Method and apparatus for irradiating dynamic wave on basis of acoustic exposure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for irradiating shock waves on the basis of an acoustic exposure amount, which allow a user to set the output of a dynamic wave irradiation device including a dynamic wave conversion unit for generating dynamic waves and a driving unit for supplying electrical or air energy to the dynamic wave conversion unit as minimum components, on the basis of the acoustic output or exposure amount of the dynamic waves. The dynamic wave conversion unit is configured to incorporate correlation information between driving energy and acoustic output, indicating a range of values of dynamic wave acoustic exposure items (maximum acoustic pressure (P+, P-), acoustic energy flux density (efd), acoustic power (W), acoustic intensity (I), mechanical index (MI), acoustic energy (E), etc.) generated within the minimum to maximum range of output energy of the driving unit. The dynamic wave irradiation device recognizes correlation information between the driving energy and the dynamic wave acoustic output incorporated in the dynamic wave conversion unit, and calculates, through inverse conversion of the correlation information, the energy of the driving unit required to generate the acoustic output or exposure amount of the dynamic wave set by the user. The dynamic wave conversion unit driven by the calculated driving energy generates a dynamic wave having the acoustic output or exposure amount set by the user.

Description

Method and device for investigating acoustic exposure-based dynamic waves

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and device for investigating a mechanical wave such as a shock wave or ultrasound (hereinafter referred to as a “shock wave”).

[0002] Treatments that utilize shock waves for therapeutic purposes include extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT). ESWL primarily utilizes the destructive effects of powerful shock waves to break up stones within the body. ESWT, on the other hand, utilizes shock waves with relatively lower acoustic power than those used in ESWL. It has conservative indications for reducing pain and promoting the recovery of damaged tissue in various degenerative musculoskeletal disorders (plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, etc.). Recently, ESWT has been clinically proven to be effective in treating myocardial infarction, erectile dysfunction, and dementia, and the medical use of shock waves is steadily increasing.

[0003] The output of existing shock wave irradiation devices is set based on the energy supplied to drive the shock wave generator (usually electrical energy, but in the case of ballistic shock wave therapy devices, electromagnetic or pneumatic energy). Often, the minimum and maximum ranges of the energy supplied to the driving unit to drive the shock wave converter are divided into certain intervals, and the values ​​converted into numbers are selected (for example, the minimum setting is 1, increases by 1, and the maximum value is 10). These numbers are nominal values ​​with no physical meaning, and the user only selects the relative size within the minimum-maximum range of the energy supplied to the shock wave generator. In this way, the user cannot know the acoustic exposure information of the shock wave irradiated to the patient from the shock wave therapy device.

[0004] When the shock wave converter including the shock wave conversion element that generates the shock wave (hereinafter referred to as the “shock wave converter”) is changed or replaced, even if the same energy is supplied to the replaced shock wave converter from the driving unit, the acoustic output of the generated shock wave will be different from the acoustic output of the shock wave generated by the previous shock wave converter. The characteristics of the shock wave generated for the same driving energy will vary significantly depending on the shock wave generation method, the material of the shock wave conversion element, the size of the shock wave converter, etc. Even between individual shock wave converters with the same specifications, the acoustic output of the shock wave generated with the same driving energy may show significant differences. This characteristic is a serious problem with the output setting method of the existing shock wave therapy device, and the user does not know the acoustic exposure dose of the shock wave irradiated to the patient, making it difficult to set the shock wave acoustic exposure dose that optimizes the therapeutic effect.

[0005] In summary, the output setting of the existing shock wave therapy device is a method of controlling the output of the energy of the driving unit that drives the shock wave converter, and the existing shock wave therapy device has a problem in that it cannot reflect the effect of the change in the acoustic output of the shock wave generated with the same driving energy when replacing another shock wave converter of the same specifications or changing to a shock wave converter of different specifications.

[0006] The matters described in the technical background of this invention are written to enhance understanding of the background of the invention and may include matters that are not already known in the field to which this technology belongs.

[0007] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method and device for irradiating a dynamic wave, which sets the output of a shock wave therapy device based on the acoustic output of a shock wave to be generated from a shock wave conversion unit, taking into account the characteristic that the characteristics of the acoustic output of the shock wave generated according to the driving energy vary depending on the individual shock wave conversion unit, in order to solve the problem of an existing shock wave therapy device that is not based on the acoustic output information of the shock wave to be irradiated to a patient.

[0008] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0009] A dynamic wave investigation device based on acoustic exposure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a dynamic wave conversion unit that generates a dynamic wave, and a driving unit that supplies driving energy to drive the dynamic wave conversion unit. The device is configured to secure correlation information or a correlation function (Y=f(X)) of the acoustic output or exposure amount (Y) of the dynamic wave generated by the dynamic wave conversion unit with respect to the energy (X) supplied from the driving unit, so that the acoustic output or exposure amount (Y) of the dynamic wave to be investigated can be set as the output of the dynamic wave conversion unit.

[0010] The above shock wave converter may have a unique identification ID and may have a range of driving energy (X) output from the driving unit. min ≤X≤X max ) range of dynamic wave acoustic output or exposure dose (Y) generated in min ≤Y≤Y max ) can embed the correlation function (Y=f(X)) and related information.

[0011] The above-mentioned mechanical wave acoustic output or exposure dose (Y) may mean the acoustic output of a mechanical wave or a combination thereof related to the therapeutic effect of a mechanical wave, including one or more of maximum acoustic pressure (P+, P-), energy flux density (efd), acoustic power (W), acoustic intensity (Intensity, I), mechanical index (MI) and acoustic energy (energy, E).

[0012] When the above-mentioned dynamic wave converter is connected to the above-mentioned dynamic wave investigation device, the dynamic wave investigation device may be configured to automatically recognize the unique identification ID of the dynamic wave converter, or, based on the input ID code, the dynamic wave investigation device may be configured to collect the correlation function (Y=f(X)) built into the dynamic wave converter and related information.

[0013] The dynamic wave investigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention is an inverse function (X=f) for the correlation function (Y=f(X)) collected from the dynamic wave conversion unit. -1 (Y)) may further include a calculation unit that calculates the acoustic output of the dynamic wave investigation device by the user to a set value (Y) j ) is selected, the driving unit has the corresponding energy (X j =f -1 (Y j )) can be configured to drive the above dynamic wave converter.

[0014] The above sound output or exposure amount (Y) can be selected as one or more sound output items. When multiple sound output items are selected, the driving unit can be configured to sequentially or randomly drive the dynamic wave conversion unit with multiple driving energies for the multiple sound output or exposure amount items.

[0015] The information embedded in the above-described dynamic wave conversion unit may include at least one of information on a conversion element that converts the driving energy into a dynamic wave, information on the characteristics of a dynamic wave sound field generated in the above-described dynamic wave conversion unit, and information on a considered dynamic wave propagation medium.

[0016] When the dynamic wave sound field generated in the above dynamic wave conversion unit is focused, the sound output at the focus position or area can be regarded as the sound output or exposure amount (Y).

[0017] When the mechanical wave sound field generated in the above-mentioned mechanical wave conversion unit is planar or radial, the acoustic output measured at or near the mechanical wave conversion unit can be regarded as the acoustic output or exposure amount (Y).

[0018] The above correlation function is the set value of the driving energy input as a digital value [X min , ... , X j , ..., X max ] The acoustic output of the dynamic wave generated in the above dynamic wave converter corresponding to [Y min , ... , Y j , ..., Y max ] can mean a digital correlation function expressed as .

[0019] If information about values ​​that do not match the values ​​presented as X or Y in the above digital correlation function is required, it can be obtained using a proportional relationship or interpolation method.

[0020] The above dynamic wave investigation device recognizes the dynamic wave conversion unit, recognizes the correlation function (Y=f(X)) and the related information, and the inverse function (X=f) of the correlation function (Y=f(X)) -1 (Y)), the calculation unit that obtains the sound output or exposure amount (Y) selected by the user j ) as the driving energy (X j ) and transmits the information to the driving unit, a display unit that displays the results of the recognition unit, the operation unit, and the setting unit, and a user interface that communicates with the user through the setting unit and the display unit.

[0021] A method for investigating a dynamic wave based on acoustic exposure according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: measuring the acoustic output or exposure amount of a dynamic wave generated in a dynamic wave conversion unit; obtaining correlation information or a correlation function (Y=f(X)) of the acoustic output or exposure amount of the dynamic wave corresponding to a driving energy value from the measured dynamic wave; recognizing the dynamic wave conversion unit and the correlation function; and calculating the driving energy for the acoustic output or exposure amount of a dynamic wave set or to be investigated based on the obtained correlation function and driving the dynamic wave conversion unit with the calculated driving energy.

[0022] According to the present invention, a practitioner using a shock wave irradiation device can set the acoustic exposure amount of the shock wave to be irradiated to a patient as an output, thereby establishing an efficient treatment strategy that ensures patient safety and optimizes the irradiation effect of the shock wave.

[0023] In addition, various effects that can be obtained or expected due to embodiments of the present invention are disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which are intended to aid in understanding the present invention, provide embodiments of the present invention along with a detailed description. However, the technical features of the present invention are not limited to any specific drawings, and the features disclosed in each drawing may be combined to form new embodiments. The embodiments of the present specification may be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference numerals designate identical or functionally similar elements.

[0025] Figure 1 illustrates an example of a ballistic planar shock wave (top) and sound field (bottom) generated underwater, which have acoustic properties similar to those of human tissue.

[0026] Figure 2 illustrates an example of an electromagnetic focused shock wave (top) and sound field (bottom) generated underwater, which have acoustic properties similar to human tissue.

[0027] Figure 3 is an example illustrating the acoustic output items (P+, P-, efd) mainly used in clinical practice, of the shock wave sound field formed when the shock wave generated by the ballistic shock wave therapy device illustrated in Figure 1 propagates through a medium similar to human tissue.

[0028] Figure 4 shows an example of a correlation function (Y=f(X)) for the acoustic output of a shock wave generated from a shock wave converter according to the energy (electricity or air pressure) setting of the driving unit of a shock wave therapy device.

[0029] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of a shock wave therapy device to which a shock wave irradiation device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0030] It should be understood that the drawings referenced above are not necessarily drawn to scale and are intended to provide brief representations of various features that illustrate the fundamental principles of the present invention. For example, specific design features of the present invention, including specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, will be determined in part by the specific intended application and usage environment.

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0032] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," as used herein, indicate the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The term "coupled" indicates a physical relationship between two components in which the components are directly connected to one another or are indirectly connected through one or more intervening components.

[0033] When describing components of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the terms. When a component is described as being "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected, coupled, or connected to the other component, but that another component may also be "connected," "coupled," or "connected" between each component.

[0034] For example, the shock generation methods used in ESWL can be classified into electrohydraulic (EH), electromagnetic (EM), and piezoelectric (PE) methods depending on the energy type of the driving unit. In addition to the three methods used in conventional ESWL, ESWT additionally uses a ballistic shock wave generation principle that is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to operate. Ballistic shock wave generation methods are classified into pneumatic and electromagnetic methods. The generated shock wave sound field is classified into focused, radial, and planar types depending on the shape of the wave front. The size of the shock wave sound field is largest at the area where the shock wave generator and the human body come into contact in the radial and planar types, but in the focused type, the maximum value is in the focal region within the human tissue where the shock wave is focused. The value of the shock wave acoustic output, which is generally expressed as a single number, is used as the value at the location where the maximum value is.

[0035] Figures 1 and 2 illustrate typical shock waves (top) and sound fields (bottom) generated from two types of shock wave therapy devices used clinically. Figure 1 illustrates a ballistic planar shock wave generated underwater, which has acoustic properties similar to those of human tissue, and Figure 2 illustrates an electromagnetically focused shock wave. Figure 1 shows shock vibration measured on the surface of a shock wave converter using a laser vibrometer, and Figure 2 shows the waveform measured using a hydrophone at the focal point where the shock wave is focused. The sound field formed in the front of the shock wave converter, presented at the bottom of Figures 1 and 2, is the result of numerically analyzing the acoustic theory of shock wave propagation in water, which has acoustic properties similar to those of the human body, using the surface vibration information of the shock wave converter as boundary and initial conditions, and is depicted as a spatial distribution for the maximum pressure (P+) of the shock wave.

[0036] The effectiveness of shockwave therapy largely depends on the acoustic output of the shockwave delivered. The practitioner must be able to set and control the acoustic exposure dose of the shockwaves delivered to the patient during the treatment. It is beneficial to deliver shockwaves so that the target tissue receives an appropriate dose of shockwaves that can produce the desired therapeutic effect.

[0037] Shock wave pressure (P+, P-) is an important acoustic exposure parameter in the stone fragmentation effect of ESWL, which uses shock wave pulses with a short duration (several microseconds to several milliseconds). In the case of ESWT, which uses shock waves with a relatively small peak pressure and long pulse duration, energy flux density (efd) is closely related to clinical effects and is used as a representative reference value for acoustic exposure.

[0038] Energy flux density (efd) is defined as the acoustic energy per unit area of ​​a shock wave pulse generated in a shock wave converter, and is calculated using the following mathematical equation 1 using the shock wave sound field p(x,y,t) formed in the spatial coordinate (x,y).

[0039]

[0040] Here, p(x,y,t) represents the spatial distribution of the shock wave waveform, ρ represents the density of the human tissue through which the shock wave propagates, c represents the propagation speed of the shock wave in the human tissue, and T represents the duration of the shock wave waveform.

[0041] Shock wave intensity and power, which can be calculated from the energy flux density by combining the spatial and temporal information of the shock wave acoustic field, can also be considered as acoustic exposure variables related to biological effects. The acoustic energy of the shock wave, considering the total time of shock wave irradiation, is also an important shock wave acoustic exposure variable that determines the clinical effect. The mechanical index (MI, P- / f^0.5, P- in MPa & f in MHz), which is often highly related to the occurrence of cavitation, a mechanical effect of shock waves, can be utilized as a shock wave exposure variable.

[0042] Figure 3 is an example illustrating the acoustic output items (P+, P-, efd) mainly used in clinical practice, of the shock wave sound field formed when the shock wave generated by the ballistic shock wave therapy device illustrated in Figure 1 propagates through a medium similar to human tissue.

[0043] These acoustic exposure parameters are measured during the performance testing of shock wave therapy devices (e.g., IEC61846) and are important data included in the technical documentation submitted to regulatory agencies during the licensing process.

[0044] The present invention relates to a method and device for investigating a dynamic wave, which investigates a dynamic wave such as a shock wave or an ultrasound. Hereinafter, a case of investigating a shock wave will be described, and the dynamic wave will be referred to as a shock wave. Referring to FIG. 5, a shock wave irradiation device (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a shock wave treatment device for medical purposes, and includes a shock wave conversion unit (11) and a driving unit (12) that supplies energy to the shock wave conversion unit (11). The shock wave conversion unit (11) generates a shock wave by the supplied energy, and the driving unit (12) supplies energy for driving the shock wave conversion unit (11) to the shock wave conversion unit (11). In addition, the shock wave irradiation device (10) may further include a recognition unit (13), a calculation unit (14), a setting unit (16), a display unit (15), and a user interface (17).

[0045] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the correlation information or function (hereinafter referred to as “function”) (Y=f(X)) of the acoustic output or exposure amount (hereinafter referred to as “exposure amount”) (Y, dependent variable) of the shock wave generated in the shock wave conversion unit (11) with respect to the energy (X, independent variable) supplied from the driving unit (12) is secured so that the acoustic exposure amount of the shock wave to be irradiated can be set as the output of the shock wave irradiation device (10).

[0046] The shock wave converter (11) has a unique identification ID and the energy range (X) output from the driving unit (12) min ≤X≤X max ) range of shock wave acoustic exposure (Y) generated in min ≤Y≤Y max ) contains the correlation function (Y=f(X)) and related information.

[0047] Above, the shock wave acoustic exposure dose (Y) may mean the acoustic output of the shock wave or a combination thereof, which is related to the therapeutic effect of the shock wave, including the maximum acoustic pressure (P+, P-), energy flux density (efd), acoustic power (W), acoustic intensity (Intensity, I), mechanical index (MI) and acoustic energy (energy, E).

[0048] When the shock wave conversion unit (11) is connected to the shock wave irradiation device (10), the shock wave treatment device automatically recognizes the ID of the shock wave conversion unit, or when the ID code is entered, the shock wave irradiation device (10) can collect the correlation function (Y=f(X)) and related information built into the shock wave conversion unit (11).

[0049] The calculation unit (14) of the shock wave investigation device (10) calculates the inverse function ((X=f)) for the correlation function (Y=f(X)) collected from the shock wave conversion unit (11). -1 (Y)) and the user obtains the desired value (Y) of the acoustic output of the shock wave investigation device (10) j ) when the driving unit (12) is set to the obtained energy (Xj =f -1 (Yj)) can drive the shock wave conversion unit (11).

[0050] The acoustic exposure amount (Y) can select one or more acoustic output items, and when multiple items are selected, the driving unit (12) can be configured to sequentially or randomly drive the shock wave conversion unit (11) with multiple driving energies for the multiple acoustic exposure amount items.

[0051] The information embedded in the shock wave conversion unit (11) may include information on the conversion element that converts driving energy into a shock wave, characteristics of the shock wave sound field generated in the shock wave conversion unit (11) (e.g., information on the focus position and area in the case of a focused type), and data on the shock wave propagation medium considered.

[0052] When the shock wave sound field generated in the shock wave converter (11) is focused, the sound output at the focus position or area can be regarded as the above-mentioned sound exposure amount (Y).

[0053] When the shock wave sound field generated from the shock wave conversion unit (11) is planar or radial, the sound output measured at or near the shock wave conversion unit (11) can be regarded as the above-mentioned sound exposure amount (Y).

[0054] The above correlation function is the set value of the energy of the driving unit (12) input as a digital value [X min , ... , X j , ..., X max ] The acoustic output of the shock wave generated in the above shock wave conversion unit (11) corresponding to [Y min , ... , Y j , ..., Y max ] refers to a digital function expressed as a correlation function. An example of a correlation function is shown in Fig. 4.

[0055] If you need information about values ​​that do not match the values ​​presented as X or Y in the digital correlation function, you can obtain it using proportional relationships or interpolation methods. For example, X j , X j+1 The value of Y for a specific energy value in between can be approximated by interpolation, etc.

[0056] The recognition unit (13) recognizes the shock wave conversion unit (11) and recognizes the correlation function (Y=f(X)) and related information, and the operation unit (14) recognizes the inverse function of the correlation function (X=f -1 (Y)) is obtained. The setting unit (16) converts the sound output or exposure amount (Yj) selected by the user into driving energy (Xj) and transmits it to the driving unit (12). The display unit (15) displays the results of the setting unit (16), the recognition unit (13), the calculation unit (14), and the setting unit (16), and the user interface (17) is responsible for the function of communicating with the user through the setting unit (16) and the display unit (15).

[0057] The shock wave irradiation method according to an embodiment of the present invention can be performed using a shock wave irradiation device (10) and includes the following main steps.

[0058] Step 1. Measure the acoustic output generated from the shock wave converter.

[0059] Step 2. Determine the acoustic exposure function (Y=f(X)) for the driving energy.

[0060] Step 3. Identify the acoustic exposure function (Y=f(X)) of the shock wave converter.

[0061] Step 4. Inverse function of the acoustic exposure function (X=f -1 (Y)) operation

[0062] Hereinafter, each step of the shock wave investigation method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0063] Step 1. Measurement of acoustic output generated from the shock wave converter

[0064] The shock wave generated from the shock wave converter in water having acoustic characteristics similar to human tissue is measured in the setting range (Xmin≤X≤Xmax) of the driving energy (X) of the shock wave therapy device (see Figs. 1 and 2). As described above, Fig. 1 is a typical shock wave vibration signal measured with a laser vibrometer on the surface of a ballistic shock wave generator in water having acoustic characteristics similar to human tissue. Fig. 2 is a shock wave recorded using a hydrophone at the focus area of ​​an electromagnetic focused shock wave generator.

[0065] Step 2. Determine the acoustic exposure function (Y=f(X)) for the driving energy.

[0066] The shock wave exposure dose (Y) expressed as a single number corresponding to the driving energy value is calculated from the shock wave measured in Step 1. The shock wave acoustic exposure dose (Y) refers to the acoustic output items of the shock wave that are related to the therapeutic effect of the shock wave, including the maximum acoustic pressure (P+, P-), acoustic energy flux density (efd), acoustic power (W), acoustic intensity (Intensity, I), MI (Mechanical Index), acoustic energy (energy, E), etc., and items combining these.

[0067] Shock wave acoustic exposure varies spatially, as evidenced by the acoustic field formed in front of the shock wave converter illustrated at the bottom of Figures 1 and 2. For therapeutic purposes, the acoustic exposure controlled primarily utilizes the maximum value in the spatial distribution. Focused shock waves have a maximum shock wave acoustic output at the focal point, while planar or radial shock waves have the highest acoustic exposure near the shock wave converter.

[0068] When the shock wave exposure amount (Y) generated from the shock wave converter according to the driving energy setting for the selected sound output item is obtained, the output range (X) of the driving unit (X) min ≤X≤X max ) corresponding to the sound output (exposure) item (Y)(Y min≤Y≤Y max ) to find the correlation function Y=f(X).

[0069] In fact, the correlation function is a digitally input energy set value [X min , ... , X j , ..., X max ] Shock wave output corresponding to [Y min , ... , Y j , ..., Y max ] is expressed as. If X j , X j+1 The value of Y for the energy value between can be approximated by interpolation, etc. The same applies to the reverse case.

[0070] Figure 4 shows an example of a correlation function for the acoustic output of shock waves generated from a shock wave converter according to the energy (electrical or pneumatic) setting of the driving unit of a shock wave therapy device.

[0071] Y=f(X) for each shock wave exposure amount can be built into the shock wave conversion unit as dB or stored in the shock wave treatment device as dB matching the unique identification ID of the shock wave conversion unit (11).

[0072] Step 3. Recognize the acoustic exposure function (Y=f(X)) of the shock wave converter.

[0073] When the shock wave converter (11) is connected to the shock wave treatment device, the shock wave treatment device automatically recognizes the unique identification ID of the shock wave converter (11) or, when the user inputs the ID code, the information Y=f(X) built into the ultrasonic converter can be recognized or collected through step 2. Step 3 can be performed by the recognition unit (13) of the shock wave irradiation device (10).

[0074] Step 4. Inverse function of the acoustic exposure function (X=f -1 (Y)) operation

[0075] Inverse function for Y=f(X) collected in the shock wave converter (11) of step 3 (X=f -1(Y)) is obtained. The inverse function operation can be performed by the operation unit (14) of the shock wave irradiation device (10), and necessary information such as the inverse function obtained by the operation unit (14) can be displayed on the display unit (15). The display unit (15) can be a display device such as a liquid crystal display.

[0076] The acoustic output of the shock wave that the user will examine in the patient (Y j ) when setting X j =f -1 (Y j ) to drive the shock wave converter with the energy calculated using the method. The acoustic output setting of the shock wave to be investigated can be performed by the setting unit (16) of the shock wave investigation device (10), and the user can input a command for the operation of the setting unit (16) and obtain necessary information through the user interface (17).

[0077] As a specific example, the acoustic exposure amount (Y) can select one or multiple acoustic output items, and when multiple items are selected, the driving unit (12) can sequentially or randomly drive the shock wave conversion unit (11) with multiple driving energies for the multiple acoustic exposure amount items.

[0078] The driving unit (12), recognition unit (13), operation unit (14), and setting unit (16) described above can be implemented as any device capable of processing and calculating data, and can be implemented as, for example, a microprocessor, memory, and related hardware and software.

[0079] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mechanical wave converter that generates mechanical waves, and It includes a driving unit that supplies driving energy to drive the above dynamic wave converter, A dynamic wave investigation device based on acoustic exposure, configured to obtain correlation information or a correlation function (Y=f(X)) of the acoustic output or exposure amount (Y) of the dynamic wave generated by the dynamic wave conversion unit with respect to the energy (X) supplied from the driving unit, so as to set the acoustic output or exposure amount (Y) of the dynamic wave to be investigated as the output of the dynamic wave conversion unit.

2. In paragraph 1, The above shock wave converter has a unique identification ID and a range of driving energy (X) output from the driving unit. min ≤X≤X max ) The range of dynamic wave acoustic output or exposure dose (Y) generated in min ≤Y≤Y max ) and a dynamic wave survey device based on acoustic exposure that embeds correlation function (Y=f(X)) and related information.

3. In paragraph 1, The above-mentioned acoustic wave output or exposure dose (Y) is a mechanical wave irradiation device based on acoustic exposure dose, which means the acoustic output of mechanical waves or a combination thereof related to the therapeutic effect of mechanical waves including at least one of maximum acoustic pressure (P+, P-), energy flux density (efd), acoustic power (W), acoustic intensity (Intensity, I), MI (Mechanical Index) and acoustic energy (energy, E).

4. In paragraph 1, An acoustic exposure-based dynamic wave investigation device, wherein when the dynamic wave converter is connected to the dynamic wave investigation device, the dynamic wave investigation device automatically recognizes a unique identification ID of the dynamic wave converter, or, based on an input ID code, the dynamic wave investigation device can collect a correlation function (Y=f(X)) built into the dynamic wave converter and related information.

5. In paragraph 1, The inverse function (X=f) for the correlation function (Y=f(X)) collected from the above dynamic wave converter -1 It further includes an operation unit for obtaining (Y)), The acoustic output of the above dynamic wave investigation device is set by the user to a value (Y j ) is selected, the driving unit has the corresponding energy (X j =f -1 (Y j )) A dynamic wave investigation device based on acoustic exposure configured to drive the above dynamic wave conversion unit.

6. In paragraph 3, The above sound output or exposure amount (Y) can be selected as one or more sound output items, An acoustic exposure-based dynamic wave investigation device, wherein when a plurality of acoustic output items are selected, the driving unit is configured to sequentially or randomly drive the dynamic wave conversion unit with a plurality of driving energies for the plurality of acoustic output or exposure amount items.

7. In paragraph 2, A device for investigating acoustic exposure-based dynamic waves, wherein the information embedded in the above-described dynamic wave conversion unit includes at least one of information on a conversion element that converts the driving energy into a dynamic wave, information on characteristics of a dynamic wave sound field generated in the above-described dynamic wave conversion unit, and information on a considered dynamic wave propagation medium.

8. In paragraph 7, A dynamic wave investigation device based on acoustic exposure that regards the acoustic output at a focal position or focal area as the acoustic output or exposure amount (Y) when the dynamic wave sound field generated in the above dynamic wave conversion unit is focused.

9. In paragraph 7, A dynamic wave investigation device based on acoustic exposure that regards the acoustic output measured at or near the dynamic wave conversion unit as the acoustic output or exposure amount (Y) when the dynamic wave sound field generated from the dynamic wave conversion unit is planar or radial.

10. In paragraph 1, The above correlation function is the set value of the driving energy input as a digital value [X min , ... , X j , ..., X max ] The acoustic output of the dynamic wave generated in the above dynamic wave converter corresponding to [Y min , ... , Y j , ..., Y max ] is a dynamic wave investigation device based on acoustic exposure, which means a digital correlation function expressed as a function of acoustic exposure.

11. In paragraph 10, A device for investigating acoustic exposure-based dynamic waves using a proportional relationship or interpolation method when information is required about values ​​that do not match the values ​​presented as X or Y in the above digital correlation function.

12. In paragraph 1, The above dynamic wave investigation device A recognition unit that recognizes the above dynamic wave conversion unit and recognizes the correlation (Y=f(X)) and the related information, The inverse function (X=f) of the above correlation function (Y=f(X)) -1 The computational unit that finds (Y)) User-selected sound output or exposure (Y j ) as the driving energy (X j ) and the setting unit that transmits it to the driving unit, A display unit that displays the results of the recognition unit, the calculation unit, and the setting unit, and An acoustic exposure-based dynamic wave investigation device further comprising a user interface for communicating with a user through the above-described setting section and the above-described display section.

13. A step for measuring the acoustic output or radiation exposure of a dynamic wave generated in a dynamic wave converter; A step of obtaining correlation information or correlation function (Y=f(X)) of acoustic output or radiation exposure of a dynamic wave corresponding to a driving energy value from the measured dynamic wave; A step of recognizing the above dynamic wave transform part and the above correlation function; and A method for investigating acoustic exposure-based dynamic waves, comprising the step of calculating driving energy for acoustic output or exposure amount of a dynamic wave set or to be investigated based on the above-mentioned secured correlation function and driving the dynamic wave converter with the calculated driving energy.

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