JP2574438B2 - Hyperthermia device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a hyperthermia apparatus for hyperthermia for heating, for example, by applying an applicator to a living body and radiating an electromagnetic wave to a malignant tumor site to heat the living body. It relates to control of contact pressure.

[Conventional technology] Heating a living body by hyperthermia, and
Heating to a temperature of 41 ° C. or higher for a predetermined time selectively kills only abnormal tissues of cancer cells. Heating temperature is 1 ℃
Even if the temperature is low, the survival rate of cancer cells greatly increases, so that it is necessary to uniformly and accurately heat the entire tumor site, and erroneous radiation of electromagnetic waves may damage normal cells.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional hyperthermia device. In a hyperthermia device that emits electromagnetic waves by directly contacting an applicator with the relevant portion of a living body to receive thermotherapy, 1 is a living body that receives thermotherapy, and 2 is a living body that receives thermotherapy. applicator radiating electromagnetic waves to the living body 1, 16 is pivotable joint which determines the direction of the contact pressure applied to the living body 1 of the applicator 2, 17 arm for setting the position of the applicator 2, 18 arm 17
, A gantry for holding electromagnetic waves, 20 is an electromagnetic wave generator for generating electromagnetic waves radiated into the living body 1, and 21 is an applicator for radiating electromagnetic waves.
2 , a matching circuit for measuring the temperature of the heating area and its skin, 22 a temperature monitor for monitoring the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 22, and 24 a specified temperature for the heating area. And a control circuit 25 for controlling the electromagnetic wave oscillator 20 and the matching circuit 21 to store the data in the control circuit 24.

The conventional hyperthermia device is configured as described above, the gantry 18 is moved to a predetermined position, the applicator 2 is moved to an arbitrary position in the three-dimensional space by the operation of the joint 16 and the arm 17 by manual operation, and the pivotable joint is further moved. After the radiation direction of the electromagnetic wave is selected by the action of 16 and the applicator 2 is set at a predetermined position of the living body 1, the joint 16 and the arm 17 are fixed and the applicator 2 can be held at that position.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing an example of a conventional applicator, in which 26 is a horn from which electromagnetic waves are radiated, 27 is a bolus for cooling a heated part near the epidermis of the living body 1,
Reference numeral 28 denotes a hose for supplying and discharging water to and from the bolus 27.

The applicator 2 is of a type that comes into direct contact with the living body 1, and the applicator 2 is circulated by applying cooling water of a constant pressure to a bolus 27 by a hose 28 to cool the vicinity of the epidermis. The temperature measurement of the heating region by the electromagnetic wave radiation is performed using the thermocouple temperature sensor 22 including the temperature measurement of the skin. Each measured temperature is compared with the designated temperature, and the control circuit 24 controls the output level of the electromagnetic wave based on the deviation to heat the heating region to a predetermined temperature.

The treatment requires a plurality of times and a long time each time. During this time, electromagnetic waves are properly emitted from the applicator 2 to the heated region of the living tissue, and the direct contact applicator 2 achieves electrical matching with the living tissue, Accurate warming of the warming area without heating the fat layer must be performed.

When a radiation beam is formed by using the waveguide horn 16 in the applicator 2 , the size differs depending on the size of the heating area, and therefore the weight also changes. Applicator by manual operation
The direction of contact with the tumor site 2 and the contact pressure are set, the living body 1 takes various postures depending on the heated site, and the applicator 2 emits electromagnetic waves from various directions.

However, in the conventional example, the set applicator 2 is fixed at the position, and when the living body 1 receiving the thermotherapy moves for a long time and the epidermis changes minutely by respiration, the applicator 2 and the living body 1 are connected. If the relative position of the living body 1 changes and the heating region in the living body 1 changes, and if the electrical matching between the applicator 2 and the living body 1 changes, the energy level radiated to the heating region changes and heating cannot be performed correctly. Further, the contact position of the applicator 2 with the living body 1 is often related to the treatment site after the operation, and the contact pressure of the applicator 2 at that time is generally small, so that the above-described state may frequently occur. Hyperthermia lacks reproducibility since the determination of the contact pressure is sensory and cannot be quantitatively performed.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional hyperthermia device as described above, the applicator 2 that emits electromagnetic waves has a structure in which a bolus 17 that cools the vicinity of the epidermis is integrated, and directly contacts the living body 1. Installed in a location.

Hyperthermia prolonged heating over and every plural times is performed, the applicator 2 of the large weight while being disposed in engagement with tumor site, living body 1 by the site applicator 2 takes various postures Also, electromagnetic waves are emitted from various directions. However, the contact pressure of the applicator 2 to the living body 1 may change due to the periodic change of the epidermis due to the movement or respiration of the living body 1, and the predetermined state may not be maintained for a long time, so that the applicator 2 may be intermittently separated from the living body. Therefore, the beam-formed electromagnetic wave is reflected on the epidermis of the living body 1, and the heating region and the heating temperature of the electromagnetic wave change, so that the predetermined thermotherapy cannot be performed correctly and efficiently.

The contact pressure when the applicator 2 comes into contact with the treatment site after the operation is small, and the contact pressure cannot be determined sensibly and quantitatively. There was a problem.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and when hyperthermia is performed for a long time, even if the living body moves or breathes, there is a periodic change in the living body epidermis.
The applicator 2 obtains a hyperthermia device whose position is controlled following this movement, can contact the living body 1 at a predetermined contact pressure, and can heat the heating region with good reproducibility by the beam-formed electromagnetic wave. Aim.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A hyperthermia device according to the present invention provides a contact pressure via an elastic member to an applicator that slides linearly on a guide disposed close to a living body and comes into contact with the living body. An adjusting tool that slides on the guide, a distance sensor that is engaged with the applicator and the adjusting tool, and outputs a signal according to a distance between the adjusting tool and a distance setting that outputs a signal for setting a distance between the adjusting tool and the adjusting tool. And a vessel.

[Operation] In the present invention, the distance sensor is provided so as to engage with the applicator and the adjusting tool, and the adjusting tool is controlled so that the output of the distance sensor becomes equal to the set value of the distance setting device. When the position of the applicator changes due to the movement of the living body epidermis caused by breathing or breathing, the output of the distance sensor related thereto changes, and the adjuster is immediately controlled via a servo amplifier by a deviation signal from the distance setting device, and the elastic member The deflection always takes a predetermined value. Therefore, the contact pressure of the applicator with the living body is maintained at a constant value.

Depending on the tumor site, the applicator can contact the living body posture, such as supine, recumbent, or sitting, through an elastic member in all directions through an elastic member. At this time, the elastic member is operated by a tension coil spring and a compression coil spring. Therefore, a predetermined contact pressure can be secured. This contact pressure can be easily adjusted by a simple operation of the distance setting device.

Since the applicator has an integrated structure incorporating a bolus, it can directly contact the living body to perform impedance matching with the living body and efficiently emit electromagnetic waves.

Since the heating time requires a long time, the predetermined relationship between the applicator and the living body can be maintained for a long time, so that the heating can be performed by supplying an appropriate electromagnetic wave to the heating region, and the thermotherapy can be performed efficiently.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a main block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, reference numerals 1, 2 , 16, 17, and 18 are the same as those of the above-mentioned conventional device, and 3 is a coil spring wound at a constant pitch. An adjusting member for applying a contact pressure to the living body 1 to the applicator 2 via the elastic member 3, and an applicator 2
And a guide in which the adjusting tool 4 slides linearly via the elastic member 3, 6 is a driving screw for controlling the position of the adjusting tool 4, 7 is engaged with the applicator 2 and the adjusting tool 4, and is a distance between each other. Is a distance sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the distance, 8 is a distance setter that sets the distance between the applicator 2 and the adjuster 4, 9 is a deviation signal between the set value of the distance setter 8 and the distance sensor 7. Servo amplifier to amplify, 10 is a differential amplifier, 11 is a power amplifier,
Reference numeral 12 denotes a motor driven by the servo amplifier 9 , 13 denotes a pulley, and 14 denotes a belt.

In the hyperthermia device configured as described above, the inside of the rack 18 is arranged at a predetermined position, and the joint 16 and the arm
17 is operated to set the guide 5 at a predetermined position.
Adjustment tool 4 via the contacting under a predetermined pressure applicator 2 to the tumor site of a living body 1, the horn 26 of the applicator 2
The radiation of the electromagnetic waves beam-formed from is performed. Horn
The aperture size of 26 is determined to form a radiation beam adapted to the size of the heating area, and the weight of the applicator 2 varies depending on the aperture size.

As the distance sensor 7 attached to the applicator 2 and the adjusting tool 4, for example, a slide potentiometer whose resistance is changed by linear displacement of a lever is used, and a distance signal between the two is output from the distance sensor 7. , Distance setting device 8
Is applied to the servo amplifier 9 together with the output of. Both signals are input to the differential amplifier 10, and the difference signal between the two outputs at the output drives the motor 12 via the power amplifier 11.
The servo amplifier 9 uses a feedback control method, whereby the operation of the motor 12 is suppressed to appropriate hunting, and smooth control is performed. The rotation of the motor 12 is transmitted by two pulleys 13 and a belt 14 to a driving screw 6 using a ball screw or the like, and controls the position of the adjusting tool 4. Accordingly, the output of the distance sensor 7 is controlled so as to match the set value of the distance setting device 8, so that the applicator 2 and the adjuster 4 are controlled.
Is always equal to the set value of the distance setting device 8, and the deflection of the elastic member 3 engaged with both is proportional to the set value.

FIG. 2 shows a coil spring showing an example of an elastic member. The coil spring of the elastic member 3 is wound at a constant pitch, has the functions of a tension coil spring and a compression coil spring, and has an applicator 2 of various weights. And can be used for the applicator 2 that takes a posture in each direction.

l ₀ : Free length △ l ₁ : Flexure during tension △ l ₂ : Flexure during compression
Takes a posture that can withstand long-time heating, and the radiation direction of the electromagnetic wave from the applicator 2 is arbitrarily selected in all directions.

For example, when emitting electromagnetic waves downward from above into a living body 1, acting the weight of the applicator 2 is downward, the so applicator 2 slides downward along the guide 5 with the applicator 2 and the adjuster 4 The connecting elastic member 3 acts as a tension coil spring. Contact pressure of the applicator 2 and the living body 1 is set by the distance setting device 8 so that the deflection of the coil spring becomes △ l _1, contact pressure of the living body 1 of the applicator 2, the deflection from the weight of the applicator 2 △ l The value corresponding to the load applied to the coil spring that causes ₁ becomes a reduced value,
Adjusting the distance setting device 8 changes the deflection Δl _{1 and} changes the contact pressure on the living body 1.

When the applicator 2 emits an electromagnetic wave from the side or from below to the living body 1, the elastic member 3 acts as a compression coil spring, bringing the applicator 2 into direct contact with the living body 1 and causing the deflection of the compression coil spring. The distance is set by the distance setting device 8 so as to be Δl ₂ . The deflection Δl ₂ is the amount of compression of the coil spring caused by the application of the contact pressure of the applicator 2 to the living body 1 and the load corresponding to the weight of the applicator 2 .

When the living body 1 moves or the epidermis moves periodically due to breathing, the position of the applicator 2 changes. Therefore, the distance sensor 7 detects the change and immediately operates following the change to operate the adjuster 4. It is controlled to match the set value of the distance setting device 8. Therefore, the contact pressure is kept constant. Naturally, a predetermined contact pressure can be secured by adjusting the distance setting device 8 when the weight of the applicator 2 changes. The set value of the distance setting device 8 is calibrated in advance in relation to the deflection of the elastic member 3 and the load. Thereby, the contact pressure of the applicator 2 applied to the living body 1 can be quantitatively set by the distance setting device 8. Therefore, the contact pressure of the applicator 2 to the living body 1 can be controlled, the reproducibility is excellent, and the electromagnetic wave can be radiated without contacting the living body 1 with the calibrated contact pressure without causing any pain to the patient. Accurate hyperthermia can be performed, and necrosis of only cancer cells can be realized at an early stage, which can contribute to an improvement in a healing effect.

[Effect of the Invention] As described above, the present invention has a simple structure in which the output of the distance sensor provided in engagement with the applicator and the adjusting tool is always controlled to be equal to the set value of the distance setting device. The applicator, to which contact pressure is applied from the adjustment tool via the elastic member, can detect the change even when the epidermis moves due to the movement of the living body and breathing, and set the distance of the adjustment tool according to the change. The control is performed so that it always becomes equal to the set value of the vessel. Therefore, the deflection of the elastic member is proportional to the output of the distance sensor and proportional to the set value of the distance setting device.

The deflection of the resilient member depends on the load of the applicator, so that when the load of the applicator is constant, the distance setting device is adjusted to change the contact pressure of the applicator with the living body. When the load of the applicator changes, the contact pressure on the living body can be adjusted by the above operation. Although the heating therapy requires a long time, according to the present invention, the engagement of the applicator with the living body is stably maintained for a long time, so that the predetermined heating can be performed correctly. Further, when the treatment is performed a plurality of times, the distance setting device can perform a quantitative setting, so that the treatment can be performed in the same state.

Since the contact pressure of the applicator to the living body by the distance setting device can be adjusted arbitrarily, it can be set to a contact pressure that does not cause pain to the patient during long-term treatment, and the contact pressure is always constant with respect to the movement of the living body due to breathing etc. The applicator can automatically follow.

In this device, since the elastic member acts as a tension and compression coil spring, and the applicator can emit electromagnetic waves in all directions, it can be used for various warming parts of the living body. Since the applicator having a posture in various directions and weights can be held at a predetermined contact pressure with the heated portion of the living body, there is an effect that accurate heating can be performed without causing pain to the patient.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main part of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example of an elastic member, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional hyperthermia device, and FIG. It is a side view which shows an example of the applicator of FIG. In the figure, 1 is a living body, 2 is an applicator, 3 is an elastic member, 4 is an adjusting tool, 5 is a guide, 6 is a driving screw, 7 is a distance sensor, 8 is a distance setting device, 9 is a servo amplifier, and 10 is operating. Amplifier, 11 power amplifier, 12 motor, 13 pulley, 14
Is a belt, 16 is a joint, 17 is an arm, and 18 is a gantry. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A hyperthermia device that abuts an applicator on a living body to radiate warming energy to treat a heated region, wherein the hyperthermia device slides linearly on a guide disposed in close proximity to the living body. An adjusting tool that slides on the guide to apply a contact pressure to the contacting applicator via an elastic member; and a distance sensor that is engaged with the applicator and the adjusting tool and outputs a signal according to a distance between the applicator and the adjusting tool. A distance setting device that outputs a setting signal of the distance between the distance setting device and a position of the adjustment tool in response to a deviation signal between the distance setting device and the distance sensor. 2. The hyperthermia device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a coil spring.