JP7656313B2 - Electric potential therapy device - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an electric potential therapy device that uses an electric field to perform treatment, and in particular to an electric potential therapy device that can adjust the sensation of treatment (the sensation that the person being treated feels that they are receiving electric potential therapy) without changing the electric field strength.

An electric potential therapy device that uses a high-voltage transformer to boost the voltage of a commercial power source and generate a high voltage is known as a device for treating headaches, stiff shoulders, etc. (See, for example, Patent Document 1). This electric potential therapy device applies the high voltage generated by the high-voltage transformer to electrodes, and applies the high voltage to the affected area or the entire body of the human body, which is insulated from the ground, to provide treatment.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of an electric potential therapy device 100, which is shown as a conventional example of such an electric potential therapy device. Also, Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the electric potential therapy device 100 of Figure 3. This electric potential therapy device 100 has, as its external appearance, a chair 101 on which the person to be treated H sits, a handheld operation unit 102 arranged on the armrest of the chair 101 to operate the electric potential therapy device 100, current supply units 103 and 104, and a footrest 105, and as its internal functional configuration, a power plug 106, a main switch 107, an output switch 108, an AC/DC converter 109, a high-voltage transformer 110, a microcomputer 111, an operation unit 112, electrodes 113 and 114, and a heater 115. Note that the operation unit 112 of Figure 4 is provided on the handheld operation unit 102 arranged on the armrest in the actual electric potential therapy device 100 as shown in Figure 3.

The current-carrying units 103 and 104 are configured by covering the electrodes 113 and 114 with an insulator, respectively, in order to apply a high voltage to generate an electric field around the person being treated H. The current-carrying unit 103 is disposed on the upper part of the backrest of the chair 101 so as to be positioned above the head of the person being treated H when he or she is seated in the chair 101. The current-carrying unit 104 is disposed within the seat of the chair 101 on which the person being treated H is seated.

The footrest 105 also has a built-in heater 115, which functions as a warmer and also as an earth electrode.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the electric potential therapy device 100 is operated while the subject H is seated, high voltages are applied to the electrodes 113 and 114, respectively, and an electric field is generated between the current-carrying units 103 and 104, thereby performing treatment. Note that high voltages of opposite phases are applied to the current-carrying units 103 and 104.

The high-voltage transformer 110 is housed in a case (not shown) provided at the bottom of the back of the chair 101 of the electric potential therapy device 100, and a power cord extends from this case, with a power plug 106 at its end. A main switch 107 is also provided in the case, and when the main switch 107 is turned on, power is supplied to the electric potential therapy device 100, and the electric potential therapy device 100 goes into standby mode.

The output switch 108 is disposed between the main switch 107 and the high-voltage transformer 110, and is controlled by a microcomputer 111. The microcomputer 111 is controlled by the operation of an operation unit 112, which is disposed in the hand-held operation unit 102 in FIG. 3.

The handheld operation unit 102 is provided with a display means such as an LED or LCD and a switch (both not shown), and when the switch is operated, it controls the microcomputer 111, which controls the output switch 108 on/off and turns on/off the LED, LCD, etc. The AC/DC converter 109 is provided between the main switch 107 and the microcomputer 111, and when the main switch 107 is turned on, it converts the alternating current (AC) from the power plug 106 into direct current (DC) and supplies it to the microcomputer 111. A high voltage generated by the high-voltage transformer 110 is applied to the electrodes 113 and 114.

When the main switch 107 is turned on after receiving power from the power plug 106, the electric potential therapy device 100 waits for operation of the operation unit 112 (standby state). Next, when the operation unit 112 is operated to control the microcomputer 111 and turn on the output switch 108, a high voltage is generated by the high voltage transformer 110, and the high voltage is applied to the electrodes 113 and 114, generating an electric field between the current-carrying unit 103 and the current-carrying unit 104. Note that the high voltage transformer 110 is shown as one block because it is configured as a so-called twin transformer having two output ports of opposite phase to one input. Of course, it is also possible to use separate high voltage transformers for each of the electrodes 113 and 114.

When an electric field is generated between current-carrying unit 103 and current-carrying unit 104, the above-mentioned LED, LCD, etc. are simultaneously illuminated in handheld operation unit 102 under the control of microcomputer 111.

Patent Document 1 shows an electric potential therapy device similar to the electric potential therapy device 100 described above, in which a display and input control circuit 14 controls the output of the high-voltage transformer T1 and the display/non-display of the display means.

JP 2017-038836 A

Incidentally, from the perspective of safety, the JIS standard stipulates the value of the therapeutic current output from the lead section of the electric potential therapy device 100.

Therefore, a protective resistor (not shown) for preventing electric shock is provided on the output side of the high-voltage transformer 110 of the electric potential therapy device 100 so that the output therapeutic current from the current-carrying parts (conductor parts) 103 and 104 is "below the JIS specified value."

The therapeutic sensation is one of the bodily sensations experienced during treatment with the electric potential therapy device 100, and can also be felt by the treated person H during normal treatment. However, when the treated person H brings part of his/her body close to a surrounding wall (ground), a slight discharge occurs between the wall and part of the body, causing the treated person H to feel a stronger tingling sensation.

This is because when treatment is being performed with the electric potential therapy device 100, the human body potential of the person being treated H becomes high, causing a potential difference to occur between the person and the surrounding walls, etc.

In addition, the body potential of the person being treated H is directly proportional to the voltage of the high-voltage transformer 110; if the voltage is high, the body potential is high, and conversely, if the voltage is low, the body potential is low.

This sensation of treatment varies from person to person and also varies depending on the environment in which the electric potential treatment device 100 is placed, such as humidity and temperature.

In addition, if you perform electrical therapy for many years, you may become accustomed to it and may not feel the treatment as much.

On the other hand, the electric field generated by the electric potential therapy device 100 is invisible, and depending on the person being treated H, in order to recognize that they are "under treatment" due to the "treatment sensation," they may go out of their way to move part of their body close to a wall or the like.

Then, when the patient H begins to feel that the sensation of the treatment has weakened (due to the environment, habituation, etc.), he/she may mistakenly believe that the electric potential treatment device 100 has broken down.

The present invention aims to provide an electric potential therapy device that allows the subject H to adjust the sensation of the therapy he or she experiences at his or her will.

In order to solve the above problem, the invention described in claim 1 is an electric potential therapy device comprising a high-voltage transformer that boosts an input voltage to generate a high voltage, and a plurality of electrodes covered with an insulator, and which treats a subject by applying the high voltage generated by the high-voltage transformer to the plurality of electrodes, wherein a voltage of the same phase is applied to the plurality of electrodes, and a voltage is selectively applied to at least one of the plurality of electrodes via a change-over switch, and the change-over switch is switched to change the area of the electrode to which the voltage is applied, thereby adjusting the subject's body electric potential.

According to the invention described in claim 1, a voltage of the same phase is applied to a plurality of electrodes, and a voltage is selectively applied to at least one of the plurality of electrodes via a change-over switch. By switching the change-over switch to change the area of the electrode to which the voltage is applied, the body potential of the person to be treated can be adjusted , thereby allowing the person to be treated to increase or decrease the body potential.

In other words, without changing the electric field strength, the human body potential can be increased and the therapeutic sensation strengthened by increasing the contact area between the human body and the electrodes, and the human body potential can be decreased and the therapeutic sensation weakened by decreasing the contact area between the human body and the electrodes.

In this way, the human body potential can be adjusted with a simple configuration of flipping a switch, and the sensation of treatment can be adjusted and set to suit the preferences of the person being treated. Also, by changing the settings when the sensation of treatment becomes weak, it is possible to prevent this from being mistaken for a malfunction of the electric potential treatment device.

1 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of an electric potential therapy device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of an electric potential therapeutic device 30 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a conventional electric potential therapeutic device. 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the electric potential therapy device of FIG. 3.

The present invention will be described below based on the illustrated embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
Fig. 1 shows an electric potential therapy device 1 according to this embodiment 1, and is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration. This electric potential therapy device 1 is a device that applies a high voltage generated by a high voltage transformer to an electrode, and applies the high voltage to an affected part or the whole body of a human body insulated from the earth to perform treatment, and like the electric potential therapy device 100 in Fig. 3, has an external appearance of a chair 11 on which a person to be treated H sits, a handheld operation unit (shown as operation unit 23 in Fig. 1, separated from the chair 11) arranged on the armrest of the chair 11 to operate the electric potential therapy device 1, three current-carrying units 12, 13, 14, and a footrest 15.

Of the electric current-carrying units 12, 13, and 14, one is the head electric current-carrying unit 12 arranged so as to be positioned above the head of the person being treated H, one is the seat electric current-carrying unit 13 arranged in the seat of the chair 11, and the other is the back electric current-carrying unit 14 arranged in the backrest of the chair 11.

In addition, like the electric potential therapy device 100 in FIG. 4, the electric potential therapy device 1 has, as its internal functional configuration, a power plug 16, a main switch 17, an output switch 18, a high-voltage transformer 19, an AC/DC converter 21, a microcomputer 22, an operation unit 23, electrodes 24, 25, and a heater 27, and the functions of each component are almost the same as those of the electric potential therapy device 100, but differ in the points described below.

That is, the electric potential therapy device 1 according to this embodiment 1 differs from the conventional electric potential therapy device 100 illustrated in FIG. 4 in that it has a changeover switch (20) in addition to the output switch (18), that it has two electrodes other than the head electrode, a seat electrode 25 and a back electrode 26, and that the number of high-voltage transformers has been increased accordingly to accommodate the increased number of electrodes.

One high-voltage transformer 19A is connected between the output switch 18 and the head electrode 24, and the other high-voltage transformer 19B is connected between the output switch 18 and the seat electrode 25 and back electrode 26. A changeover switch 20 is provided between the other high-voltage transformer 19B and the back electrode 26.

When the output switch 18 is turned on, a high voltage is generated by the high voltage transformer 19A and the high voltage transformer 19B, and the high voltage is applied to the head electrode 24 and the seat electrode 25, respectively, generating an electric field between the current-carrying unit 12 and the current-carrying unit 13. The person H seated on the chair 11 is in close contact with the seat electrode 25, which increases the human body potential and gives a sense of treatment. At this time, the changeover switch 20 is still in the off state. Here, "close contact" means that the seat electrode 25 is covered and built into the current-carrying unit 13 as an insulator, so that the degree of contact is increased by making the insulator thinner, and the human body potential is increased. Note that high voltages of opposite phases are applied to the head electrode 24 and the seat electrode 25, and a stable electric field can be formed by making the head electrode 24 a counter electrode facing the seat electrode 25.

Next, when the changeover switch 20 disposed between the other high-voltage transformer 19B and the back electrode 26 is turned on, a high voltage of the same phase as the seat electrode 25 is also applied to the back electrode 26, and the subject H comes into contact with the two seat electrodes 25 and the back electrode 26 to which high voltage has been applied, so that the human body potential of the subject H is further increased, and the subject H feels a stronger sensation of treatment.

This is because when a high voltage is applied only to the seat electrode 25, the human body potential is higher than when a high voltage is selectively applied to the seat electrode 25 and the back electrode 26, since the latter has a larger contact area with the human body. Moreover, the applied electric field strength is not changed whether a high voltage is applied only to the seat electrode 25 or simultaneously to the seat electrode 25 and the back electrode 26.

In the electric potential therapy device 1 according to this embodiment 1, after the output switch 18 is turned on, the changeover switch 20 is selectively turned on, i.e., the changeover switch 20 is switched on based on the will of the person being treated H, so that the human body electric potential can be easily adjusted without changing the electric field strength, thereby realizing a preferred therapeutic sensation. Furthermore, when the therapeutic sensation is felt to be weaker, it is possible to determine whether or not there is a malfunction of the electric potential therapy device 1 by changing the settings, thereby preventing it from being mistaken for a malfunction.

Note that while the high-voltage transformer 19B has been described as having two in-phase output ports, this is not limiting and it can also be configured with separate high-voltage transformers as shown in the following embodiment 2.

(Embodiment 2)
2 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of an electric potential therapy device 30 according to this embodiment 2. The main differences between this electric potential therapy device 30 and the electric potential therapy device 1 according to the above embodiment 1 are that two electrodes to which high electric potentials of the same phase are applied are arranged on the seat, that three high-voltage transformers are provided to apply high voltages separately to the two electrodes on the seat and the head electrode, and that the number and positions of the switches arranged between the main switch 17 and the high-voltage transformers are different. Since the other configurations are almost the same, the same reference numerals are used and the description thereof is omitted.

The electric potential therapy device 30, like the electric potential therapy device 1 of the first embodiment, has an internal functional configuration including a power plug 16, a main switch 17, an AC/DC converter 21, a microcomputer 22, an operation unit 23, and a heater 27, and the functions of each component are substantially the same as those of the electric potential therapy device 1.

As in the first embodiment, the electric potential therapy device 30 has electric current sections 12, 13, one of which is a head electric current section 12 arranged so as to be positioned above the head of the person being treated H, and the other is a seat electric current section 13 arranged in the seat of the chair 11, with a head electrode 24 on the head electric current section 12 and two seat electrodes 31, 32 on the seat electric current section 13 arranged so as to be aligned in front of and behind each other.

These electrodes 24, 31, and 32 are connected to separate high-voltage transformers 33A, 33B, and 33C, respectively.

An output switch 34A and a changeover switch 34B are arranged downstream of the main switch 17, the high-voltage transformer 33A and the high-voltage transformer 33B are connected downstream of the output switch 34A, and the high-voltage transformer 33C is connected downstream of the changeover switch 34B.

When the output switch 34A is turned on, a high voltage is generated by the high voltage transformer 33A and the high voltage transformer 33B, and this high voltage is applied to the head electrode 24 and one of the electrodes 31 of the seat. As a result, an electric field is generated between the current-carrying unit 12 and the current-carrying unit 13, and the person H seated on the chair 11 is in contact with the seat electrode 31, so that the human body potential is increased and the person H feels a sense of treatment. Note that high voltages of opposite phases are applied to the head electrode 24 and the seat electrode 31, and thus the head electrode 24 is made to be a counter electrode facing the seat electrode 31, so that a stable electric field can be formed. Note that the high voltage transformers 33A and 33B may be so-called twin transformers, similar to the high voltage transformer 110 in the above-mentioned conventional electric potential treatment device 100.

When the changeover switch 34B is turned on, a high voltage is generated by the high voltage transformer 33C, and the high voltage is applied to the other electrode 32 of the seat. In combination with the output switch 34A being turned on, the human body potential of the person H is further increased, so that the person H feels a stronger sense of treatment. The two seat electrodes 31 and 32 are supplied with high voltages of the same phase.

This is because when a high voltage is selectively applied only to the seat electrode 31, the human body potential is higher when a high voltage is simultaneously applied to both seat electrodes 31 and 32, since the latter has a larger contact area with the human body. Moreover, the applied electric field strength is not changed whether a high voltage is selectively applied only to the seat electrode 31 or when a high voltage is simultaneously applied to both seat electrodes 31 and 32.

In the above embodiment 2, the two seat electrodes 31, 32 are arranged in front and behind, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the two seat electrodes may be arranged side by side.

Therefore, even in the electric potential therapy device 30 of this embodiment 2, by selectively turning on the change-over switch 34B, that is, by switching the change-over switch 34B based on the will of the person being treated H, the human body electric potential can be easily adjusted without changing the electric field strength, thereby realizing the preferred therapeutic sensation. Furthermore, when the therapeutic sensation becomes weaker, it is possible to determine whether or not there is a malfunction of the electric potential therapy device 30 by changing the settings, thereby preventing it from being mistaken for a malfunction.

In the above first and second embodiments, the number of electrodes to which the high voltage of the same phase is applied is two, but the present invention is not limited to this, and three or four electrodes may be used.

The positions of the multiple electrodes to which the high voltage of the same phase is applied may be two on the seat, or one on the seat and one on the back, as in the above-mentioned first and second embodiments. Also, without being limited to these, two may be provided on the back. Furthermore, electrodes may be provided on the feet (thighs, calves, etc.). In short, as long as multiple electrodes are arranged and high potentials of the same phase are selectively or simultaneously applied to each electrode, thereby making it possible to adjust the human body potential, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments.

The potential can be applied to each electrode using a separate high-voltage transformer, or a high-voltage transformer with one input and two or more output ports.

The voltages applied to the electrodes 25, 26 or 31, 32 that come into contact with the human body may be the same or different.

In the above first and second embodiments, an electric potential therapy device that forms an electric field between the head electrode and the seat electrode or the back electrode has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may also be an electric potential therapy device that applies a high electric potential only to the seat electrode (in this electric potential therapy device, an electric field is formed between the seat electrode and earth such as the ceiling or wall).

1 Electric potential therapy device H Person to be treated 18 Output switch 19A High voltage transformer 19B High voltage transformer 20 Changeover switch 25 Seat electrode (multiple electrodes)
26 Back electrode (multiple electrodes)
30 Electric potential therapy device 31 Seat electrode (multiple electrodes)
32 Seat electrode (multiple electrodes)
33A High-voltage transformer 33B High-voltage transformer 33C High-voltage transformer 34A Output switch 34B Changeover switch

Claims (1)

The power supply comprises a high-voltage transformer that boosts an input voltage to generate a high voltage, and a plurality of electrodes covered with an insulator,
A potential treatment device that applies a high voltage generated by the high voltage transformer to the plurality of electrodes to treat a patient,
A voltage of the same phase is applied to the plurality of electrodes,
A voltage is selectively applied to at least one of the plurality of electrodes via a changeover switch;
The changeover switch is switched to change the area of the electrode to which the voltage is applied, thereby adjusting the body potential of the person to be treated.
An electric potential treatment device characterized by the above.