阅读说明：本技术 改进的激光治疗设备 (Improved laser treatment apparatus ) 是由 M·格拉米尼 于 2017-05-10 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于穴位的处理的改进的激光治疗设备(1),其包括：-控制单元(2)；-激光发射装置(3),被关联到所述控制单元(2)；-用于生成发射信号的装置,其在功能上被关联到所述控制单元(2)和所述激光发射装置(3)；以及-用于调制所述发射信号的装置(5),其被设计为生成经调制的信号,其中所述经调制的信号源自100Hz的频率处的第一方波调制与在1Hz和2Hz之间的频率处的第二方波调制的组合,其特征在于提供了在50Hz和200Hz之间的频率处的第三方波调制,该第三方波调制分别与所述第一调制和第二调制组合,其特征在于提供了在5Hz和20Hz之间的频率处的第三方波调制,该第三方波调制分别与所述第一调制和第二调制组合。(An improved laser treatment device (1) for treatment of acupuncture points, comprising: -a control unit (2); -a laser emitting device (3) associated to said control unit (2); -means for generating a transmission signal, functionally associated to said control unit (2) and to said laser emitting device (3); and-means (5) for modulating the transmission signal, designed to generate a modulated signal, wherein the modulated signal originates from a combination of a first square-wave modulation at a frequency of 100Hz and a second square-wave modulation at a frequency between 1Hz and 2Hz, characterized in that a third-party wave modulation at a frequency between 50Hz and 200Hz is provided, which third-party wave modulation is combined with the first modulation and the second modulation, respectively, in that a third-party wave modulation at a frequency between 5Hz and 20Hz is provided, which third-party wave modulation is combined with the first modulation and the second modulation, respectively.)

1. An improved laser treatment device (1) for treatment of acupuncture points, comprising:

-a control unit (2);

-a laser emitting device (3) associated to said control unit (2);

-means for generating a transmission signal, functionally associated to said control unit (2) and to said laser emitting device (3); and

-means (5) for modulating the transmission signal, designed to generate a modulated signal,

-wherein the modulated signal originates from a combination of a first square wave modulation at a frequency of 100Hz and a second square wave modulation at a frequency between 1Hz and 2Hz,

characterized in that a third party wave modulation at a frequency between 50Hz and 200Hz is provided, which third party wave modulation is combined with said first modulation and second modulation, respectively,

characterized in that a third party wave modulation at a frequency between 5Hz and 20Hz is provided, which third party wave modulation is combined with said first modulation and second modulation, respectively.

2. The improved device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first, second and third modulations are combined transmissions sequentially with respect to each other in such a way that the resulting transmission is a time-modulated sequence of pulse trains at the fundamental frequency.

3. Improved device (1) according to any of claims 1-2, wherein said modulation means (5) enable to adjust the average power delivered by said laser emitting means (3), maintaining the parameters of frequency and peak power defined with respect to physiological functions.

4. Improved device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a point-targeting module (10) of the impedance-measuring type is provided, designed for locating the acupuncture points to be treated.

5. The improved device (1) of claim 4, wherein said point-targeting module (10) comprises:

-a rod (12) equipped with a contact head (13), wherein the rod (12) is slidably mounted in the housing (11) by means of a first spring (14) and a second spring (15) opposite each other; and

-a slider (16) provided in an intermediate position on said rod (12),

wherein said slider (16) with the position indicator (16') slides in a channel provided on the housing (11) in such a way that, when in operation the contact head (13) is set to rest on the skin of the patient, the slider (16) moves from the neutral position to the measuring position to indicate a predetermined pressure value at which the corresponding measuring signal is generated.

6. The improved device (1) according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein a sensing unit (20) for detecting the optical power efficiently delivered by the laser (3) is provided, the sensing unit (20) comprising:

-an array of sensors (22) housed in a cylindrical cavity (21), light emitting diodes (24) housed in the cylindrical cavity (21), wherein the generated emission beam (23) is directed towards the bottom of the measurement cavity (21), and wherein the array of sensors (22), suitably inclined towards the bottom of this cavity, is designed to supply a detection signal proportional to the measured optical power, which is then processed by the control unit.

7. The improved device (1) of claim 6, wherein said array of sensors comprises phototransistors.

8. The improved device (1) as claimed in claim 6, wherein said measuring cavity (21) is equipped with a reflector, preferably concave.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an improved laser treatment device, particularly but not exclusively for transmitting photo-electromagnetic energy to points of the body surface which are energetically active, have electrical conductivity values lower than those of the surrounding tissue and are characterized by a significantly higher concentration of nerve receptors, said points being called "acupuncture points".

Background

Laser treatment devices capable of emitting optical radiation, mainly laser radiation, are known for treating both acute and chronic pathological conditions. Laser treatment is particularly useful in situations where it is desirable to increase the rate of recovery in repairing damaged tissues, provide relief in the presence of pain syndromes, or otherwise reduce inflammation.

Improvements in such devices have focused on the effectiveness of stimulating physiological responses by signals delivered to the patient's body at different energies. An example of a laser treatment device is described in document No. ep 1669102. Such devices are configured to supply low-energy stimuli that are capable of interacting with biological systems, mimicking "biological signals" produced by the metabolism of healthy tissue.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved laser treatment device which will enhance the performance and efficiency of the system according to the prior art.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved laser treatment apparatus which will be structurally simple and economical to produce.

These and other objects are achieved by an improved laser treatment device for treatment of acupuncture points, comprising:

-a control unit;

-a laser emitting device associated with the control unit;

-means for generating a transmission signal, functionally associated with said control unit and said laser emitting means; and

-means for modulating the transmission signal, designed to generate a modulated signal,

wherein the modulated signal originates from a combination of a first square wave modulation at a frequency of 100Hz and a second square wave modulation at a frequency between 1Hz and 2Hz,

characterized in that a third party wave modulation at a frequency between 5Hz and 20Hz is provided, which third party wave modulation is combined with said first and second modulation, respectively;

wherein a third party wave modulation at a frequency between 5Hz and 20Hz is provided, which third party wave modulation is combined with the first and second modulation, respectively;

advantageously, said first, second and third modulations are transmitted by logical sum ("and") combination starting from the highest frequency in such a way that the resulting transmission will be a time-modulated sequence of pulse trains at the fundamental frequency (see figure).

More particularly, the first modulation or carrier modulation at 100Hz is designed to interact with the metabolism of proteoglycans of the extracellular matrix (ECM).

Precisely due to the pulsing of the emission, the second modulation at 1-2Hz is also beneficial for the synthesis of different endogenous opioids and the stimulation of various nerve fibers, in addition to the phenomenon of preventing habituation to stimulation at 100 Hz.

Finally, the third modulation has the purpose of promoting the spread of the stimulation along the needled warp threads, the specific points of which have been stimulated. The transmission of the stimulated signal actually induced on the meridians occurs by mechanical modulation which can benefit from a specific oscillation resonance frequency adapted to each meridian.

Advantageously, these modulation means are able to adjust the average power delivered by the laser emitting means by modulation of the duty cycle parameter, maintaining the parameters of frequency and peak power defined with respect to the physiological function. In this way, since the power is obtained by multiplying the peak power by the product (product) of the duty cycles of the various modulations, by setting a specific value of the average power (lower than the nominal power), the device modifies the duty cycle of each envisaged modulation at the same rate.

Preferably, a point-targeting module of the impedance measurement type (impenetrometric type) is provided, which is designed to locate the acupuncture point (acupunture point) to be treated.

In particular, the point-targeting module comprises:

a lever equipped with a contact head, wherein said lever is slidably mounted in the housing by means of a first spring and a second spring opposite each other;

a slider provided at an intermediate position on the rod, wherein the slider with position indicator slides in a channel provided on the cylindrical body in such a way that when in operation the contact head is set to rest on the skin of the patient, the slider moves from a neutral position to a measuring position to indicate a predetermined pressure value;

an alternating current generator for generating an alternating current which is caused to flow in the body of the patient to enable impedance measurement; this generator is connected to the contact tip, which is made to slide near the needle puncture target point and is connected to some other part of the body by means of a contact clip of the type commercially available.

Advantageously, a conductor is provided on the end of the rod opposite the contact, which conductor is functionally connected to the measuring instrument.

Advantageously, the detected signal will be demodulated by means of a diode bridge and the direct voltage at the output will be connected to the indicator module by means of a suitable amplifier with high input insulation.

In a preferred embodiment, a sensing unit for detecting efficiently delivered optical power is provided. This sensing unit comprises an array of phototransistors housed in a cylindrical cavity in which a light emitting diode is housed. The laser beam is directed towards the bottom of the cavity, which is advantageously provided with a concave reflector and painted in opaque black so as not to generate any further reflections. An array of sensors suitably inclined towards the bottom of the cavity will supply a signal proportional to the measured optical power. Through specially designed circuitry, the signals will be digitized and passed to a processing and control module.

Drawings

Other features and/or advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of several embodiments, provided by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an improved laser treatment apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an optical power adjustment unit;

fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a module for locating acupuncture points; and

fig. 5 schematically represents the combination of the three modulations envisaged via a logical sum.

Detailed Description

With reference to fig. 1, there is shown an improved laser treatment apparatus 1 comprising a control unit 2 (e.g. a processor CPU) and a laser emitting device 3 (e.g. a laser diode) functionally connected and controlled by the control unit 2. Furthermore, the device 1 comprises means or interface unit 4 for generating a transmission signal, which is also functionally associated with the control unit 2 and the laser 3; and a module 5 for modulating the transmission signal, which module 5 is designed to generate a modulated signal. In particular, the modulated signal originates from a combination of a first square wave modulation at a frequency of 100Hz and a second square wave modulation at a frequency between 1Hz and 2 Hz. Furthermore, a third party wave modulation at a frequency between 5Hz and 20Hz is provided, combined with said first and second modulation, respectively.

The first, second and third modulations are added starting from the highest frequency in such a way that the resulting transmission will be a time-modulated sequence of pulse trains at the fundamental frequency. This solution limits the dose of energy radiated on a specific acupoint to around 0.1mJ in response to the need for selective and combined stimulation of different physiological mechanisms.

More particularly, the first modulation or carrier modulation at 100Hz is designed to interact with the metabolism of proteoglycans of the extracellular matrix (ECM). For example, in the "normal" state of homeostasis in a healthy subject at a body temperature around 37 ℃, proteoglycans follow a redox cycle, with a period between 6ms and 20ms, corresponding to frequencies of 160Hz and 50Hz, respectively. During these oxidation and reduction activities, the emission/absorption of photons goes into action, having a wavelength around 650nm at a temperature of 37 ℃. Carrier modulation therefore has the purpose of "mimicking" and integrating metabolic activity, implying a "normal" state. Which in turn maintains the pH and physical characteristics of the ECM under conditions such as to allow regular cell-cell exchange. Supplementation of stimuli has been shown to promote the metabolism of endogenous opioids at the level of the spine and of the upper motor neurons, with consequent analgesic effects.

Precisely due to the pulsing of the emission, the second modulation at 1-2Hz is also beneficial for the synthesis of different endogenous opioids and the stimulation of various nerve fibers, in addition to the phenomenon of preventing habituation to stimulation at 100 Hz.

Finally, the third modulation has the purpose of promoting the spread of the stimulation along the needled warp threads, the specific points of which have been stimulated. The transmission of the stimulated signal actually induced on the meridians occurs by mechanical modulation which can benefit from a specific oscillation resonance frequency adapted to each meridian.

Furthermore, the control unit 2 is configured for adjusting the average power delivered by the laser 3, maintaining the parameters of frequency and peak power defined with respect to the physiological function. In this way, since the power is obtained by multiplying the peak power by the product of the duty cycles of the various modulations, the device 1 modifies the duty cycle of each envisaged modulation at the same rate by setting a specific value of the average power (lower than the nominal power).

In other words, the control unit 2 verifies the emission of the modulated control square wave of the laser diode 3 according to the settings. By means of the control interface 4, it performs the calculation of the energy of the effective emission on the basis of the setting via the time integration of the average power of the emission itself. The corresponding values are represented on the display 40 of the interface 4 (fig. 2). Furthermore, all operations and parameters (selected mode, frequency, value of duty cycle and value of average radiated power) appear on the display. Furthermore, it generates a sound command, which is emitted by the buzzer 30 (fig. 1) at the end of the radiative programming.

With reference to fig. 2, the device also comprises a point-targeting module 10 of the impedance-measuring type, designed to locate the best acupuncture points. From a structural point of view, as shown more clearly in fig. 4, the point-targeting module 10 comprises a rod 12 equipped with a contact head 13. The lever 12 is slidably mounted in the housing 11 by means of a first spring 14 and a second spring 15 opposite each other. In this way, it is possible to maintain a constant pressure on the tissue of the patient.

The stroke (extension) of the central point of the rod 12 on which the two springs 14, 15 are applied has a slider 16, the slider 16 with a position indicator 16 'sliding in a specially designed channel provided on the cylindrical body, the position indicator 16' indicating the position of the centre of the rod 12 itself. During operation, when the contact head 13 is set to rest on the patient's skin, it will move from the neutral position to indicate a predetermined pressure value. A conductor 17 is welded to the inner end of the rod 12, which conductor 17 is connected to a demodulation and measurement circuit (measuring instrument, not shown) by means of a cable 18. The circuit is closed by the patient by means of a contact clip (also not shown) similar to the contact clips commonly used in ECG. The module is supplied with an alternating current of 50kHz and a voltage of less than 2 Vpp.

As shown in fig. 1, the signal will be demodulated by a diode bridge and, through a suitable amplifier with high input insulation, the output dc voltage will be connected to an indicator module (buzzer supplied by the device 1, VCO (voltage controlled oscillator) and digital-to-analog converter for driving a specially provided optical display).

In a preferred embodiment, as shown in fig. 3, a sensing unit 20 for detecting the efficiently delivered optical power is provided. This sensing unit 20 comprises an array 22 of phototransistors housed within a cylindrical cavity 21, in which cylindrical cavity 21 a light emitting diode 24 is housed. The emitted beam 23 will thus be directed towards the bottom of the measurement cavity 21, which measurement cavity 21 is provided with a concave reflector on the bottom and is painted opaque black so as not to generate any further reflections. A sensor array 22 suitably inclined towards the bottom of the cavity will supply a signal proportional to the measured optical power. Through specially designed circuitry, the signals will be digitized and passed to a processing and control module.

The foregoing description of various specific embodiments illustrates the invention from a conceptual point of view, such that others will be able to modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments using prior art techniques without requiring any further research and without departing from the inventive concept, and it is therefore to be understood that such adaptations and modifications may be considered as technically equivalent. The means and materials for performing the various functions may have various properties without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.