KR20180107939A - Ultrasound device to improve breast cancer treatment effect - Google Patents

Abstract

An ultrasound device for enhancing breast cancer treatment effects is provided. The present ultrasound device for enhancing the breast cancer treatment effects comprises: an ultrasonic transducing part generating acoustic energy using electric energy; a case attached to breasts of a user and surrounding the ultrasonic transducing part; and an electric energy generating part transmitting electric energy to the ultrasonic transducing part, wherein the electric energy generating part includes a signal generating part generating a frequency signal and an amplifying part amplifying a signal generated in the signal generating part.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasound device,

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic apparatus for enhancing breast cancer therapeutic effect, and more particularly, to an ultrasonic apparatus that is attached to a user's breast to increase the efficacy of an anticancer agent due to mechanical vibration and thermal effect through irradiation of acoustic energy.

Treatment of breast cancer can be divided into surgical treatment and chemotherapy. Cancer can not be completely removed even by surgical treatment such as mastectomy and breast conservation surgery. Therefore, cancer cells are prevented from recurring and metastasis by controlling fine cancer cells not removed after surgery through an additional chemotherapy.

There are many methods of chemotherapy, but the commonly used method is intravenous injection. The effect of this chemotherapy is very important in the prevention of recurrence and metastasis of cancer cells.

If mechanical vibrations and heat are generated in the breast by using ultrasonic waves, heat activity stimulation of large fibers will increase the pain threshold to reduce pain and increase the nerve conduction velocity and enzyme activity by changing the blood flow in the breast. . In addition, the multi-drug resistance gene generated in general cancers is reduced to the mechanical vibration of the ultrasonic waves, which can increase the therapeutic effect of the anticancer agent.

Because it is an apparatus for enhancing the effect of chemotherapy for cancer patients, ultrasound can be applied to the breast to provide mechanical vibration and thermal effect without being exposed to the risk of giving ionizing radiation or destroying chromosomes. There is a need for a device.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem [8] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasound system and a control method thereof that improve the therapeutic effect of a breast cancer anticancer drug through mechanical vibration and thermal effect.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic apparatus for enhancing breast cancer treatment effect, comprising: an ultrasonic transducer for generating acoustic energy using electric energy; A case attached to the breast of the user and surrounding the ultrasonic transducer; And an electric energy generator for transmitting electric energy to the ultrasonic converter, wherein the electric energy generator comprises: a signal generator for generating a frequency signal; And an amplifier for amplifying the signal generated by the signal generator.

And, the case includes: an extension including a first end forming a first Velcro tape and a second end forming a second Velcro tape adhered to the first Velcro tape; And an attachment portion disposed between the first end portion and the second end portion and curved so as to be adhered to the user's breast, wherein the engagement of the first Velcro tape and the second Velcro tape, So that the length can be adjusted to fit the chest.

The case includes a first end forming a plurality of projections and a second end forming a plurality of through holes to which the plurality of projections of the first end are coupled in a one-to-one correspondence with each other, and a plurality of The protrusion of the second end portion is inserted into the through holes of the second end portion by one-to-one insertion, and the center portion is opened, and the protrusion can be a curved circular shape.

The case may further include a water pad for transmitting the generated acoustic energy and for cooling the case when the case exceeds the predetermined range of temperatures.

According to the various embodiments of the present invention as described above, it is possible to enhance the therapeutic effect of the anticancer agent through the mechanical vibration and the thermal effect without being exposed to the risk of giving ionizing radiation.

1 is a view for explaining the effect of ultrasound in the administration of anticancer drugs according to an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic apparatus for enhancing breast cancer treatment effect according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of an ultrasound system for enhancing breast cancer treatment effect according to an embodiment of the present invention,
4 to 7 are views showing the shape of a case according to various embodiments of the present invention.

The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be briefly described, and the embodiments will be described in detail.

The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure have selected the currently widely used generic terms possible in light of the functions in this disclosure, but these may vary depending on the intentions or precedents of those skilled in the art, the emergence of new technologies, and the like . Also, in certain cases, some terms are arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning thereof will be described in detail in the description of the corresponding embodiments. Therefore, the terms used in the embodiments should be defined based on the meaning of the term, not on the name of a simple term, and on the contents of the embodiments throughout.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, and so on can be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component. And / or < / RTI > includes any combination of a plurality of related listed items or any of a plurality of related listed items.

Moreover, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Also, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, terms such as "comprise" or "have ", etc. are intended to specify that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, Steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Further, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, "module" or "module" performs at least one function or operation, and may be implemented in hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software. Also, a plurality of "modules" or a plurality of "parts" may be embodied as at least one processor integrated into at least one module, except "modules" or "modules "

Also, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, when a portion is referred to as being "connected" with another portion, it is not only the case where it is "directly connected" And the like.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning of the related art and are to be interpreted as either ideal or overly formal in the sense of the present application Do not.

First, with reference to Fig. 1, the effect caused by ultrasonic waves will be described. Fig. 1 is a photograph of a result obtained by irradiating ultrasound to only part of the brain of a rat. 1A, 1 is a region irradiated with ultrasonic waves, 2 is a region not irradiated with ultrasound, FIG. 1B shows P-glycoprotein (P-glycoprotein), Evans Blue ) And Merge (P-gp + Evans Blue).

P-gp is a transport protein and is a representative substance that induces multidrug resistance. When an excretion pump (P-gp) made of glycoprotein is produced in the cell membrane of the cancer cell, the excretion pump discharges the anticancer drug which has entered into the cell out of the cell. As a result, this process reduces the concentration of intracellular anticancer drugs, which reduces the effectiveness of anticancer therapy. That is, the higher the concentration of P-gp, the lower the absorption of anticancer drugs.

Evans Blue is a blue colloidal azo dye used to measure the permeability of cerebral blood vessels. It is widely used because it is easy to measure. Evans blue is used to mark the ultrasound irradiated areas in brain tissue and to observe changes in P-gp in the irradiated areas.

As shown in Fig. 1B, the P-gp of the two regions not irradiated with ultrasound is more concentrated than the P-gp of the region irradiated with the ultrasonic waves, and Evans Blue does not appear. However, P-gp in one region irradiated with ultrasound appears to be less than P-gp in two regions not irradiated with ultrasound, and Evans Blue appears. Thus, as a result of irradiation with ultrasonic waves, it can be confirmed that the P-gp releasing the anticancer drug to cancer cells is decreased.

Therefore, it can be confirmed that the effect of the anticancer agent acting on cancer cells can be enhanced by irradiating ultrasonic waves.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic apparatus for enhancing breast cancer treatment effect according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2, the ultrasonic apparatus 10 for enhancing the breast cancer treatment effect includes a case 20, an electric energy generating unit 30, and an ultrasonic wave converting unit 40.

The case 20 is configured to surround the ultrasound transducer 40 with an envelope for containing the ultrasound transducer 40 in combination with the endothelium and the endothelium adhered to the user's breast. Specifically, the case 20 may include an ultrasonic transducer 40 to allow the ultrasonic transducer 40 to be attached to a user's body to cause mechanical vibration and thermal effects using acoustic energy.

The electric energy generating unit 30 can generate electric energy to be supplied to the ultrasonic wave converting unit 40 by receiving electric energy from a voltage source (not shown). Specifically, the electric energy generating unit 30 generates electric energy of an alternating voltage by using electric energy supplied from a voltage source (not shown), and outputs electric energy of the generated alternating voltage by increasing it.

The ultrasonic transducer 40 may include any type of piezoelectric element and may receive mechanical energy from the electric energy generator 30 to generate ultrasonic waves to generate mechanical vibration and thermal energy.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasound device 100 for enhancing an effect of treating breast cancer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 includes a signal generator 110, an amplification unit 120, a conversion unit 130, and a controller 140.

The signal generating unit 110 may generate a waveform of the electronic signal. Specifically, the signal generating section 110 can generate a specific frequency having a continuous arbitrary waveform of the voltage on the graph with respect to time.

In particular, the signal generating unit 110 may generate electric energy of an alternating voltage using the electric energy supplied from a voltage source (not shown). On the other hand, the signal generator 110 may generate electrical energy continuously, and may repeatedly generate electrical energy with a period as a whole, including a first section for generating electrical energy and a second section for generating no electrical energy. .

The amplification unit 120 may increase the electric energy of the alternating voltage generated in the signal generation unit 110 and output the amplified signal at an output side (not shown).

The converting unit 130 may convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. For example, when an AC voltage is input, the conversion unit 130 may convert the input AC voltage into an ultrasound signal. Specifically, the term "piezoelectric effect" refers to an effect that mechanical energy such as vibration is input to a piezoelectric element, and conversely, when an electrical energy is input to the piezoelectric element, . ≪ / RTI > That is, when mechanical energy is input to the same piezoelectric element, electrical energy is generated, and when electrical energy is input, mechanical energy can be generated. Therefore, when the electrical energy is input, the converting unit, which may be constituted by the piezoelectric element, can convert the input electrical energy into mechanical energy to generate ultrasonic waves.

In particular, the converting unit 130 may generate an ultrasonic wave using the electric signal amplified by the amplifying unit 120. At this time, the conversion unit 130 may be implemented as a transducer or the like.

The control unit 140 may control the signal generating unit 110 and the amplifying unit 120 so that ultrasonic waves having appropriate intensity and waveform can be controlled. The control unit 140 controls the signal generating unit 110 and the amplifying unit 120 to generate a continuous wave ultrasonic wave or generate a pulse ultrasonic wave. The intensity of the ultrasonic waves can also be adjusted.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7, a description will be given of a configuration in which the case of the ultrasonic device 10 for enhancing the breast cancer treatment effect according to various embodiments of the present invention can be realized.

First, as shown in Figs. 4A and 4B, the case 300 may be annular with one side and the center of the circle opened. A plurality of protrusions are formed at one end of the case 300 and a plurality of through holes are formed at the other end of the case 300 by inserting a plurality of protrusions into the other end of the case 300 to allow the first end and the second end to be coupled.

Specifically, FIG. 4A shows an example of a case 300 in which the first end and the second end are not fastened before being attached to the user's body. 4A, the case 300 may include a first end forming a plurality of protrusions 350, 360, 370 and 380 and a second end forming a plurality of through holes 310, 320, 330 and 340.

Here, the two edges 390 and 395 connecting the first end and the second end are different in length from each other. The length of the first edge 390 is shorter than the length of the second edge 395 so that when the first end and the second end are coupled the case 300 is moved in the direction of the first edge 390 And becomes a circular shape with the center open.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4B, protrusions of some of the plurality of protrusions 350, 360, 370 and 380 at the second end are inserted into the through-holes of a part of the plurality of through-holes 310, 320, 330 and 340 at the first end, When the two end portions are coupled, the case 300 is formed into a circular shape in which the central portion is opened and curved in one direction.

The first protrusion 350 positioned at the first end of the plurality of protrusions 350, 360, 370 and 380 at the second end is inserted into the first through hole 310 located at the first end of the plurality of through holes 310, 320, 330 and 340 at the first end When the first end and the second end are inserted and become the largest circular shape among the circular shapes curved in one direction.

The fourth protrusion 380 located at the innermost one of the plurality of protrusions 350, 360, 370 and 380 at the second end is inserted into the fourth through hole 340 located at the innermost one of the plurality of through holes 310, 320, 330, 340 at the first end When the first end portion and the second end portion are inserted and joined together, the shape becomes the smallest circular shape among the circular shapes curved in one direction.

Accordingly, the user can insert the through hole of any one of the plurality of projections 350, 360, 370, 380 of the second end and the plurality of through holes 310, 320, 330, 340 of the first end into the case (corresponding to the first end and the second end) 300 can be determined. This is because the size of the circular shape can be adjusted differently, so that the case can be adhered to the body of the breast cancer patient, so that it has a technical effect to more effectively generate the mechanical vibration and the warming effect.

The case 300 may further include a water pad (not shown). The water pad (not shown) is a constitution of the case 300, and can transmit the ultrasonic waves generated in the case 300. Further, the water pad (not shown) can cool the case 300 to prevent the performance of the case 300 from deteriorating.

Meanwhile, although the plurality of through holes 310, 320, 330 and 340 at the first end are shown as being symmetrical by two, this is only an example and may vary depending on the thickness of the case 300 and the like.

Meanwhile, the number of the plurality of through holes 310, 320, 330 and 340 at the first end is not limited to those in FIGS. 3A and 3B, and the plurality of protrusions 350, 360, 370 and 380 at the second end may be realized as a single protrusion.

Figure 5 illustrates a configuration in which case 400 may be implemented, according to another embodiment of the present invention. 5, the main configuration of the case 400 includes an attachment 410 that is attached directly to the breast of a breast cancer patient, a first end and a second end where each Velcro tape is formed, And an extension part 420 for fixing the attachment part 410 so as to be adhered thereto.

The extension 420 may include a first end forming a first Velcro tape 430 and a second end forming a second Velcro tape 440 adhered to the first Velcro tape. The first Velcro tape 430 and the second Velcro tape 440 can adjust the area of contact with the breast of the breast cancer patient so that even when a plurality of breast cancer patients having various physical conditions are worn by the breast cancer patient, The length can be adjusted according to

The attachment portion 410 may be disposed between the first end portion and the second end portion of the extension portion 420 and may be curved to one side so as to be closely attached to the breast of the breast cancer patient. The attachment part 410 may include an inner skin and an outer skin, and may include an ultrasonic wave conversion part in a space formed by the inner skin and the outer skin.

The first Velcro tape 430 and the second Velcro tape 440 are attached to each other by closely attaching the attachment part 410 to the breast of the breast cancer patient and adjusting the contact area between the first Velcro tape 430 and the second Velcro tape 440, (440) can be attached so as to be in close contact with the breast of a breast cancer patient regardless of the breast circumference.

The case 400 may further include a water pad (not shown) in the form of an attachment portion 410. The water pad (not shown) is a constitution of the case 400 and can transmit ultrasound generated in the case 400. Further, the water pad (not shown) can cool the case 400 to prevent the performance of the case 400 from deteriorating.

Figure 6 illustrates a configuration in which case 600 may be implemented, according to another embodiment of the present invention. 6, the main structure of the case 600 includes an attachment part 610 directly attached to the breast of a breast cancer patient, and electric energy generated by the electric energy generating part 620 to the ultrasound conversion part 620 And a line 630 for < / RTI >

The attachment portion 610 may be formed in a curved shape so as to be closely attached to the breast of a breast cancer patient. The attachment portion 610 may include an inner skin and an outer skin, and may include an ultrasonic wave converting portion 610 in a space formed by an inner skin and an outer skin.

Figure 7 illustrates a configuration in which case 700 may be implemented, according to another embodiment of the present invention. 7, the main structure of the case 700 includes an attaching portion 710 that is directly attached to the breast of a breast cancer patient, and an electric energy generated by the electric energy generating portion to the ultrasound converting portion 720 And a line 730 for < / RTI >

The attachment portion 710 may be formed in a curved shape so as to be closely attached to the breast of a breast cancer patient. In addition, the attachment portion 710 may be formed with a hole penetrating the center portion so as to be in close contact with the breast of the breast cancer patient. The attachment portion 710 may include an inner skin and an outer skin, and may include an ultrasonic wave converting portion 720 in a space formed by the inner skin and the outer skin.

According to various embodiments of the present invention as described above, the user can increase the therapeutic effect of the anticancer agent through the mechanical vibration and the thermal effect by attaching the ultrasonic device regardless of the size of the user's body.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, disclosure methods should be considered from an illustrative point of view, not from a restrictive point of view. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope of equivalents thereof should be construed as being included in the present invention.

10: Ultrasound device to improve breast cancer treatment effect
20: Case
30: Electric energy generating unit
40: Ultrasonic wave conversion unit

Claims (4)

An ultrasonic apparatus for enhancing breast cancer therapeutic effect,
An ultrasonic transducer for generating acoustic energy using electric energy;
A case attached to the breast of the user and surrounding the ultrasonic transducer; And
And an electric energy generator for transmitting electric energy to the ultrasonic converter,
Wherein the electric energy generating unit comprises:
A signal generator for generating a frequency signal; And
And an amplifying unit for amplifying the signal generated by the signal generating unit. The method according to claim 1,
In this case,
An extension comprising a first end forming a first Velcro tape and a second end forming a second Velcro tape adhered to the first Velcro tape; And
And a curved attachment portion disposed between the first end portion and the second end portion so as to be adhered to the user's breast,
Wherein the first and second Velcro tapes are coupled to each other to adjust the length of the breast to match the circumference of the user's chest. The method according to claim 1,
In this case,
And a second end forming a plurality of through holes to which a plurality of projections of the first end are coupled in a one-to-one correspondence,
And a plurality of protrusions on the first end are inserted into the plurality of through holes on the second end in a one-to-one manner, thereby forming a central portion and a curved circular shape. 4. The method according to claim 2 or 3,
In this case,
Further comprising a water pad for transmitting the generated acoustic energy and cooling the case when the case exceeds the predetermined temperature range.

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