Stimulation device

Abstract

Avoid problems related to unintended tension or relaxation. [Solution] A stimulator comprising: an energy conversion element that converts an electrical signal into an output different from the electrical characteristics of the electrical signal; an electrode that arranges the energy conversion element and supplies the output to an object; an electrical signal generation unit that outputs the electrical signal; and a control unit that controls the electrical signal generation unit, wherein the output is a fifth output consisting of a first output whose intensity increases to a first intensity in a first time, a second output whose intensity is maintained at a second intensity in a second time, a third output whose intensity decreases to a third intensity in a third time, and a fourth output whose intensity is maintained at a fourth intensity in a fourth time, and the control unit performs control to change at least the first time and the third time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of using electrical stimulation, magnetic stimulation, vibrational stimulation including ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic stimulation including light, and other physical energies for stimulating the human body, or a stimulation device used in such a method.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for applying electrical signals to the human body have been put into practical use. Most commonly, a current stimulation device that transcutaneously supplies an electric current directly to an affected area from a conductive member (e.g., an adhesive pad) or an electrode (in this specification, both or each may be simply referred to as an electrode) is generally used. As a current stimulation device, an EMS device that supplies an electric current directly to an affected area such as a muscle and improves muscle output by causing muscle contraction is known. EMS is an abbreviation for Electrical Muscle Stimulation, and by electrically stimulating motor nerves from the outside, it is possible to contract or release the muscles connected to those nerves to perform efficient muscle strength training, or to perform a massage that improves blood flow by repeating slight contractions and releases of the muscles. Alternatively, current stimulation can be used to relieve pain electrically by applying an electric current to the affected area. Thus, so-called physical therapy, which involves applying an electric current from the outside to necessary parts such as the affected area for treatment, massage, diagnosis, or cosmetic procedures, has attracted attention, and many medical devices, diagnostic devices, training devices, and cosmetic devices for realizing these have been put into practical use. Furthermore, as in Patent Document 1, a technique has been proposed in which a current characteristic of a muscle is added to temporarily improve or decrease muscle output.

[0003] Besides the electric currents mentioned above, the most well-known methods of supplying stimulation to the human body are electric fields and vibration massagers. In addition, the use of ultra-short waves, far-infrared light, ultrasound, and magnetism has also been put into practical use. In this specification, stimulation by electric fields, mechanical vibrations, ultrasound, sound waves (including inaudible sound waves), light (including invisible light), magnetic fields, or electromagnetic fields including electromagnetic waves, and stimulation by these combined with electric currents directly supplied transcutaneously from the above-mentioned electric current stimulation devices, or each of them individually, are referred to as physical stimulation. The method of using physical stimulation is called physical therapy, and the device that generates the physical stimulation used in physical therapy is called a stimulation device. In particular, stimulation by electric fields, mechanical vibrations, ultrasound, sound waves (including inaudible sound waves), light (including invisible light), magnetic fields, or electromagnetic fields including electromagnetic waves, which are different from the electric currents directly supplied transcutaneously from the above-mentioned electric current stimulation devices, are collectively referred to as non-electric stimulation. In contrast, electric current supplied directly and transcutaneously to the affected area or muscle by electrodes placed transcutaneously is called electric current stimulation.

[0004] Furthermore, while it can be argued that electrotherapy devices, negative charge therapy devices, or shortwave therapy devices that apply an electric field to the human body or affected area cause a small current to flow through the body or affected area due to the electric field by replacing the human body with an equivalent circuit, this current is not only very small, but it does not contribute to the therapeutic effect. The therapeutic effect obtained is different from that of electrical stimulation and originates from the physical stimulation such as the applied electric field or heat. Therefore, such therapy devices are not stimulators that use electrical stimulation. On the other hand, the therapy device itself supplies electrical signals to the energy conversion elements, which are electrodes that supply electric potential, electric fields, or electromagnetic waves to the human body. It does not directly output the electric field or other non-current stimuli themselves. In this sense, electrotherapy devices, negative charge therapy devices, or shortwave therapy devices can be considered stimulators that use non-current stimuli.

[0005] In this specification, an energy conversion element is defined as a device that receives an electrical signal output from the output circuit of a stimulator and converts it into a non-current stimulus, which has different electrical characteristics from the electrical signal. The electrical signal output from the stimulator and supplied to the energy conversion element may also be called a drive signal or drive current. In stimulators used for physical therapy, beauty devices, training devices, or massage devices that apply physical therapy, an energy conversion element or a device containing an energy conversion element that supplies the physical stimulus converted and output by the energy conversion element to the affected area may also be called an electrode. However, the term "electrode" does not refer only to energy conversion elements or devices containing energy conversion elements; electrodes or conductive adhesive pads that supply the current supplied from the stimulator directly to the affected area are also called electrodes.

[0006] While Patent Document 1 describes how it is possible to intentionally induce muscle facilitation (increased muscle strength) or inhibition (muscle relaxation) in a specific muscle by attaching electrodes to that muscle and applying electrical stimulation with controlled ramp-up or ramp-down times, Patent Documents 2 and 3 propose methods for applying tension or relaxation to the entire body.

[0007] In this specification, the current supplied to an energy conversion element as a drive signal may have, for example, DC components, AC components such as low-frequency or high-frequency components, vibration components, or frequency components. These components may be collectively referred to as pulses, or for convenience, as therapeutic waves or electrical signals. Furthermore, the electrical signal may be a waveform exhibited by vibration, a pulse consisting of rectangular pulses, square pulses, or step-shaped pulses, a pulse train consisting of a series of these, or a pulse train consisting of composite pulses, and may be a sine wave, a triangular wave, a sawtooth wave, or an impulse train. Furthermore, waves generated by the interaction of multiple pulses, such as composite waves or interference waves, may also be simply referred to as pulses or composite pulses, and composite waves generated by sine waves may also be simply referred to as pulses or composite pulses. Furthermore, pulses may be bipolar with positive and negative amplitudes, or unipolar with only positive or negative amplitudes, may be isotropic with equal positive and negative amplitudes, or may be anisotropic with different amplitudes and waveforms for positive and negative, or may be isotropic pulses or pulses obtained by offsetting anisotropic pulses.

[0008] Hereafter, the use of physical therapy for treatment, diagnosis, or massage, or procedures using cosmetic devices, will be collectively referred to simply as "treatment." The affected area is the human body or part of the human body to which treatment using a stimulating device that utilizes physical stimulation is applied. The term "target object" includes not only the affected area, but also the animal or part of its body to which treatment is applied, or each of these items together. Those who operate or use stimulating devices, such as those who perform treatment or massage using stimulating devices, those who perform diagnoses using stimulating devices, or those who perform cosmetic procedures or training using stimulating devices, will be collectively referred to as "users," or each of these items together, and those who receive treatment will be collectively referred to as "patients," or each of these items together.

[0009] Therefore, unless otherwise specified, the description of a stimulating device does not exclude massage devices, diagnostic equipment, or cosmetic equipment. Similarly, the term "patient" does not refer only to those with injuries or illnesses, but also to those receiving treatments or massages for fatigue recovery or injury prevention, as well as those undergoing examinations or cosmetic procedures. Likewise, the term "affected area" does not refer only to the part of the body with injury or illness, but also to the area receiving treatments or massages for fatigue recovery or injury prevention, as well as parts of the body being examined or treated with cosmetic procedures, including parts of animals. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, the description of physical stimulation used for treatment does not exclude physical stimulation used for massage, diagnosis, or cosmetic purposes. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6600481 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6378407 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 7527534 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] As described above, while the method of using the electric current supplied from the treatment device directly on the affected area allows for control of muscle tension and relaxation, other physical energies could not achieve the same control. For example, with ultrasound therapy devices, there were cases where the muscles in the affected area would unintentionally relax after ultrasound treatment, or unintentionally tense after vibrational massage, or vice versa. In other words, there was a challenge in being able to freely control muscle tension and relaxation.

[0012] When unintended muscle tension or relaxation occurs, excessive relaxation can lead to weakness, preventing the muscles from adequately protecting or holding the affected area. This can cause symptoms to recur or worsen due to unintended force or load applied to the treated area, or lead to accidents such as falling down stairs on the way home after treatment at a hospital. Alternatively, muscles that have been loosened and relaxed by massage may become tense again, resulting in insufficient or sustained therapeutic effects, thus hindering treatment effectiveness and improving treatment efficiency. Hereafter, these problems caused by tension, relaxation, or weakness will be referred to as problems of unintended tension, problems of unintended weakness, or problems of unintended tension and weakness.

[0013] Therefore, in order to apply tension or relaxation to the affected area or the entire body that had become unintentionally tense or relaxed, it was necessary to apply tension or relaxation to the muscles of the affected area or the entire body by placing electrodes on the affected area or attaching a special device to the wrist after performing ultrasound therapy or vibration massage therapy. In other words, in order to improve or resolve the problem of unintentional tension or relaxation, additional treatment or procedures and time were required after the initial treatment to apply tension or relaxation to the muscles of the affected area or the entire body, and in addition, equipment used for these additional treatments and procedures was also required, resulting in significant additional costs and time, and failing to improve treatment efficiency.

[0014] Furthermore, stimulators that use electrical current stimulation as described above inevitably require the use of electrodes attached to the affected area. When adhesive pads using conductive adhesive gel are used, there are problems such as allergies to the adhesive gel, or when metal electrodes are used, the devices cannot be used by patients with metal allergies to the electrodes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] (1) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention employs the following means. Specifically, the stimulator of the present invention is a stimulator comprising: an energy conversion element that converts an electrical signal into an output different from the electrical characteristics of the electrical signal; an electrode that arranges the energy conversion element and supplies the output to an object; an electrical signal generation unit that outputs the electrical signal; and a control unit that controls the electrical signal generation unit, wherein the output is a first output whose intensity increases to a first intensity in a first time, a second output whose intensity is maintained at a second intensity in a second time, a third output whose intensity decreases to a third intensity in a third time, a fourth output whose intensity is maintained at a fourth intensity in a fourth time, and a fifth output composed of the first, second, third, and fourth outputs, which are repeatedly output, and the control unit is characterized in that it performs control to change at least the first time and the third time. Note that converting an electrical signal into an output different from the electrical characteristics of the electrical signal means converting an electrical signal into an output of a non-current stimulus different from the electrical characteristics of the electrical signal.

[0016] (2) Furthermore, the stimulator of the present invention is characterized in that the control unit controls the first time and the third time to be greater than 1 second, less than 1 second, or 1 second, respectively. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] This invention can simultaneously induce tension and relaxation in muscles or the entire body during treatment. It eliminates the need to separately induce tension or relaxation before or after treatment by placing electrodes on the affected area or a dedicated device on the wrist, thus providing a device that improves both the effectiveness and efficiency of treatment.

[0018] Alternatively, it is possible to induce tension and relaxation in the affected area or the entire body without using electrical stimulation. A stimulator can also be provided that can be used by patients with allergies to adhesive pads or electrodes. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory diagram of a vibration stimulation device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram of a circuit board according to the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram of an output waveform according to the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram of a drive signal according to the present invention. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram of a vibration stimulation device according to the present invention [Figure 6] It is a block diagram of a circuit board according to the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a schematic diagram of a drive signal according to the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a schematic diagram of a drive signal according to the present invention. [Figure 9] It is an explanatory diagram of a vibration stimulation device according to the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a block diagram of a circuit board according to the present invention. [Figure 11] It is an explanatory diagram of a magnetic stimulation device according to the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a block diagram of a circuit board according to the present invention. [Figure 13] It is an explanatory diagram of an optical stimulation device according to the present invention. [Figure 14] It is a block diagram of a circuit board according to the present invention. [Figure 15] It is an explanatory diagram of an optical stimulation device according to the present invention. [Figure 16] It is a block diagram of a circuit board according to the present invention. [Figure 17] It is a schematic diagram of a drive signal according to the present invention. [Figure 18] It is a schematic diagram of an output waveform according to the present invention. [Figure 19] It is an explanatory diagram of an optical stimulation device according to the present invention. [Figure 20] It is a block diagram of a circuit board according to the present invention. [Figure 21] It is an explanatory diagram of a vibration stimulation device according to the present invention [Figure 22] This is a block diagram of a circuit board according to the present invention. [Figure 23] This is an explanatory diagram of the vibration stimulation device according to the present invention. [Figure 24] This is a block diagram of a circuit board according to the present invention. [Figure 25] This is an explanatory diagram of the electric field stimulation device according to the present invention. [Figure 26] This is a block diagram of a circuit board according to the present invention. [Figure 27] This is an explanatory diagram of the electric field stimulation device according to the present invention. [Figure 28] This is a block diagram of a circuit board according to the present invention. [Figure 29] This is an explanatory diagram of the light stimulation device according to the present invention. [Figure 30] This is a block diagram of a circuit board according to the present invention. [Figure 31] This is an explanatory diagram of the sound wave stimulation device according to the present invention. [Figure 32] This is a block diagram of a circuit board according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] (First Embodiment) An example of the stimulator of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 shows an example of an ultrasonic stimulator A1, which outputs a pulse that is a drive signal, and converts it into vibrational energy, particularly ultrasonic vibration, as a non-current stimulus with different electrical characteristics from the drive signal using an energy conversion element, and outputs the ultrasonic vibration. Figure 1(a) is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of ultrasonic stimulator A1. Ultrasonic stimulator A1 can output ultrasound to the affected area, such as a treatment site or procedure site, and can provide therapeutic effects, massage effects, cosmetic effects, or cavitation effects using ultrasound, and can be used as a therapeutic device, a massager, or a cosmetic device. Ultrasonic stimulator A1 is used by connecting a probe A12, which is an electrode that outputs ultrasound, to the main body A11. The probe A12 can output ultrasound to the affected area by an electrical signal supplied as described later. The front of the main body A11 of the ultrasonic stimulator A1 is provided with a display unit A17, an encoder A18, and a switch A16, which are the operating parts for operating the main body A11. On the right side of the main body A11 is a connection part A217 that electrically connects the probe A12 to the main body A11, and on the top of the main body A11 is a main power supply A15, which is part of the operating parts. Inside the main body A11, a circuit board A19 is arranged as described later.

[0021] Probe A12 consists of a head A125 and a cable A13, and the probe A12 is connected to the main body A11 by the cable A13 being coupled to a connector A217. The head A125 consists of a gripping part A122 and a cover A121. Cable A13 is connected to the proximal end of the gripping part A122, and a cover A121, made of, for example, stainless steel, is positioned at the distal end opposite the gripping part A122. Inside the cover A121, an ultrasonic transducer A14, such as a piezoelectric element, is positioned as an energy conversion element. The ultrasonic transducer A14 is connected to the main body A11 via a cable 13 by a harness 10.

[0022] Figure 1(b) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic transducer A14 positioned inside the cover A121. The harness 10 consists of two thin electrical cords, one of which is directly connected to the ultrasonic transducer 14, and the other is connected to the conductive cover A121, which is in contact with the ultrasonic transducer A14. As described later, the ultrasonic transducer A14 receives a drive signal, which is an electrical signal, from the main body A11 via the cable A13, harness 10, and cover A121, and this drive signal is converted into ultrasonic vibrations. The ultrasonic vibrations from the ultrasonic transducer A14 are emitted towards the object via the cover A121. More specifically, the cover A121 has a radiating surface A123, which is the surface that comes into contact with the object. The radiating surface A123 is the part that emits ultrasonic vibrations, which are non-current stimuli output from the ultrasonic transducer A14, which is an energy conversion element. If the part with the radiating surface is considered the vibration-applying part, then the cover A121 corresponds to the vibration-applying part. Hereafter, contact between the radiating surface A123 and the skin on the surface of the affected area may be described as the cover A121 contacting the affected area (or skin), or the probe A12 contacting the affected area (or skin). Figure 1(b) shows the central cross-section of the radiating surface A123, and is shown as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the normal of the radiating surface A123, for example, from arrow A.

[0023] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of circuit board A19. Circuit board A19 is located inside the main unit A11 and consists of individual circuit sections such as the electrical signal generation unit A204, which is an output circuit that outputs a drive signal, the control unit A203, the timer 207, the user IF unit 201, the power supply unit A206, and the memory 205. The electrical signal generation unit A204 is an output circuit that outputs a drive signal, which is an electrical signal supplied to the ultrasonic transducer A14. The control unit A203 controls the operation of the main unit A11, including the electrical signal generation unit 204. In addition to the CPU and internal memory, the control unit A203 incorporates interface sections that connect to each of the above sections and controls the operation of the main unit A11 by sending and receiving information with the electrical signal generation unit 204 that generates the drive signal, the timer 207 that manages the time of output of the drive signal, the user IF unit 201 connected to the display unit A17, and the memory 205. The electrical signal output from the electrical signal generation unit 204 is supplied to terminals A215 and B216 located on the connection unit A217. When the harness 10 inside the cable A13 connected to the connection unit A217 makes contact with terminals A215 and B216, the electrical signal is supplied to the ultrasonic transducer A14 located on the opposite side (back side) of the cover A121 of the probe A12 to which the cable A13 is connected, or on the recessed side of the cover A121. The ultrasonic transducer A14 then oscillates ultrasonic waves in response to the supplied electrical signal. Note that one of terminals A215 and B216, for example terminal B216, may be connected to the ground of the circuit board A19.

[0024] The power consumed by each part may be supplied from a battery 208 as a power source, which is then controlled by the power supply unit 206 to a predetermined constant voltage value, such as 5V or 12V, and supplied to each part via the control unit A203. Alternatively, instead of the battery 208, power may be supplied from a standard household outlet located on the wall.

[0025] The ultrasonic stimulator A1 is used as follows: First, the user turns on the main power supply A15. When the main power supply A15 is turned on, the display unit A17 displays the status of the main unit A11 and buttons that serve as an interface for various settings. For example, depending on whether the ultrasonic stimulator A1 is a medical device used in a hospital or used for treatments such as beauty treatments or massage, buttons are displayed to select or set the mode used for the area to be treated or the course of treatment. The display unit A17 may be, for example, a touch panel liquid crystal display, and may also serve as an input unit, which is part of the operation unit. When the user taps the displayed output level, the encoder A18 becomes active, and the user can set the intensity of the ultrasonic waves output from the probe A12 by rotating the encoder A18, which functions as an output setting unit, which is one of the operation units, to set the strength of the electrical signal, which is the drive signal described later, for example, the amplitude of the current value of the drive current.

[0026] The user of the ultrasonic stimulator A1, which is a stimulator, can select and use one non-current stimulus from among several non-current stimuli according to the purpose of treatment. The state in which the selected non-current stimulus can be output is called a mode. The drive signal supplied from the stimulator to the energy conversion element in order to output the non-current stimulus used in each mode may differ for each mode. Therefore, the various numerical values ​​that identify the drive signal used in each mode may differ. Typical examples of these numerical values ​​include frequency, pulse width, the time at which the pulse train is output, or the duration of the pulse train, but this specification is not limited to these, and may also include numerical values ​​used to define the drive signal, or information such as pulse width, square wave, or sine wave, and each of these pieces of information or a combination of these pieces of information is simply called a parameter.

[0027] By changing or adjusting the parameters of the electrical signal output by the electrical signal generation unit 204, such as frequency, amplitude, pulse width, or the ramp-up or ramp-down time described later, the characteristics of the ultrasound output by the probe A12, such as its intensity, can be changed or adjusted. Hereafter, the voltage value, current value, power amplitude, or output magnitude of the electrical signal that drives the ultrasonic transducer A14 to emit ultrasound will be simply referred to as "amplitude" or "intensity." Similarly, amplitude and intensity will also be used to indicate the strength or magnitude of physical stimuli such as ultrasound emitted by the electrical signal.

[0028] The user selects one mode from several modes to output a non-current stimulus appropriate for a specific treatment. When the user selects a first mode, as described later, using the display unit A17, which also serves as the mode selection unit, this information is detected by the user IF unit 201 and transmitted to the control unit A203. The control unit A203 reads the necessary information, such as a first parameter, from the memory 205, which is a parameter that identifies the electrical signal for outputting ultrasound, a non-current stimulus used in the selected first mode, and supplies it to the electrical signal generation unit 204 and timer 207. The first parameter is then automatically set in the electrical signal generation unit 204 and timer 207. When the user then presses switch A16, this information is sent to the control unit A203 via the user IF unit 201. The control unit A203 then transmits information to the electrical signal generation unit 204 indicating the start of electrical signal output so that the electrical signal used in the first mode is output according to the first parameter.

[0029] In this specification, when operating a physical switch such as switch A16, pressing or touching the switch for a relatively short time, for example, less than 1 second, is simply referred to as "pressing," "clicking," or "tapping," while holding down the switch for several seconds, for example, 2 seconds or more, is referred to as "long pressing." Long pressing can also be used for buttons displayed on display unit A17, etc., which also function as input or operation units.

[0030] When the electrical signal generation unit 204 receives an instruction from the control unit A203, it outputs an electrical signal which is a drive signal. The electrical signal output from the electrical signal generation unit 204 is supplied to the head unit A125 via the cable A13 connected to the connection part A217 of the main unit A11, and the electrical signal is further supplied to the ultrasonic transducer A14 located on the cover A121, where it is converted into ultrasonic vibrations. These ultrasonic vibrations are supplied from the radiating surface A123 to the affected area as ultrasound used in the first mode.

[0031] The electrical signal supplied to probe A12 from the electrical signal generation unit 204 for probe A12 to emit ultrasound waves used for treatment from the radiating surface A123 is a fifth electrical signal, as described later. Information indicating the start of electrical signal output is also sent from the control unit A203 to the timer 207, and the timer 207 starts measuring the treatment time, for example 20 minutes, which is the time during which the fifth electrical signal is continuously or periodically output as an electrical signal by the electrical signal generation unit 204, i.e., a predetermined time during which ultrasound waves are continuously or periodically output from the radiating surface A123. The user brings the radiating surface A123 into contact with the affected area and supplies ultrasound waves to the affected area to start ultrasound treatment. The treatment time may be stored in memory 205 as part of the above parameters.

[0032] Information regarding the timer 207's measurement, such as information indicating that the treatment time has elapsed or expired, is fed back from the timer 207 to the control unit A203. Based on this feedback, the control unit A203 may stop the output of the electrical signal by controlling the power supply to the electrical signal generation unit 204, thereby stopping the emission of ultrasound from the radiating surface A123. The treatment time is not limited to 20 minutes; it may be more or less than 20 minutes, and the configuration may allow the user to set or adjust it as appropriate considering the condition of the affected area. Note that the output will stop if switch A16 is pressed again while the electrical signal is being output.

[0033] Furthermore, if the fifth electrical signal, which is an electrical signal, is vibrating at the first frequency, then the frequency of the output ultrasound will also be the first frequency. If the ultrasound at the first frequency is 1 MHz, then the frequency of the output ultrasound will also be treated as 1 MHz.

[0034] The stimulator of the present invention outputs a non-current stimulus as schematically shown in Figure 3. The non-current stimulus output by the stimulator of the present invention consists of a first output in which the intensity of the non-current stimulus output increases to a first output amplitude, which is the first output intensity, in a first time period; a second output in which the intensity of the non-current stimulus output is maintained at a second output amplitude, which is the second output intensity, in a second time period; a third output in which the intensity of the non-current stimulus output decreases to a third output amplitude, which is the third output intensity, in a third time period; and a fourth output in which the intensity of the non-current stimulus output is maintained at a fourth output amplitude, which is the fourth output intensity, in a fourth time period. Thus, the fifth output is output in a fifth time period, which is represented by the sum of the first to fourth times, and this is repeated as a period. Figure 3 schematically shows the output ultrasound with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing the amplitude, which indicates the intensity of the non-current stimulus. In this embodiment, ultrasound is used as the non-current stimulus, so the amplitude of the ultrasound vibration will be used as the intensity of the non-current stimulus for explanation.

[0035] In Figure 3, the first output is A301, which is output at the first time T1; the second output is A302, which is output at the second time T2; the third output is A303, which is output at the third time T3; and the fourth output is A304, which is output at the fourth time T4. The first output A301, the second output A302, the third output A303, and the fourth output A304 are combined to form the fifth output A305. The fifth output is repeated in one cycle based on the fifth time T5, which is the sum of T1, T2, T3, and T4, and the ultrasound used in the first mode is the ultrasound that is output in this repeated fifth time A305. Note that in Figure 3, the second intensity is set to 1, and the other intensities are expressed as ratios to the second intensity. This method of setting a specific value to 1 and showing other values ​​in this way will be called normalization from now on.

[0036] In this embodiment, the first to fourth outputs differ only in their ultrasonic intensity (amplitude) and duration, but all have the same frequency as the first output, which is 1 MHz. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and at least one of the frequencies of the first to fourth outputs may be output at a different frequency, and may be an ultrasonic frequency other than 1 MHz. Furthermore, although the example given shows that the pulse frequency of the first to fourth outputs is constant, the invention is not limited to this, and the frequency of at least one of the first to fourth outputs may be variably controlled, and the frequency range may also be changed for each output.

[0037] Figure 4 schematically shows how a fifth electrical signal is repeatedly output as a drive signal supplied from the ultrasonic stimulator A1 (main unit A11) to the ultrasonic transducer A14, which is an energy conversion element, in order to output a non-current stimulus (ultrasound) as shown in Figure 3. In Figure 4, the horizontal axis is time and the vertical axis is the intensity of the electrical signal, and in Figure 4, the amplitude of the output fifth electrical signal is schematically shown as the intensity of the electrical signal. In the explanation using Figure 4, the amplitude of the electrical signal is used to represent the intensity of the electrical signal.

[0038] The fifth electrical signal consists of a first electrical signal whose intensity increases to the first electrical signal intensity and first electrical signal amplitude in the first time period, a second electrical signal whose intensity is maintained at the second electrical signal intensity and second electrical signal amplitude in the second time period, a third electrical signal whose intensity decreases to the third electrical signal intensity and third electrical signal amplitude in the third time period, and a fourth electrical signal whose intensity is maintained at the fourth electrical signal intensity and fourth electrical signal amplitude in the fourth time period. Therefore, the fifth electrical signal is output in the fifth time period, which is expressed by adding up the first to fourth times, and this is repeated as one cycle.

[0039] Furthermore, since the output shown in Figure 3 is output by the electrical signal shown in Figure 4, the first output is output by the first electrical signal, so the duration of the first electrical signal and the duration of the first output are both equal. Similarly, the duration of the second to fifth electrical signals and the duration of the second to fifth outputs are both equal. In other words, the duration of each of the first to fifth outputs is the first to fifth time, and the duration of each of the first to fifth electrical signals is also the first to fifth time.

[0040] Figure 4 shows a fifth electrical signal A405, which is composed of a first electrical signal A401 output at the first time T1, a second electrical signal A402 output at the second time T2, a third electrical signal A403 output at the third time T3, and a fourth electrical signal A404 output at the fourth time T4. Note that in Figure 4, the amplitude is shown normalized by the amplitude of the second electrical signal.

[0041] Since the ultrasound in Figure 3 is generated by the electrical signal in Figure 4, the ultrasonic stimulator A1 is an example of a device that converts the electrical signal into vibrations, particularly ultrasonic vibrations, which are non-current stimuli with energy different from the driving current, using an ultrasonic transducer A14, which is an energy conversion element, and applies these non-current stimuli to the patient for treatment.

[0042] In Figures 3 and 4, T1 is defined as the time during which a drive signal or a non-current stimulus (ultrasonic vibration in this embodiment) based on the drive signal is output, and the time during which its intensity, for example, amplitude, increases to a predetermined value, such as a first output intensity or a first electrical signal intensity, is referred to herein as the ramp-up time. In this specification, the increase in intensity, for example, amplitude, of the drive signal or the non-current stimulus (ultrasonic vibration in this embodiment) based on the drive signal at T1 to a predetermined value, such as a first output intensity or a first electrical signal intensity, is referred to herein as ramp-up.

[0043] In Figures 3 and 4, T3 is defined as the time during which a drive signal or a non-current stimulus (ultrasonic vibration in this embodiment) based on the drive signal is output, and the time during which its intensity, for example, amplitude, decreases to a predetermined value, such as a third output intensity or a third electrical signal intensity, is referred to herein as the ramp-down time. In this specification, the decrease in intensity, for example, amplitude, of the drive signal or the non-current stimulus (ultrasonic vibration in this embodiment) based on the drive signal at T3 to a predetermined value, such as a third output intensity or a third electrical signal intensity, is referred to herein as ramp-down.

[0044] In Figures 3 and 4, T2 is defined as the time during which a drive signal or a non-current stimulus (ultrasonic vibration in this embodiment) based on the drive signal is output, and the time during which its intensity, for example, amplitude, is a predetermined value, such as a second output intensity or second electrical signal intensity, is referred to herein as the hold time. In this specification, the state during T2 where a drive signal or a non-current stimulus (ultrasonic vibration in this embodiment) based on the drive signal is output, and its intensity, for example, amplitude, is a predetermined value, such as a second output intensity or second electrical signal intensity, is referred to herein as the hold time.

[0045] In Figures 3 and 4, T4 is defined as the time during which a drive signal or a non-current stimulus (ultrasonic vibration in this embodiment) based on the drive signal is output, and the intensity, for example, the amplitude, is a predetermined value, which is referred to as the fourth output intensity or fourth electrical signal intensity, as specified herein. In this specification, the state during T4 where a drive signal or a non-current stimulus (ultrasonic vibration in this embodiment) based on the drive signal is output, and its intensity, for example, the amplitude, is a predetermined value, which is referred to as the fourth output intensity or fourth electrical signal intensity, as specified herein.

[0046] Figures 3 and 4 show the case where the fourth intensity or the fourth electrical signal intensity is zero, and seemingly indicate that no ultrasound is being output at T4. That is, at T1 to T3, the device is in an "on" state with ultrasound output, but at T4, it appears to be in an "off" state where ultrasound output has stopped. However, in this invention, the fourth intensity only needs to be greater than or equal to zero and less than the second intensity, and Figure 3 is merely an example illustrating the case where the amplitude of the fourth intensity is zero.

[0047] The first mode described above will now be explained. In the first mode, the values ​​of T1 to T4 are set as follows: for example, T1 and T3 are set to 2 seconds, T2 is 3 seconds, and T4 is 4 seconds. These are recorded in memory 205 as first parameters and read out and used by control unit A203.

[0048] The values ​​T1 to T4, at least T1 and T3, are values ​​specific to the first to third modes and are predetermined as the first parameter or a set of essential parameters and stored in memory 205. Based on the selection of the first mode, the control unit A203 retrieves the first parameter or a set of essential parameters of the first parameter from memory 205 and automatically sets and uses them in the electrical signal generation unit A204 and other circuit units.

[0049] If the user selects the second mode instead of the first mode, the following occurs. When the second mode is selected, the control unit A203 retrieves from memory 205 the second parameters, which are parameters for the drive signal to output the ultrasonic waves that are output in the second mode and are pre-set and recorded in memory 205. In this embodiment, the case in which only T1 and T3 differ from the parameters used in the first mode will be explained as an example.

[0050] In the second parameter, T1 and T3 are both set to 0.5 seconds. In the second parameter, T1 and T3 can both be greater than 0 seconds and less than 1 second. Furthermore, although T1 and T3 are both set to the same value of 0.5 seconds, the present invention is not limited to this, and T1 and T3 may be different values ​​as long as they are both less than 1 second.

[0051] If the user selects a third mode that is different from both the first and second modes, the following occurs. When the third mode is selected, the control unit A203 retrieves from memory 205 a third parameter, which is a parameter for the drive signal that outputs ultrasonic waves in the third mode, and is a parameter that is pre-stored in memory 205. Assume that T1 and T3 in the third parameter are both 1 second.

[0052] The explanation for when the second or third mode is selected can be directly applied to the above explanation regarding the drive signal, output ultrasound, and their control in the first mode, by changing T1 and T3 to values ​​less than 1 second in the second mode and 1 second in the third mode. That is, a drive signal as shown in Figure 4 is supplied to the ultrasonic transducer A14, and ultrasound, shown in the waveform as shown in Figure 3, is output from the probe A12.

[0053] The control of the first time and the third time in these first to third modes is not limited to this embodiment, but is common throughout this specification. Specifically, in the first mode, both the first time and the third time are greater than 1 second; in the second mode, both the first time and the third time are less than 1 second; and in the third mode, both the first time and the third time are 1 second.

[0054] Furthermore, the ultrasonic stimulator A1 allows the intensity of non-current stimulation to be changed by rotating the encoder A18, selecting one of three levels: "weak," "medium," or "strong." The intensity of the non-current stimulation can be changed by changing the second electrical signal amplitude, which is the second electrical signal intensity that defines the output electrical signal. In this embodiment, the second electrical signal amplitude is set to approximately 50mA for weak, 100mA for medium, and 150mA for strong.

[0055] However, the present invention is not limited to these values. These values ​​may be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration and control of the device, or the treatment method and purpose. For example, they can easily vary depending on the characteristics and size of the transducer used, the size and thickness of the head A125, the heat dissipation performance, etc., so it is best to change them as appropriate according to these characteristics. Furthermore, in the above example, the drive signal is output as a pulse at the first frequency for 7 seconds through the first to third electrical signals, and if the fourth electrical signal strength is not zero, the fourth electrical signal is always output as a pulse at the first frequency. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first to fourth electrical signals may also be burst outputs in which pulse trains are output and stopped at relatively short periods of, for example, less than 1 second, and in the case of burst outputs, the second electrical signal strength may be even larger. Alternatively, if the treatment purpose is to cause cavitation in the affected area or for ultrasound diagnosis, an even larger second electrical signal strength, for example several hundred mA, may be required.

[0056] The first, second, and third modes described above can be used interchangeably as follows to improve treatment efficiency and effectiveness. First, if unintended muscle weakness occurs, treatment using the first mode is effective. By increasing T1 and T3 to more than 1 second, it is possible to intentionally generate tension in the affected area and surrounding muscles simultaneously with the ultrasound treatment, that is, in addition to the effects of ultrasound treatment. This prevents unintended muscle weakness caused by treatment and improves or avoids the problem of unintended muscle weakness. Hereafter, the tension intentionally applied by this invention will simply be referred to as intentional tension.

[0057] Conversely, if unintended tension problems occur, treatment using the second mode is effective. By reducing T1 and T3 to less than 1 second, it is possible to intentionally induce relaxation of the muscles in the affected area and its vicinity simultaneously with ultrasound treatment. This prevents the occurrence of unintended tension due to treatment and improves or avoids unintended tension problems. Hereafter, the relaxation intentionally induced by this invention will simply be referred to as intentional relaxation.

[0058] The third mode is used when the muscle tension and relaxation are in their optimal state, or when it is undesirable to cause muscle tension or relaxation during treatment. In ultrasound therapy using the third mode, by setting T1 and T3 to 1 second, not only is ultrasound therapy possible, but it is also a mode that does not cause relaxation or tension in the affected area or nearby muscles. This makes it possible to avoid unnecessary muscle relaxation or tension.

[0059] The first, second, and third modes described above may each be used individually, but it is also possible for the user to select and use at least two of them consecutively based on the characteristics of the patient and the affected area, such as whether or not muscle relaxation or muscle tension occurs due to conventional ultrasound treatment, or it is desirable to use them in combination depending on the condition of the patient and the affected area.

[0060] If tension is observed in the affected area, assuming a 10-minute treatment, performing the second mode for 3 minutes and then the third mode for 7 minutes allows for efficient treatment while the muscles are relaxed. The second mode treats the affected area while relieving tension, and then switching to the third mode allows treatment to continue without introducing tension or relaxation to the affected area. By the time the third mode is activated, the tension in the affected area is released and the treatment is performed in this relaxed state, which significantly improves the therapeutic effect compared to treating the area while it remains tense.

[0061] Similarly, when performing ultrasound treatment for 10 minutes, first performing the second mode for 2 minutes, then the third mode for 6 minutes, allows for the most efficient treatment while the affected area is relaxed. Finally, performing the first mode for 2 minutes intentionally tenses the affected area, preventing accidents after treatment and mitigating or avoiding unintended muscle relaxation. In other words, it is desirable to use the first mode at the end of the treatment, or after performing one or more treatment modes.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the main unit A11 is shown as an example of a device that outputs ultrasound in one of three modes: a first mode, a second mode, or a third mode. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be a device having at least one of the three modes. For example, it may be a device that can output ultrasound in the first mode but not in the second or third mode, a device that cannot output ultrasound in the first mode but can output ultrasound in the second or third mode, a device that cannot output ultrasound in the third mode but can output ultrasound in the first or second mode, and so on, and is not particularly limited.

[0063] (Second embodiment) In the above description, an example is given of a device that converts electrical energy into ultrasonic vibration energy by supplying a pulse as a drive signal to an ultrasonic transducer, which is an energy conversion element; that is, a device that converts an electrical signal into ultrasonic vibration as vibration energy, which is a non-current stimulus. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as an energy conversion element that converts a drive signal into an output of a non-current stimulus different from the electrical characteristics of the drive signal, there may be a vibration motor in which an eccentric weight is placed on the rotating shaft of an AC motor. In this specification, a vibration motor refers to one in which an eccentric weight is placed on the rotating shaft of a motor, and generates vibration by rotating the eccentric weight in response to the rotation of the rotating shaft by a drive signal having an AC component (frequency component) or a DC drive signal supplied to the motor, and the current energy of the drive signal can be converted into mechanical vibration energy by the vibration motor, which is an energy conversion element. Vibration motors are widely used in mobile phones, smartphones, and other vibration massagers. Figure 5 schematically shows the configuration of a vibration stimulation device equipped with a vibration motor using an AC motor.

[0064] Figure 5 shows a vibration stimulator B2 that uses relatively low-frequency mechanical vibrations of about several tens of Hz, in contrast to the ultrasonic stimulator A1 which uses relatively high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations on the order of megahertz as described above. The vibration stimulator B2 has a main body B51 and a probe B52 which is an electrode. The probe B52 can supply mechanical vibrations to the affected area by an electrical signal supplied as described later. In this specification, a display unit A17, an encoder A18, and a switch A16 are provided on the front of the main body B51 of the vibration stimulator B2, a connection unit B517 that electrically connects the probe B52 and the main body B51 is provided on the right side of the main body B51, and a main power supply A15 is provided on the top of the main body B51. A circuit board B519 is also arranged inside the main body B51 as described later. In this specification, components that use the same reference numerals are treated as having equivalent functions, and repeated explanations are omitted.

[0065] The probe B52 consists of a head section B525 and a cable B513, and the probe B52 is connected to the main body B51 by the cable B513 being coupled to a connection section B517. The probe B52 consists of a gripping section B522, a cover B521, and a shaft section B523 connecting the gripping section B522 and the cover B521. The proximal end of the gripping section B522 is connected to the cable B513, and the distal end opposite the head section B525 is fitted with a cover B521, which is a vibration-applying section having a dome-shaped structure covered with, for example, silicone rubber. Inside the space of the cover B521 are the rotation shaft B514 and the eccentric weight 515 attached to the rotation shaft B514 of the vibration motor B516 located inside the gripping section B522, and these constitute a vibration motor, which is an energy conversion element. The vibration motor B516 is connected to the main body B51 via the cable B513 by a harness 10. This state is schematically shown in Figure 5(b). As described later, the vibration motor B516 receives a drive signal, which is an electrical signal, from the main body B51 via a harness 10 connected to cable B513, and the current stimulation of this drive signal is converted into mechanical vibration. Since the cover B521 is used in contact with the object, the mechanical vibration from the eccentric weight B515, etc., is applied to the object via the contact surface of the cover B521 with the affected area. Therefore, this contact surface is a radiating surface and becomes the radiating surface B518, and the cover B521 is the vibration applying part. The vibration stimulation device B2 is often used as a massager.

[0066] Figure 6 shows a block diagram of the circuit board B519 installed on the main unit B51. The circuit board B519 is installed in place of the circuit board A19 and consists of an electrical signal generation unit B604, which is a circuit section that outputs a drive signal, which is an electrical signal supplied to the vibration motor B516; a control unit B53 that controls the operation of the main unit B51, including the electrical signal generation unit B604; a timer 207; a user IF unit 201; a power supply unit B606; a memory 205, etc. The electrical signal output from the electrical signal generation unit B604 is supplied to terminals A215 and B216. When the harness 10 inside the cable B513 connected to the connection unit B517 comes into contact with terminals A215 and B216, the electrical signal is supplied to the vibration motor B516 located in the gripping unit B522 via the harness 10 to which the cable B513 is connected. This rotates the rotation shaft B514 of the vibration motor B516, which in turn rotates the eccentric weight B515, generating mechanical vibrations in the gripping unit B522 and the cover B521. These vibrations are then applied to the affected area of ​​the object from the radiating surface B518, which is the surface of the cover B521.

[0067] While ultrasonic stimulator A1 supplies ultrasonic vibrations to the affected area, vibration stimulator B2 supplies mechanical vibrations at several tens of Hz to the affected area. The basic usage methods are largely the same for both devices and will be omitted here. Vibration stimulator B2 uses probe B52 instead of probe A12, and the mechanical vibration cover B521 is brought into contact with the affected area. With vibration stimulator B2, the display unit A17 and other components allow selection of the vibration modes supplied to the affected area, such as the first mode, second mode, third mode, etc.

[0068] Figure 9 shows a modified example of this embodiment. The vibration stimulation device B2 in Figure 5 shows an example in which a vibration motor using a motor and an eccentric weight is used as the energy conversion element to convert an electrical signal into vibration energy. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a linear actuator or a solenoid actuator that converts an electrical signal into reciprocating motion may be used as the energy conversion element, and an example of such a vibration stimulation device may be the vibration stimulation device C3 shown in Figure 9.

[0069] Figure 9(a) shows a vibration stimulator C3 having a main body C101, a cover C1021, and a shaft C1023 connecting the main body C101 and the cover C1021. The vibration stimulator C3 can supply reciprocating vibration, which is mechanical vibration, to an object as a non-current stimulus from the supplied electrical signal, as described later. The main body C101 consists of a gripping part C1022 and a protruding part C1025 that protrudes from the center of the gripping part C1022, and may form a T shape. The protruding part C1025 is equipped with a main power supply C1017, an UP button 102 used to increase the intensity of the vibration supplied from the vibration stimulator C3 to the object, an DOWN button 103 used to decrease the intensity of the vibration, and a display unit C104. The display unit C104 can show whether the vibration stimulator C3 is powered on, powered off, or the mode of vibration supplied from the vibration stimulator C3 to the object. In the example of the vibration stimulation device C3, the main body and the electrode are integrated, with the gripping part C1022 and the protruding part C1025 being integrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and these may be made into separate parts, forming the main body and the electrode.

[0070] Figure 9(b) shows a cross-section of the protrusion C1025. The main body C101 is connected to a cover C1021 that applies vibration to an object by reciprocating motion. The main body C101 consists of a gripping part C1022, a protrusion C1025, and a shaft part C1023 made of a hard material, such as metal, that connects the cover C1021 and the protrusion C1025. The cover C1021 may be made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber and be formed into a sphere. The shaft part C1023 is attached to an actuator C1016, which is a linear actuator located inside the protrusion C1025. The reciprocating motion generated by the actuator C1016 is transmitted to the shaft part C1023, and then to the cover C1021 attached to the tip of the shaft part C1023. The cover C1021 covers the tip of the reciprocating shaft C1023 and acts as a cushion to prevent the rigid shaft C1023 from damaging the object when transmitting the reciprocating motion of the shaft C1023 to the object. The cover C1021 contacts the affected area and applies vibration, which is a non-electrical stimulus, to the affected area, so it corresponds to the vibration application part, and the contact surface between the cover C1021 and the affected area becomes the radiating surface C1018.

[0071] Figure 9(b) schematically shows a cross-section of the protruding portion C1025 on which the actuator C1016 is located. The actuator C1016 converts the supplied drive signal, which is an electrical signal, into reciprocating motion, causing the shaft portion C1023 to reciprocate in the direction of arrow B. Both of the two harnesses 10 are directly connected to the actuator C1016, and as will be described later, the actuator C1016 receives the drive signal, which is an electrical signal, from the circuit board C1019 via the harness 10, and the electrical energy of the drive signal, which is the current stimulation, is converted into reciprocating motion.

[0072] In this embodiment, the indicator unit C104, when lit, indicates that the power to the vibration stimulator C3 is on and vibration can be supplied to the target, and when unlit, indicates that the power is off and vibration cannot be supplied to the target. When the indicator unit C104 is lit red, it indicates that vibration can be supplied to the target object in the first mode; when lit yellow, it indicates that vibration can be supplied in the second mode; and when lit blue, it indicates that vibration can be supplied in the third mode.

[0073] Inside the gripping section C1022 is the circuit board C1019, whose block diagram is shown in Figure 10. The circuit board C1019 consists of an electrical signal generation section C1104, which is an output circuit that outputs a drive signal, which is an electrical signal supplied to the actuator C1016; a control section C1153 that controls the operation of the main body C101, including the electrical signal generation section C1104; a timer 207; a user IF section 201; a power supply section A206; a memory 205, etc. The drive signal output from the electrical signal generation section C1104 is supplied to terminal sections C1115 and D1116, and output to the actuator C1016 via the harness 10 connected to them.

[0074] The vibration stimulator C3 is used as follows: First, the user turns on the main power switch C1017. The main power switch C1017 functions as the main power switch when pressed and held, and the main unit C101 is powered on. When the main power switch C1017 is turned on, the display unit C104 lights up yellow. Immediately after the power is turned on, the electrical signal generation unit C1104 does not output an electrical signal which is the drive signal, and neither the actuator C1016 nor the cover C1021 vibrates.

[0075] When the vibration stimulator C3 is powered on, the second mode is set as the default. Upon power-on, the control unit C1153 reads a second parameter that identifies the drive signal used in the second mode, and transmits this second parameter to the electrical signal generation unit C1104 and the timer 207.

[0076] When the UP button 102 is pressed, the user IF unit 201 detects it, and information indicating that the UP button 102 has been pressed is sent by the user IF unit 201 to the control unit C1153. The control unit C1153 instructs the electrical signal generation unit C1104 to output an electrical signal, which is a drive signal, to the actuator C1016. The actuator C1016 then causes the shaft C1023 to reciprocate using the electrical signal supplied from the electrical signal generation unit C1104, thereby applying reciprocating motion (vibration) to the cover C1021. When the UP button 102 is pressed once while the actuator C1016 is stopped, the electrical signal generation unit C1104, which is the output unit for the drive signal, outputs a "weak" electrical signal, and each time the UP button 102 is pressed, its intensity is controlled from "weak" to "medium" and then to "strong". Conversely, each time the DOWN button 103 is pressed, the strength of the electrical signal output by the electrical signal generation unit C1104 is controlled from "strong" to "medium," from "medium" to "weak," and further from "weak" to "zero output."

[0077] As the user controls the intensity of the electrical signal generated by the electrical signal generation unit C1104, the intensity of the drive signal changes. In accordance with the change in the intensity of the drive signal, the intensity of the reciprocating motion of the actuator C1016 also changes, and the intensity of the vibration of the cover C1021 is controlled. The user can turn off the power to the main unit C101 and turn off the display unit C104 by pressing and holding the main power switch C1017 again while the vibration stimulator C3 is ON (the display unit C104 is lit). In this case, the control unit C1153 instructs the electrical signal generation unit C1104 to stop outputting the drive signal, the drive signal stops, the actuator C1016 stops, and the vibration of the cover C1021 due to reciprocating motion stops.

[0078] With the power of the main unit C101 turned on, the main power switch C1017 may also function as a mode selection unit by clicking it instead of pressing and holding it as described above. In this embodiment, each click switches the mode from the second mode to the first mode, from the first mode to the third mode, and from the third mode to the second mode. Furthermore, clicking the main power switch C1017 may be configured to return from the third mode to the second mode. Such mode switching is not limited to the order described above; it may also switch from the second mode to the third mode, and from the third mode to the first mode.

[0079] In this embodiment, the mode selection unit for the vibration mode also serves as the main power supply, but the present invention is not limited to this. A separate switch or button for switching modes, which is the mode selection unit, may be provided, and the power switch and mode switching switch may be provided separately.

[0080] This section describes the vibration modes in vibration stimulators B2 and C3. In vibration stimulators B2 or C3, the electrical signal generation units B604 and C1104 supply the electrical signals shown in the schematic diagram in Figure 7 as drive signals to the vibration motor B516 and actuator C1016, which constitute the energy conversion elements. Figure 7 corresponds to Figure 4 and, similar to Figure 4, schematically shows the fifth electrical signal output with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing the amplitude, which is the intensity of the electrical signal. In Figure 7, the fifth electrical signal 405 is schematically shown, consisting of a first electrical signal A401 whose amplitude increases to the amplitude of the first electrical signal at time T1, a second electrical signal 402 whose amplitude is maintained at the second amplitude at time T2, a third electrical signal 403 whose amplitude decreases to the third amplitude at time T3, and a fourth electrical signal 404 whose amplitude is maintained at the fourth amplitude at time T4. The fifth electrical signal repeats in one period based on T5, which is the sum of T1, T2, T3, and T4. In Figure 7, the amplitude of the second electrical signal is set to 1, and the other amplitudes are normalized.

[0081] Furthermore, while Figure 4 shows an example where the first to fourth electrical signals are unipolar rectangular pulses, Figure 7 shows a bipolar sine wave as an example. Also, the amplitudes of the first to fourth electrical signals, the frequencies and pulse widths of the first to fourth electrical signals, and other parameters such as T1 to T4 may be different depending on the characteristics of the energy conversion element, for example, the amplitude required to obtain the desired vibration.

[0082] Here, the first through fourth electrical signal amplitudes are set to be equal, with the first and second amplitudes being equal, and the third and fourth amplitudes being equal. These values ​​can be adjusted; for example, the second electrical signal amplitude, which corresponds to the second electrical signal strength, may be set to 500mA, 700mA, or 900mA, depending on the electrical signal strength (weak, medium, or strong).

[0083] Although the fourth amplitude is set to zero in Figure 7, the present invention is not limited to this. The fourth amplitude only needs to be smaller than the second amplitude and greater than or equal to zero, and Figure 7 merely shows the case where it is zero as one example.

[0084] With the drive signal shown in Figure 7, covers B521 and C1021 can apply controlled vibrations to the object as shown in the schematic diagram in Figure 3. However, the vibrations supplied to the affected area and their intensity are ultrasonic vibrations in ultrasonic stimulator A1, vibrations from a vibration motor in vibration stimulator B2, and vibrations from actuator C1016 in vibration stimulator C3. Therefore, the frequencies and the first to fourth intensities may differ, but they are all defined by T1 to T4 and the first to fourth intensities.

[0085] For vibration stimulators B2 and C3, the output is set to the second mode immediately after power-on. Vibration stimulators like B2 and C3 are often used for massage, and in order to maximize their effectiveness, it is necessary to first release muscle tension and relax them. Therefore, it is most desirable to use the second mode to apply vibrational massage while achieving muscle relaxation, and it is ideal to use the second mode at the start of treatment. Thus, it is most desirable that the control system automatically sets the second mode immediately after the power is turned on, regardless of the previously used mode, or that the second mode is already set. Alternatively, when the power is turned off, the control system may automatically set the second mode before turning off the power, regardless of the previously set mode.

[0086] If the above-mentioned vibration stimulator can operate in a program mode that allows multiple modes to be automatically switched and output in a predetermined order, then a program mode that outputs the second mode first may be automatically set when the power is turned on or off. It is preferable to first use the second mode to apply massage and relax the muscles, and then, as described above, to automatically switch to the first or third mode as needed. In this way, immediately after power-on, the vibration stimulator may be set to output the second mode, and this is also effective for the ultrasonic stimulator A1.

[0087] One scenario in which athletes might use the above-mentioned stimulation device before performing in a match or competition is to improve fatigue, prevent injuries, or use the device for massage or other therapeutic treatments to relieve excessive tension and enhance performance. In such scenarios, it is desirable to avoid excessive muscle tension, as this can easily disrupt form and balance, potentially inducing fatigue, increasing the risk of injury, and reducing performance. Therefore, for use in such scenarios, it is desirable that the second mode be set as the default mode, or that a program be set to execute the second mode first and then automatically switch to another mode, so that at least vibration in the second mode can be output immediately after power-on. By setting the device to output at least non-electrical stimulation (vibration) in the second mode immediately after power-on, it is desirable to intentionally relax muscles to relieve excessive tension, prevent disruption of form and balance, and achieve fatigue reduction, injury prevention, and performance improvement.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the second mode is set as the default mode, so immediately after power-on, the device is in a mode that can output vibrations in at least the second mode. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, in cases such as when an athlete uses the device before performing in a match or competition, the first mode is preferable to the second mode because it does not cause muscle relaxation and loss of strength, thus not affecting subsequent performance. In such scenarios, the device may be set to output in the first mode immediately after power-on.

[0089] For example, imagine a scenario where an athlete uses a stimulation device before performing in a match or competition. This could involve using the device for massage or other therapeutic treatments to improve fatigue, prevent injuries, or enhance performance by tensing muscles. In such scenarios, it is desirable to avoid muscle relaxation or limp, as this can disrupt form and balance, potentially inducing fatigue, increasing the risk of injury, and reducing performance. Therefore, conversely, it may be better to tense the muscles. When intended for use in such scenarios, it is desirable that the first mode, rather than the second mode, be set as the default mode, or that a program be set to execute the first mode first and then automatically switch to another mode, so that at least the vibration of the first mode can be output immediately after power-on. By setting the device to output non-electrical stimulation (vibration) of at least the first mode immediately after power-on, it is desirable to prevent disruption of form and balance due to intentional muscle tension, thereby achieving fatigue reduction, injury prevention, and performance improvement.

[0090] Similarly, in scenarios where athletes use stimulation devices before performing in matches or competitions, it may be necessary to prevent injuries or improve performance by avoiding excessive tension and relaxation. For this purpose, it is conceivable that therapies such as massage using stimulation devices may be administered. In such scenarios, it is desirable to avoid both muscle relaxation and muscle tension. For example, if some muscles become relaxed or tense, form and balance may be easily disrupted, which can induce fatigue, increase the risk of injury, and reduce performance. Therefore, when intended for use in such scenarios, it is desirable that the third mode, rather than the second or first mode, be set as the default mode, or that a program be set to execute the third mode first and then automatically switch to another mode, so that at least vibration in the third mode can be output immediately after power-on. By setting the device to output non-electrical stimulation (vibration) in at least the third mode immediately after power-on, it is desirable to avoid excessive muscle tension and relaxation, thereby achieving fatigue improvement, injury prevention, and performance improvement.

[0091] As described above, the configuration that allows the use of a program mode that executes multiple modes in a predetermined order enables even users without knowledge of the first and third time phases, which are the ramp-up and ramp-down phases of massage, muscle tension, relaxation, and release, as well as vibration, to reliably perform efficient treatment using muscle relaxation and muscle tension.

[0092] Furthermore, when using a stimulation device in a hectic situation, such as immediately before a match or performance, selecting the wrong mode is likely to occur. This can lead to selecting and using an unintended mode, resulting in unintended tension or relaxation, which in addition to fatigue and worsening injuries, increases the risk of injury and causes a decline in performance.

[0093] As in the present invention, if any mode can be fixed or set as the default mode, it is desirable that the user does not have to change modes each time, even in the hectic situation before a match, and that the desired mode can be used as soon as the power is turned on, allowing for prompt treatment of the patient. Furthermore, since the settings can be made calmly in advance, there is no need to select a mode in the hectic situation before a match, so that mode selection errors do not occur and the above-mentioned problems and issues caused by mode selection errors can be avoided.

[0094] (Third embodiment) Other variations will be described. All of the above vibration stimulation devices convert the drive current into mechanical vibration or ultrasonic vibration, which is a non-current stimulation different from the drive current, using an energy conversion element, and supply it to the affected area. This embodiment may also be a device that converts a drive signal having electrical vibration into magnetism or electromagnetics using an energy conversion element that converts the drive signal into an output having characteristics different from the electrical characteristics of the drive signal, and supplies it to the affected area. Figure 11 shows a magnetic stimulation device D4 as an example of this. In this specification, magnetism refers to magnetism, magnetic force, magnetic field, or electromagnetic field or electromagnetics, or each of them simply as magnetism, when an electrical signal is converted and output by an energy conversion element.

[0095] Figure 11 shows a magnetic stimulator D4 that outputs magnetic fields, which are non-electric stimulations. Figure 11(a) shows the magnetic stimulator D4 having a main body D120 and a coil conductor 121. The magnetic stimulator D4 can supply magnetism to an object by an electrical signal supplied as described later. A main power supply A15, a display unit A17, an encoder A18, and a switch A16 are provided on the front of the main body D120 of the magnetic stimulator D4, and a connection part D1217 that electrically connects the coil conductor 121 to the main body D120 is provided on the right side of the main body D120. A circuit board D1219 is also arranged inside the main body D120 as described later.

[0096] The coiled electrode 121 consists of a head portion D1215 and a cable D1213. The coiled electrode 121 is connected to the main body D120 by coupling the cable D1213 to a connection portion D1217. The proximal end of the head portion D1215 is connected to the cable D1213, which supplies an electrical signal, which is a drive signal output from the main body D120, to a coil 1201, which is placed inside the head portion D1215 as an energy conversion element. The coil 1201 is composed of, for example, a flat plate coil and generates a magnetic field by the electrical signal supplied from the main body D120. By placing the head portion D1215 on the affected area using a separate belt or arm, the magnetic field is supplied to the affected area via a cover D123 placed on the contact surface between the head portion D1215 and the affected area. The cover D123 has a radiating surface D1202 that supplies the magnetic field, which is a non-current stimulus output from the coil 1201, to the affected area. In Figure 11, the position of coil 1201 is indicated by a dotted line on the head portion D1215. Since the head portion D1215 encloses coil 1201, it is not actually possible to visually inspect coil 1201 from the outside.

[0097] Figure 12 shows a block diagram of circuit board D1219. Circuit board D1219 is located inside the main unit D120 and consists of an electrical signal generation unit D1304, which is an output circuit that outputs an electrical signal that is a drive signal supplied to coil 1201; a control unit D1303 that controls the operation of the main unit D120, including the electrical signal generation unit D1304; a timer 207; a user IF unit 201; a power supply unit D1306; a memory 205, etc. Power consumed by each unit is supplied from a power source, for example, a commercial power supply installed on the wall. The power supplied from this commercial power supply is controlled by the power supply unit D1306 to a predetermined constant voltage value, for example, 5V or 24V, and supplied to each unit via the control unit D1303. Note that a battery or the like may be used as the power source. The drive signal output from the electrical signal generation unit D1304 is supplied to terminals C1115 and D1116, and output to coil 1201 via cable D1213 connected to them.

[0098] The magnetic stimulator D4 is used in the same way as the vibration stimulators described above. That is, when the main power supply A15 is turned on, the mode and intensity of the magnetic field, which is a non-current stimulus supplied to the affected area, are set using the display unit A17 and encoder A18. Furthermore, the control unit D1303 reads parameters that define the electrical signals, which are the drive signals necessary for the head unit D1215 to generate the magnetic field supplied to the affected area, from the memory 205 according to the selected mode and supplies them to the electrical signal generation unit D1304.

[0099] The electrical signals output by the electrical signal generation unit D1304 are shown, for example, in Figure 17. Figure 17 schematically shows the electrical signals that are drive signals supplied to the energy conversion element by the magnetic stimulation device D4. Figure 17 corresponds to Figure 4, where the horizontal axis is time and the vertical axis is the intensity of the electrical signal, which is the drive vibration, and the intensity of the drive signal is shown using, for example, the current value to indicate the electrical signal that is the drive signal output to the energy conversion element. These electrical signals do not have frequency components or vibration components and are composed of DC, and the first to fifth electrical signals correspond to the first electrical signal F2001, the second electrical signal F2002, the third electrical signal F2003, the fourth electrical signal F2004, and the fifth electrical signal F2005, respectively. In this specification, the first electrical signal F2001 and the third electrical signal F2003 are treated as drive signals that do not have frequency components or vibration components and are composed of DC, and these are simply referred to as DC drive signals.

[0100] The fifth electrical signal F2005 consists of a first electrical signal F2001 whose intensity increases to the first electrical signal intensity (the DC value of the first electrical signal) in the first time T1, a second electrical signal F2002 whose intensity is maintained at the second electrical signal intensity (the DC value of the second electrical signal) in the second time T2, a third electrical signal F2003 whose intensity decreases to the third electrical signal intensity (the DC value of the third electrical signal) in the third time T3, and a fourth electrical signal F2004 whose intensity is maintained at the fourth electrical signal intensity (the DC value of the fourth electrical signal) in the fourth time T4. Therefore, the fifth electrical signal is output in the fifth time, which is expressed by adding up the first to fourth times, and this is repeated as a period.

[0101] Figure 18 shows the intensity of the magnetic field emitted from the drive signal in Figure 17, which is supplied to an energy conversion element, such as coil 1201, converted into a non-current stimulus, and emitted onto the object. Figure 18 corresponds to Figure 3, with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing the intensity of the emitted magnetic field.

[0102] A drive signal as shown in Figure 17 causes the magnetic stimulator D4 to emit a magnetic field as shown in Figure 18. Specifically, it consists of a first magnetic output F2101, which is the first output at time T1, where the intensity of the non-current stimulation magnetic field increases to a first intensity; a second magnetic output F2102, which is the second output at time T2, where the intensity of the magnetic field is maintained at a second intensity; a third magnetic output F2103, which is the third output at time T3, where the intensity of the magnetic field decreases to a third intensity; and a fourth magnetic output F2104, which is the fourth output at time T4, where the intensity of the magnetic field is maintained at a fourth intensity. If the first to fourth magnetic outputs F2101 to F2104 are combined to form a fifth magnetic output F2105, then the fifth magnetic output F2105 repeats in a cycle based on T5, which is the sum of T1, T2, T3, and T4. Furthermore, in Figures 17 and 18, as with Figures 3 and 4, the values ​​are normalized and illustrated using the second electrical signal strength and the second output strength.

[0103] Although Figure 17 shows a case where DC is used as the drive signal, the present invention is not limited to this, and the drive signal may also be AC ​​having frequency components as shown in Figure 4. Furthermore, even when the drive signal is DC or AC, the first to fourth electrical signals may be used as burst outputs.

[0104] As mentioned above, magnetic therapy devices also suffer from problems such as unintended tension or relaxation, or the inability to control muscle relaxation or tension, resulting in the various malfunctions described above. Therefore, with the present invention, by applying control of T1 and T3 through the first, second, and third modes, muscle tension and relaxation can be controlled in magnetic therapy treatment as described above, thereby avoiding the problems described above caused by unintended muscle tension or relaxation, and improving treatment efficiency and therapeutic effect.

[0105] As a modification of this embodiment, the magnetic stimulator D4 supplies an AC current of approximately 27 MHz to the coil 1201 as a drive signal, thereby outputting ultra-short wave magnetism as a non-current stimulation. However, the electrical signal generation unit D1304 and the coil 1201 must be suitable for frequencies in the ultra-short wave range.

[0106] (Fourth embodiment) In this embodiment, an energy conversion element such as a light-emitting element is a small light bulb or a light-emitting diode (LED), which converts the electrical energy of the driving current into light energy (simply referred to as light in this application). Such a light stimulation device using light energy is put into practical use as a phototherapy or light beauty device.

[0107] Figure 13(a) shows a photostimulator E5, an example of a photostimulator that uses an LED as a light-emitting element and irradiates the affected area with light emitted from the LED. The photostimulator E5 has a gripping part E1622 as its main body, a protruding part E1625, and a cover E1621 at the tip of the protruding part E1625. As will be described later, the photostimulator E5 can irradiate a target object with specific light by an electrical signal supplied to it. The protruding part E1625 is equipped with an operating section, which includes a main power supply C1017, an UP button 102 used to increase the intensity of the light supplied from the photostimulator E5 to the target object, a DOWN button 103 used to decrease the intensity of the light, and a display unit C104.

[0108] Figure 13(b) shows a cross-section of the protrusion E1625. At the tip of the protrusion E1625 is a cover E1621 having a radiating surface E1623 that contacts or is brought close to an object to impart light to the object. The cover E1621 may be made of a transparent or translucent plate material such as acrylic. On the back side of the cover E1621 relative to the radiating surface E1623, an LED-A1601 is placed as an energy conversion element that converts the drive signal into other forms of energy.

[0109] LED-A1601 may be a single LED or an LED array with multiple LEDs arranged in it. In this embodiment, it will be described as a single LED. In this embodiment, the wavelength of light emitted by LED-A1601 is approximately 630 nm, which improves skin condition or exhibits a skin beautifying effect. However, the wavelength and effect used are not particularly limited, and depending on the desired effect, colors such as blue for acne care or green for improving blemishes may be selected, and the light stimulator may be configured to selectively irradiate with these colors.

[0110] The LED-A1601 converts the supplied DC current, which serves as a drive signal, into light. The light generated from the LED-A1601 passes through the cover E1621 and illuminates the target object from the radiating surface E1623. Both of the two harnesses 10 are directly connected to the LED-A1601. As shown in Figure 17, the LED-A1601 receives a DC drive signal, which is an electrical signal, from the circuit board E1619 via the harness 10, and this drive signal is converted into light, which is a non-current stimulus.

[0111] In this embodiment, as previously described, the display unit C104 indicates that when it is lit, the power to the light stimulator E5 is on and light can be supplied to the target, and when it is off, the power is off and light cannot be supplied to the target. In addition, the selected mode can be displayed by color.

[0112] Inside the gripping section E1622 is a circuit board E1619, and a block diagram is shown in Figure 14. The circuit board E1619 consists of an electrical signal generation section E1704, which is an output circuit that outputs a drive signal, which is an electrical signal supplied to the LED-A1601; a control section E1753 that controls the operation of the light stimulation device E5, including the electrical signal generation section E1704; a timer 207; a user IF section 201; a power supply section A206; a memory 205; a battery 208, etc. The drive signal output from the electrical signal generation section E1704 is supplied to terminal sections C1115 and D1116, and output to the LED-A1601 via the harness 10 connected to them.

[0113] The light stimulator E5 is used as follows: First, the user turns on the main power switch C1017. By pressing and holding the main power switch C1017, it functions as the main power switch, and the power to the gripping unit E1622, which is the main body, is turned on. When the main power switch C1017 is turned on, the display unit C104 lights up yellow. Immediately after the power is turned on, the electrical signal generation unit E1704 does not output an electrical signal which is the drive signal, and the LED-A1601 cannot light up, so the light stimulator E5 does not apply light to the object.

[0114] When the UP button 102 is pressed, the electrical signal generation unit E1704 outputs an electrical signal, which is a drive signal, to the LED-A1601. The LED-A1601 emits light in response to the electrical signal supplied from the electrical signal generation unit E1704, and the radiating surface E1623 on the surface of the cover E1621, which acts as a non-current stimulation radiating surface, irradiates the target object with light. As previously described, the operation of the UP button 102 or DOWN button 103 changes the intensity of the drive signal from the electrical signal generation unit E1704, which is the drive signal output unit. The drive signal with changed intensity is supplied to the LED-A1601, so the intensity of the light emitted by the LED-A1601 is also changed, changing the intensity of the non-current stimulation, and the intensity is controlled, including stopping the light emission. As previously described, the main power supply C1017 also functions as a mode selection unit when clicked.

[0115] Figure 15 shows a modified example of a photostimulator, the photostimulator F6. Figure 15(a) shows a band-shaped or annular photostimulator F6. The photostimulator F6 consists of a belt portion 181, a controller F182 which is the main body, etc. The photostimulator F6 is attached to the wrist by wrapping the annular or band-shaped belt portion 181 around the extremities or nearby parts of the limbs, mainly the wrist. The belt portion 181 may be made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber in part or in whole, or it may be used by wrapping it around the wrist with hook-and-loop fasteners etc. The photostimulator F6 is attached to the wrist so that the wrist fits into the space F185 formed by making the belt portion 181 annular or a nearly annular annular shape with a part open like the letter C. Figure 15 shows a photostimulator F6 having an annular belt portion 181 as an example of a belt portion. The outer surface of the controller F182, on the side facing the space F185, has a cover F184, while the opposite side (the side not facing the space F185) has a main power supply F1817 and a display unit C104.

[0116] A belt portion 181 is connected to the controller F182, allowing the light stimulator F6 to be configured in a ring shape. When the light stimulator F6 is worn, for example, on the wrist, the side of the controller F182 facing the wrist is provided with a cover F184 and a radiating surface F183. Figure 15(b) shows a cross-section of the controller F182. The controller F182 is provided with a circuit board F1819, which will be described later, and the LED-F1801 is positioned on the back side of the cover F184 relative to the radiating surface F183.

[0117] Figure 16 shows a block diagram of the circuit board F1819 located in the light stimulator F6. In circuit board F1819, the control unit F1953 is located in place of the control unit E1753 in circuit board E1619, and the electrical signal generation unit F1904 is located in place of the electrical signal generation unit E1704 as a circuit section that is the output circuit for the drive signal. The drive signal output from the electrical signal generation unit F1904 is supplied to terminals C1115 and D1116, and is supplied to LED-F1801 via a harness 10, one end of which is connected to the terminals and the other end of which is connected to LED-F1801, where it is converted into light. This light passes through the cover F184 and is irradiated onto the wrist from the radiating surface F183.

[0118] The light stimulator F6 is powered on by pressing and holding the main power switch F1817. Pressing and holding it again in this state will turn it off. While the power is on, clicking the main power switch F1817 changes the mode in which LED-F1801 illuminates. As described above, the display unit C104 can indicate whether the light stimulator F6 is powered on or off, and the mode being used, using its corresponding color.

[0119] The above-described optical stimulation device F6 is an example of a device worn on the wrist as an extremity of the limb, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be a device worn on the ankle instead of the wrist as an extremity of the limb. In this case, the size of the space F185 must be large enough to accommodate the ankle, and the belt portion 181 must be large enough to accommodate the ankle, or it must be configured to be expandable or retractable.

[0120] Another modification of the fourth embodiment will be described. Figure 19 shows a photostimulator G7 that is attached to the finger as an extremity of the limb. The photostimulator G7 is a main body G221 that is annular or substantially annular in shape, and the finger is inserted into the space G225 and the photostimulator G7 is attached to the finger for use. Figure 19(a) shows a perspective view of a photostimulator G7 having an annular main body G221 as an example of a photostimulator. The main body G221 may be made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber, or it may be made of a steel material such as stainless steel or resin, in order to make it easy to attach to and detach from the finger. In this embodiment, stainless steel is used as an example of the main body G221. The main body G221 has a contact surface G2203 which is the surface that comes into contact with the finger when the photostimulator G7 is attached to the finger, and a cover G2204 which has a radiating surface G223 from which light is emitted. On the opposite side of the cover G2204 from the contact surface G2203 (inside the main body G221), the LED-G2205 is positioned as an energy conversion element. Inside the main body G221 is a circuit board G2219, which will be described later, and this state is shown in Figure 19(b). Figure 19(b) shows a cross-section of the main body G221 sliced ​​parallel to the space 225.

[0121] A device worn on the finger, such as the G7 optical stimulator, may have an operating section such as a mode selection unit. However, due to its extremely small size and the fact that it is worn on the finger, it will be described as not having buttons, switches, or other operating sections or mode selection units like those in the examples above. Instead, the G7 optical stimulator is connected wirelessly or via a wired connection to a separate device such as a smartphone to perform various settings and mode selections. Figure 19 illustrates an example where the device is connected wirelessly to a smartphone (not shown), meaning the smartphone functions as the operating unit.

[0122] Figure 20 shows the circuit board G2219. The circuit board G2219 has a wireless communication unit G2220 for connecting to a smartphone, as described above. The wireless communication unit G2220 acquires information on operation and mode selection from the wirelessly connected smartphone, and therefore corresponds to the operation unit and mode selection unit in each of the above examples. Furthermore, it transmits information on said operation and mode selection to the control unit G2253, and thus also performs the function of the user IF unit 201 in each of the above examples. It is preferable that the wireless communication unit G2220 is connected to an antenna. For example, the optical stimulation device G7 uses a stainless steel main body G221, so it may be connected to the main body G221.

[0123] Circuit board G2219 is a circuit board F1819 in which control unit G2253 is located instead of control unit F1953. The drive signal output from the electrical signal generation unit F1904 is supplied to terminals C1115 and D1116, and is supplied to LED-G2205 via a harness 10 which has one end connected to terminals C1115 and D1116 and the other end connected to LED-G2205, where it is converted into light. This light passes through cover F184 and is shone onto fingers, etc., from the radiating surface G223.

[0124] The electrical signals, which are drive signals supplied to the energy conversion elements in the optical stimulators E5, F6, and G7, can be described in the same way as in the third embodiment using Figure 17. Furthermore, the drive signals in Figure 17 are supplied to the energy conversion elements LED-A1601 and LED-F1801, and the intensity of the light that is converted into light and emitted and radiated onto the object can also be described in the same way as in the third embodiment using Figure 18. Figure 18 corresponds to Figure 3, with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing the radiated light intensity.

[0125] The above-mentioned photostimulators E5, F6, and G7 can output light in three modes: a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode. These modes can be used in the following ways to improve treatment efficiency. Firstly, as mentioned above, it was not possible to control muscle tension or relaxation with phototherapy. Therefore, by using the first mode to induce muscle tension, the second mode to induce muscle relaxation, and the third mode to induce neither, the occurrence of muscle tension and relaxation can be controlled, solving the problem of unintended tension or weakness and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of treatment.

[0126] In each of the above-described photostimulators, by using the first mode, the T1 and T3 of the drive signals supplied from the electrical signal generation unit E1704 and the electrical signal generation unit F1904 to the energy conversion elements LED-A1601 and LED-F1801 can be made longer than 1 second, and the T1 and T3 of the light irradiated to the affected area can also be made longer than 1 second, making it possible to intentionally generate tension in the affected area and the muscles nearby.

[0127] Conversely, by using the second mode, the T1 and T3 of the drive signal supplied to the energy conversion element can be reduced to less than 1 second, and the T1 and T3 of the light output from the energy conversion element can also be reduced to less than 1 second, making it possible to intentionally induce relaxation in the affected area or nearby muscles.

[0128] Furthermore, by using the third mode, the T1 and T3 values ​​of the drive signals supplied to the energy conversion element can be set to 1 second, and the T1 and T3 values ​​of the light output from the energy conversion element can also be set to 1 second, making it possible to intentionally prevent tension or relaxation in the affected area or nearby muscles.

[0129] In particular, the photostimulators F6 and G7 have been confirmed to have an effect on the entire body when light is irradiated to the extremities of the limbs or their vicinity (simply referred to as extremities in this specification), such as the wrists and ankles, using the first, second, or third modes described above. Therefore, the photostimulators F6 and G7 exhibit the following unique effects of this invention. When light is irradiated to the extremities of the limbs, such as the wrists, using the first mode, muscle tension is more likely to occur not only in the wrists where the light was irradiated, but throughout the entire body. This is presumed to be because the sympathetic nervous system becomes dominant. Conversely, when light is irradiated to the extremities of the limbs, such as the wrists, using the second mode, relaxation is more likely to occur not only in the wrists where the light was irradiated, but throughout the entire body. This is presumed to be because the parasympathetic nervous system becomes dominant. On the other hand, when light is irradiated to the extremities of the limbs, such as the wrists, using the third mode, neither tension nor relaxation is likely to occur throughout the entire body, not just in the wrists where the light was irradiated. This can be presumed to be because the autonomic nervous system is in balance, and neither the sympathetic nor the parasympathetic nervous system is dominant.

[0130] The above-described optical stimulation device is an example in which a DC drive signal without vibration components is supplied to an energy conversion element, and the converted DC energy without vibration components is irradiated onto the target object. In particular, an example using a drive signal with a DC component, as shown in Figure 17, is described, but the optical stimulation device of the present invention is not limited to this, and a drive signal with an AC component may also be used. As a drive signal with a vibration component, the signal shown in Figure 4 may be used, and therefore, the light converted into light by the energy conversion element and irradiated onto the affected area, which is the target object, may also be light energy with a vibration component irradiated onto the object, as shown in Figure 3, by a drive signal with a vibration component. In this case as well, the effects of the first mode, second mode, and third mode described above can be obtained, and the affected area can be made to a state of muscle tension, muscle relaxation, or neither. In optical stimulation devices that irradiate the extremities of the limbs with light, such as optical stimulation device F6 and optical stimulation device G7, the whole body can be made to a state of muscle tension, muscle relaxation, or neither.

[0131] (Fifth embodiment) As described above, the photostimulators F6 and G7 can exert effects on the entire body related to tension and relaxation by irradiating light onto the extremities of the limbs or their vicinity. In other words, they are devices that stimulate the extremities of the limbs and exert that effect on the entire body, and in this specification, they will be referred to as peripheral stimulators. Therefore, the photostimulators F6 and G7 can also be called peripheral stimulators. However, the effects on the entire body can also be obtained by using vibration instead of light, and furthermore, by using mechanical vibration or ultrasound.

[0132] Figure 21 shows a vibration stimulator H8, an example of a peripheral stimulator that uses vibration instead of light, which is worn on the wrist and applies vibration to the wrist. As shown in Figure 21(a), the vibration stimulator H8 has a controller H242 instead of a controller F182, and as shown in Figure 21(b), the controller H242 has a small vibration motor H243 inside as an energy conversion element. The vibration motor H243 itself may have the same known configuration as the vibration motor B516, and may be driven by either an AC or DC drive signal.

[0133] When the vibration stimulator H8 is worn on the wrist, the controller H242 has a cover H244 and a radiating surface H245 on the side facing the wrist. Figure 15(b) shows a cross-section of the controller H242. The controller H242 is equipped with a circuit board H2419, and the vibration motor H243 is located on the back side of the cover H244 relative to the radiating surface H245.

[0134] The circuit board H2419 located on the controller H242 is shown in Figure 22. Instead of the electrical signal generation unit G2504, it has an electrical signal generation unit H2504 as a circuit section that is a drive signal output circuit capable of outputting AC or DC matched to the vibration motor H243 so that it can drive the vibration motor H243. The drive signal output from the electrical signal generation unit H2504 is supplied to the vibration motor H243 by a harness 10 (not shown) to drive the vibration motor H243. Other aspects are the same as the optical stimulation device F6. Furthermore, the vibration stimulation device H8 uses a small vibration motor H243 to apply vibration to the wrist, which is the extremity of the limbs, but is not limited to this. For example, an ultrasonic transducer that converts the drive signal into ultrasonic vibration, such as a piezoelectric element, may be used as an energy conversion element. In this case, Figures 21 and 22 can be used as they are for explanation. However, in Figure 21, the ultrasonic transducer is placed in place of the vibration motor H243, and in Figure 22, an electrical signal generation unit that outputs a drive signal to drive the ultrasonic transducer is placed in place of the electrical signal generation unit H2504.

[0135] If the vibration motor H243 is a DC motor, the electrical signal generation unit H2504 needs to generate a drive signal with a DC component as shown in Figure 17 and supply it to the vibration motor H243. If the vibration motor H243 is an AC motor, the electrical signal generation unit H2504 needs to supply a drive signal with a vibration component as shown in Figures 4, 7, etc., to the vibration motor H243. However, this description does not mean that the electrical signal generation unit H2504 outputs both a drive signal with a DC component and a drive signal with an AC component; it is sufficient if it can output either one of the drive signals depending on the vibration motor.

[0136] Other variations will be described. As another example of a vibration stimulator as a peripheral stimulator, the vibration stimulator J9 shown in Figure 23 is presented. As shown in Figure 23(a), the vibration stimulator J9 has the same configuration as the optical stimulator G7 and is worn on the finger. However, in the position of the LED-G2205 which is the energy conversion element of the optical stimulator G7, an ultrasonic transducer 264 is placed instead of the LED-G2205. At the same time, as shown in Figure 24, a circuit board J2619 is used which has an electrical signal generation unit J2704 as the circuit section that outputs an electrical signal that is a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic transducer 264. Otherwise, it is the same as the optical stimulator G7.

[0137] The electrical signal generation unit J2704 drives the ultrasonic transducer 264, and its output is a drive signal having the vibration component shown in Figure 4. While there are no particular limitations on the frequency of this drive signal, it is set to, for example, 1 MHz.

[0138] Furthermore, this embodiment does not necessarily have to consist of a main unit and electrodes dedicated to stimulation, as in the above-described optical stimulation device G7. For example, a smartphone can be used as a vibration stimulation device by controlling the vibration function of a device that has a vibration function, such as a smartphone, to control the vibration to the first mode, second mode, and third mode described above. In this case, it is also possible to install an application on the smartphone that enables the vibration from the vibration function to be in the first mode, second mode, and third mode.

[0139] (Sixth embodiment) The embodiments and their modifications described above describe examples in which an energy conversion element is used to convert an electrical drive signal into a non-current stimulus, which is a different form of energy from electrical energy, and the electrical drive signal is used to generate ultrasonic vibrations, mechanical vibrations, magnetic fields or electromagnetic fields for irradiation, or to convert it into light for irradiation. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and an energy conversion element that converts an electrical drive signal into other forms of electrical energy may also be used. For example, the drive signal may be supplied to an energy conversion element and converted into an electric field, which is different from voltage, and this electric field may be applied to the target object, such as the human body or a diseased area.

[0140] As an example of this device, Figure 25 shows the electric field stimulator K29. The electric field stimulator K29 has a main body K290 and an electrode K291. The electrode K291 can supply an electric field to the affected area by a drive signal supplied as described later. The main body K290 is equipped with a display unit A17, an encoder A18, a switch A16, a connection unit K2917 that electrically connects the electrode K291 and the main body K290, and a main power supply A15 as shown in Figure 25. A circuit board K2919 is also located inside the main body K290, as will be described later.

[0141] The electrode K291 consists of an electrode mat K2901 and a cable K2913. The electrode K291 is connected to the main body K290 by the cable K2913 being coupled to the connector K2917. The electrode mat K2901 consists of a conductive part K2902, which is a thin plate made of, for example, metal or conductive resin covered with insulating resin, and an elastic mat-like cover K2921. The conductive part K2902 is positioned at the dotted line within the cover K2921 as shown in Figure 25, but since it is built inside the cover K2921, it is not normally visible from the outside and cannot be touched from the outside. The proximal end of the electrode mat K2901 is connected to the cable K2913, and the conductive part K2902 is connected to the harness K2910 that makes up the cable K2913. The harness K2910 and cable K2913 are then connected to the circuit board K2919 inside the main body K290, and a potential signal, which is a drive signal, is supplied.

[0142] Figure 26 shows a block diagram of circuit board K2919. Circuit board K2919 consists of the following components: an output section which outputs a drive signal, which is a potential signal supplied to the conductive section K2902; a control section K2953 which controls the operation of the main body K290, including the electrical signal generation section K2904; a timer 207; a user IF section 201; a power supply section A206; a memory 205; and so on. The electrical signal output from the electrical signal generation section K2904 is supplied to terminal A215, and the harness K2910, which constitutes the cable K2913 connected to the connection section K2917, makes contact with terminal A215, thereby supplying the potential signal to the conductive section K2902.

[0143] The drive signal, which is an electrical potential signal supplied to the conductive part K2902, creates an electric field around the conductive part K2902, and by placing the affected area or body within this electric field, treatment using the electric field can be performed. In other words, the conductive part K2902 or the electric floor mat K2901 can be said to be an energy conversion element that converts the electrical drive signal (electric potential signal) into an electric field, which is a non-current stimulus with different characteristics. The electric field stimulator K29 is sometimes called an electric potential therapy device because it supplies electric potential to the electrode K291.

[0144] The drive signal used by the electric field stimulator K29 may be an AC electrical signal as shown in Figure 7, etc. In this case, the first to fourth electrical signal intensities may differ from those of the above embodiment and its modifications. For example, in the electric field stimulator K29, the electrical signal amplitude as the second electrical signal intensity is set to a voltage value of 200V and a frequency of 60Hz, rather than a current value. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other voltage values ​​may be used, or the configuration may be changed by the user.

[0145] The electrical signal output from the electrical signal generation unit K2904 may be an AC drive signal as described above, but it may also be a DC voltage as explained in Figure 17, and the second electrical signal strength may be, for example, minus 300V. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be appropriately modified depending on the size of the energy conversion element, the electric floor mat K2901, and the characteristics of the patient using it.

[0146] As a modified example of this embodiment, Figure 27 shows an electric field stimulator L30. The electric field stimulator L30 has a main body L310 and, in addition to the electrode K291, an electrode L311. The electrodes L311 and K291 can supply an electric field to the affected area by a drive signal supplied as described later. The main body L310 is equipped with a display unit A17, an encoder A18, a switch A16, an electrode L311, a connection unit L3217 that electrically connects the electrode L311 to the main body L310, and a main power supply A15, etc. Inside the main body L310, a circuit board L3119 is arranged as described later.

[0147] The electrode L311 consists of a wristband L3102 and a cable L3213. Cables L3213 and K2913 are connected to the main body L310 by coupling at the connector L3217, thereby connecting the electrode K291 and electrode L311 to the main body L310. The wristband L3102 is made of metal or conductive resin in part or all, in a ring or strip shape, and is used by being worn on, for example, the wrist or ankle. In Figure 27, the wristband L3102 is depicted as being made of cloth composed of a strip of conductive fiber, with hook-and-loop fasteners or buttons at both ends, and is used by being wrapped around the wrist. Cable L3213 is connected to the circuit board L3119 inside the main body L310 by connecting at the connector L3217, and a drive signal is supplied.

[0148] As shown in Figure 28, the circuit board L3119 consists of an electrical signal generation unit L3204, which acts as an output circuit that outputs a drive signal, which is a potential signal supplied to the electrodes K291 and L311; a control unit L3253 that controls the operation of the main unit L310, including the electrical signal generation unit L3204; a timer 207; a user IF unit 201; a power supply unit A206; a memory 205, etc. The electrical signal output from the electrical signal generation unit L3204 is, for example, negative polarity and is supplied to the high-voltage terminal C1115. When the cable L3213 connected to the connection unit L3217 makes contact with terminal C1115, the electrical signal is supplied to the wristband L3102. The electric floor mat K2901 is connected to the connection unit L3117 by cable K2913, causing the cable K2913 to make contact with the low-voltage terminal C1116, and thus the electric floor mat K2901 is electrically connected to the electrical signal generation unit L3204.

[0149] The drive signal, which is an electrical potential signal supplied to the wristband L3102, delivers negative charge from the wristband L3102 to the body surface, such as the affected area. This negative charge creates an electric field within the affected area or body due to the potential difference between it and the low-voltage electric mat K2901, enabling treatment with negative charge. In other words, the electrodes L311 and K291 are energy conversion elements that convert the drive signal into an electric field, which is a non-current stimulus with electrical characteristics different from those of an electric field. The electric field stimulator L31 is sometimes called a negative charge therapy device because it supplies negative charge to the body surface via the electrode L311.

[0150] Furthermore, the electric field stimulator L30 may output a DC potential as shown in Figure 17, and the electrodes K291 and L311 may output a DC electric field. In this case, a drive signal of -600V can be used as the second electrical signal strength. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other potentials may be used. Moreover, the drive signal is not limited to a DC potential, but may be an AC potential having an oscillation component such as a pulse or sine wave. In the case of an AC potential, the electric field output by the conductive part K2902 and electrode L311, which are energy conversion elements, will be an AC electric field having an oscillation component. The drive signal used may be configured so that the user can freely set the value of the potential.

[0151] Both the electric field stimulator K29 and the electric field stimulator L30 can be made to be roughly the same size as the affected area if you want to apply the electric field only to that area. Alternatively, they can be made to be the same size as the human body, not just a specific area, to apply the electric field to the entire body, which can be used, for example, to improve sleep or relieve fatigue. For example, since patients often lie down on the electric floor mat K2901, it is desirable, but not limited to, a size of approximately 2m in the length direction and 1m in the width direction for the electric floor mat K2901. If the electric floor mat K2901 is intended to be used while sitting, the electric floor mat K2901 may be, for example, about 1m square.

[0152] As described above, both the electric field stimulator K29 and the electric field stimulator L30 can supply electric fields to the target object in the first, second, and third modes. To do this, in the case of supplying a DC electric field, a DC drive signal with a waveform as shown in Figure 17 is used to supply it to the electrodes L311 and K291, so that the electric field generated by these electrodes and supplied to the affected area or human body is a DC electric field with a waveform as shown in Figure 18.

[0153] When using a drive signal that has a vibration component as the drive signal to be supplied, drive signals like those in Figures 4 and 7 can be used, and accordingly, the electric field can be supplied to the affected area or the human body in the form of a waveform like that in Figure 3, or, if the drive signal is a sine wave, the electric field formed will also be a sine wave.

[0154] Even when using DC or AC drive signals as drive signals, if you want to generate and supply an electric field in the first mode, set both T1 and T3 in the drive signal to be greater than 1 second; if you want to generate and supply an electric field in the second mode, set both T1 and T3 in the drive signal to be less than 1 second; and if you want to generate and supply an electric field in the third mode, set both T1 and T3 in the drive signal to be 1 second. By doing so, it is possible to achieve the effects of electrotherapy while simultaneously creating a state of muscle tension, muscle relaxation, or neither in the affected area or throughout the entire body.

[0155] Electric field stimulators that apply an electric field to an object, such as the K29 and L30, are often used at bedtime and are effective for sleep disorders. Since these devices are often turned on just before going to sleep, it is effective and desirable to release tension by relaxing the muscles throughout the body to make it easier to fall asleep, and the second mode that provides muscle relaxation is effective. However, it is not only troublesome for the user to select the second mode every time the power is turned on, but forgetting to set the second mode or accidentally setting the first mode can result in a failure to achieve overall relaxation and tension in the body, and conversely, an inability to fall asleep. Therefore, the second mode may be automatically set immediately after power is turned on for electric field stimulators.

[0156] Alternatively, the modes may be controlled by a program such as the following: When falling asleep, the second mode is used to first release tension by relaxing the muscles throughout the body, thereby promoting sleep. Then, just before waking up, the program switches to the first mode. More specifically, immediately after power-on, the electric field in the second mode is supplied to the object for, for example, one hour. After that, the program switches to the third mode and supplies the electric field in the third mode for five hours. One hour before waking up, the program switches to the first mode and supplies the electric field in the first mode to the object. This generates muscle tension throughout the body, allowing the user to wake up more comfortably. In other words, it is desirable to use the device in a way that assists in falling asleep and leads to a more comfortable awakening by controlling the switching between the second, third, and first modes, thereby improving the quality of sleep. Note that the time during which each mode is used is not limited to one hour, five hours, and one hour as described above. It may be other times, or the device may be configured to allow switching or adjustment according to the individual's physical condition and constitution.

[0157] The program is not limited to this and may consist of a second mode and a first mode. For example, the second mode may be executed when falling asleep, continue to run for 6 hours, and then switch to the first mode one hour before waking up. However, if applying the second mode for a long period of time causes the entire body to relax, leading to problems such as increased snoring, then a program that switches to the third mode as described above is preferable. In short, it is best to use the second mode when falling asleep, then the third mode, and then switch to the first mode. Alternatively, it is best to use the second mode when falling asleep and switch to the first mode when waking up.

[0158] The program mode, which automatically switches modes as in the electric field stimulator described above, can also be used in the light stimulator F6, light stimulator G7, and other peripheral stimulators. Since these peripheral stimulators are worn on the wrist, ankle, or fingers, they can also be used while sleeping. Therefore, it is desirable to use a control unit on the circuit board that enables the program mode, so that the device switches to the second mode as described above when the user goes to sleep, and then, as described above, switches to the first mode via the third mode, or directly from the second mode to the first mode without going through the third mode, to assist in falling asleep, lead to a more comfortable awakening, and improve the quality of sleep.

[0159] (Seventh Embodiment) The embodiments and their modifications described above describe a stimulator that applies physical energy obtained by an energy conversion element only to an object, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In particular, in this embodiment, by applying the energy to the space in which the object is located, such as the space around the object or the room in which the object is located, non-current stimulation, which is physical energy in the first mode, second mode, and third mode, can be supplied to the object present in that space, thereby providing the object with the effects of the physical energy in each mode.

[0160] In this embodiment, the first mode can be used to control the brightness of the lighting, for example, so that the controlled lighting is irradiated to multiple patients in a single room, and the effects of the first mode can be simultaneously applied to all of these patients in the room. This effect is not limited to a specific area, but can induce tension in the entire body of the patient, as with the light stimulators F6 and G7. This effect is not limited to the first mode, but is also true for the second and third modes. In the second mode, relaxation can be given to the entire body, and in the third mode, a state of neither tension nor relaxation can be achieved.

[0161] Furthermore, the same effect can be achieved not only by controlling the light emitted from lighting equipment, but also by controlling audible sounds generated from speakers, etc., to the first to third modes. In the first mode, tension is applied to the entire body; in the second mode, relaxation is applied to the entire body; and in the third mode, neither tension nor relaxation is applied. This is because the above-mentioned light stimulators F6, G7, H8, and J9 can provide tension, relaxation, or neither to the entire body by applying non-electrical stimulation in the first to third modes to the extremities of the limbs or their vicinity. Therefore, in this embodiment, it can be inferred that the lighting and sounds controlled in these modes are applied to the extremities, and the effect is produced on the entire body.

[0162] On the other hand, while patients can perceive visible light and audible sounds, the intensity of these controlled lights and sounds repeatedly increases or decreases. Therefore, some patients may not find them particularly stressful, while others may find them uncomfortable and stressful. Visible light and audible sounds are particularly undesirable during sleep as they disrupt sleep. In this case, non-electrical stimulation as physical energy can include invisible light such as infrared or ultraviolet light, in addition to visible light. Alternatively, inaudible sound waves (extremely low-frequency sounds or ultrasound, which are sound waves outside the audible range) may be used. In this specification, invisible light and inaudible sound waves are referred to as insensitive stimuli. Insensitive stimuli are simply not consciously perceived, but humans and animals are said to recognize them unconsciously. Therefore, by applying the present invention to insensitive stimuli—that is, by applying insensitive stimuli in the first, second, and third modes—tension and relaxation can be controlled. These insensitive stimuli are particularly desirable when used during sleep, as humans and animals cannot perceive them and therefore do not disrupt sleep.

[0163] Furthermore, since each of the above-mentioned stimulators required one device per patient, multiple devices were needed to treat multiple patients with the stimulators of the present invention, resulting in significant costs. Alternatively, since one device could not be used on multiple patients simultaneously, one stimulator had to be used on multiple patients sequentially, requiring time equal to the number of patients to treat all of them. For example, if the above-mentioned light stimulator F6 was used on one patient for 10 minutes, and there were 5 patients, 50 minutes would be required to treat all of them, resulting in low treatment efficiency.

[0164] However, in this embodiment, each mode can be applied simultaneously to multiple patients in the space where the stimulator of the present invention is placed. Therefore, the same treatment time can be used regardless of the number of patients. For example, if one patient is treated for 10 minutes, multiple patients in the vicinity can also be treated simultaneously for 10 minutes. Treatment can be carried out in the same amount of time as for one patient, regardless of the number of patients, without increasing the treatment time, and dramatically improving the efficiency of treatment for multiple patients. Furthermore, even when treating multiple patients, only one stimulator is needed, and each patient does not need to use a separate stimulator. The cost of providing a stimulator can be kept to one unit regardless of the number of patients, preventing an increase in treatment costs.

[0165] This embodiment will be described using a photostimulator M33 that uses light, particularly invisible light, as an example. Figure 29(a) shows a perspective view of the photostimulator M33, and Figure 29(b) shows a cross-section indicated by arrow C. The photostimulator M33 has a main power supply C1017, an UP button 102 used to increase the intensity of invisible light supplied from the photostimulator M33 to the object, a DOWN button 103 used to decrease the intensity, and a display unit C104 on the side of the main body M330. The main body M330 is provided with a dome-shaped cover M3321. Inside the concave side of the cover M3321, that is, on the surface of the main body M330 facing the cover M3321, there is an LED array, LED-M3301, which is an LED array in which multiple LEDs, for example five, are arranged to emit infrared light of about 940 nanometers as invisible light. The concave side of cover M3321 has fine irregularities on the LED-M3301 side of the cover M3321 to uniformly scatter the light from LED-M3301. The light emitted from LED-M3301 is uniformly scattered by these irregularities and is emitted from the side of cover M3321 opposite to the side facing LED-M3301. Therefore, the opposite side of cover M3321 becomes the radiating surface M3323. A circuit board M3319 is provided inside the main body M330. Figure 30 is a block diagram of circuit board M3319, which consists of an electrical signal generation unit M3304 that outputs a drive signal to LED-M3301, a control unit M3317 that controls the operation of the main unit M330 including the electrical signal generation unit M3304, a timer 207, a user IF unit 201, a power supply unit A206, a memory 205, etc. The electrical signal output from the electrical signal generation unit M3304 is supplied to terminals C1115 and D1116, and via a harness 10 (not shown) connected to them, is supplied to LED-M3301 connected to the harness 10, where it is converted into light, which is a non-current stimulus, and output as a non-current stimulus. If the drive signal is a DC electrical signal as shown in Figure 17, the output of invisible light emitted from LED-M3301 and output from the radiating surface M3323 becomes a DC non-current stimulus as shown in Figure 18.

[0166] The invisible light output by the energy conversion element used in the M33 light stimulator is not limited to the infrared region mentioned above, but can be any wavelength that is generally not perceptible to patients. For example, it can be longer than 780 nanometers, and wavelengths such as 840 nanometers are also acceptable. Conversely, the invisible light is not limited to the infrared region mentioned above, but can also be ultraviolet region light. For example, it can be shorter than 380 nanometers, and wavelengths such as 350 nanometers are also acceptable.

[0167] A modified example of this embodiment is shown. The sound wave stimulator N34 is taken as an example. Figure 31(a) shows a perspective view of the sound wave stimulator N34, and Figure 31(b) shows a cross-section indicated by arrow D. The sound wave stimulator N34 has a main power supply C1017, an UP button 102 used to increase the intensity of the inaudible sound waves supplied from the sound wave stimulator N34 to the target object, a DOWN button 103 used to decrease the intensity, and a display unit C104 on the side of the main body N340. The main body N340 is provided with a dome-shaped cover N3521. Inside the concave side of the cover N3521, that is, on the surface of the main body N340 facing the cover N3521, a speaker N3401 is provided as an energy conversion element that can emit extremely low-frequency sound waves, such as 10 Hz sound waves, which are inaudible sound waves. The sound emitted from speaker N3401 is emitted from the opposite side of cover N3521 from the side facing speaker N3301. Therefore, the opposite side of cover N3521 becomes the radiating surface, N3423.

[0168] Inside the main unit N340 is a circuit board N3519. Figure 32 is a block diagram of the circuit board N3519, which consists of an electrical signal generation unit N3404 that outputs a drive signal to the speaker N3401, a control unit N3417 that controls the operation of the main unit N340 including the electrical signal generation unit N3404, a timer 207, a user IF unit 201, a power supply unit A206, a memory 205, etc. The electrical signal output from the electrical signal generation unit N3404 is supplied to the speaker N3401 by a harness 10 (not shown) to drive the speaker N3401. Assuming that this electrical signal is an AC electrical signal with a waveform as shown in Figure 7, the output of inaudible sound emitted from the speaker N3401 and output from the radiating surface N3423 exhibits a waveform as shown in Figure 3.

[0169] The inaudible sound waves output by the energy conversion element used by the sound wave stimulator N34 are not limited to the extremely low frequency of 10 Hz mentioned above, but can be any frequency lower than 20 Hz, which is generally unrecognizable to patients, such as 15 Hz. Conversely, the inaudible sound waves are not limited to the extremely low frequencies mentioned above, but can also be sound waves in the ultrasonic range, and can be any frequency that is generally unrecognizable to patients, so they can be higher than 20 kHz, for example, 50 kHz or 100 kHz could be used by the sound wave stimulator N34. In this case, the electrical signal generation unit N3404 should be able to output electrical signals in these ultrasonic ranges instead of the extremely low frequencies mentioned above.

[0170] The devices of this embodiment, such as the light stimulation device M33 and the sound wave stimulation device N34, can be used, for example, by being attached to a wall. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and they may also be used by being placed on a ceiling or the like, or by being placed on a table.

[0171] The optical stimulator M33 and the acoustic stimulator N34 are used as follows: After the user powers on the device using the main power supply C1017 described above, they select the mode to be used. Here, let's assume the first mode is selected. Parameters defining the drive signals used for the selected mode are read from memory. These parameters include information such as the first time T1 and the third time T3 being greater than 1 second, for example, 3 seconds, and are sent to the electrical signal generation unit M3304 and the electrical signal generation unit N3404. Drive signals are output from the electrical signal generation unit M3304 and the electrical signal generation unit N3404 according to these parameters and supplied to the LED-M3301 and the speaker N3401.

[0172] Similarly, if the second mode is selected, the first time T1 and the third time T3 are automatically set to a value less than 1 second, for example, 0.5 seconds, respectively. If the third mode is selected, the first time T1 and the third time T3 are automatically set to 1 second, respectively. Other parameters besides the first time T1 and the third time T3 include, for example, the second electrical signal strength, which is set appropriately for each mode using the UP button 102 and the DOWN button 103. However, the strength of the drive signal set by these controls may be common to all modes. For example, if the drive signal strength is set to "medium", the optical stimulator M33 may be set to 20mA and the acoustic stimulator N34 may be set to 100mA as the second electrical signal strength, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0173] In each of the above-described stimulators, an UP button 102, a DOWN button 103, etc., are provided as an operating section to control the strength of the output drive signal so that the intensity of the output non-current stimulus can be adjusted. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and this operating section may be eliminated, and the non-current stimulus may be output by a single predetermined value as the second electrical signal strength.

[0174] If both the light stimulator M and the sound wave stimulator N are placed in the bedroom, it is desirable to use them in the way described in the sixth embodiment: set to the second mode when going to sleep, especially when falling asleep, and to the first mode when waking up, or to use the program mode described above. This would involve first using the second mode to emit ultraviolet light and infrasound (audible sound), and then automatically switching to the first mode. This would induce muscle relaxation when falling asleep and muscle tension when waking up, assisting in falling asleep, leading to a more pleasant awakening, and improving sleep quality. Such a program is desirable because it ensures therapeutic effects even for users who have no knowledge of the first to third modes, etc.

[0175] Furthermore, it is not necessary to use a device that is specifically designed to provide stimulation by light or sound, like the sound wave stimulator N. For example, any device with a speaker, such as a smartphone, can be used as a sound wave stimulator if the ultra-low frequency sound is controlled to the first, second, and third modes described above. In this case, it is also possible to install an application on the smartphone that can produce vibrations in the first, second, and third modes, using both the ultra-low frequency and ultrasonic sounds output. Moreover, as in the sixth embodiment, it is desirable to use the device in a way that, when going to sleep, especially when falling asleep, the second mode is used, and when waking up, the first mode is used, or the above program is used, so that the second mode is used first to output the ultra-low frequency sound, and then it automatically switches to the first mode. This induces muscle relaxation when falling asleep and muscle tension when waking up, assisting in falling asleep and leading to a more pleasant awakening, thereby improving the quality of sleep.

[0176] As described above, the present invention is also applicable to living organisms other than the human body (hereinafter simply referred to as "living organisms"). Examples of living organisms include animals kept in zoos, such as lions and giraffes, as well as animals kept as pets in ordinary households, such as dogs and cats. The present invention can also be applied to livestock such as cattle, horses, pigs, chickens, goats, and sheep. Here, we will explain using livestock as an example. Livestock are often kept in relatively small spaces, for example, cattle are kept in barns, and lack of exercise, confinement in small spaces, or stress due to other factors, or prolonged tension due to other factors, can greatly affect their growth and health, the quantity and quality of milk in the case of dairy cows, and the quality of meat in the case of beef cattle.

[0177] Therefore, by using the device incorporating the present invention on a living organism, such as a cow, it becomes possible to alleviate stress and tension and improve milk and meat quality. In this case, the device used can be the peripheral stimulator used in the above example, or a light stimulator M or sound wave stimulator N that can apply the present invention to the entire space. However, it is necessary to adjust the size of each device and the light and sound output so that it can be used on a living organism, for example, the paws of a cow. For example, even with a light stimulator M, the visible light range that can be perceived and the inaudible range used by sound wave stimulators differ depending on the type of organism, so it is necessary to change the wavelength of light and the frequency of sound according to the organism in which it is used.

[0178] By using the device of the present invention on living organisms, the following effects can be expected. The effects listed below can be expected individually, as well as in combination. One effect is the reduction of tension. The reasons for tension are not limited to specific reasons; for example, it can be caused by stress from being confined to a small cage or room. Other examples include stress caused by weather conditions such as abnormally low or high temperatures, typhoons, strong winds, prolonged rain, or dryness, as well as tension caused by vigilance due to construction work being carried out nearby. Alternatively, it can be caused by changes in physical condition due to poor health or pregnancy.

[0179] In response to the tension relief described above, supplying physical energy to a living organism using the second mode of the present invention can alleviate tension, relieve stress, and be used for maintaining and managing the organism's physical condition, such as improving and maintaining its health. Alternatively, it is effective to supply physical energy using the second mode to an organism in advance, anticipating the occurrence of tension or to individuals prone to tension. Furthermore, it is also effective to suppress the activity of overactive individuals by supplying physical energy using the second mode. For example, supplying physical energy using the first mode to injured or ill individuals can suppress their activity and is expected to accelerate the healing of injuries or illnesses.

[0180] By using the device of the present invention on living organisms, other effects can be expected. These other effects include the promotion of activity. For example, in elderly organisms, activity itself decreases, leading to lack of exercise, which can induce muscle weakness, joint disorders, and internal organ diseases caused by lack of exercise. The same applies to animals in zoos; their activity is restricted in cages, and food is easily available at regular intervals, reducing opportunities for exercise and leading to lack of exercise. Lack of exercise increases the likelihood of inducing disease and injury. Therefore, by using the stimulation device of the present invention to provide tension to living organisms, the activity and vitality of the organisms can be increased, resolving lack of exercise and being used to maintain and manage the health of the organisms. For example, in the case of cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats, it is possible to maintain and manage meat quality, and to improve, maintain, and manage milk quality and milk yield. By supplying physical energy in the first mode to organisms with decreased activity and vitality to increase their activity, it is possible to prevent muscle deterioration in elderly organisms and maintain strong muscles, or to improve lack of exercise, thereby preventing injuries and diseases even in elderly organisms and maintaining their health.

[0181] The device of the present invention not only allows for the management of the health of living organisms using physical energy in the first, second, and third modes, but also for the control of quality in the case of livestock. For example, in beef cattle, physical energy in the first mode can be used to increase the activity level of the cattle and increase the proportion of lean meat, or physical energy in the second mode can be used to induce relaxation and limit the activity level of the cattle, thereby controlling the toughness and fat content of the meat. For example, it is possible to make the meat tender and increase or control the proportion of marbling. In this case, there is no forced restriction of the livestock's exercise, nor is exercise forced, so no stress is caused to the livestock.

[0182] As previously mentioned, treatment can cause unintended tension and relaxation problems. Therefore, by applying the control of T1 and T3 in the first, second, and third modes according to the present invention, it is possible to avoid unintended tension and relaxation problems even in treatment, such as massage.

[0183] Therapy using vibrations in three modes—the first mode by setting T1 and T3 to more than 1 second, the second mode by setting T1 and T3 to less than 1 second, and the third mode by setting T1 and T3 to 1 second—can also be achieved with vibration stimulators B2 and C3. It is desirable for the user to select or combine the first, second, and third modes based on the characteristics of the patient and affected area, such as whether or not muscle relaxation or tension occurs due to normal massage, or whether or not there is muscle tension that hinders massage. By intentionally providing muscle tension or relaxation, or neither, it is possible to prevent accidents after treatment or maximize the massage effect and therapeutic efficiency of the massage.

[0184] The above embodiments, such as the ultrasonic stimulator A1, vibration stimulator B2, vibration stimulator C3, magnetic stimulator D4, optical stimulator E5, electric field stimulator K29, and electric field stimulator L30, can enhance the therapeutic effect by applying intentional tension, intentional relaxation, or a state of neither to the affected area or body, in conjunction with treatments such as massage, ultrasound therapy, or cosmetic procedures. Alternatively, they can apply intentional tension, intentional relaxation, or a state of neither to the affected area or body at any time, thereby increasing the temporal efficiency of the treatment.

[0185] On the other hand, the optical stimulators F6 and G7, vibration stimulators H8 and J9, optical stimulators M33, and sound wave stimulators N34 can apply intentional tension, intentional relaxation, or a state of neither to the entire patient, rather than to specific areas or affected parts. In particular, the optical stimulators M33 and N34 can apply intentional tension, intentional relaxation, or a state of neither to the entire patient, rather than to specific areas or affected parts, to multiple patients in the space where they are placed, without using them on individual patients.

[0186] The descriptions of each mode explained in each of the above embodiments can be applied to other embodiments as well. For example, the description of the modes used in the first embodiment can be used in other embodiments. That is, in the present invention, the electrical signal that is the drive signal supplied to the energy conversion element is a fifth electrical signal composed of a first electrical signal to a fourth electrical signal, and the strengths of the first to fourth electrical signals are not particularly important, except that the second electrical signal is greater than the fourth electrical signal.

[0187] The parameters of the electrical signals output in each mode used in each of the above embodiments and their variations are not limited to the examples above, and may be pre-set depending on the affected area, mode, or patient, or may be changed as appropriate by the user or patient using the control unit. The following are examples, and control may be based on the examples shown below, or a combination of these examples.

[0188] In the embodiments and their variations described above, treatment times of 10 or 20 minutes are used as examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The treatment time may be pre-set depending on the affected area, mode, or patient, or it may be changed depending on the usage scenario. For example, a short treatment time may be used before a match to intentionally create muscle tension, and a longer time may be set after the match to relieve fatigue, or it may be changed as appropriate by the user or patient.

[0189] For example, when ultrasound is used as a non-current stimulus, such as when applying ultrasound to an ultrasonic stimulator A1, a vibration stimulator J9, or a sound wave stimulator N34, the frequency is not limited to the frequencies used above. For example, in ultrasonic stimulators A1 and J9, the frequency is not limited to 1 MHz; 1.2 MHz, 2.4 MHz, or any other frequency in the ultrasonic range is acceptable. The same applies when applying ultrasound to a sound wave stimulator N34, however, as the frequency increases, problems such as the emitted ultrasound becoming more directional and having difficulty propagating through air tend to occur, so a frequency of around several hundred kHz is preferable.

[0190] Similarly, for stimulators other than the ultrasonic stimulator A1, vibration stimulator J9, and sound wave stimulator N34, if AC is used as the drive signal, the frequency may be, for example, 50Hz or 60Hz, i.e., the frequency of the power obtained from a household outlet on the wall, but other frequencies may also be used. The same applies to the vibration stimulator B2, vibration stimulator C3, magnetic stimulator D4, and electric field stimulator K29.

[0191] When using LEDs as energy conversion elements, such as in ultrasonic stimulator A1, optical stimulator E5, optical stimulator F6, optical stimulator G7, and optical stimulator M33, DC can be used as the drive signal, but pulses with AC components, as shown in Figure 4, may also be used as the drive signal.

[0192] Furthermore, when the drive signal has an AC component, although the above explanation states that the same frequency is used for the first to fourth electrical signals, the present invention is not limited to this, and at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth frequencies, which represent the frequencies of the first to fourth electrical signals respectively, may be different from the other frequencies.

[0193] The above frequencies may be common to all modes and remain unchanged, as described above, but they may also be changed depending on the mode being used. For example, in the first mode, at least one of the first to fourth frequencies may be controlled to be lower than the first to fourth frequencies in the second mode.

[0194] In each of the above modes, the first time and the third time differ for each mode. Therefore, these used in each mode may be designated as the first parameter, second parameter, third parameter, etc., and each control unit may read them from memory 205 according to the selected mode. Other parameters may be pre-set in each electrical signal generation unit or timer 207.

[0195] In the embodiments and variations thereof described above, the first time and the third time are set to the same value, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the first mode, both may be greater than 1 second; in the second mode, both may be less than 1 second; and in the third mode, both may be 1 second. The first time and the third time may also be different.

[0196] Of the parameters described above, all except the first and third times may be common to each mode, or they may be changed in each mode. For example, the frequencies of the first to fourth electrical signals may be constant in each of the first to fourth electrical signals as described above, but variable control may be performed so that the frequency of each of the first to fourth electrical signals changes. If the drive signal is in the frequency domain, the frequency may be variably controlled in at least one of the first to fourth electrical signals, for example, from 50 kHz to 100 kHz or from 1 MHz to 1.5 MHz.

[0197] For example, although the fourth electrical signal strength is described as zero above, it may be a value greater than zero in at least one mode. Alternatively, it may be a different value in multiple modes.

[0198] The first to fourth electrical signals are assumed to always output a sine wave or pulse train during each of the first time period T1 to the fourth time period T4. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the drive signals, such as sine waves or pulse trains, may be output as burst outputs in which output and stop are repeated (on and off are repeated) during at least one of T1 to T4, or in each of these periods. Figure 8 shows, for example, a state in which the second electrical signal, which is a sine wave, is burst. Figure 8 shows an example of a burst output in which the sine wave of the drive signal is temporarily stopped only during the second time period T2, and in particular, an example of on-off-on is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and on and off may be repeated multiple times, and bursts may occur in at least one of T1 to T4, and non-current stimuli may be output as burst outputs in which the output and stop of non-current stimuli are repeated in correspondence with the bursts of the first to fourth electrical signals.

[0199] In this specification, when the intensity of the ultrasound output by the user is changed, the first to fourth electrical signal intensities are automatically changed according to the changed intensity, and the first to fourth intensities are changed according to the first to fourth electrical signal intensities. However, the values ​​of T1 to T4 are not changed and remain constant regardless of the intensity of the drive signal or the intensity of the non-current stimulation output. If the fourth amplitude and fourth intensity are zero, the fourth amplitude and fourth intensity may be maintained at zero even if the intensity of the ultrasound output by the user is changed. In other words, it is sufficient to have a control that changes at least the second intensity and second amplitude when the intensity of the non-current stimulation output is changed. To put it another way, it is sufficient to have a control that changes at least the second electrical signal intensity when the intensity of the drive signal is changed. Of course, the first and third electrical signal intensities may also be changed in conjunction with the change in the second electrical signal intensity.

[0200] In Figure 4 above, which shows other drive signals, the vertical axis represents the amplitude or value of the current and the intensity of the drive signal, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may also represent voltage or power. Similarly, in Figure 3 above, which shows other non-current stimuli, the vertical axis represents the amplitude of the vibration of the non-current stimulus and the intensity of the non-current stimulus, such as ultrasound or light, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may also represent vibration energy, etc.

[0201] In each of the embodiments described above, the intensity of the drive signal is controlled by rotating the encoder A18 or by using the UP button 102 and DOWN button 103, and the intensity of the non-current stimulation is controlled accordingly. The intensity can be selected from four levels, for example, "weak," "medium," "strong," or zero. However, the intensity of the drive signal and the intensity of the output non-current stimulation may be five levels or more. Furthermore, the intensity may be continuously selectable. Moreover, the values ​​shown are not limited to these values ​​and may be appropriately changed depending on the energy conversion element used, the mode used, the affected area, etc.

[0202] In the embodiments and their modifications described above, if the main body containing the output circuits, such as the electrical signal generation units and control units, and the electrodes containing the energy conversion elements are separate components, the invention is not limited to this and the two may be configured as a single unit. Conversely, even if the main body and the energy conversion elements are configured as a single unit, they may be configured as separate components.

[0203] In each of the above embodiments and its modifications, when supplying the first to third modes to the patient via the affected area or space, the use of electrodes attached to the affected area is unnecessary. Furthermore, problems such as allergies to the adhesive gel when using adhesive pads with conductive adhesive gel, and metal allergies when using metal electrodes, are avoided and resolved. This avoids and resolves unintended tension and relaxation problems for all patients, providing improved treatment efficiency and therapeutic effects to all patients. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0204] 1 Ultrasonic stimulator A 2 Vibration stimulator B 3 Vibration stimulator C 4 Magnetic Stimulator D 5 Photostimulator E 6 Photostimulator F 8 Vibration stimulator H 9 Vibration stimulator J 10 Harnesses 11 Main body A 12 Probe A 13 Cable A 14. Ultrasonic transducer A 15 Main power A 16 Switch A 17 Display part A 18 Encoder A 19 Circuit board A 29. Electric field stimulator K 30 Electric field stimulator L 33 Photostimulator M 34 Sound wave stimulator N 51 Main Unit B 52 Probe B 53 Control Unit B 101 Main body C 102 UP button 103 DOWN button 104 Display section C 120 Main Unit D 121 Cover A 121 Coil conductor 122 Gripping part A 123 Radiation surface A 123 Cover D 125 Head section A 181 Belt section 182 Controller F 183 Radiation surface F 184 Cover F 185 Space F 201 User Interface Section 203 Control Unit A 204 Electrical signal generation unit A 205 memory 206 Power supply section A 207 Timer 208 batteries 215 Terminal A 216 Terminal B 217 Connection part A 221 Main Unit G 223 Radiation surface G 225 Space G 242 Controller H 243 Vibration Motor H 244 Cover H 245 Radiation surface H 264 Ultrasonic transducer 290 Main Unit K 291 Douko K 301 First Output A 302 Second Output A 303 Third Output A 304 Fourth Output A 305 Fifth Output A 310 Main body L 311 Douko L 330 Main body M 340 Main Unit N 401 First electrical signal A 402 Second electrical signal A 403 Third electrical signal A 404 Fourth electrical signal A 405 Fifth electrical signal A 513 Cable B 514 Rotation axis B 515 Eccentric weight 516 Vibration Motor B 517 Connection part B 518 Radiation surface B 519 Circuit board B 521 Cover B 522 Gripping part B 523 Shaft section B 525 Head section B 604 Electrical signal generation unit B 606 Power supply part B 1016 Actuator C 1017 Main power supply C 1018 Radiation surface C 1019 Circuit board C 1021 Cover C 1022 Grip C 1023 Shaft section C 1025 Projection C 1104 Electrical signal generation unit C 1115 Terminal section C 1116 Terminal section D 1153 Control part C 1201 Coil 1202 Radiation surface D 1213 Cable D 1215 Head section D 1217 Connection part D 1219 Circuit board D 1303 Control Unit D 1304 Electrical signal generation unit D 1306 Power supply part D 1601 LED-A 1619 Circuit board E 1621 Cover E 1622 Grip E 1623 Radiation surface E 1625 Projection E 1704 Electrical signal generation unit E 1753 Control Unit E 1801 LED-F 1817 Main power F 1819 Circuit board F 1904 Electrical signal generation unit F 1953 Control Unit F 2001 First electrical signal F 2002 Second electrical signal F 2003 Third electrical signal F 2004 The fourth electrical signal F 2005 Fifth Electrical Signal F 2101 First magnetic output F 2102 Second magnetic output F 2103 Third magnetic output F 2104 Fourth magnetic output F 2105 Fifth magnetic output F 2203 Contact surface G 2204 Cover G 2205 LED-G 2219 Circuit board G 2220 Wireless Communication Department G 2253 Control Unit G 2419 Circuit board H 2504 Electrical signal generation unit H 2619 Circuit board J 2704 Electrical signal generation unit J 2901 Electric Floor Mat K 2902 Conductive part K 2904 Electrical signal generation unit K 2910 Harness K 2913 Cable K 2917 Connection part K 2919 Circuit board K 2921 Cover K 2953 Control Unit K 3102 Wristband L 3119 Circuit board L 3204 Electrical signal generation unit L 3213 Cable L 3217 Connection part L 3253 Control part L 3301 LED-M 3304 Electrical signal generation unit M 3317 Control part M 3319 Circuit board M 3321 Cover M 3323 Radiation surface M 3401 SpeakerN 3404 Electrical signal generation unit N 3417 Control Unit N 3423 Radiation surface N 3519 Circuit board N 3521 Cover N

Claims

1. An energy conversion element that converts an electrical signal into an output different from the electrical characteristics of the said electrical signal, An electrode is provided which the energy conversion element is arranged and which supplies the output to the object, An electrical signal generation unit that outputs the aforementioned electrical signal, A control unit that controls the electrical signal generation unit, A stimulator having, The output is, A first output whose intensity increases to a first intensity in the first time period, A second output in which the intensity is maintained at a second intensity during the second time period, A third output at which the intensity decreases to a third intensity in the third time, A fourth output at which the intensity is maintained at a fourth intensity during the fourth time period, The fifth output, which is composed of the first output, the second output, the third output, and the fourth output, is repeatedly output. The control unit is a stimulator that performs control to change at least the first time and the third time.

2. The stimulator according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the first time and the third time to be greater than 1 second, less than 1 second, or 1 second, respectively.

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