JP2000167067A - Electric stimulation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent current and voltage during treatment from being excessive by detecting contact abnormality of a conductive piece from variation of output of an electric stimulation device. SOLUTION: When output of an electric stimulation device is monitored and a conductive piece 21 is suitably abutted, organism impedance during stimulation intends to decrease and becomes constant after a certain time, and the output of the device also varies following this. When a part of the contact part of the conductive piece 21 is separated, contact area of the conductive piece 21 decreases and contact impedance rises. Occurrence of separation of the conductive piece is recognized when the variation of the impedance exceeds a given range. Any indicator can be used that varies with contact abnormality of the conductive piece 21, and it can detect any phenomenon where output varies, such as dirtiness on the conductive piece surface, or contact failure of a conductive piece cord 22.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric stimulator, and more particularly to an improvement in safety.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Electrical stimulation devices include a low-frequency treatment device including an interference low-frequency treatment device and a medium-frequency treatment device, and an electrical stimulation device for clinical examinations. I do. The low-frequency treatment device is composed of an oscillation unit, an amplification unit, a control unit, an operation unit, a display unit, a safety protection circuit, a conductor, and the like. It is connected to the device body by a conductor cord.

The oscillating unit generates a set stimulus waveform, and the amplifying unit amplifies the stimulus waveform to a set intensity. The control unit controls the apparatus in accordance with the set conditions and a built-in sequence. The operation unit inputs stimulus conditions and the like, and the display unit displays set conditions and operation states. The safety protection circuit shuts off the output when an output exceeding the maximum standard of the device is output, thereby ensuring safety. The guide supplies energy to the living body.

In the treatment, a treatment condition (treatment frequency, treatment time, etc.) suitable for a patient is inputted from an operation unit, and a lead is adhered to an appropriate position near an affected part to prepare for treatment. When the preparation is completed, the output volume of the operation unit is operated, the output is increased to an appropriate value, and the treatment is started. During the treatment, the living body is stimulated for a predetermined treatment time under the set treatment conditions, and when the treatment time ends, an end sound is emitted, the output is automatically set to zero, and the treatment ends.

On the other hand, the maximum output current of the low frequency treatment device is
From the viewpoint of safety, the JIS standard specifies 50 mA or less, and each device sets a smaller maximum output current. Some devices also specify a maximum output voltage. If, for any reason, the output current exceeds the maximum output of the device, the safety protection circuit is activated, alerting, zeroing the output and shutting down. If it is desired to continue therapy after the safety circuit has been activated, the output volume must be returned to zero once and the output volume must be manipulated again to set the desired output. Those that specify the output voltage have a voltage safety protection circuit and operate in the same manner as the current.

[0006] In addition, since there are many indications for low-frequency treatment, many facilities use a plurality of multi-channel output types that can simultaneously treat a plurality of patients. In addition, since the lead is used in contact with the skin in the treatment, it is often used in a room partitioned by a curtain or the like so as to be invisible from the outside from the viewpoint of privacy protection. That is, multiple patients are often treated simultaneously in several closed rooms.

[0007]

If a part of the conductor is peeled off and the contact area is reduced during stimulation, the current is concentrated on a part and the current density is increased, and there is a risk of causing pain and burns. However, no conventional device has a function that can cope with such a situation. JP-A-9-84
885 discloses a technique in which a test current is passed before treatment to detect abnormal contact of a conductor. However, the prior invention does not have a function of monitoring the contact state of the lead during treatment. A first problem to be solved by the present invention is to monitor a contact state of a conductor and detect a contact abnormality of the conductor.

[0008] When the electrical stimulation is started, the stimulation current is set to an optimum value, but the blood flow increases while the stimulation continues, the temperature of the stimulation site increases, and the current increases from the initial stimulation value. This is a normal physiological response. However, if the current is abnormally increased for any reason, discomfort and pain, and in some cases burns, can be dangerous. In particular, if there is hypoesthesia at the treatment site, a strong stimulus is often given from the beginning, so care must be taken. In addition, when the blood flow near the stimulation site is insufficient, cooling of the affected part due to the blood flow is reduced, so that the temperature of the tissue may be increased and a burn may be caused. Therefore, the current during treatment is
It is important not to be too large. The same applies to the voltage.

Further, as described above, when the output exceeds the maximum output of the device, the safety protection circuit operates and the output of the device is cut off. This phenomenon occurs when the output volume is set too high at the start of treatment. Also, while the treatment is being performed near the maximum output, the output will exceed the maximum output of the device. If it is desired to continue treatment after the safety protection circuit has been activated, the above-described operation is required. Although this is necessary for safety, the operation itself is time-consuming,
It is troublesome. The second problem to be solved by the present invention is:
The control should be such that the output during the treatment does not increase more than the initial set value and does not increase more than the maximum output of the device.

[0010] Furthermore, when a plurality of patients are being treated, even if an end sound is heard, it is necessary to approach each device and confirm each time to identify which patient.
Especially when stimulating inside a room that was not visible from the outside, we had to look around and check each room at a time. This is troublesome and time-consuming for the practitioner, and causes a decrease in medical efficiency. During this time, the patient will have to wait. If this is an emergency alert, the response is delayed by the time taken, which is a safety issue and gives the patient great anxiety. A third problem to be solved by the present invention is to make it possible to immediately recognize which patient is in what situation even when the patient is away from the device when a plurality of patients are treating. .

[0011]

In order to solve the first problem, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an abnormal contact of a conductor is detected from a change in output. In some cases, a warning was issued.

In order to solve the second problem, according to the second aspect of the present invention, an allowable range in which the output can be increased beyond the initial stimulation value is provided, and the output is prevented from increasing beyond this allowable range. Controlled. In addition, the output is controlled so as not to exceed the maximum output of the apparatus.

Further, in order to solve the third problem,
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the indicator for displaying the operation status of the device can be installed at a position distant from the device main body, so that the operation state of the device can be monitored even when the device is distant from the device. Even if it ends or an error occurs, it can respond quickly.

[0014]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the conductor is peeled off and a contact failure occurs, it can be detected and, if necessary, notified by an alarm. For this reason, it is possible to prevent pain, burns, and the like caused by the concentration of electric current beforehand, and it is possible to perform safe and effective stimulation. If this function is provided, from the stage of starting the treatment, it is possible to detect a connection abnormality on the output side, such as a contact failure of the conductor, a stain on the surface of the conductor, a contact failure of the conductor code, etc. Proper and safe treatment can be performed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the output does not increase beyond the allowable range, a safe stimulus without burns, pain, etc. can be provided. Further, since the output of the device does not exceed the maximum output, the safety is high and the safety protection circuit does not operate, so that troublesome operation when the protection circuit is operated is not required.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, even if a plurality of patients are stimulated, or even if a large number of patients are stimulated by being divided into several rooms whose interior cannot be seen, the stimulation of any patient is The operator's operation status, such as whether the operation has been completed or an abnormality has occurred, can be immediately recognized even from a remote place, so that the practitioner can take prompt action and improve safety and medical efficiency. Can be.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 can be realized by monitoring the output of an electric stimulator and incorporating the function shown in the flowchart of FIG. If the conductor is properly contacted, the bioimpedance during stimulation tends to decrease, and becomes constant after a certain period of time. Accordingly, the output of the device also changes.

As shown in FIG. 2B, when the contact of the conductor is partially removed, the contact area of the conductor becomes smaller and the contact impedance becomes larger. In the present invention, when the change in the impedance exceeds a predetermined range, it is recognized that the conductor has peeled off. The predetermined range of the impedance is determined in consideration of the characteristics of the entire device. FIG. 1 is a flowchart for performing this processing.
The figure shows an example in which the resistance value is used as an index, but either may be used. In addition, although the flowchart indicates that an alarm is issued when the contact of the conductor is abnormal, the alarm is not always required in the present invention.

In the above description, an example has been described in which the output is monitored and a contact failure of the conductor is determined from a change in impedance or resistance. However, when contact abnormality of the lead occurs,
As the impedance changes, the output current and output voltage also change. In the present invention, the contact abnormality of the conductor is determined from the change in the output. Therefore, any index may be used as long as the index changes due to the contact abnormality of the conductor. If a phenomenon that the output changes, such as contamination of the surface of the conductor or poor contact of the conductor code, occurs, it can be detected by the present invention.

The invention described in claim 2 can be realized by incorporating an algorithm of a flowchart as shown in FIG. 3 in the electric stimulator. When the electrical stimulation is started, the output is set to an appropriate value, but as described above, the output of the device also increases from the default value because the impedance of the living body decreases while the stimulation continues. The amount of increase in the output stays within a certain range under normal conditions, but the output may increase abnormally for some reason and damage the living body. In view of this point, it is an object of the present invention to control the increase of the output so as not to be abnormal and to give an appropriate stimulus.

In the present invention, the allowable range of the output is set so as to sufficiently cover the normal range of the output change, and the output is always within the allowable range as shown in FIG. Control. In other words, if the output set at the start of the stimulus fluctuates within a normal range, it is output as it is, and if the output attempts to change beyond the allowable range, the output is controlled to fall within the allowable range. By controlling the output in this manner, the optimum stimulus intensity can be maintained, and no excessive stimulus is generated. Therefore, inconveniences such as pain and burns do not occur, and safety is ensured.

For example, suppose a case where a device having a maximum output current of 50 mA and an output is set to 30 mA at the start of stimulation to perform stimulation. The stimulation current immediately after the start of the stimulation is 30 mA, but as the stimulation is continued, the impedance of the living body decreases and the current increases. In the conventional device, the electric current is greatly increased, which may give an excessive stimulation to a living body. However, according to the present invention, if the allowable range of the current increase is 5 mA, a current of 35 mA or more does not flow.
Provides safe and accurate stimulation.

On the other hand, when the device is used near the maximum output of the device, as described above, the output exceeds the maximum output during stimulation, the safety protection circuit operates, and the stimulation must be interrupted. There was also. When the safety protection circuit is activated, if it is desired to continue treatment, the output adjustment volume must be once set to zero, the output must be increased again, and the output must be set to an optimum value. This is necessary from a safety point of view, but the actual operation is very troublesome.

This problem can be solved by the present invention. That is, when the set current at the start of stimulation is I, and the current in the allowable range is δI, in the vicinity of the maximum output of the device, the allowable range is set to be equal to or less than the difference between the maximum output of the device and the set output at the start of stimulation. Can be solved. That is, by setting the allowable range so that the maximum output current of the device = (I + δI), it is possible to control the output to always be within the maximum output of the device. For example, in a device with a maximum output current of 50 mA, the output is 45 mA at the start of stimulation.
It is assumed that the treatment is performed by setting to. In the conventional device, the current becomes 50 mA or more, the safety protection circuit is activated, and the stimulus has to be re-started. However, in the present invention, if the allowable range of the current increase to be used is 5 mA, the stimulation current is controlled so as not to exceed 50 mA, so that the safety protection circuit does not need to be operated. In the above description, an example in which the output is controlled so as not to exceed the set allowable range in a low output area and an example in which the output is controlled so as not to exceed the maximum output when used near the maximum output. Stated. The invention according to the present invention controls either one or both of them. Although the above example and FIG. 3 show an example in which the control is performed using the current as an index, the present invention controls the output so as to be within an allowable range so as not to cause excessive stimulation to the living body. The voltage and electric energy may be controlled.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the third aspect of the present invention.
The device was composed of a stimulator main body 41 and a display 42 that could be installed at a location remote from the main body. The figure shows an example in which two units 41 of two-channel output are used and displayed on the display unit 42. The place where the display is arranged is suitably a place that is easy to see from the surroundings, such as the ceiling of the treatment space where the device is placed, or the front of the treatment room door or curtain. A place where doctors and medical assistants can easily check from the place where they usually work is good. The display may be numerical information such as the treatment time or text information, or may be a simple usage such as turning on a lamp during treatment and blinking when an abnormality occurs.

According to the present invention, even if the practitioner is away from the apparatus or is performing treatment in an invisible room partitioned by a curtain or the like, the treatment is immediately terminated when the treatment is completed or an abnormality occurs. Since the place of occurrence can be identified and promptly dealt with, safe and efficient treatment can be achieved. The stimulator main body 41 and the display 42 may be connected by wire or may be wireless. In addition, the information displayed on the display includes a stimulus end sound, an alarm when the safety protection circuit is activated, an alarm when a conductor contact failure occurs, information on the stimulus time, and the like. It is better to display.

[0027]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a contact failure such as peeling of a conductor is recognized and an alarm is issued, so that the contact of the conductor can be quickly corrected. For this reason, inconveniences such as burns and pain can be reduced, optimal stimulation can be maintained, and the therapeutic effect can be improved. Dirt on the surface of the conductor and poor connection of the conductor cord can be dealt with similarly.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the stimulation current does not increase beyond a predetermined range, inconveniences such as pain and burns can be reduced, and safe stimulation can be performed. Further, since the output is always controlled within the maximum output of the device, the frequency of the operation of the safety protection circuit can be reduced. Conventionally, when the safety protection circuit is activated, check where it occurred, release the inconvenience that occurred, if you want to continue stimulation, return the output to zero, then increase the output again,
There was a need for troublesome measures such as having to adjust the output appropriately. However, according to the present invention, this annoyance can be reduced, and the medical efficiency can be improved without the trouble of correspondingly. In addition, since excessive stimulation is eliminated, safety is improved.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, an end sound, an alarm sound of occurrence of an abnormality, or a sound mixed with the end sound and the mixed sound are generated at the same time, and even when the apparatus is away from the apparatus, the stimulus is invisible inside. You can see at a glance where things happened, even if you are outside the room. Therefore, it is possible to respond quickly even in an emergency, so that safety can be enhanced. In addition, it is possible to shift to the stimulation of the next patient immediately after the completion of the stimulation, so that the efficiency is improved and the practitioner can save labor. This has the advantages of reducing patient anxiety and reducing the time spent waiting.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of the invention described in claim 1;

FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which a lead is adhered to a living body;
(A) shows a state of normal adhesion, and (B) shows a state of a part of the conductor peeled off.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the invention described in claim 2;

FIG. 4 is an external view of the invention according to claim 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 ... Conductor 22 ... Conductor code 23 ... Living body 41 ... Stimulator main body 42 ... Display

Claims (3)

[Claims] An electric stimulator for detecting an abnormal contact of a conductor from a change in output. 2. An electric stimulator characterized in that the output is controlled so as not to exceed an allowable range. 3. An electrostimulation apparatus characterized in that an indicator for displaying the operation state of the apparatus can be installed at a position that can be confirmed even from a place distant from the apparatus main body.