High frequency generation system, electrode system therefor, and control system and method therefor

Abstract

Provided is a high frequency generation system characterized by comprising: a plurality of electrodes; and a control unit for applying power to the plurality of electrodes, wherein the control unit applies power to the plurality of electrodes by differentiating the power application timing of at least a portion of the plurality of electrodes from the power application timing of the remainder of the plurality of electrodes, and the power application duration of each of the plurality of electrodes does not exceed a preset power application duration.

Description

High-frequency generation system, electrode system therefor, and control system and method therefor

[0001] The present invention relates to a high-frequency generation system, an electrode system therefor, and a control system and method therefor, and more particularly, to a high-frequency generation system applied to a region of interest in the human body using an electrode in a high-frequency power application system, which controls the temperature rise of an electrode attached to the skin to prevent side effects such as skin burns in advance and to provide effects such as treatment, an electrode system therefor, and a control system and method therefor.

[0002] High-frequency therapy is a medical approach that uses alternating current (or voltage or current) to apply energy to the human body, aiming to treat disease and alleviate symptoms. It uses energy to regulate tissue blood flow, metabolic activity, and inflammation, alleviating or treating various symptoms.

[0003]

[0004] For example, radiofrequency hyperthermia therapy for cancer cells utilizes the principle of applying high-temperature heat energy to cancerous tissue to damage it. Cancer cells are more sensitive to heat than normal cells, and exposure to relatively high temperatures can disrupt their internal physiological functions or damage their membranes, leading to cell death. Furthermore, it can cause thrombosis, reducing blood flow, which can block nutrient supply and lead to necrosis.

[0005] In the case of high-frequency hyperthermia therapy, the most common form is to attach a pair of electrodes to the skin and then apply voltage to the body. In order to effectively perform high-frequency hyperthermia therapy, it is necessary to apply heat only to the area of ​​interest (i.e., the treatment area) as much as possible and minimize heat unnecessarily transferred to normal tissues other than the area of ​​interest (see Non-patent Document 1).

[0006] In the case of currently commercialized electrode-based high-frequency treatment devices, the intensity of the electric field used is applied to the maximum power within a range that does not cause burns, which are side effects on the skin. In general, in high-frequency treatment, the current density must be maintained below a certain limit value (limiting current density) to prevent burns on the skin. According to the literature, the limiting current density based on the root mean square (RMS) is 100 mArms / cm 2 It is recommended to keep it below (Non-patent literature 2).

[0007] The problem is that commonly used high-frequency ablation systems utilize a pair of electrodes and continuously apply voltage to the same electrodes. This causes the electrode temperature to rise even with low applied voltages, increasing the risk of burns to the skin adjacent to the electrodes. Reducing the overall input power to prevent this leads to excessively low energy applied to most areas of interest (i.e., the treatment area), which reduces the therapeutic effect. Therefore, elevated electrode temperature not only causes side effects but also hinders the therapeutic efficacy of high-frequency ablation therapy.

[0008] Therefore, in order to minimize side effects such as skin burns in high-frequency treatment using electrodes while maximizing the therapeutic effect, an electrode cooling system capable of controlling the temperature of the electrode below a certain level and a method for controlling it are required.

[0009] [Prior Art Literature]

[0010] [Patent Document]

[0011] (Patent Document 1)

[0012] [Non-patent literature]

[0013] (Non-patent Document 1) G Hegyi et al, Acupuncture & Electro-therapeutics Research, 38(3-4):161-197 (2013)

[0014] (Non-patent literature 2) Moritz AR, Henriques FCJ, Am J Pathol, 23:695-720 (1947)

[0015] Accordingly, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an electrode cooling system that can reduce the risk of burns occurring on the skin adjacent to the electrode by controlling the temperature of the electrode below a certain level and at the same time optimize the energy transmitted, a high-frequency application system including the same, and a control method thereof.

[0016] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a high frequency generation system, comprising: a plurality of electrodes; and a control unit for applying power to the plurality of electrodes, wherein the control unit applies power to the plurality of electrodes by varying the power application time of at least some of the plurality of electrodes and the power application time of the remaining some of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the power application duration of each of the plurality of electrodes does not exceed a preset power application duration.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the preset power application duration is determined according to the temperature of the skin in contact with the electrode.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit sequentially starts powering the remaining portions of the plurality of electrodes after powering at least some of the electrodes is terminated.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the high-frequency generation system includes at least one pair of first electrode sets and one pair of second electrode sets that are in contact with the skin, the electrode sets include electrodes and a power generation means for applying power to the electrodes, the system includes a control unit that adjusts a power application time of the first electrode set and the second electrode set, and the control unit sequentially applies a second power to the second electrode set for a second time after applying a first power to the first electrode set for a first time, thereby maintaining the temperatures of both the first electrode set and the second electrode set below a preset temperature.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first and second electrode sets are in the form of a single electrode set or an electrode array in which multiple unit electrode sets are physically connected.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first and second electrode sets constitute all or part of one electrode array.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit controls the power application timings of the first electrode set and the second electrode set to be different, but the total power application time of each is controlled to be the same.

[0023] The present invention is an electrode system for high frequency generation, comprising: an electrode; a conductive medium provided between the electrode and the skin to which it is attached; and a temperature sensor provided in the conductive medium.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, the electrode is an electrode of the electrode set described above, and the conductive medium is formed with an air flow line through which air can flow in a negative or positive shape.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, the conductive medium is a hydrogel.

[0026] The present invention also provides a high-frequency generation system including a skin-attaching member equipped with the above-described electrode system; and an air flow means provided on the skin-attaching member and capable of causing air to flow through the air flow line.

[0027] The present invention also provides a control system for a high-frequency generator including a plurality of pairs of electrode sets, the control system including an input information setting unit for setting at least one of a power intensity, a critical temperature, a power application order, and a power application time and time point of each electrode set; a temperature determination unit for determining whether the electrode temperature measurement value of each electrode set is within a preset critical temperature; and a control unit for changing at least one of the power intensity, the critical temperature, the power application order, and the power application time and time point of each electrode pair so that the measured electrode temperature is lowered when each of the measured electrode temperatures exceeds the preset critical temperature.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention, the measured value of the electrode temperature is a value transmitted to the control system through a temperature sensor provided on the electrodes of the plurality of unit electrode pairs and an analog or digital multiplexer.

[0029] In one embodiment of the present invention, the high-frequency generator applies an AC voltage including a frequency range of 10 kHz to 1 MHz to the electrode, thereby transmitting AC power to the target object.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, the high-frequency generator applies an AC voltage having a frequency range of 10 MHz to 50 MHz to the electrode to transmit AC power to the object, thereby raising the temperature of the object to a preset temperature range.

[0031] The present invention provides a control method using a control unit of a high-frequency generator including a plurality of pairs of electrode sets, the control method comprising: a step of inputting electrode critical temperatures of the electrode sets into a system; a step of initially setting at least one of a combination of the electrode sets, a power application order and power intensity, and a sequential application time and time point; a step of measuring a temperature while applying power to the electrode sets in the initially set manner; a step of the control unit comparing the measured temperature with the critical temperature; and a step of the system correcting at least one of the combination of each electrode set, the power application order and power intensity, and the sequential application time and time point when the measured temperature exceeds the critical temperature.

[0032] In one embodiment of the present invention, the modifying step modifies at least one of the combination of each electrode set, the power application order and power intensity, and the sequential application time and timing in a direction such that the measured electrode temperature is lowered to be below the critical temperature.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in electrode-based high-frequency hyperthermia therapy, by sequentially applying power (or current or voltage) to individual electrodes using multiple electrode pairs without duplication, sufficient power (or heat resulting therefrom) required for hyperthermia therapy can be maximally delivered to the area of ​​interest while minimizing the risk of burns occurring in a specific electrode pair. In addition, by using an electrode system including a conductive medium with an air passage that is efficient for air-based cooling and an air-cooling cooler, problems of existing inefficient treatment methods that do not consider electrode cooling can be solved, and more practical and effective results can be expected.

[0034] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0035] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a human model phantom using a pair of electrodes (comparative example 1, left) and two pairs of electrodes (example 1, right) assuming a virtual tumor, and Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of experiments of example 1 and comparative example 1 for the human model phantom of Fig. 1.

[0036] Figure 3 shows the average temperature distribution of the electrodes for Example 1 (right) and Comparative Example 1 (left) of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 4 compares the average electrode temperatures of Example 1 (blue) and Comparative Example 1 (black).

[0038] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a human model phantom in which a virtual tumor is assumed in the human model phantom and power is applied using a pair of electrode arrays (EA) containing multiple electrodes.

[0039] Figure 6 shows the electrode average temperature distribution (left) of Comparative Example 2 after the high-frequency application was continuously applied to the same electrode for 10 minutes without division, and the electrode average temperature distribution (right) of Example 2 after the voltage was applied to the first divided electrode array for the first 5 minutes and then to the second divided electrode array for the next 10 minutes.

[0040] Figure 7 shows the electrode temperature (left) and average electrode temperature (right) of Example 2 (blue) and Comparative Example 2 (black).

[0041] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a human model phantom in which a virtual tumor is assumed in a human model phantom, and in which, unlike Fig. 5, the power application time (time point) between electrodes is crossed even within a single line unit (right, Example 3) and in which the power application time (time point) between electrodes is the same (left, Comparative Example 3).

[0042] Figure 9 shows the electrode average temperature distribution (left) of Comparative Example 3 in which high-frequency application was continuously performed for 10 minutes without division, and shows the electrode average temperature distribution of Example 3 in which power was applied to the first divided electrode array (blue) for the first 5 minutes and then to the second divided electrode array (yellow) for the next 5 minutes.

[0043] Figure 10 shows the electrode temperature (left) and average electrode temperature (right) of Example 3 (blue) and Comparative Example 3 (black).

[0044] Figure 11 is an exploded perspective view of an electrode system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 12 is a drawing showing an example of a breathable conductive medium with built-in air passages.

[0046] Figure 13 is a drawing showing a high frequency application system using a high frequency application electrode system including an air-cooled cooling device.

[0047] Fig. 14 is a block diagram of a control system of a high-frequency generator using a plurality of unit electrode pairs considering embodiments 1 to 3 of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 15 is a step diagram of a control method of a high-frequency generator of the present invention.

[0049] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0050] Before describing the present invention in detail, it should be noted that the terms or words used in this specification should not be interpreted as being unconditionally limited to their usual or dictionary meanings, and the inventor of the present invention may appropriately define and use the concepts of various terms in order to describe his or her invention in the best possible manner.

[0051] Furthermore, it should be noted that these terms and words should be interpreted with meanings and concepts that are consistent with the technical idea of ​​the present invention.

[0052] That is, the terms used in this specification are only used to describe preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to specifically limit the contents of the present invention.

[0053] It should be noted that these terms are defined taking into account the various possibilities of the present invention.

[0054] Additionally, in this specification, a singular expression may include a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning.

[0055] Also, it should be noted that even if similarly expressed in plural, it can contain singular meaning.

[0056] Throughout this specification, whenever a component is described as "including" another component, it may mean that the component may further include any other component, rather than excluding any other component, unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0057] Furthermore, if a component is described as being "internal to, connected to, or installed within" another component, it is understood that the component may be directly connected to, or installed in contact with, the other component.

[0058] Additionally, they may be installed spaced apart at a certain distance, and in the case where they are installed spaced apart at a certain distance, there may be a third component or means for fixing or connecting the component to another component.

[0059] Meanwhile, it should be noted that the description of the third component or means may be omitted.

[0060] On the other hand, if a component is described as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that no third component or means exists.

[0061] Likewise, other expressions that describe the relationship between components, such as "between" and "directly between", or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to", should be interpreted as having the same meaning.

[0062] Additionally, in this specification, terms such as “one side,” “the other side,” “one side,” “the other side,” “first,” and “second” are used to clearly distinguish one component from another component.

[0063] However, it should be noted that the meaning of the component is not limited by such terms.

[0064] Additionally, terms relating to position, such as “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right,” etc., in this specification, if used, should be understood to indicate relative positions in the drawing for the corresponding components.

[0065] Additionally, unless absolute locations are specified for these locations, these location-related terms should not be understood as referring to absolute locations.

[0066] Moreover, in the specification of the present invention, terms such as “part”, “device”, “module”, “device”, etc., if used, mean a unit capable of processing one or more functions or operations.

[0067] It should be noted that this can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0068] In the drawings attached to this specification, the size, position, connection relationship, etc. of each component constituting the present invention may be described with some exaggeration, reduction, or omission in order to sufficiently clearly convey the idea of ​​the present invention or for convenience of explanation, and therefore the proportions or scales may not be strict.

[0069] In addition, in the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of a configuration that is judged to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, for example, a known technology including a prior art, may be omitted.

[0070] Typically, high-frequency acupuncture systems attach electrodes directly to the skin to generate electricity (or voltage, current) inside the body to perform treatment.

[0071] In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention comprises a plurality of electrodes; and a control unit for applying power to the plurality of electrodes, wherein the control unit applies power to the plurality of electrodes by varying the power application timing of at least some of the plurality of electrodes from the power application timing of the remaining some, and wherein the power application duration of each of the plurality of electrodes is configured not to exceed a preset power application duration. In the present invention, the plurality of electrodes include not only cases where they are physically separated, but also cases where power is independently configured to be applied to one electrode through control.

[0072] The present invention is particularly directed to a time period during which a preset power application duration can cause a rapid temperature rise of the electrode on the skin, and the preset power application duration is determined based on the temperature of the skin in contact with the electrode.

[0073] In one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit sequentially starts supplying power to the remaining portions of the plurality of electrodes after power supply to at least some of the electrodes is terminated, thereby preventing a rapid temperature rise in one electrode.

[0074] In another embodiment of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of excessive temperature rise at a specific electrode, a high frequency generation system including at least one pair of first electrode sets and one pair of second electrode sets in contact with the skin is provided, wherein a first power is applied to the first electrode set for a first time period, and then a second power is sequentially applied to the second electrode set for a second time period, thereby maintaining the temperatures of both the first electrode set and the second electrode set below a preset temperature. Accordingly, the system according to the present invention includes a control unit that adjusts the power application time of the first electrode set and the second electrode set, and the control unit can control variables (such as sequential application time, order, and intensity of the electrodes) so that the temperatures measured at the electrodes can all be maintained below the preset temperature.

[0075] The following describes the effects of various embodiments of the present invention. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and any method using at least two pairs of electrode sets with different temporal application sequences is within the scope of the present invention.

[0076] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a human model phantom using a pair of electrodes (comparative example 1, left) and two pairs of electrodes (example 1, right) assuming a virtual tumor, and Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of experiments of example 1 and comparative example 1 for the human model phantom of Fig. 1.

[0077] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in Comparative Example 1 of the present invention, power was continuously applied to a pair of electrodes (Aa) for 10 minutes, and in Example 1, power was applied to the first electrode pair (Bb) for the first 5 minutes, and then to the second electrode pair (Cc) for the next 5 to 10 minutes. At this time, the magnitude of the power was the same in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.

[0078] Figure 3 shows the average temperature distribution of the electrodes for Example 1 (right) and Comparative Example 1 (left) of the present invention.

[0079] Referring to Figure 3, in the case of Comparative Example 1, it can be seen that the temperature of the electrode continuously rises.

[0080] Figure 4 compares the average electrode temperatures of Example 1 (blue) and Comparative Example 1 (black).

[0081] Referring to Fig. 4, in the case of Comparative Example 1, where high-frequency power was applied for 10 minutes to a pair of electrodes, the temperature of the part where the electrodes were attached was clearly increased, and in contrast, in the case of Example 1, where power was applied sequentially over time to two pairs of electrodes, the temperature of the electrodes was relatively low.

[0082] Accordingly, the present invention configures the timing of power application of one of two or more pairs of electrodes that generate high frequency to be different from the timing of power application of another unit electrode pair, thereby allowing the temperature of the two or more pairs of electrodes to be maintained below a preset temperature.

[0083] Therefore, the present invention, which applies voltage at different times using multiple electrode pairs and sequentially applies the application order in time, can effectively solve the problem of exposure to side effects such as burns due to temperature rise of the electrodes when applying high frequency for a certain period of time with only one pair of electrodes when treating an actual patient.

[0084] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a human phantom model, in which a virtual tumor is assumed to be present in the human phantom model and power is applied using a pair of electrode arrays (EA) containing multiple electrodes. In this case, a pair of electrodes forming two or more pairs of electrodes is a pair between unit electrodes among two or more pairs of electrode arrays spaced apart from each other.

[0085] Referring to Fig. 5, a human body model phantom (Comparative Example 2, left) can be seen when an electrode array composed of multiple unit electrodes is used without being divided, and a human body model phantom (Example 2, right) in which the electrode array is divided into units such as rows or columns. Here, division means division in terms of power time, in which the power application time between unit electrodes is different within a pair of opposing electrode arrays.

[0086] That is, in the embodiment 2 illustrated on the right side of Fig. 5, the blue electrode (the first electrode, the first pair of electrodes) applies power for an initially preset time (e.g., 5 minutes), and the yellow electrode (the second electrode, the second pair of electrodes) applies power for a preset time (e.g., 5 minutes) after the power is applied to the blue electrode. However, the present invention can apply power to the second electrode not only after the power is applied to the first electrode, but also from a preset time before the end of the power application to the first electrode, and at least by differentiating the power application times of the first electrode and the second electrode in the same electrode array, so long as excessive temperature rise of the electrode is prevented, all of this falls within the scope of the present invention.

[0087] Figure 6 shows the electrode average temperature distribution (left) of Comparative Example 2 after continuous application of high-frequency power to the same electrode for 10 minutes without division, and the electrode average temperature distribution (right) of Example 2 after voltage was applied to the first divided electrode array for the first 5 minutes and then to the second divided electrode array for the next 10 minutes. In this case, the magnitude of the power applied to the tumor in the simulation was set to be the same.

[0088] Figure 7 shows the electrode temperature (left) and average electrode temperature (right) of Example 2 (blue) and Comparative Example 2 (black).

[0089] Referring to Fig. 7, in the case of Comparative Example 2, where high frequency was applied to the same electrode for 10 minutes without dividing the electrode array, the temperature of the part where the electrode was attached was clearly increased, and in contrast, in the case where the electrode array was divided into two parts and power was sequentially applied to the divided electrode array (Example 2), the average temperature of the electrode was relatively low.

[0090] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a human model phantom in which a virtual tumor is assumed in a human model phantom, and in which, unlike Fig. 5, the power application time (time point) between electrodes is crossed even within a single line unit (right, Example 3) and in which the power application time (time point) between electrodes is the same (left, Comparative Example 3).

[0091] Referring to Fig. 8, in the case on the right, even in the same electrode array, the power application timing of the unit electrodes is different, and unlike Fig. 5, the power application timing is different in a cross manner rather than in a line unit.

[0092] Accordingly, when the electrode according to one embodiment of the present invention is in the form of an array, the first electrode set and the second electrode set having different application times may constitute one electrode array or a part thereof.

[0093] Figure 9 shows the electrode average temperature distribution (left) of Comparative Example 3, in which high-frequency application was continuously performed for 10 minutes without division, and shows the electrode average temperature distribution of Example 3, in which power was applied to the first divided electrode array (blue) for the first 5 minutes and to the second divided electrode array (yellow) for the subsequent 5 minutes. In this case, the magnitude of the power applied to the tumor in the simulations of (c) and (d) was set to be the same.

[0094] Figure 10 shows the electrode temperature (left) and average electrode temperature (right) of Example 3 (blue) and Comparative Example 3 (black).

[0095] Referring to Fig. 10, in the case of Comparative Example 3, where high frequency was applied to the same electrode for 10 minutes without dividing the electrode array, the temperature of the part where the electrode was attached was clearly increased, and in contrast, in the case where the electrode array was divided into two parts and power was sequentially applied to the divided electrode array (Example 3), the average temperature of the electrode was relatively low.

[0096] Therefore, the above results show that the present invention can effectively solve the problem of the prior art in which the patient may be exposed to side effects such as burns due to temperature rise of the electrode by attaching the same electrode to the patient and applying high frequency for a certain period of time, by using multiple unit electrode pairs and applying different power application times to each electrode pair.

[0097] The present invention further provides an electrode system capable of monitoring the temperature rise of an electrode.

[0098] Figure 11 is an exploded perspective view of an electrode system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 11, an electrode system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an electrode (100), a conductive medium (200), and a temperature sensor (300) provided in the conductive medium (200) closer to the skin so as to measure skin temperature more accurately. In particular, the present invention can collect temperature through a plurality of temperature sensors (300) by inserting them into a conductive medium (100) such as a hydrogel or positioning them between the conductive medium and the skin and connecting them to a wire.

[0100] The present invention further provides an electrode system capable of cooling using air.

[0101] Figure 12 is a drawing showing an example of a breathable conductive medium with built-in air passages.

[0102] Referring to Fig. 12, an air pathway (210) of a negative or positive physical line is created within the conductive medium (200) to allow air to circulate, thereby enabling air-cooling.

[0103] In Fig. 12, the direction of the air pathway is such that the surface perpendicular to the skin surface (z-axis in the drawing) is blocked by the electrode and the skin, making cooling difficult. Therefore, the inlet and outlet of the air pathway must be formed on the surface of the medium parallel to the skin surface (x-axis or y-axis direction in the drawing).

[0104] Figure 13 is a drawing showing a high frequency application system using a high frequency application electrode system including an air-cooled cooling device.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 13, a high-frequency generator including an electrode system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a skin-attaching member (401) such as a fiber that can be attached to the skin and fix an electrode array to the skin as shown in FIG. 12, a plurality of unit electrode systems (101) that are provided on the skin-attaching member and that can be cooled, an air flow generating means (e.g., a blower fan, 201) that can cause air to flow between the electrode arrays of the unit electrode systems (101), and an opening (hole, 301) that is provided on the side of the electrode array of the unit electrode systems and through which air can be introduced and then discharged.

[0106] In Fig. 13, a high-frequency generator in the form of a vest is illustrated, but its form can be freely changed, and as long as it includes at least a plurality of unit electrode systems (101) capable of air cooling, an air flow generating means (201), and an opening (391) through which air can be introduced and then discharged, it all falls within the scope of the present invention.

[0107] The present invention also provides a control system for a high-frequency generator using an electrode system capable of configuring different electrode application times. Here, the system refers to a control system for controlling a high-frequency application device.

[0108] Fig. 14 is a block diagram of a control system of a high-frequency generator using a plurality of unit electrode pairs considering embodiments 1 to 3 of the present invention.

[0109] Referring to FIG. 14, the control system includes an input information setting unit (10) that sets the power intensity, critical temperature, power application order, and power application time and timing of each electrode pair; a temperature judgment unit (20) that determines whether the measured value of each electrode temperature is within a preset critical temperature; and a control unit (30) that changes at least one of the power intensity, critical temperature, power application order, and power application time and timing of each electrode pair so that the measured electrode temperature is lowered when the measured electrode temperature exceeds the preset critical temperature.

[0110] That is, the present invention can control the measured temperature to be within the critical temperature by comparing the critical temperature and the measured temperature and changing at least one of the power intensity, critical temperature, power application order, and power application time and point in time of each preset electrode pair.

[0111] Figure 15 is a step diagram of a high-frequency generator control method considering embodiments 1 to 3 of the present invention.

[0112] Referring to Fig. 15, the critical temperature of the electrode is input to the system. Here, the system refers to a control system for controlling a high-frequency application device.

[0113] Thereafter, the control system determines the combination of each electrode pair to which power is to be applied, determines the order of the electrode pairs to which power is to be applied, and initially sets the sequential application time of the power to be applied to each electrode pair.

[0114] Afterwards, power is sequentially applied to each electrode pair in the order determined for high-frequency application according to the initially set time and point in time, and at this time, the temperature of the electrode pair to which power is applied is measured through a temperature sensor attached to the electrode pair, and the measured temperature value is transmitted to the control system through an analog or digital multiplexer.

[0115] Afterwards, while applying high frequency, if the temperature of the electrode is lower than the preset critical temperature, the preset sequential power application condition is maintained.

[0116] However, when the measured electrode temperature exceeds the preset threshold temperature while applying the high frequency, at least one of the power intensity of each electrode pair, the power application order of each electrode pair, the combination of each electrode pair, and the power application time and point in time of each electrode pair is modified so that the temperature of the electrode falls within the preset threshold temperature. Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the step of comparing the temperature measurement value with the threshold temperature and changing the application condition can be repeated so that the temperature of the electrode satisfies the preset standard, and as a result, the maximum AC current can be applied to the target object within the threshold temperature.

[0117] In one embodiment of the present invention, the high-frequency generator can apply an AC voltage having a frequency range of 10 kHz to 1 MHz, more preferably 10 MHz to 50 MHz. This allows the temperature at the target tumor site to be set to 38.5 to 42 degrees Celsius.

[0118] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the attached drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that components of the present invention can be substituted, modified, and altered without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention.

[0119] The present invention relates to a high-frequency generation system, an electrode system therefor, and a control system and method therefor, and is recognized to have industrial applicability.

Claims

1. With a high frequency generation system, Multiple electrodes; A control unit for applying power to the above plurality of electrodes is included, A high-frequency generation system, characterized in that the control unit applies power to the plurality of electrodes by varying the power application timing of at least some of the plurality of electrodes and the power application timing of the remaining portion, wherein the power application duration of each of the plurality of electrodes does not exceed a preset power application duration.

2. In paragraph 1, A high-frequency generation system characterized in that the above-mentioned preset power application duration is determined according to the temperature of the skin in contact with the electrode.

3. In paragraph 2, A high-frequency generation system, characterized in that the control unit sequentially starts applying power to the remaining portions of the plurality of electrodes after power application to at least some of the electrodes is terminated.

4. In the first paragraph, the high frequency generation system, comprising at least one first set of electrodes in contact with the skin and at least one second set of electrodes; The above electrode set includes an electrode and a power generating means for applying power to the electrode, The above system includes a control unit that controls the power application time of the first electrode set and the second electrode set, A high-frequency generation system in which the control unit sequentially applies a first power to the first electrode set for a first time period and then a second power to the second electrode set for a second time period, thereby maintaining the temperatures of both the first electrode set and the second electrode set below a preset temperature.

5. In paragraph 4, A high-frequency generation system, characterized in that the first and second electrode sets are in the form of a single electrode set or an electrode array in which a plurality of unit electrode sets are physically connected.

6. In paragraph 4, A high-frequency generation system, characterized in that the first and second electrode sets constitute all or part of one electrode array.

7. In paragraph 4, A high-frequency generation system characterized in that the control unit controls the power application times of the first electrode set and the second electrode set to be different, but the total power application time of each to be the same.

8. Electrode system for high frequency generation electrode; A conductive medium provided between the above electrode and the skin to which it is attached; An electrode system for high frequency generation, characterized by including a temperature sensor provided in the conductive medium.

9. In paragraph 8, An electrode system for high-frequency generation, characterized in that the electrode is an electrode of an electrode set according to any one of claims 4 to 8.

10. In Article 8, An electrode system characterized in that the conductive medium has an air flow line formed in a negative or positive shape through which air can flow.

11. In paragraph 8, An electrode system, characterized in that the conductive medium is a hydrogel.

12. A skin-attachment member having an electrode system according to any one of claims 10 to 11; and A high-frequency generation system including an air flow means provided in the above skin attachment member and capable of causing air to flow through the air flow line.

13. A control system for a high-frequency generator including a plurality of pairs of electrode sets, An input information setting section that sets at least one of the power intensity, critical temperature, power application order, and power application time and point in time of each electrode set; A temperature judgment unit that determines whether the electrode temperature measurement value of each electrode set is within a preset critical temperature; and A control system for a high-frequency generator, comprising a control unit that can change at least one of the power intensity, the critical temperature, the power application order, and the power application time and point in time of each electrode pair so that the measured electrode temperature decreases when each of the measured electrode temperatures exceeds a preset critical temperature.

14. In paragraph 13, A control system for a high-frequency generator, characterized in that the measured value of the electrode temperature is a value transmitted to the control system through a temperature sensor provided on the electrodes of the plurality of unit electrode pairs and an analog or digital multiplexer.

15. In paragraph 13, A control system for a high-frequency generator, characterized in that the high-frequency generator applies an AC voltage including a frequency range of 10 kHz to 1 MHz to the electrode and transmits AC power to a target object.

16. In paragraph 13, A control system for a high-frequency generator, characterized in that the high-frequency generator applies an AC voltage having a frequency range of 10 MHz to 50 MHz to the electrode to transmit AC power to a target object, thereby raising the temperature of the target object to a preset temperature range.

17. A control method using a control unit of a high-frequency generator including a plurality of pairs of electrode sets, A step in which the electrode critical temperature of the above electrode set is input into the system; A step of initially setting at least one of the combination of the electrode sets, the power application order and power intensity, and the sequential application time and point in time; A step of measuring temperature while applying power to the electrode set in the initially set manner; The step of the above control unit comparing the measured temperature with the critical temperature; and A control method for a high-frequency generating device, comprising the step of modifying at least one of the combination of each electrode set, the power application order and power intensity, and the sequential application time and point in time, when the measured temperature exceeds the critical temperature.

18. In paragraph 17, A control method for a high-frequency generator, characterized in that the above-described modifying step modifies at least one of the combination of each electrode set, the power application order and power intensity, and the sequential application time and point in time in a direction such that the measured electrode temperature is lowered to be below the critical temperature.

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