Muscle measurement pad and probe device comprising same

Abstract

Disclosed is a muscle measurement pad which is attached to the skin, comprising: a patch-type base layer; an adhesive layer applied to the bottom surface of the base layer so as to be adhered to the skin; a transducer mounted on the top surface of the base layer; and a gel layer applied to the bottom surface of the transducer so as to be in contact with the skin, wherein the base layer in a region where the transducer is mounted is removed. The transducer can be electrically connected to a probe device, and is configured to transmit incident ultrasonic waves to a subject, receive ultrasonic waves reflected from the subject, and transmit the reflected ultrasonic waves to the probe device. According to the present invention, by limiting the high degree of freedom of the transducer, the consistency and reliability of ultrasonic measurement results can be enhanced.

Description

Muscle measurement pad and probe device including the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a muscle measuring pad and a probe device including the same, and more specifically, to a patch that is attached to the skin to measure the quality of the muscle and a probe device including the same.

[0002] The contents presented in this section are intended merely to provide background information for the present invention and do not constitute prior art.

[0003] Muscle quality refers to the degree of muscle fat accumulation. Muscle fat accumulation (or myofascialism) is the phenomenon of fat accumulating in the muscles, and as muscle fat accumulation progresses, muscle quality deteriorates.

[0004] According to research results showing that the higher the quality of muscle, the lower the probability of developing metabolic diseases such as arteriosclerosis, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia, and thus the higher the probability of being metabolically healthy, there is a need for technology to assess an individual's metabolic health through indicators including muscle quality by imaging a part of the body with ultrasound.

[0005] Meanwhile, the fitness population seeking to improve muscle quality through weight training is on the rise. In the case of weight training, there are proper training methods to enhance the quality of the muscles. However, the reality is that it is difficult to visibly assess the degree of improvement in muscle quality through weight training.

[0006] Medical ultrasonography is a diagnostic medical imaging technique that uses ultrasound to visualize muscles, tendons, and many internal organs, as well as their size, structure, and pathological damage, in real-time tomographic images. Medical ultrasonography has been used to image the inside of the human body for at least 50 years. It is one of the most widely used diagnostic techniques in modern medicine. Compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or X-ray computed tomography (CT), medical ultrasonography is characterized by having less impact on the body, being inexpensive, and being portable.

[0007] Medical ultrasound is characterized by a high degree of freedom of the ultrasound probe, as the ultrasound probe moves in real-time to collect images while the human body remains stationary. Depending on the type of ultrasound device, the ultrasound probe may move in one direction according to mechanical motion, but since handheld ultrasound probes rely on the doctor's hand movements, there are often differences in examination results depending on the position and angle of the probe.

[0008] A transducer is a device located inside an ultrasonic probe that transmits incident ultrasonic sound to an object and receives the reflected signal from the object.

[0009] When measuring muscle quality before and after exercise using a transducer, it is difficult to compare the results one-to-one because the measurement position of the transducer changes before and after exercise.

[0010] As a technology related to the present invention, the Korean Published Patent Application discloses a muscle mass prediction system and method comprising a personal information input unit, an ultrasound examination result input unit, and a muscle mass prediction unit. This related technology relates to predicting the muscle mass of a subject by applying muscle thickness and echo intensity measured from ultrasound examination results to a prediction model, whereas the present invention is distinguished from the other invention in that it has a configuration designed to solve problems caused by the high degree of freedom of ultrasound examination equipment. (Korean Published Patent No. 10-2024-0121534 (Published August 9, 2024))

[0011] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a muscle measurement pad capable of measuring muscle characteristics of the same area with a time difference using ultrasound, and a probe device including the same.

[0012] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a muscle measurement pad and a probe device including the same that enable the use of EMS to assist in strength training and reduce muscle fatigue before and after strength training.

[0013] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a muscle measurement pad that enables verification of the accuracy of muscle strength exercises using electromyography (EMG), and a probe device including the same.

[0014] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other unmentioned problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0015] To achieve the above objectives, according to one embodiment of the technical concept of the present invention, a muscle measurement pad is disclosed, comprising: a patch-shaped base layer; an adhesive layer applied to the bottom surface of the base layer so as to be adhered to the skin; a transducer installed on the top surface of the base layer; and a gel layer applied to the bottom surface of the transducer so as to be in contact with the skin, wherein the base layer in the area where the transducer is installed is removed and the transducer is configured to be electrically connected to the body of a probe device, transmit ultrasonic incident sound to a target, and receive ultrasonic reflected sound reflected from the target and transmit it to the probe device.

[0016] Additionally, the muscle measurement pad may be configured to include a transducer, a lens layer, a matching layer, a piezoelectric layer, and a back layer in contact with a gel layer; and a housing that can be fixed to a base layer by combining the lens layer, the matching layer, the piezoelectric layer, and the acoustic insulating layer.

[0017] Additionally, the muscle measurement pad may be configured to further include a pair of electrodes formed at the bottom surface of the base layer to contact the skin and connected to the top surface of the base layer.

[0018] In addition, the muscle measurement pad may be configured such that a pair of electrodes act as output electrodes that contact the skin and output electromyogram signals generated from the muscle.

[0019] In addition, the muscle measurement pad can be configured to function as an input electrode that inputs electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) signals into the muscle.

[0020] In order to achieve the above objectives, according to one embodiment of the technical concept of the present invention, a probe device is disclosed comprising: a muscle measurement pad comprising a gel layer and a transducer in close contact with the gel layer, as a patch attached to the skin; and a body configured to detect and analyze the target by controlling an electrically connectable transducer to transmit an incident ultrasonic sound to the target and receive an ultrasonic reflected sound reflected from the target.

[0021] Additionally, the probe device may be configured to include a body, a signal processing unit that implements a reflection signal using ultrasonic reflections; a peak extraction unit that extracts peaks from the reflection signal; and a signal analysis unit that calculates the ratio of substances constituting the target body using the peaks and evaluates the quality of the muscle based on this.

[0022] Additionally, the probe device may be configured to include a signal processing unit, a filtering unit that processes a reflected signal by filtering; and a smoothing unit that processes a reflected signal by smoothing.

[0023] In addition, the probe device may be configured such that a filtering unit removes contact-reflection signals generated by ultrasonic reflections occurring at the contact surface between the transducer and the target object.

[0024] In addition, the probe device may be configured such that a signal analysis unit extracts the intervals between multiple peaks included in the reflected signal and calculates the thickness of fat or muscle based on the intervals.

[0025] Additionally, the probe device may be configured to include a signal analysis unit, a Fourier transform unit that performs a short-time Fourier transform (STFT) processing on a reflected signal, and a muscle quality information output unit that analyzes the reflected signal processed by the short-time Fourier transform to calculate the degree of fat accumulation in the muscle.

[0026] Specific details of other embodiments are included in "Specific details for implementing the invention" and the attached "drawings".

[0027] The advantages and / or features of the present invention and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the various embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings.

[0028] However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the configurations of each embodiment disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and that each embodiment disclosed in this specification is provided merely to make the disclosure of the present invention complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the present invention, and that the present invention is defined only by the scope of each claim of the claims.

[0029] According to the present invention, the consistency and reliability of ultrasonic detection results can be increased by limiting the high degrees of freedom of the transducer.

[0030] In addition, precise measurement of muscle changes before and after exercise is possible through ultrasound detection using pads attached to the skin.

[0031] In addition, by separating the probe device body and the transducer, multiple individual transducers can be managed using only a single body.

[0032] The effects obtainable by the muscle measurement pad and the probe device including the same according to the technical concept of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0033] FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram of a pad and probe device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the pad depicted in Figure 1.

[0035] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the transducer depicted in Figure 2.

[0036] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the body of the probe device depicted in Figure 1.

[0037] FIG. 5 is an example diagram of signal processing by a signal processing unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 6 is an example of muscle quality evaluation by the signal analysis unit.

[0039] Figure 7 is an example of the short-time Fourier transform process of the Fourier transform section.

[0040] Before describing the present invention in detail, it should be understood that the terms and words used in this specification should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, and that the inventor of the present invention may appropriately define and use the concepts of various terms to best describe their invention, and furthermore, that these terms and words should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the present invention.

[0041] In other words, it should be understood that the terms used in this specification are used merely to describe preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to specifically limit the content of the present invention, and that these terms are defined in consideration of the various possibilities of the present invention.

[0042] In addition, it should be noted that in this specification, singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning, and that even if they are expressed in a similarly plural form, they may include a singular meaning.

[0043] Throughout this specification, where it is stated that a component "includes" another component, unless specifically stated otherwise, this may mean that it does not exclude any other component but may include any other component.

[0044] Furthermore, it should be noted that in cases where it is stated that a component "exists inside or is installed in connection with" another component, this component may be installed in direct connection or contact with the other component, or it may be installed at a certain distance apart, and in the case where it is installed at a certain distance apart, there may be a third component or means for fixing or connecting the component to the other component, and a description of this third component or means may be omitted.

[0045] On the other hand, if it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there is no third component or means.

[0046] Likewise, other expressions describing the relationship between each component, such as “between” and “right between”, or “adjacent to” and “directly adjacent to”, should be interpreted as having the same intent.

[0047] In addition, it should be understood that in this specification, terms such as “one side,” “other side,” “one side,” “other side,” “first,” “second,” etc., are used to clearly distinguish one component from another component, and that the meaning of the component is not restricted by such terms.

[0048] In addition, position-related terms such as "up," "down," "left," and "right" used in this specification should be understood as indicating the relative position of the corresponding component in the drawing, and unless an absolute position is specified, these position-related terms should not be understood as referring to an absolute position.

[0049] Furthermore, in specifying the reference numerals for each component of each drawing in this specification, the same component has the same reference numeral even if it is shown in different drawings; that is, the same reference numeral throughout the specification indicates the same component.

[0050] In the drawings attached to this specification, the size, position, connection relationships, etc., of each component constituting the present invention may be described in a partially exaggerated, reduced, or omitted manner for the convenience of explanation or to sufficiently clearly convey the concept of the present invention, and therefore, the proportions or scale may not be strictly accurate.

[0051] In addition, in describing the present invention below, detailed descriptions of components, such as prior art and known technologies, that are deemed to unnecessarily obscure the essence of the invention may be omitted.

[0052] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the relevant drawings.

[0053] FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram of a pad and probe device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] Referring to FIG. 1, a pad (100) and a body (200) of a probe device (10) are shown. The pad (100) is depicted as rectangular and the body (200) of the probe device is depicted as cylindrical, but this is for convenience of depiction and is not limited thereto. Likewise, the electrodes (141, 142) and terminals (161, 12) are depicted as circular, but this is for convenience of depiction and is not limited thereto.

[0055] The pad (100) can be attached to the skin in the form of a patch. The pad (100) can be electrically connected to and disconnected from the body (200) of the probe device using a connector (see 155 in FIG. 3). When connected to the body (200) of the probe device, the pad (100) has the function of performing ultrasonic examination of muscle tissue according to the operation of the body (200) of the probe device.

[0056] An adhesive layer (120) may be applied to the bottom surface of the pad (100) so that it can be attached to the skin. A pair of electrodes (141, 142) and a transducer (150) may be provided on the top surface of the pad (100). A connector (see 155 in FIG. 3) that can be electrically connected to the body (200) of the probe device is provided on the top surface of the transducer (150).

[0057] The body (200) of the probe device can be portable and powered by battery power. The body (200) of the probe device can perform ultrasonic examination of muscle tissue by controlling the transducer (150) provided in the pad (100). The body (200) of the probe device has the function of examining muscle tissue with the pad (100) attached to the skin before exercise, and examining muscle tissue using the pad (100) in the same position as before exercise after exercise, thereby allowing for comparative analysis of examination results before and after exercise.

[0058] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the pad depicted in Figure 1.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 2, the pad (100) may include a base layer (110) corresponding to a patch. The base layer (110) may be composed of fiber, silicone rubber, or a combination thereof.

[0060] A transducer (150) may be provided on the top surface of the base layer (110). The transducer (150) will be described in detail in FIG. 3.

[0061] An adhesive layer (120) and a gel layer (130) may be disposed on the bottom surface of the base layer (110). Referring to FIG. 1, the gel layer (130) may be disposed below the area where the transducer (150) is located. The adhesive layer (120) bordering the gel layer (130) may be disposed in the edge area of ​​the base layer (110). Both the adhesive layer (120) and the gel layer (130) may come into contact with the skin. The adhesive layer (120) has the function of supporting the pad (100) so that it does not separate from the skin. The gel layer (130) has the function of preventing air gaps by adhering the transducer (150) to the skin.

[0062] A pair of electrodes (141, 142) may be placed in an area other than the area where the transducer (150) is located. The pair of electrodes (141, 142) may be placed on both sides of the transducer (150) or may be placed concentrated on one side.

[0063] One of the electrodes (141, 142) can function as a positive electrode and the other as a negative electrode. The material of the electrodes (141, 142) is a conductor. For example, copper or gold-plated copper can be used as the electrodes (141, 142). The bottom surface of the electrodes (141, 142) can be in contact with the skin, and the top surface can be formed to penetrate the bottom surface and the top surface of the base layer (11) so as to be connected to a cable, etc.

[0064] The electrodes (141, 142) have the function of inputting a signal or measuring a signal. For example, the electrodes (141, 142) can be used as input electrodes to input stimulation signals for electrical muscle stimulation (EMS). Additionally, the electrodes (141, 142) can also be used as electrodes to collect electromyography (EMG) signals generated from muscles and input them into an electromyography measuring device.

[0065] Electromyography is an electrodiagnostic method that detects minute electrical potentials generated in peripheral nerves and musculoskeletal muscles, amplifies them using an amplifier, and then observes and analyzes the resulting electrical waves via an oscilloscope to locate lesions; it is primarily used to diagnose lesions in lower motor neurons.

[0066] Electromyography is a test that analyzes electrical signals generated in nerves and muscles using a machine to check for abnormalities in peripheral nerves, nerve surroundings, and muscles. Electromyography includes intramuscular needle electromyography, which is performed by puncturing the muscle with a needle, and surface electromyography, which is performed by attaching electrodes to the skin. The electrodes (141, 142) provided in the muscle test patch (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention can be used for surface electromyography. For example, the electrodes (141, 142) can be electrically connected to the electrodes of an electromyography device.

[0067] Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) refers to stimulating muscles using electrical signals. The uses of EMS may include treatment, pain relief, and enhancement of exercise effects. The electrodes (141, 142) included in the ultrasound examination pad (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention can be used as electrodes for inputting electrical signals to muscles or measuring electromyography. That is, a single muscle measurement pad (100) can be used for ultrasound examination, for inputting electrical signals for EMS, and for outputting electromyography signals for EMG, thus having the advantage of being usable for multiple purposes.

[0068] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the transducer depicted in Figure 2.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 3, a transducer is generally one of the components that constitute a probe device. According to the prior art, the transducer can be provided inside the probe device. When the probe device is held by a user's hand, the transducer often comes into contact with the skin. In this case, when attempting to detect changes in the body's muscles over time, there was a problem in that accurate detection was difficult due to variations in the position and direction of the transducer (150). Ultrasonic technology is characterized by significant variability in detection results depending on the position and direction of the probe due to the high degree of freedom of ultrasound.

[0070] On the other hand, the transducer (150) according to one embodiment of the present invention is separated from the body (200) of the probe device and is provided on the pad (100), and since the pad (100) is maintained in a state of being adhered to the skin, there is an advantage in that changes occurring in the body can be detected using the transducer (150) while the transducer (150) is fixed at a specific location on the skin.

[0071] A transducer (150) according to one embodiment of the present invention transmits an ultrasonic incident sound to a target object and receives an ultrasonic reflected sound reflected from the target object and transmits it to a body (200). It is characterized by having the ability to transmit an ultrasonic incident sound in the same direction from the same inspection point to the target object and collect an ultrasonic reflected sound, even if the target object is inspected at different times.

[0072] A transducer (150) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be composed of a stacked thin film so as to be provided on a pad (100). The transducer (150) may be configured to include a lens layer (151), a matching layer (152), a piezoelectric layer (153), an acoustic insulating layer (154), a connector (155), and a housing (156) in order of proximity to the skin when in contact with the skin.

[0073] The lens layer (151) has the function of concentrating ultrasonic incident sound traveling forward of the piezoelectric layer (153) and radiating it in a specific direction to help the object receive the ultrasonic incident sound. The lens layer (151) must be in close contact with the skin without any gaps, and the gap between the lens layer (151) and the object can be eliminated by the gel layer (130) making the lens layer (151) and the object close to each other.

[0074] The matching layer (152) reduces the difference in acoustic impedance between the piezoelectric layer (153) and the target, i.e., the human body, so that the ultrasound generated from the piezoelectric layer can be transmitted to the target point of the human body as much as possible. The matching layer (152) has the function of transmitting the incident ultrasound generated from the piezoelectric layer (153) to the target, or reducing the loss of reflected ultrasound sound that is reflected back from the target, by matching the acoustic impedance between the piezoelectric element of the piezoelectric layer (153) and the target. The matching layer (152) can act as a buffer to reduce problems such as image distortion caused by abrupt changes in acoustic impedance between the piezoelectric element of the piezoelectric layer (153) and the target.

[0075] The piezoelectric layer (active element) (153), which is the most important part of the transducer (150), determines the resonant frequency by adjusting its thickness. The piezoelectric layer (153) plays an important role in the transducer (150) by detecting weak signals of ultrasound reflected back from the object.

[0076] The piezoelectric layer (active element) (153) causes the piezoelectric material to vibrate, thereby converting electrical signals and acoustic signals into each other. The piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric layer (153) refers to the phenomenon in which an electrical signal is generated when a mechanical change, such as compression or tension, is applied to a ferroelectric material having a certain crystal structure. Conversely, when an electrical signal is applied, a mechanical change occurs, and the mechanical change appearing in the form of periodic vibration is called the inverse piezoelectric effect.

[0077] A piezoelectric element in which a thin layer of artificial ceramic is processed can be used as the piezoelectric layer (153). An electrical signal can be applied to the piezoelectric layer (153) to generate ultrasound. Materials commonly used as piezoelectric elements include PZT, PVDF, LiNbO3, PMN-PT, and ZnO.

[0078] The acoustic insulating layer (154) has the function of increasing the purity of the signal by blocking noise or vibration of the transducer from propagating to the surrounding environment. The acoustic insulating layer (154) protects ultrasonic incident sound and ultrasonic reflected sound from external interference.

[0079] The connector (155) has the function of electrically connecting to the connector (230) of the body (200). The transducer (150) according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured to be electrically connected to and disconnected from a signal processing circuit, which is an implementation form of the signal processing unit (221), peak extraction unit (224), and signal analysis unit (225) included in the body (200), and the connector (155) is responsible for the function of electrical connection and disconnection.

[0080] The connector (155) may include a pair of terminals (161, 162). The terminals (161, 162) may be terminals of a plug or receptacle and may come into contact with terminals belonging to the body (200) of the probe device, for example, terminals of a receptacle or a plug. The connector (155) may further include a magnetic material, or the terminals (161, 162) may be configured to have magnetism so that magnetic contact is possible with terminals belonging to the body (200) of the probe device.

[0081] The housing (156) includes a lens layer (151), a matching layer (152), a piezoelectric layer (153), and an acoustic insulating layer (154) inside, and can be coupled with a connector (155) on the top. The housing (156) has the function of fixing the components of the transducer (150) to the base layer (110). The base layer (110) does not exist at the bottom of the transducer (150) because ultrasonic incident sound and ultrasonic reflected sound must propagate. Therefore, the housing (156) can fix the transducer (150) by coupling with the edge of the base layer (110).

[0082] The acoustic insulating layer (154), also called a backing material, serves to prevent image distortion by minimizing the propagation of ultrasonic incident sound generated from the piezoelectric layer (153) in an unwanted direction and the return of the reflected waves. Through this, it not only serves to optimize the vibration resolution in the axial direction so that the piezoelectric layer (153) can vibrate at a very short frequency, but also serves to minimize diffusely reflected ultrasonic waves from the outside by being composed of a material with a value similar to the impedance of the piezoelectric layer (153).

[0083] As a backing material, a mixture of high-density powder materials such as tungsten (W), lead (Pb), and zinc oxide (ZnO) is mainly used in epoxy resin.

[0084] The lens layer (151) includes an acoustic lens. The acoustic lens is located on the front of the matching layer and determines the focal length and delay line of the transducer (150) by connecting the ultrasonic incident sound. The acoustic lens is manufactured in a refractive manner using mainly silicone and polyurethane.

[0085] Acoustic lenses are broadly classified into external and internal connection types; when using urethane, which has a relatively high sound velocity, they are manufactured as internal focusing types, and when using silicone, which has a relatively low sound velocity, they are manufactured as external connection types.

[0086] A transducer (150) is a device that converts electromagnetic energy into mechanical energy (sound energy). Ultrasonic transducers are generally made of piezoelectric ceramics or other magnetic shrinkage materials. Examples of applications of ultrasonic transducers include general ultrasonic cleaners, ultrasonic nebulizers, and ultrasonic probes.

[0087] The piezoelectric layer (153) is a piezoelectric ceramic that resonates at ultrasonic frequencies. Piezoelectric ceramics that produce a piezoelectric effect convert electrical signals into mechanical vibrations. The interior of the transducer (150) typically contains an electrical energy storage element and a mechanical vibration system. When the transducer (150) is used as a transmitter, an electrical vibration signal transmitted from an excitation power supply will change the electric or magnetic field in the electrical energy storage element of the transducer. This change affects the mechanical vibration system of the transducer through a specific effect. A driving force is generated to enter a vibration state, which then contacts the mechanical vibration system of the vibrating transducer to drive the medium and emit sound waves into the medium.

[0088] The process of receiving ultrasonic reflected sound is the exact opposite. The ultrasonic reflected sound acts on the vibrating surface of the transducer (150), causing the mechanical vibration system of the transducer (150) to vibrate. With the help of specific physical effects, an electric or magnetic field is generated in the energy storage element of the transducer (150). The magnetic field changes accordingly, causing the electrical output of the transducer (150) to generate voltage and current corresponding to the acoustic signal.

[0089] The geometry and size of the transducer (150) can be designed according to inspection requirements. The piezoelectric crystals constituting the piezoelectric layer (153) can be encased in a shell because they are relatively brittle and require insulation, sealing, and corrosion resistance. Both ends of the piezoelectric crystals are plated with electrodes, and the upper and lower electrodes are each welded with lead wires, which are connected to the electrode inserts of the shell to transmit electrical signals.

[0090] The piezoelectric layer (153) may include an additional protective layer. The protective layer is used to protect the vibrator of the piezoelectric layer (153) from wear. Since the protective layer comes into contact with both the vibrator and the object simultaneously, it is a layer of material between the vibrator and the object. The protective layer is necessary to prevent wear and protect the vibrator and should not be attenuated as much as possible during the transmission of ultrasound. It has good transmission capabilities, and therefore, the acoustic impedance of the protective layer is close to the acoustic impedance of the object and has an optimal thickness that has both wear resistance and good transmission. The protective layer should be made of a material with a low attenuation coefficient and wear resistance, and the protective layer should be used as an acoustic impedance gradient layer inserted between layers, and the thickness should be λ (wavelength) / 4.

[0091] The shell of the piezoelectric layer (153) serves to support the internal material of the transducer (150), and serves to seal, insulate, pressure bear, shield, and protect the vibrator, and is used to secure the cable lead. The type and nominal frequency of the probe are generally indicated on the shell.

[0092] Accessories such as an impedance converter, a preamplifier, a damping resistor, and an inductor adjustment for the housing may be further included in the body (200).

[0093] The types of transducers (150) can be divided into single beam and multiple beams depending on the number of beams generated when the transducer (150) operates.

[0094] The transducer (150) can be divided into a low-frequency transducer and a high-frequency transducer depending on the operating frequency range. The low-frequency transducer can reach 500 kHz or be lowered to 20 kHz, and the high-frequency transducer can reach 50 MHz. Depending on the constituent material, the transducer can be divided into a piezoelectric ceramic transducer, a piezoelectric thin film transducer, a piezoelectric thick film transducer, a piezoelectric single crystal transducer, a composite material transducer, and a micro-processed piezoelectric electric transducer.

[0095]

[0096] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the body of the probe device depicted in Figure 1.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 4, the body (200) may be configured to include a processor (210), memory (220), connector (230), user interface (240), communication device (250), database management system (DBMS) (260), storage device (270), and power supply device (280).

[0098] The processor (210) has the function of controlling the operation of an electrically connected transducer (150) according to a user command input from an input section (241) of a user interface (240), and the function of executing various commands included in a program module stored in memory (220).

[0099] Various program modules may be stored in the memory (220). The program module may be configured to include a signal processing unit (221), a peak extraction unit (224), and a signal analysis unit (225). The signal processing unit (221) may be configured to include a filtering unit (222) and a smoothing processing unit (223). The signal analysis unit (225) may be configured to include a Fourier transform unit (226), a muscle quality information output unit (227), and a muscle characteristic information output unit (228).

[0100] The connector (230) can be connected to the connector (155) provided on the transducer (150) of the ultrasonic examination pad (100). That is, through the connection of the connector (230) and the connector (155), the body (200) of the probe device (10) and the transducer (150) can be electrically connected to each other. One of the connector (230) and the connector (155) can be a plug module and the other can be a receptacle module. Similar to the terminals (161, 162) of the connector (155), the connector (230) also includes a terminal (not shown) that contacts the terminals (161, 162).

[0101] The connector (230) can maintain electrical contact with the connector (155) of the transducer (150) using the magnetic force of the magnet. The magnet may have different poles on each connector (155, 230), or the terminal may perform the function of the magnet.

[0102] The user interface (240) may be configured to include an input section (241) and an output section (242). Through the input section (241), the user can input various information such as the subject's gender information, age information, physical information, and clinical information. Physical information includes the subject's height and weight information. Clinical information includes the subject's medical history and information regarding pain sites.

[0103] The output unit (242) has the function of visually outputting the inspection results, namely muscle quality information and muscle characteristic information, through a monitor. The body (200) of the probe device (10) may use the display of a user terminal, which is linked through a program installed on the user terminal and a communication device (250), as the output unit. The output unit (242) may display the muscle quality information and muscle characteristic information of the subject to the subject in the form of text, tables, charts, and images.

[0104] The communication device (250) has the function of transmitting and receiving data in wireless and wired ways with a communication device, such as a user terminal, e.g., a smartphone. The communication device (250) may include a short-range communication module such as Bluetooth and a wireless LAN module such as Wi-Fi.

[0105] The transducer (150) and the body (200) of the probe device (10) can be configured to enable not only electrical connection through terminal contact but also wireless connection. For wireless connection between the two devices, the transducer (150) must also include a separate communication device and a power supply. That is, the transducer (150) can be configured to enable low-power communication with the body (200) using a battery and Bluetooth, which corresponds to a short-range communication module.

[0106] A database management system (DBMS) (260) has the function of storing, statistically analyzing, and managing the personal information and examination information of the subject. The personal information includes information such as the subject's name, age, gender, height, and weight. The examination information includes information on the date the examination was performed and the examination results, i.e., muscle quality information and muscle characteristic information. The muscle quality information includes information regarding the thickness of the muscle at the examination point, the thickness of the fat contained in the muscle, and the ratio of muscle to fat at the examination point. The muscle characteristic information includes the amount of change in muscle thickness between the first time point and the second time point, the amount of change in the thickness of the fat contained in the muscle between the first time point and the second time point, and the amount of change in muscle quality, i.e., the ratio of muscle to fat, between the first time point and the second time point. The user can input the subject's personal information into the DBMS (260) in advance before the examination.

[0107] The storage device (270) has the function of storing various data and information managed by the DBMS (260), such as muscle quality information and muscle characteristic information.

[0108] The power supply unit (280) has the function of supplying power to the transducer (150) and the body (200), and may be configured to include a battery, a circuit necessary for charging and discharging, i.e., a battery management system.

[0109] FIG. 5 is an example diagram of signal processing by a signal processing unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0110] Referring to FIG. 5, the signal processing unit (221) can implement a reflection signal using a plurality of ultrasonic reflections. The reflection signal can be implemented by displaying the intensity of a plurality of ultrasonic reflections on a time axis as an amplitude.

[0111] The peak extraction unit (224) can extract a peak from the reflected signal. A peak refers to a case where the intensity of the ultrasonic reflected sound at a specific point in time is relatively larger than the intensity of the ultrasonic reflected sound at surrounding points in time, and the intensity of the ultrasonic reflected sound is directly proportional to the difference in impedance of the material through which the ultrasonic waves pass.

[0112] The intensity of the ultrasonic reflected sound, which is proportional to the impedance difference between the materials constituting the body, is greatest at the boundary between muscle and fat. Therefore, by extracting the point where the intensity of the ultrasonic reflected sound is relatively large in the reflected signal, that is, the point where a peak occurs, the location of the boundary between muscle and fat can be determined. According to an embodiment, the peak extraction unit (224) can be implemented using a Savitzky-Golay filter.

[0113] The signal analysis unit (225) can calculate the ratio of the material constituting the object using the peaks and evaluate the quality of the muscle based on this. The material constituting the object may include not only muscle, bone, and fat, but also other elements that constitute the human body.

[0114] The filtering unit (222) has the function of filtering the reflected signal. The filtering unit (222) has the function of filtering the reflected signal to remove noise included in the reflected signal or to amplify the signal. Noise refers to all information other than information related to the boundary between fat and muscle. Depending on the embodiment, the filtering unit (222) may be implemented using a band-pass filter or a squared filter.

[0115] The filtering unit (222) has the function of removing the contact-reflection signal that is implemented by the ultrasonic reflection sound generated at the contact surface between the transducer (150) and the object.

[0116] The smoothing processing unit (223) has the function of smoothly processing the reflected signal. Smoothing processing includes extracting only the signal for the main pattern included in the reflected signal and removing residual peaks included in the reflected signal (see FIG. 5 (d)).

[0117] Figure 6 is an example of muscle quality evaluation by the signal analysis unit.

[0118] Referring to FIG. 6, the muscle quality information output unit (227) included in the signal analysis unit (225) has the function of extracting the interval between a plurality of peaks included in the reflection signal and calculating the thickness of fat or muscle based on the interval. For example, the muscle layer can be found based on the interval between the first peak (a) and the second peak (b), and the thickness of the muscle can be calculated. Considering the total volume of the object, the value of muscle quality (MQ) can be calculated in proportion to the value of the muscle thickness.

[0119] Figure 7 is an example of the short-time Fourier transform process of the Fourier transform section.

[0120] FIG. 7(a) depicts a reflected signal implemented by a signal processing unit (221) using ultrasonic reflected sound received by a transducer (150).

[0121] FIG. 7(b) depicts a reflected signal with noise removed by filtering by the filtering unit (222). FIG. 7(c) depicts a reflected signal processed by short-time Fourier transform by the Fourier transform unit (226).

[0122] The Fourier transform unit (226) has the function of performing a short-time Fourier transform (STFT) on the reflected signal. Fourier transform (FT) means converting a signal in the time domain into a signal in the frequency domain. That is, the signal analysis unit (225) according to one embodiment of the present invention has the function of enabling the reflected signal in the frequency domain to be observed through the Fourier transform processing of the reflected signal in the time domain. The energy of the ultrasound reflected back from the A-mode ultrasound can be measured. The Fourier transform can be performed to observe the power spectral density related to energy.

[0123] Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) refers to dividing a signal in the time domain into short time units and then performing a Fourier transform. The Short-Time Fourier Transform observes the time domain-frequency domain power, and since ultrasound is time-series data with a time meaning, the signal analysis unit (225) according to the present invention can observe at which time period the reflected signal changes for each frequency.

[0124] The muscle quality information output unit (227) has the function of calculating the degree of fatification of the muscle by analyzing a short-time Fourier transform processed reflection signal. According to an embodiment, the muscle quality output unit (227) normalizes the short-time Fourier transform processed reflection signal and can evaluate the muscle quality by dividing the sum of the muscle amplitude values ​​in the normalized reflection signal by the sum of the amplitude values ​​of the normalized reflection signal. The muscle amplitude values ​​can be determined through data accumulated through experiments.

[0125] The probe device (10) has the function of outputting muscle characteristic information based on muscle quality information. Muscle characteristic information refers to information in which two or more pieces of muscle quality information measured at different times are compared and evaluated with each other.

[0126] The reason the probe device (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention can output muscle characteristic information analyzed by comparing muscle information is that it can collect reliable muscle information measured at the same measurement point, which can be compared before and after exercise, by using the transducer (150) of the ultrasound examination pad (100) fixed to the skin of the subject.

[0127] The muscle characteristic information output unit (228) has the function of comparing and analyzing muscle characteristic information measured at the first time point and the second time point, for example, before and after weight training, and outputting the amount of change in the user's muscle thickness, the amount of change in the thickness of fat contained in the muscle, and the amount of change in the quality of the muscle.

[0128] The body (200) can electrically contact a transducer (150) provided on a pad (100) attached to the skin of an object, for example, a subject, and can generate ultrasound and receive the reflected ultrasound to construct an image. When ultrasound is generated, the sound waves pass through the medium in a very short time, and when passing between two media with different acoustic impedances, an ultrasonic reflected sound is generated. By measuring the reflected waves and calculating the distance inversely through the time until the ultrasonic reflected sound returns, an image is constructed.

[0129] Although there are various methods to represent reflected signals, A (amplitude) and B (brightness) modes are primarily used. Due to the excellent directivity of ultrasound, reflection occurs at the boundary between two materials with different acoustic impedances, and the location to the material can be calculated based on the time it takes to receive the reflected wave. An A-mode image is a graph plotting the distance to the material on the horizontal axis and the amplitude of the reflected echo on the vertical axis.

[0130] Mode A displays the amplitude and position of the reflected signal, whereas Mode B displays this amplitude as the brightness of a point. A single ultrasound beam can only form a one-dimensional image, but generating multiple ultrasound beams can create a two-dimensional image. When the term "ultrasound examination" is used simply, it often refers to Mode B.

[0131] M (Motion) mode is an examination that visualizes changes in ultrasound reflection signals. Because changes in moving areas, such as heart valves or myocardial movement, can be observed in real time, it is widely used in cardiac ultrasound, just like Doppler ultrasound.

[0132] By utilizing the change in frequency of sound waves reflected by the Doppler effect, it is possible to determine whether an object is approaching or moving away from the probe and display it on the image.

[0133] Doppler imaging includes Doppler mode, which converts changes in the frequency of an ultrasound beam at a specific location into alternating current and displays them as a graph, and color Doppler mode, which expresses changes in flow velocity in a designated area of ​​a B-mode image as color. It is particularly useful for evaluating blood flow in the heart during cardiac ultrasound.

[0134] As such, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the consistency and reliability of ultrasonic detection results can be increased by limiting the high degrees of freedom of the transducer.

[0135] In addition, precise measurement of muscle changes before and after exercise is possible through ultrasound detection using pads attached to the skin.

[0136] In addition, by separating the probe device body and the transducer, multiple individual transducers can be managed using only a single body.

[0137] Although various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with some examples, the descriptions of various embodiments described in the "Specific details for carrying out the invention" section are merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention can be modified in various ways or equivalent embodiments can be carried out based on the above description.

[0138] In addition, since the present invention can be implemented in various other forms, the present invention is not limited by the description above. The above description is provided merely to make the disclosure of the present invention complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the present invention, and it should be understood that the present invention is defined only by each claim of the claims.

[0139] The present invention can be used in the field of medical devices for measuring muscle quality.

Claims

1. As a pad attached to the skin, Patch-shaped base layer; An adhesive layer applied to the lower surface of the base layer so as to be adhered to the skin; A transducer installed on the top surface of the base layer; and The base layer of the area where the above transducer is installed is removed, and the device includes a gel layer applied to the bottom surface of the above transducer to come into contact with the skin. The above transducer is, A muscle measurement pad configured to be electrically connected to the body of a probe device, to transmit an incident ultrasonic sound to a target, and to receive an ultrasonic reflected sound from the target and transmit it to the probe device.

2. In claim 1, the transducer is, A lens layer, a matching layer, a piezoelectric layer, and a back layer in contact with the gel layer; and A muscle measurement pad configured to include a housing that can be fixed to the base layer in combination with the lens layer, matching layer, piezoelectric layer, and back layer.

3. In Claim 1, A muscle measurement pad configured to further include a pair of electrodes formed at the bottom surface of the base layer and connected to the top surface of the base layer so as to be in contact with the skin.

4. In claim 3, the pair of electrodes is, A muscle measurement pad configured to act as an output electrode that outputs electromyogram signals generated from muscles upon contact with the skin.

5. In Claim 1, A muscle measurement pad configured to function as an input electrode for inputting electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) signals into a muscle.

6. A muscle measurement pad as a patch attached to the skin, comprising a gel layer and a transducer in close contact with said gel layer; and A probe device configured to include a body that controls the electrically connectable transducer to transmit an ultrasonic incident sound to an object and receive an ultrasonic reflected sound reflected from the object to detect and analyze the object.

7. In claim 6, the body is, A signal processing unit that implements a reflection signal using the above ultrasonic reflection sound; A peak extraction unit for extracting a peak from the above reflection signal; and A signal analysis unit configured to calculate the ratio of a substance constituting the object using the above peak and evaluate the quality of the muscle based thereon, Probe device.

8. In claim 7, the signal processing unit, A filtering unit that processes the above reflected signal through filtering; and Configured to include a smoothing processing unit that smooths the above-mentioned reflected signal, Probe device.

9. In claim 8, the filtering unit is, A probe device configured to eliminate a contact-reflection signal generated by ultrasonic reflections occurring at the contact surface between the transducer and the object.

10. In claim 7, the signal analysis unit, A probe device configured to extract the interval between a plurality of peaks included in the above-mentioned reflection signal and to calculate the thickness of fat or muscle based on the said interval.

11. In claim 7, the signal analysis unit, A Fourier transform unit that performs a short-time Fourier transform (STFT) processing on the above-mentioned reflected signal; and A probe device configured to include a muscle quality information output unit that calculates the degree of fatification of the muscle by analyzing a reflection signal processed by the short-time Fourier transform above.

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