110: Coil 120: Capacitor 130: Ferrite core 140: Magnetic field lines 150: Bed section

Claims

1. An alternating current magnetic field generating device for cancer treatment, comprising: a coil head configured to generate an alternating magnetic field within and surrounding a target region of the body, the coil head including a coil; a current generator configured to receive power from a power source and apply an alternating current to the coil head; and A control unit configured to adjust the frequency and intensity of the alternating magnetic field. Including, The alternating current is applied in the form of a continuous alternating current, not in the form of a discontinuous alternating current including a pulse, to generate a uniform alternating magnetic field. An alternating magnetic field generator for cancer treatment.

2. The coils are arranged in a parallel configuration having a common axis.

2. The alternating current magnetic field generating device for cancer treatment according to claim 1.

3. The coil includes a ferrite core, the ferrite core being located outside a central axis around which the coil is wound; 3. The AC magnetic field generating device for cancer treatment according to claim 2, wherein the ferrite core is configured to shield the entire outer surface of the coil.

4. 2. The alternating current magnetic field generating device for cancer treatment according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of the alternating current magnetic field generated in the coil head is 80 kHz to 120 kHz.

5. 2. The alternating current magnetic field generating device for cancer treatment according to claim 1, further comprising a heat reducing device outside the coil head relative to a central axis around which the coil is wound.

6. The coil head includes:

2. The alternating current magnetic field generating device for cancer treatment according to claim 1, having a plurality of different inner diameters according to the target area of ​​the body.

7. The alternating current magnetic field generating device for cancer treatment according to claim 1 , further comprising a visual sensor for visually sensing a target area of ​​the body.

8. 8. The alternating current magnetic field generating device for cancer treatment according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the generated alternating current magnetic field is configured to act directly on the treatment area of ​​the body without the use of magnetic nanoparticles.

9. The alternating current magnetic field generating device for cancer treatment according to claim 8, further comprising a heat reducing device outside the coil with respect to a central axis around which the coil is wound.

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