KR20220138445A - Fungal infections treating device - Google Patents

Abstract

A fungal infection treating device is provided. A lens rotates to form an intersecting laser line. Accurate treatment can be performed with an image captured by a camera. The fungal infection treating device includes: a housing; a treatment space formed inside the housing and capable of accommodating a treatment site; a treatment module for emitting light into the treatment space; a camera module for obtaining an image of the treatment space; and a display unit for displaying the acquired image to the outside of the housing.

Description

Device for treating fungal infection {FUNGAL INFECTIONS TREATING DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a device for treating a fungal infection.

Athlete's foot is one of the skin diseases caused by ringworm belonging to a type of fungus. As a treatment method for such athlete's foot, there is a method of taking a drug or applying it to the skin. However, in the case of taking the drug, it cannot be used for patients with impaired liver function because there is a problem that can put a burden on the organs, its use for pregnant women is very limited, and there are many limitations in combination with other drugs due to the nature of the drug. There are many cases in which oral medication cannot be administered even with ringworm. When applied to the skin, the appearance is not good, and there is a cumbersome application of the drug frequently. Therefore, a recently used method is a method of killing athlete's foot by irradiating laser light. However, the conventional method of irradiating laser light has a disadvantage of having a complicated structure to directly irradiate the laser light to the location where athlete's foot bacteria exists.

The present invention provides a fungal infection treatment device for treating a fungus in a patient.

The present invention provides a fungal infection treatment device capable of visualizing athlete's foot fungus on the foot, and when a predetermined light is irradiated to the foot from the lighting unit, the imaging unit images it, and based on this, the presence and location of athlete's foot fungus on the foot can be visually confirmed can

A fungal infection treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a housing; a treatment space formed inside the housing and capable of accommodating a treatment site; a treatment module irradiating light to the treatment space; a camera module for acquiring an image of the treatment space; and a display unit that displays the acquired image to the outside of the housing.

According to an embodiment, the fungal infection treatment apparatus may further include a first irradiation unit irradiating ultraviolet light to disinfect the treatment space.

According to an embodiment, the first irradiation unit is composed of a UVC-based LED module, and can irradiate light having a wavelength of 200 to 280 nm.

According to an embodiment, the fungal infection treatment apparatus may further include a second irradiation unit irradiating light of a wavelength for clearing bacteria or foreign substances inside the treatment space.

According to one embodiment, the second irradiation unit may be composed of a UVA-based LED module.

According to an embodiment, the second irradiation unit may irradiate light having a wavelength of 405 nm.

According to an embodiment, the camera module is mounted on the first frame to which the treatment module is fixed, and may be installed to photograph the lower side of the first frame from the bottom of the first frame.

The fungal infection treatment apparatus according to the present invention can effectively treat fungi. Of course, the scope of the present invention is not limited by these effects.

1 is a view showing an apparatus for treating a fungal infection according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view illustrating an apparatus for treating a fungal infection according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 and 4 are views showing the operation of the fungal infection treatment apparatus of FIG.
FIG. 5 is a view showing a treatment module mounted in the interior of FIG. 2 .
6 and 7 are diagrams illustrating a state of use of the treatment module of FIG. 5 .
FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the treatment module of FIG. 5 ;
FIG. 9 is a view showing a cross-section of the treatment module of FIG. 8 .
10 is a block diagram illustrating a partial configuration of an apparatus 100 for treating a fungal infection according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 shows an example of some configurations of the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 10 .

Since the present invention can apply various transformations and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. Effects and features of the present invention, and a method for achieving them, will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various forms.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and when described with reference to the drawings, the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals, and the overlapping description thereof will be omitted. .

In the following examples, the singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the following embodiments, terms such as include or have means that the features or components described in the specification are present, and the possibility that one or more other features or components may be added is not excluded in advance.

In cases where certain embodiments are otherwise practicable, a specific process sequence may be performed different from the described sequence. For example, two processes described in succession may be performed substantially simultaneously, or may be performed in an order opposite to the order described.

In the drawings, the size of the components may be exaggerated or reduced for convenience of description. For example, since the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily indicated for convenience of description, the following embodiment is not necessarily limited to the illustrated bar.

1 is a view showing an apparatus for treating a fungal infection according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 may remove the fungus of the foot or toenail by inserting the user's foot. The fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 may diagnose or treat athlete's foot.

Although the drawing shows that both feet are inserted into the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100, the present invention is not limited thereto, and only one foot may be inserted for treatment.

2 is a perspective view illustrating an apparatus 100 for treating a fungal infection according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are views illustrating the operation of the apparatus 100 for treating a fungal infection of FIG. 2 .

2 to 4 , the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 may include a housing 110 , a support 120 , a display unit 130 , and a cover 140 .

The housing 110 forms an external shape of the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 , and the display unit 130 is disposed on one side. The housing 110 has an inlet 110A for inserting a foot or hand.

The support 120 may be supported by a foot or a hand. The support 120 is connected to the treatment space disposed inside the housing 110 .

The display unit 130 is disposed outside the housing 110 , and an image captured by the camera module 150 may be displayed. In addition, the display unit 130 may input a signal by a user's touch.

Through the display unit 130, the patient can see the treatment process, and can move the treatment site for accurate treatment. According to an embodiment, an image photographed through the camera module 150 installed inside the housing 110 may be displayed on the display unit 130 . To this end, a camera module 150 for photographing the treatment space inside the housing 110 may be provided.

The cover 140 is mounted on the inlet 110A, and may be opened when the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 is used and closed when not in use. 3 shows a state in which the cover 140 is closed, and FIG. 4 shows a state in which the cover 140 is opened.

5 is a diagram illustrating a treatment module mounted in the interior of FIG. 2 , and FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrams illustrating a use state of the treatment module of FIG. 5 .

5 to 7 , the treatment module 200 is mounted in the inner space of the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 and can be irradiated with light of a set wavelength to treat fungi and athlete's foot. Hereinafter, each treatment module is defined as a component that irradiates a laser and treats a treatment site of a patient with a fungus.

In one embodiment, two treatment modules 200 may be disposed on the left and right. For example, the first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B may be disposed on the left side, and the first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B may be disposed on the right side. The first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B may irradiate light having different wavelengths.

In another embodiment, the treatment module 200 may be arranged one on each of the left and right sides, or three or more on each.

For example, a partition 116 may be installed between the treatment module on the left side and the treatment module on the right side.

The light irradiated from the first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B has a cross-section of a line shape. The light irradiated from the first treatment module 200A forms a first line L1 , and the light irradiated from the second treatment module 200B forms a second line L2 . The treatment site of the patient is aligned at the point A.P where the first line L1 and the second line L2 intersect, and the treatment of the fungus is performed at the treatment site. That is, the part for treating athlete's foot in the patient is the point A.P where the first line (L1) and the second line (L2) intersect.

The patient can position the treatment site at the intersection point (A.P) while moving the nail or toenail. According to an embodiment, a camera for photographing the treatment space may be installed inside the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 . Since the image acquired through the camera is displayed on the display unit 130, the patient can move the hand or foot to align the treatment site to the intersection point A.P.

As the treatment progresses, the patient can change the treatment site by moving his or her hand or foot. In order to treat at least one treatment site, the patient moves a hand or foot while looking at the display unit 130 , whereby the treatment site may be changed.

The first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B have a fixed position. The first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B may be mounted on the first frame 115 to have their positions fixed. Since the first frame 115 has an inclination, the first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B may be fixed to be inclined along the inclined surface. Accordingly, the first line L1 formed by the light irradiated from the first treatment module 200A and the second line L2 formed by the light irradiated from the second treatment module 200B may cross each other.

In one embodiment, the first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B may irradiate a laser. The first treatment module 200A may be a 635 nm laser light module, and the second treatment module 200B may be a 405 nm laser light module.

The first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B may emit light having different wavelengths. Light from the first treatment module 200A may increase immune cells, increase blood flow, and increase cell regeneration, and light from the second treatment module 200B may generate active oxygen to kill fungi.

The wavelength of the first treatment module 200A may be set longer than the wavelength of the second treatment module 200B. For example, the first treatment module 200A may radiate light having a wavelength between 550 and 700 nm, and the second treatment module 200B may radiate light having a wavelength between 350 and 450 nm. Preferably, the first treatment module 200A may radiate light of 635 nm, and the second treatment module 200B may radiate a wavelength of 405 nm.

The first line L1 and the second line L2 have different wavelengths, and the point A.P where the first line L1 and the second line L2 intersect has different wavelengths overlapping each other and strong energy can be formed. Therefore, at the intersection (A.P), the fungus is killed and the regenerative power is increased at the same time, thereby increasing the treatment efficiency.

In one embodiment, the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 may further include a sensor unit 145 . The sensor unit 145 may check the opening and closing of the cover 140 . When the cover 140 is opened, the controller may prepare an operation for driving the first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the treatment module 200 of FIG. 5 , and FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a cross-section of the treatment module 200 of FIG. 8 .

8 and 9 , the treatment module 200 includes a laser unit 210 , a bearing 220 , a first driving end 230 , a lens frame 240 , a lens 250 , and a connection member 260 . , a driving unit 270 and a second driving end 280 may be provided.

The laser unit 210 may include a first case 211 , a second case 212 , a control module 213 , and a light source 214 . The second case 212 may be disposed inside the first case 211 , and the control module 213 and the light source 214 may be disposed inside the second case 212 . The light source 214 may be set in various ways according to the wavelength oscillated by the laser unit 210 . The light source 214 may include an LED module. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the light source 214 may be a laser.

The control module 213 may be a PCB. The control module 213 may receive power and may be electrically connected to the light source 214 .

The bearing 220 is disposed between the laser unit 210 and the first driving end 230 . The inner surface of the bearing 220 may be disposed to surround the lower portion of the laser unit 210 , and the outer surface of the bearing 220 may be disposed to contact the inner surface of the first driving end 230 .

The bearing 220 rotatably couples the first driving end 230 to the laser unit 210 . Therefore, when the first driving stage 230 rotates, the laser unit 210 does not rotate, but is fixed. Therefore, the control module 213 and the light source 214 included in the laser unit 210 do not rotate, and may be stably fixed even when the treatment module 200 is driven.

Since the first driving end 230 is attached to or fixedly coupled to the lens frame 240 , the lens frame 240 may rotate when the first driving end 230 rotates. For example, the lower surface of the first driving end 230 may be fixedly attached to at least a portion of the upper surface of the lens frame 240 .

The lens 250 may be mounted in the center of the lens frame 240 . The lens 250 is fixedly coupled to the lens frame 240 . Accordingly, when the lens frame 240 rotates, the lens 250 also rotates. The lens 250 transforms the cross section of the light emitted from the light source 214 into a line shape. Accordingly, as the lens 250 rotates, the line drawn by the cross-section of the light rotates.

Due to the bearing 220 , the laser unit 210 including the control module 213 and the light source 214 maintains a stable fixed state, and only the lens 250 disposed below the discharge end of the light source 214 . You can rotate the line of light while rotating.

The first driving end 230 is connected to the second driving end 280 by a connecting member 260 . When the driving unit 270 drives, the second driving end 280 may rotate, and the first driving stage 230 may also rotate through the connecting member 260 . Since the first driving end 230 is coupled to the lens frame 240 , the lens frame 240 may also be rotated by the rotation of the first driving end 230 .

The lens frame 240 is connected to the first driving end 230 and may rotate together with the rotation of the first driving end 230 . A lens 250 is disposed inside the lens frame 240 , and the laser oscillated from the laser unit 210 may pass through the lens 250 to form a line.

The lens 250 may be disposed to face the discharge end of the light source 214 . The discharge end of the light source 214 and the lens 250 may face each other with a small distance (eg, several to several tens of mm) therebetween only enough to not rub. Light emitted from the light source 214 may be directly incident on the lens 250 . Since the lens 250 and the light source 214 are disposed adjacent to each other, the laser light may be incident on the lens 250 without loss of energy of the laser light.

In order to inject the laser light into the lens 250 without loss of energy, the light source 214 may be disposed under the laser unit 210 . For example, the discharge end of the light source 214 may be located near the lower end of the first case 211 or the second case 212 . In addition, the control module 213 may be positioned above the light source 214 in the first and second cases.

The treatment module 200 is fixed to the first frame 115 . Accordingly, the positions of the laser unit 210 and the driving unit 270 are fixed. For example, the laser unit 210 may be fixed to the first frame 115 . However, the first driving stage 230 , the lens frame 240 , and the lens 250 may be rotatably connected to the laser unit 210 . When the driving unit 270 is driven, the first driving stage 230 rotates, and the lens frame 240 and the lens 250 also rotate, thereby rotating the emitted laser line. Because the laser line is rotated, it can treat a wide range of treatments.

The first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B may be disposed and driven so that the crossing point A.P is fixed even when the first line L1 and the second line L2 rotate. Therefore, the patient can maximize the effect by fixing the area to be treated at the intersection point (A.P). In addition, the first line L1 and the second line L2 rotate around the intersection point A.P, so that the treatment effect may be transmitted to the periphery of the treatment unit.

10 is a block diagram illustrating a partial configuration of an apparatus 100 for treating a fungal infection according to an embodiment of the present invention. 11 shows an example of some configurations of the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 10 . FIG. 11 exemplarily shows a bottom surface of the first frame 115 shown in FIG. 6 .

10 and 11 , the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 includes a sensor unit 145 , a camera module 150 , a first irradiation unit 160 , a second irradiation unit 170 as a controller 50 , The first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B may be controlled.

The sensor unit 145 may check the opening and closing of the cover 140 . When the cover 140 is opened, the controller 50 may prepare an operation for driving the first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B.

The camera module 150 may photograph the internal treatment space of the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 . The camera module 150 may be configured to photograph the treatment space on the left side and the treatment space on the right side, respectively. For example, the camera module 150 may be disposed on the left and right sides, respectively. According to an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11 , the camera module 150 may be mounted on the first frame 115 to which the first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B are fixed. For example, the camera module 150 may be installed such that a portion thereof is exposed on the bottom surface of the first frame 115 so as to photograph the lower side of the first frame 115 .

The camera module 150 may photograph the inside when the fungus is treated with the first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B, or when the first irradiation unit 160 is used for internal disinfection. Accordingly, the patient or the doctor may not directly look at the laser light with their eyes. An image acquired through the camera module 150 may be displayed on the display unit 130 . Since the captured image can be checked through the display unit 130 , it is possible to protect the eyes of a patient or a doctor.

In addition, the camera module 150 adjusts the intersection point A.P of the first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B or when the treatment site is positioned at the intersection point A.P, the user selects the treatment site. It is possible to see indirectly through the display unit 130 without seeing directly with the naked eye. The user can accurately and safely identify the intersection point A.P through the image displayed on the display unit 130 .

In addition, the camera module 150 captures the treatment site of the patient during the treatment process, so that the condition of the patient before and after treatment can be accurately confirmed and diagnosed.

The camera module 150 may acquire an image in which the first line L1 and the second line L2 oscillated from the first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B are displayed, and the first line The intersection point A.P between the (L1) and the second line (L2) may be photographed. An image or image captured by the camera module 150 may be transmitted to the display unit 130 .

The camera module 150 makes it possible to accurately align the patient's foot with the fungal infection treatment device 100 before treatment. The patient inserts the hand or foot into the inside of the fungal infection treatment device 100, and aligns the treatment site with the intersection point A.P. At this time, since the camera module 150 is photographing the intersection point A.P, the patient can see the display unit 130 and accurately align the treatment site to the intersection point A.P.

In addition, the camera module 150 may accurately align the patient's foot with the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 during treatment. Since the camera module 150 is photographing the intersection point A.P, when the patient changes the treatment site, the patient can precisely move the hand or foot to move the other treatment area to the intersection point A.P.

The first irradiation unit 160 may irradiate light to disinfect the inner treatment space of the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 . For example, the first irradiation unit 160 may irradiate ultraviolet rays for disinfection and sterilization to the treatment space inside.

According to an embodiment, when the sensor unit 145 confirms that the treatment of the fungal infection treatment apparatus 100 is finished, the controller 50 drives the first irradiation unit 160 to disinfect the treatment space inside. can do it

For example, the first irradiation unit 160 may irradiate the internal space with ultraviolet rays for disinfection and sterilization at a level of 200 to 280 nm. The first irradiation unit 160 may be composed of a UVC series LED module. The first irradiation unit 160 may disinfect residual bacteria in the treatment space.

The second irradiating unit 170 may irradiate light to make the bacteria more visible. As an example, the second irradiation unit 170 may irradiate visible blue light of 405 nm. For example, the second irradiation unit 170 may be provided as a UVA-based LED module.

The light irradiated from the second irradiation unit 170 may visualize bacteria. For example, by irradiating light with the second irradiation unit 170 while acquiring an image through the camera module 150 , bacteria may be more clearly identified in the image. That is, the second irradiation unit 170 may illuminate the area photographed by the camera module 150 .

The camera module 150 may acquire a more accurate image than in the area where the light irradiated from the second irradiation unit 170 illuminates. The second irradiation unit 170 may irradiate light to accurately identify bacteria or foreign substances in the camera module 150 .

The second irradiation unit 170 allows the treatment site or the bacterial site to be observed more clearly through the camera module 150 and the display unit 130 before and after treatment.

In an optional embodiment, the second irradiation unit 170 is a special yellow filter to remove some scattered blue light from the tissue in order to more clearly obtain green fluorescence expressed when the fungal infection treatment device 100 is driven. (λ>520 nm). Alternatively, the camera module 150 uses a yellow special filter (λ>520 nm) to remove some scattered blue light from the tissue in order to more clearly obtain green fluorescence expressed when the fungal infection treatment device 100 is driven. can be provided.

The first and second irradiation units 160 and 170 may be configured to irradiate light to each of the treatment space on the left and the treatment space on the right. For example, the first irradiation unit 160 may be disposed on the left and right sides, respectively, and the second irradiation unit 170 may also be disposed on the left and right sides, respectively.

According to an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11 , the first and second irradiation units 160 and 170 are attached to the first frame 115 to which the first treatment module 200A and the second treatment module 200B are fixed. can be mounted For example, the first and second irradiation units 160 and 170 may be installed to irradiate light downward of the first frame 115 so that a portion thereof is exposed on the bottom surface of the first frame 115 .

The spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, and not only the claims described below, but also all ranges equivalent to or changed from these claims are within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. will be said to belong

100: fungal infection treatment device 110: housing
115: first frame 120: support
130: display unit 140: cover
150: camera module 160: first irradiation unit
170: second irradiation unit 200: treatment module
210: laser unit 220: bearing
230: first driving stage 240: lens frame
250: lens 260: connecting member
270: driving unit 280: second driving stage
211: first case 212: second case
213: control module 214: light source

Claims (7)

housing;
a treatment space formed inside the housing and capable of accommodating a treatment site;
a treatment module irradiating light to the treatment space;
a camera module for acquiring an image of the treatment space; and
Containing; a display unit that displays the acquired image to the outside of the housing
Fungal infection treatment device. According to claim 1,
A first irradiation unit for irradiating ultraviolet light for disinfecting the treatment space; further comprising,
Fungal infection treatment device. 3. The method of claim 2,
The first irradiation unit is composed of a UVC series LED module, irradiating light of a wavelength of 200 to 280 nm,
Fungal infection treatment device. According to claim 1,
Further comprising;
Fungal infection treatment device. 5. The method of claim 4,
The second irradiation unit is composed of a UVA series LED module,
Fungal infection treatment device. 5. The method of claim 4,
The second irradiation unit irradiates light of a wavelength of 405 nm,
Fungal infection treatment device. According to claim 1,
The camera module is mounted on the first frame to which the treatment module is fixed, and is installed to photograph the lower side of the first frame from the bottom of the first frame,
Fungal infection treatment device.

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