JP7571584B2 - Ultraviolet Therapy Device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ultraviolet light therapy device that treats skin diseases by irradiating them with ultraviolet light.

Conventionally, phototherapy has involved ultraviolet light therapy using ultraviolet light in wavelength ranges such as UVA (wavelength 320 nm to 400 nm) and UVB (wavelength 280 to 320 nm). Ultraviolet light therapy is a therapy that achieves therapeutic effects by suppressing the immune system through ultraviolet light irradiation.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ultraviolet treatment device that uses an LED as an ultraviolet light source. In such an ultraviolet treatment device, the LED, which is an ultraviolet light source, is disposed in a housing so that the LED is not directly touched by a doctor or a patient, or is not subjected to external shock, and a window member that transmits ultraviolet light is disposed in front of the housing.

JP 2020-49142 A

In recent years, LEDs have become increasingly powerful, and as a result, there has been a problem in that the LEDs tend to become hot, which in turn causes the inside of the housing to become hot and the window member to become hot.
Since the treatment area of the patient is located in front of the window member, there is a risk of the patient being burned if the treatment area comes into contact with or approaches the window member when the window member is at a high temperature.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE ... An object of the present invention is to provide an ultraviolet therapy device capable of suppressing an increase in temperature of a window member.

In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the ultraviolet therapy device of the present invention is an ultraviolet therapy device including a light source unit that irradiates an affected area with therapeutic light including ultraviolet light, the light source unit including a housing, a light source disposed inside the housing and emitting the ultraviolet light, a window member disposed at the front end of the housing and emitting the therapeutic light, and a cooling space that cools the window member.
In this way, the light source unit is provided with a cooling space for cooling the window member, which makes it possible to suppress an increase in temperature of the window member and to prevent the patient's treatment area from being burned by radiant heat or the like.

The ultraviolet therapy device may further include an attachment arranged at a distance from the window member on the radiation side of the therapeutic light and having an opening through which the therapeutic light passes, and the cooling space may be a space formed between the attachment and the window member through which outside air can circulate.
In this case, the attachment physically prevents the patient's treatment area from coming into contact with the window member. Also, by bringing the patient's treatment area into contact with the attachment, ultraviolet light can be irradiated while maintaining a constant distance from the light source to the treatment area, and a stable treatment effect can be obtained. Furthermore, since outside air can circulate between the attachment in front of the window member and the window member, heat from the window member can be efficiently released and the temperature rise of the window member can be appropriately suppressed.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned ultraviolet therapy device, the attachment comprises a frame portion having the opening and a support portion that supports the frame portion while spacing it away from the window member, and the cooling space may be a space between the frame portion and the window member, and may be a space that communicates with the outside of the housing when the opening is blocked.
In this case, even when the treatment area of the patient is brought into contact with the frame of the attachment and the opening of the frame is blocked by the treatment area, outside air can flow into the space in front of the window member, so that the window member can be appropriately cooled while the device is in operation.

In the ultraviolet therapy device, the support portion may be configured with a plurality of legs. In this case, the configuration can be such that outside air can easily flow into the space in front of the window member.
Furthermore, in the ultraviolet ray treatment device, the support part may be made of a plate-like member having at least one through hole. In this case, it is possible to allow outside air to flow appropriately into the space in front of the window member. Also, the frame part can be stably supported by the support part.

In the ultraviolet therapy device, the attachment may have the opening corresponding to an area to be irradiated with the therapeutic light, and may be configured to be detachable from the housing.
In this case, dirt on the surface of the window member can be easily cleaned by removing the attachment, and deterioration or decrease in the transmittance of therapeutic light through the window member can be suppressed. In addition, since the size and shape of the opening can be changed to an attachment with a different size, it is possible to irradiate ultraviolet light according to the size and shape of the affected area.

In addition, in the above-mentioned ultraviolet therapy device, the light source is arranged in a storage section formed inside the housing, the window member closes the front end of the storage section, and the cooling space is a space formed between the outer surface of the storage section and the inner surface of the housing, and may be a space through which cooling air flows inside the housing.
In this case, the space formed between the outer surface of the storage unit and the inner surface of the housing allows heat to escape from the space inside the storage unit, thereby suppressing an increase in temperature of the window member.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned ultraviolet treatment device, the light source unit is arranged opposite the window member and further includes a substrate on which the light source is mounted, the accommodating unit includes the substrate, the window member, and a light guide path that guides the radiation light of the light source to the window member, and the cooling space may be a space formed between an outer surface of the light guide path and an inner surface of the housing.
In this case, the heat in the space inside the housing can be more appropriately released, and the heat from the light source can be appropriately prevented from being transmitted to the window member. Here, the light guide path can be formed of a reflector that reflects the light emitted from the light source. When the reflector is formed of aluminum or the like having high thermal conductivity, the heat in the space inside the housing can be more effectively released to the space outside the reflector.

In the above ultraviolet therapy device, the light source is disposed in a storage section formed inside the housing, the window member closes the front end of the storage section, the light source section is disposed between the window member and the light source in the storage section to divide the space within the storage section into a first space on the light source side and a second space on the window member side, and further includes a partition plate that transmits the therapeutic light, and the cooling space may be the second space within the storage section.
In this case, the second space can make it difficult for heat from the first space in which the light source is arranged to be transmitted to the window member, and an increase in temperature of the window member can be suppressed.

Furthermore, in the ultraviolet therapy device, the volume of the second space may be larger than the volume of the first space. In this case, the heat in the first space can be made less likely to be transmitted by the window member.
In the ultraviolet therapy device, the isolating plate may be a filter that substantially blocks light having a wavelength of 350 nm or less from the light emitted by the light source. In this case, light having a wavelength of 350 nm or less can be substantially removed from the therapeutic light, and erythema and immediate tanning effects can be reduced. The filter can also cut off a portion of the heat.

In addition, in the above-mentioned ultraviolet treatment device, the light source unit is arranged opposite the window member and includes a substrate on which the light source is mounted, and a heat sink attached to the surface of the substrate opposite the window member and dissipating heat from the substrate, and the light source is arranged inside a storage portion consisting of the substrate, the window member, and a light guide path that guides the emitted light of the light source to the window member, and the heat sink may be arranged outside the storage portion.
In this case, the cooling effect of the heat sink can be improved, the temperature rise in the first space can be suppressed, and the temperature rise in the window member can be more appropriately suppressed.

Furthermore, in the above ultraviolet treatment device, the light source may be an LED. In this case, it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the device.

The present invention makes it possible to suppress temperature rise in the window member.

1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an example of an ultraviolet ray treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of a light source unit. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a specific example of the configuration of a light source unit. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a specific example of the configuration of a light source unit. FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a specific configuration example of a light source unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the flow of cooling air. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the flow of cooling air. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which an attachment is attached to a light source unit. This is an example of an attachment. This is an example of an attachment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an example of an ultraviolet ray treatment device 10 according to the present embodiment.
This ultraviolet light therapy device 10 is a device for treating skin diseases, which performs UVA1 therapy by irradiating an affected area with therapeutic light having a spectrum in the UVA1 region.
UVA1 therapy is a treatment that uses ultraviolet rays of 340 nm to 400 nm, and is characterized by its ability to reach deeper into the skin compared to treatments that use ultraviolet rays in the UV-B region. Therefore, it is effective against diseases that have their etiology in the dermis, and is known to be highly effective against atopy, prurigo, and scleroderma.
In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the ultraviolet light therapy device 10 is a therapy device for treating scleroderma.

1, the ultraviolet ray treatment device 10 includes a light source unit 20 and a control unit 30 that controls the light source unit 20. The light source unit 20 and the control unit 30 are supported by a support body 11.
The support body 11 includes a platform 12 supported on a floor surface via wheels 18, a support column 13 extending upward from the center of the platform 12, and an operating arm 14 that supports a light source unit 20 at the upper end of the support column 13 so that the light source unit 20 can swing freely relative to the support column 13. In the support body 11, the light source unit 20 is attached to the tip of the operating arm 14. The light source unit 20 is configured to be capable of tilt rotation about a rotation axis 27e provided in the horizontal direction.

The control unit 30 is attached to, for example, the center of the support 13 by a fixing member (not shown).
The control unit 30 includes, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped housing 37 and a graphic operation panel 39 provided on a side of the housing 37. The graphic operation panel 39 can be operated by an operator of the ultraviolet treatment device 10 (for example, a doctor).

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the external appearance of the light source unit 20. As shown in FIG.
2, the light source unit 20 includes a housing 27 and a rectangular window member 28 provided at the front end of the housing 27, and emits therapeutic light from the window member 28. The window member 28 is a light irradiation window for irradiating the therapeutic light to an affected area of a patient.
As shown in FIG. 1, the light source unit 20 may be provided with a manual lever 19 for manually swinging the light source unit 20 .

3 and 4 are cross-sectional views showing a specific configuration of the light source section 20. Here, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the light source section 20 as viewed from above, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the light source section 20 as viewed from the side.
3 and 4, the light source section 20 includes a light source unit 21 disposed in a housing section 27a formed inside a housing 27. The light source unit 21 is disposed in the housing section 27a so as to face a window member 28. The window member 28 is disposed so as to close an opening 29 at a front end of the housing section 27a.

The light source unit 21 includes a plurality of LED elements 22a as light sources. The plurality of LED elements 22a are mounted on, for example, a rectangular flat LED board 22b. For example, the plurality of LED elements 22a can be arranged in a lattice shape on the LED board 22b, arranged vertically and horizontally at a predetermined interval. For example, when 64 LED elements 22a are used, the LED elements 22a can be arranged in a lattice shape of 8×8 vertically and horizontally. Note that the number and arrangement of the LED elements 22a are not limited to the above.
Furthermore, the light source unit 20 may include a reflector 27b on the inner surface of the housing 27a, which reflects the light emitted from the LED element 22a. One end of the reflector 27b is connected to the outer edge of the LED board 22b, and the other end of the reflector 27b is connected to the outer edge of the window member 28, and the reflector 27b forms a light guide path that guides the light emitted from the LED element 22a to the window member 28. Note that the inner surface of the housing 27a may be given a reflective characteristic by performing mirror finishing or the like on the inner surface of the housing 27a.

Each of the LED elements 22a emits ultraviolet light having a peak wavelength of 365 nm. Ultraviolet light with a peak wavelength of 365 nm is the most effective light for treating scleroderma. The ultraviolet light emitted by the LED elements 22a also includes light with a wavelength of 350 nm or less. Specifically, the LED elements 22a emit ultraviolet light (UVA1) having a peak wavelength of 365 nm and in the wavelength range of 340 nm to 400 nm.
The LED element 22a may be, for example, a surface mount type LED element made of an AlInGaN-based semiconductor.

A cable (not shown) for supplying power to the multiple LED elements 22a included in the light source unit 21 is electrically connected to the light source unit 21. This cable electrically connects the light source section 20 (light source unit 21) and the control section 30 shown in FIG.
The control unit 30 has control units such as an LED driving power supply unit and a PLC (programmable logic controller) arranged inside the housing 37, and can drive and control the multiple LED elements 22a provided in the light source unit 20, and control the irradiance and emission time of the light emitted by the light source unit 20.
The control unit 30 may be capable of individually controlling the driving of the plurality of LED elements 22a. In this case, the control unit 30 can selectively light up some of the plurality of LED elements 22a according to the size and shape of the affected area.

The light source unit 20 further includes a filter 23 disposed in the housing unit 27a between the LED elements 22a and the window member 28. The filter 23 substantially cuts out (blocks) light having a wavelength of 350 nm or less, preferably 355 nm or less, of the light emitted by the LED elements 22a. Note that since the LED elements 22a emit light in the UVA1 wavelength range (340 nm to 400 nm), the filter 23 may substantially cut out light having a wavelength of 340 nm or more and 350 nm or less, preferably 340 nm or more and 355 nm or less.
The filter 23 may be, for example, a colored glass filter, and may be made of a material such as silicate glass or phosphate glass.

The filter 23 is disposed between the light source unit 21 and the window member 28, and functions as a separator that divides the space within the housing portion 27a into a space (first space) A on the light source unit 21 side and a space (second space) B on the window member 28 side. The space A is a light source space that becomes hot due to the heat generated by the LED elements 22a, and the space B is a buffer space that prevents the heat in the space A from being transmitted to the window member 28 by the separator (filter) 23. In other words, the space B functions as a cooling space that has the function of cooling the window member 28.
5, the filter 23 is larger than the cross-sectional shape of the housing portion 27a and completely separates the spaces within the housing portion 27a. In other words, the space A and the space B do not communicate with each other.
Here, the volume of the space B is larger than the volume of the space A. It is more preferable that the volume of the space B is at least twice the volume of the space A.

Thus, the light source unit 20 has a plurality of LED elements 22a that emit light having a peak wavelength at 365 nm, and the filter 23 receives the light emitted from the LED elements 22a, substantially cuts out light having a wavelength of 350 nm or less, preferably 355 nm or less, and emits the transmitted light as therapeutic light. The therapeutic light that is transmitted through the filter 23 is then emitted from the window member 28.
Here, it is preferable to use a material for the window member 28 that has optical transparency to the above-mentioned therapeutic light and high mechanical strength. Specific examples of materials for the window member 28 include quartz glass. By using quartz glass as the material for the window member 28, it is possible to provide high mechanical strength and prevent breakage due to impact. Furthermore, when dirt adheres to the window member 28, it is possible to easily clean it with alcohol or the like.

The light source section 20 also includes a heat sink 24 for cooling the light source unit 21 outside the housing section 27 a on the opposite side of the light source unit 21 to the window member 28 .
The heat sink 24 is composed of a base portion 24a attached to the surface of the LED board 22b opposite to the surface on which the LED elements 22a are mounted, and a number of fins 24b attached to the base portion 24a. The fins 24b are arranged horizontally and in parallel. The heat sink 24 (base portion 24a, fins 24b) can be composed of aluminum, copper, or the like having high thermal conductivity.

3, the rear end portion of the housing 27 (the surface opposite to the surface on which the window member 28 is provided) is provided with air intake ports 27c for drawing air from outside the housing 27 into the housing 27. Specifically, the air intake ports 27c are formed on both sides of the heat sink 24 and at positions behind the heat sink 24.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an exhaust port 27 d is formed in the bottom surface of the housing 27 behind the heat sink 24 for exhausting gas inside the housing 27 to the outside of the housing 27 .

Furthermore, the light source unit 20 includes intake fans 25 (see Figure 3) arranged on both sides of the heat sink 24 inside the housing 27 and in front of the intake port 27c, and an exhaust fan 26 (see Figure 4) arranged above the exhaust port 27d inside the housing 27.
The intake fan 25 is disposed with its intake port facing the intake port 27 c and its exhaust port facing the side surface of the heat sink 24 .
Further, the exhaust fan 26 is disposed with its intake port facing upward and its exhaust port facing the exhaust port 27d.

As shown by the arrows in Fig. 6, the intake fan 25 takes in outside air (cooling air) from the intake port 27c into the housing 27 and blows the cooling air toward the side surface of the heat sink 24. The intake fan 25 may be, for example, a sirocco fan. In this way, the cooling air is introduced into the heat sink 24 from both the left and right sides as shown by the arrows in Fig. 6. At this time, since the fins 24b of the heat sink 24 extend in the blowing direction of the cooling air, the cooling air introduced into the heat sink 24 flows parallel to the fins 24b of the heat sink 24.
The cooling air introduced from both the left and right sides of the heat sink 24 and flowing through the flow paths between the fins 24b collide, for example, at the center of the heat sink 24 and flows rearward of the heat sink 24 as shown by the arrows in Figures 6 and 7. Then, as shown by the arrow in Figure 7, the exhaust fan 26 sucks in the cooling air that has flowed rearward of the heat sink 24 and exhausts it from the exhaust port 27d to the outside of the housing 27. The exhaust fan 26 can be, for example, an axial fan.

In this way, the intake fan 25 takes in cooling air from the rear of the housing 27, and the exhaust fan 26 exhausts the cooling air toward the bottom of the housing 27. In other words, the intake direction in which the intake fan 25 takes in cooling air into the housing 27 is different from (intersects with) the exhaust direction in which the exhaust fan exhausts the cooling air inside the housing 27 to the outside of the housing 27. Specifically, the intake direction by the intake fan 25 and the exhaust direction by the exhaust fan 26 differ by 90°.
Here, the amount of air drawn by the intake fan 25 and the amount of air exhausted by the exhaust fan 26 are substantially the same.

4, a space C is formed within the housing 27 between the outer surface of the accommodation portion 27a and the inner surface of the housing 27. Specifically, this space C is a space formed between the outer surface of the reflector 27b forming the light guide path and the inner surface of the housing 27. The space C may be a space adjacent to the side surfaces of the window member 28 (the upper and lower surfaces in FIG. 4).
Space C communicates with the space in which the heat sink 24 is disposed, and serves as a space through which cooling air flows inside the housing 27. The gas in space C absorbs heat from spaces A and B via the reflector 27b, and the heated gas in space C is drawn out and exhausted by the exhaust fan 26 as shown by the arrows in FIG.
In other words, space C functions as a cooling space that cools space A and space B, and as a result, cools window member 28. Note that a configuration may be adopted in which a portion of the cooling air taken into housing 27 by intake fan 25 is supplied to space C.

8, an attachment 40 for irradiation can be attached to the front of the window member 28 (the side from which the therapeutic light is emitted) at a distance from the window member 28. The attachment 40 can be made of, for example, resin. The attachment 40 can have a thickness of, for example, 3 cm.
By attaching the attachment 40, it is possible to physically prevent the treatment area of the patient from coming into contact with the window member 28. Furthermore, by bringing the attachment 40 into contact with the treatment area of the patient, it is possible to irradiate ultraviolet rays while maintaining a constant distance from the light source to the treatment area, thereby making it possible to keep the ultraviolet irradiance constant and thus maintain a constant therapeutic effect.
The attachment 40 is configured to be detachable from the housing 27. For example, the attachment 40 can be attached to and detached from the housing 27 by a magnet or the like. Note that the method of attaching and detaching the attachment 40 is not limited to the above.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a specific example of the configuration of the attachment 40. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9, the attachment 40 includes a frame portion 41 having an opening in the center, and a support portion 42 that supports the frame portion 41 .
The frame 41 is disposed opposite the window member 28 when the attachment 40 is attached to the housing 27, and is desirably made of a resin material since it comes into contact with or is close to the affected area of the patient. The therapeutic light emitted from the window member 28 is irradiated onto the affected area through an opening provided in the center of the frame 41. The size and shape of the opening of the frame 41 correspond to the size and shape of the affected area. The support 42 is composed of a plurality of legs.

The attachment 40 may further include a mounting portion 43 that is attached to the front surface of the housing 27. In this case, one end of the support portion (leg portion) 42 is fixed to the frame portion 41, and the other end is fixed to the mounting portion 43. When the attachment 40 is structured to be attached to the housing 27 by a magnet, one of the mounting portion 43 and the housing 27 becomes a magnet mounting portion in which a magnet is embedded, and the other becomes a metal mounting portion. When the mounting portion 43 becomes the magnet mounting portion, the magnet is embedded in the surface of the mounting portion 43 that faces the front surface of the housing 27, and the front surface of the housing 27 becomes the metal mounting portion. On the other hand, when the housing 27 becomes the magnet mounting portion, the magnet is embedded in the front surface of the housing 27, and the surface of the mounting portion 43 that faces the front surface of the housing 27 becomes the metal mounting portion.
However, depending on the method of attaching and detaching the attachment 40, it is not always necessary to provide the mounting portion 43. For example, if holes into which the legs 42 are inserted are formed on the front surface of the housing 27, the attachment 40 may be fixed to the housing 27 by inserting the legs 42 into the holes.

When the attachment 40 is attached to the housing 27, a space D is formed between the frame portion 41 and the housing 27 by the legs 42. The space D is adjacent to the window member 28, and is in communication with the outside even when the opening of the frame portion 41 is blocked.
Therefore, the front surface of the window member 28 is cooled by the outside air. That is, the space D functions as a cooling space having the function of cooling the window member 28.

Additionally, different types of attachments can be attached to the housing 27 .
For example, when the treatment area of the patient is relatively narrow, an attachment 50 for narrow spaces may be attached as shown in FIG.
The attachment 50 includes a frame portion 51 having an opening in the center, and a support portion 52 that supports the frame portion 51 .
The frame 51 is disposed opposite the window member 28 when the attachment 50 is mounted on the housing 27, and is desirably made of a resin material since it comes into contact with or close to the affected area of the patient. The size and shape of the opening of the frame 51 correspond to the affected area, and are smaller than the opening of the frame 41 of the attachment 40 shown in Fig. 9. The support 52 is a plate-like member having a plurality of through holes (slits) 52a.

The attachment 50 may further include a mounting portion 53 that is attached to the front surface of the housing 27. When the attachment 50 is configured to be attached to the housing 27 by a magnet, one of the mounting portion 53 and the housing 27 serves as a magnet mounting portion in which a magnet is embedded, and the other serves as a metal mounting portion. When the mounting portion 53 serves as a magnet mounting portion, a magnet is embedded in a surface of the mounting portion 53 that faces the front surface of the housing 27, and the front surface of the housing 27 serves as a metal mounting portion. On the other hand, when the housing 27 serves as a magnet mounting portion, a magnet is embedded in the front surface of the housing 27, and the surface of the mounting portion 53 that faces the front surface of the housing 27 serves as a metal mounting portion.
When the attachment 50 is attached to the housing 27, a space D is formed between the frame portion 51 and the housing 27 by the support portion 52. The space D is adjacent to the window member 28, and is in communication with the outside through the slits 52a even when the opening of the frame portion 51 is blocked.

When using the ultraviolet light therapy device 10, the operator grasps the manual lever 19 shown in FIG. 1 and places the light source unit 20 in a position where the window member 28 faces the diseased area of the patient. From the viewpoint of ensuring stable irradiance, it is preferable that the ultraviolet light therapy device 10 is used with the diseased area and the attachment 40 (or 50) in contact with each other. Then, when the operator operates the graphic operation panel 39 of the control unit 30, the LED element 22a in the light source unit 20, which receives power from the control unit 30, is turned on, and the treatment light is irradiated (surface irradiation) onto the diseased area of the patient.

In the ultraviolet light therapy device 10 of this embodiment, the therapeutic light emitted from the light source unit 20 has a peak wavelength of 365 nm. Therefore, by irradiating the affected area with the therapeutic light, collagenase (MMP1), an enzyme that decomposes and fragments collagen, which is the cause of skin hardening in scleroderma, can be expressed with a significant difference. Therefore, an excellent therapeutic effect against scleroderma can be obtained.
In the ultraviolet therapy device 10 of this embodiment, the therapeutic light emitted from the light source unit 20 is light from which light with a wavelength of 350 nm or less has been substantially cut off. Light with a wavelength of around 340 nm is likely to cause an immediate darkening effect that darkens the skin immediately after irradiation with ultraviolet light. Furthermore, light with a wavelength of 328 nm or less is more likely to cause an erythema effect the shorter the wavelength. By substantially removing light with a wavelength of 350 nm or less from the therapeutic light, it is possible to suppress the erythema effect and immediate darkening effect that would occur if the therapeutic light were irradiated onto an affected area.

The ultraviolet light therapy device 10 in this embodiment may further include an attachment 40 or 50 that is disposed on the therapeutic light emission side of the window member 28 and spaced apart from the window member 28 and has an opening through which the therapeutic light passes.
If the irradiation attachment is not used, there is a problem that human sebum adheres to the window member 28 during treatment, and the transmittance of ultraviolet light decreases due to the oil adhering to the window member 28. There is also a problem that the oil on the window member 28 heats up that part, causing the window member 28 to deteriorate.
By using the irradiation attachment as in this embodiment, it is possible to physically prevent the treatment area of the patient from contacting the window member 28. Furthermore, by bringing the treatment area of the patient into contact with the irradiation attachment, it is possible to irradiate ultraviolet rays while maintaining a constant distance from the light source to the treatment area.

Furthermore, the attachments 40 and 50 each have an opening corresponding to the area to be irradiated with the therapeutic light, and can be configured to be detachable from the housing 27 .
By configuring the attachments 40, 50 to be detachable from the housing 27, dirt adhering to the surface of the window member 28 can be easily cleaned by removing the attachments 40, 50. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in the transmittance of therapeutic light or deterioration of the window member 28. In addition, since the attachments can be replaced with ones having openings of different sizes and shapes, ultraviolet irradiation can be tailored to the size and shape of the affected area.
In addition, by making the attachments 40 and 50 symmetrical in the vertical and horizontal directions, they can be attached and detached regardless of the direction of attachment to the housing 27. In addition, by specializing the shape of the attachment portion, an asymmetric attachment may be attached to a specific position.

Furthermore, in the ultraviolet ray treatment device 10 of this embodiment, the light source unit 20 includes a cooling space for cooling the window member 28. Here, the cooling space is, for example, the space B or the space C shown in FIG. 4, or the space D shown in FIG.
In this way, the light source unit 20 is provided with a cooling space for cooling the window member 28, thereby making it possible to suppress an increase in temperature of the window member 28. Therefore, when the treatment area of the patient is brought close to the window member 28, it is possible to prevent the patient's treatment area from being burned by radiant heat.

Specifically, the space B as the cooling space is a space partitioned by the separator (filter) 23 within the housing portion 27 a , and is a space formed adjacent to and behind the window member 28 .
In conventional ultraviolet treatment devices, there is no technical idea of completely separating the space in which the light source is disposed from the space in which the window member is disposed, and the space in which the light source is disposed and the space in which the window member is disposed are one space that is connected to each other. Therefore, there was a problem that the heat emitted from the light source caused the space to become hot, and the window member became hot.

In the present embodiment, the light source unit 20 is provided with a separator (filter 23) that is disposed between the window member 28 in the housing portion 27a and the LED element (light source) 22a to divide the space within the housing portion 27a into a space (first space) A on the light source side and a space (second space) B on the window member side, and that transmits the therapeutic light.
In this way, by dividing the inside of the housing 27a into space A on the light source side and space B on the window member side, the space B behind the window member 28 serves as a buffer space between the window member 28 and space A, which becomes hot due to the heat of the light source, and this space B makes it difficult for the heat in space A to be transmitted to the window member 28. Therefore, the temperature rise of the window member 28 can be appropriately suppressed.

Furthermore, by making the volume of space B larger than the volume of space A, it is possible to make it difficult for heat in space A to be transmitted by the window member 28 .
Furthermore, since the filter 23 can also function as a separator, the number of components can be reduced. Also, the filter 23 can cut off a portion of the heat.
The light source unit 20 also includes a heat sink 24 that is attached to the surface of the LED board 22b opposite to the window member 28 and dissipates heat from the LED board 22b. Here, the LED element 22a is disposed inside the housing portion 27a, and the heat sink 24 is disposed outside the housing portion 27a. In this way, by disposing the heat sink 24 outside the housing portion 27a in which the LED element 22a is disposed, the cooling effect of the heat sink 24 can be improved and the temperature rise of the space A can be effectively suppressed. As a result, the temperature rise of the window member 28 can be more appropriately suppressed.

The space C as a cooling space is a space formed between the outer surface of the accommodation portion 27a and the inner surface of the housing 27, and is a space through which cooling air flows inside the housing 27.
In this way, by forming a space between the outer surface of the accommodation portion 27a and the inner surface of the housing 27, heat in the space inside the accommodation portion 27a (space A and space B) can be released to space C. Furthermore, by making space C a space through which cooling air can flow, it is possible to draw out warm cooling air from space C and supply fresh cooling air. This makes it possible to suppress a temperature rise in the space inside the accommodation portion 27a and a temperature rise in the window member 28.
Specifically, the space C can be a space formed between the outer surface of the reflector 27b constituting the housing 27a and the inner surface of the housing 27. The reflector 27b can be made of, for example, aluminum having high thermal conductivity. Therefore, in this case, heat in the space inside the housing 27a can be more effectively released to the space C outside the reflector 27b.

Furthermore, space D as a cooling space is a space formed between the attachment 40 and the window member 28 through which outside air can circulate, and is a space formed adjacent to and in front of the window member 28.
In this manner, by configuring the window member 28 so that outside air can be ventilated in front of the window member 28, heat from the window member 28 can be efficiently released and an increase in temperature of the window member 28 can be appropriately suppressed.

Specifically, the attachment 40 includes a frame 41 having an opening through which the therapeutic light passes, and a support 42 that supports the frame 41 and separates it from the window member 28. The space D is a space between the frame 41 and the window member 28, and is a space that communicates with the outside of the housing 27 when the opening of the frame 41 is closed.
During treatment, the opening of the attachment is blocked by the treatment area, and if the attachment is configured such that the space in front of the window member is closed when the opening is blocked, the window member will not be cooled and will become hot while the device is in operation, which may cause burns to the patient's treatment area due to radiant heat from the window member.

In this embodiment, the attachment 40 has a plurality of legs 42 as a support portion 42 that supports the frame portion 41. Therefore, even when the opening of the frame portion 41 is blocked, the space D in front of the window member 28 is not blocked, and a structure can be achieved in which outside air flows into the space D. Therefore, heat from the window member 28 can be released to the outside air, and a rise in temperature of the window member 28 can be appropriately suppressed.
The same is true when the attachment 50 shown in Fig. 10 is used. The attachment 50 has a plate-like member having at least one through-hole (slit) 52a as a support portion 52 that supports a frame portion 51. In this case, too, a structure can be provided in which outside air flows into the space D in front of the window member 28 when the opening of the frame portion 51 is closed. Therefore, heat from the window member 28 can be released to the outside air, and a rise in temperature of the window member 28 can be appropriately suppressed.

During operation of the device, air may be sent into the space D by a fan or the like while the attachment 40 or 50 is in contact with the treatment area of the patient. This can further improve the cooling effect of the window member 28. It can also cool the patient's skin.
In conventional ultraviolet light treatment devices, in order to treat a patient while cooling the patient's skin, the only way was to place the device away from the patient's treatment area and blow air into the space between the device and the patient's skin. However, in this case, the distance from the light source to the treatment area is not constant, which can cause variations in the treatment effect.
In this embodiment, air can be blown while the device is in contact with the treatment area of the patient, so the patient's skin can be cooled while maintaining a constant distance from the light source to the treatment area.

As described above, the ultraviolet light therapy device 10 in this embodiment can be an ultraviolet light therapy device that suppresses temperature rise in the window member 28 and prevents sebum from adhering to the window member 28.

(Modification)
In the above embodiment, the filter 23 also serves as the separator, but the space within the housing portion 27a may be divided into space A and space B by a member other than the filter 23. In this case, the separator may be any member that transmits ultraviolet light.
In the above embodiment, the light source is an LED, but the light source may be, for example, a lamp.
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the therapeutic light has a peak wavelength of 365 nm. However, the wavelength of the therapeutic light can be set arbitrarily depending on the disease.
The ultraviolet light therapy device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made.

10...UV therapy device, 20...light source section, 21...light source unit, 22a...LED element, 22b...LED board, 23...filter (isolation plate), 24...heat sink, 25...intake fan, 26...exhaust fan, 27...housing, 27a...accommodation section, 27b...reflector, 27c...intake port, 27d...exhaust port, 28...window member, 30...control section, 40...attachment, 50...attachment

Claims (10)

An ultraviolet light therapy device comprising a light source unit for irradiating an affected area with therapeutic light including ultraviolet light, and an attachment ,
The light source unit includes:
A housing and
A light source disposed inside the housing and emitting the ultraviolet light;
a window member provided at a front end of the housing and configured to emit the therapeutic light;
a cooling space for cooling the window member,
The attachment comprises:
a window member disposed on a radiation side of the therapeutic light and spaced apart from the window member;
a frame having an opening through which the therapeutic light passes;
a support portion that supports the frame portion at a distance from the window member,
The cooling space is
A space formed between the frame portion of the attachment and the window member through which outside air can circulate, and which communicates with the outside of the housing when the opening is closed.
An ultraviolet treatment device characterized by: 2. The ultraviolet ray treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the support portion is composed of a plurality of legs. 2. The ultraviolet ray treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the support portion is constituted by a plate-like member having at least one through hole. 4. The ultraviolet ray therapy device according to claim 1 , wherein the attachment has the opening corresponding to an area to be irradiated with the therapeutic light, and is configured to be detachable from the housing. An ultraviolet light therapy device having a light source unit that irradiates an affected area with therapeutic light including ultraviolet light,
The light source unit includes:
A housing and
A storage section formed inside the housing;
A light source disposed inside the housing portion and emitting the ultraviolet light;
a window member provided at a front end of the housing, closing a front end of the housing and emitting the therapeutic light;
a cooling space for cooling the window member;
a substrate on which the light source is mounted, the substrate being disposed opposite the window member;
the housing portion includes the substrate, the window member, and a light guide path that guides the emitted light of the light source to the window member,
An ultraviolet treatment device characterized in that the cooling space is a space formed between the outer surface of the light guide path of the storage section and the inner surface of the housing, and is a space through which cooling air flows inside the housing . An ultraviolet light therapy device having a light source unit that irradiates an affected area with therapeutic light including ultraviolet light,
The light source unit includes:
A housing and
A storage section formed inside the housing;
A light source disposed inside the housing portion and emitting the ultraviolet light;
a window member provided at a front end of the housing, closing a front end of the housing and emitting the therapeutic light;
a cooling space for cooling the window member;
a partition plate disposed between the window member and the light source in the housing portion to divide a space in the housing portion into a first space on the light source side and a second space on the window member side, the partition plate transmitting the therapeutic light;
An ultraviolet treatment device, characterized in that the cooling space is the second space within the storage section. 7. The ultraviolet treatment device according to claim 6 , wherein the volume of the second space is larger than the volume of the first space. 8. The ultraviolet ray treatment device according to claim 6 , wherein the isolating plate is a filter that substantially blocks light having a wavelength of 350 nm or less from the light emitted from the light source. An ultraviolet light therapy device having a light source unit that irradiates an affected area with therapeutic light including ultraviolet light,
The light source unit includes:
A housing and
A light source disposed inside the housing and emitting the ultraviolet light;
a window member provided at a front end of the housing and configured to emit the therapeutic light;
a cooling space for cooling the window member;
a substrate on which the light source is mounted, the substrate being disposed opposite the window member;
a heat sink attached to a surface of the substrate opposite to the window member and configured to dissipate heat from the substrate;
the light source is disposed inside a housing portion including the substrate, the window member, and a light guide path that guides the emitted light of the light source to the window member;
An ultraviolet treatment device, characterized in that the heat sink is arranged outside the housing portion. 10. The ultraviolet treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the light source is an LED.

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