JPS6361027B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an applicator for heating therapy, and particularly to an applicator for heating therapy for heating a predetermined location of a living body using electromagnetic waves. [Conventional technology and its problems] In recent years, heating therapy

[Purpose of the invention]

In view of the disadvantages of the prior art, the present invention aims to reduce the reflected waves toward the electromagnetic wave generating means, thereby effectively focusing the electromagnetic wave energy and irradiating a predetermined location with reflection loss. It is an object of the present invention to provide an applicator for heating therapy with a reduced amount of heat. [Summary of the Invention] Therefore, in the present invention, an electromagnetic wave power feeding part provided at one end of the case body, a radio wave lens part provided at the other end of the case body, and an electromagnetic wave emitting end of this radio wave lens part are provided. In a heating therapy applicator having a cooling mechanism attached to is formed so that it gradually increases in size from the electromagnetic wave power feeding section toward the cooling mechanism. This aims to achieve the above-mentioned purpose. [First Embodiment of the Invention] The first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 to 7.
This will be explained based on the diagram. In these figures, reference numeral 10 indicates a case body, and reference numeral 20 indicates a cooling mechanism. Case body 1
0 is composed of a power feeding part waveguide 11 and a lens part waveguide 12. The feeding section waveguide 11 is equipped with an excitation antenna 13 and a coaxial connector 13A. The area around the excitation antenna 13 is filled with a dielectric member 14 made of oil with low attenuation, such as machine oil. A layered matching layer 15 made of a plurality of dielectric plates is disposed in the power feeding part waveguide 11 extending from the dielectric member 14 to the lens part waveguide 12,
This makes it possible to efficiently send electromagnetic waves to the lens waveguide 12 side while suppressing reflection. Further, for the matching layer 15, a member having a predetermined dielectric constant is selected and used so that the dielectric constant gradually increases from the excitation antenna 13 toward the lens waveguide 12. As the dielectric member used here, for example, titanium sintered alloy (barium titanate) is used. This titanium sintered alloy is widely known, and it is possible to obtain dielectric constants with different values over a wide range by using different sizes of particles. On the other hand, the lens part waveguide 12 is filled with a solid or semi-solid dielectric member 18 which has a dielectric constant similar to that of a living body over its entire area and which reduces electromagnetic wave attenuation. As a result, the size of the lens waveguide 12 portion can be reduced and alignment with the living body can be achieved. Also, inside the lens part waveguide 12, there are a plurality of metal plates 16A, 16A,
A radio wave lens section 16 consisting of... is equipped.
This radio wave lens section 16 uses metal plates of different lengths, with a short metal plate in the center and a long metal plate on the inner wall side. The dimensions of these metal plates 16A are the same. As a result, the electromagnetic waves sent to the radio wave lens section 16 are first gradually divided over the entire metal plate 16A on the inner wall side, and therefore the electromagnetic waves sent to the radio wave lens section 16 have a relatively good matching effect. It is becoming. The inner wall of the case body 10 is equipped with a dielectric plate 19 having a relatively high dielectric constant and low attenuation in parallel to the direction E of the electric field of the electromagnetic waves, so that the radio wave energy is concentrated only in the center. The disadvantages of the conventional example are avoided. As shown in the figure, the cooling mechanism 20 includes a contact support plate 21 made of a dielectric plate curved to fit the living body (see A in FIG. 1), and a contact support plate 21 fixed to the outside of the contact support plate 21. Plate 22 and further abutting plate 2
A soft film member 23 is hermetically attached to the outside of 2.
It is equipped with Among these, a square through hole 21A that matches the radiation opening 10A of the case body 10 is formed in the center of the abutting support plate 21, and a square cutout hole 22A that is larger than the square through hole 21A. 7th
As shown in the figure, the structure is such that the coolant in the case body 10 formed on the contact plate 22 and the cooling liquid in the cooling mechanism 20 can flow very naturally. In this embodiment, the cooling liquid used in the cooling mechanism 20 is water (relative permittivity ε _r =80.36; however, at 20°C,
Measurement wavelength ∞) is used. A cooling water inlet/outlet portion 2 is provided at the peripheral end of the cooling mechanism 20.
A plurality of 0A and 20B are each provided symmetrically, so that the direction in which the cooling water flows can be appropriately selected and set. 11A, 12A
indicates the flange for attachment and detachment. In the first embodiment configured in this way, the inside of the case body 10 has a structure with good impedance matching with little reflection overall from the excitation antenna 13 to the outer end of the radio wave lens section 16. This has the advantage that electromagnetic waves sent from a magnetron or the like as an electromagnetic wave generating means can be efficiently focused and sent to the outside. [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described based on FIG. 8. This example is an example in which electromagnetic waves with a relatively low frequency are used, and in particular, the dimensions around the excitation antenna 33 of the power feeding section are set to a large value,
Inside it is a low-loss dielectric member 34 such as machine oil.
is filled. Further, as shown in the figure, the radio wave lens section 36 has electromagnetic wave irradiating sections arranged in a concave shape when viewed from the outside. Each metal plate 36A, 36 constituting this radio wave lens section 36
A: Low-loss dielectric members 37 having different dielectric constants are filled between them. In this case, a member with a high relative permittivity is provided in the center and a member with a small relative permittivity is provided on the inner wall side, thereby effectively focusing the electromagnetic waves and directing them to the living body. The matching and the overall size of the case body 30 are made smaller. Other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment described above. [Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a matching layer made of a dielectric material is provided in the entire space between the electromagnetic wave power feeding part and the cooling mechanism, and this matching layer is Since it is formed so that it gradually increases in size from the electromagnetic wave feeding part toward the cooling mechanism, the action of this matching layer can significantly reduce the reflection of electromagnetic waves within the applicator, while at the same time reducing the electromagnetic wave energy to the living body. It is possible to provide an unprecedented and excellent applicator for heating therapy that can effectively perform focused irradiation.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional example, Fig. 2 is an explanatory view showing a radio wave lens section equipped in Fig. 1,
Figures 3 and 4 are explanatory diagrams of the operation of Figure 2, respectively;
5. FIGS. 1 and 2 are explanatory diagrams showing the propagation status of electromagnetic waves in the waveguides shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively. FIG. 6 is a front view showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line - in the figure, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the second embodiment. 10, 30... Case body, 14, 34... Electromagnetic wave power feeding section, 15... Matching layer, 16, 36, 46
... Radio wave lens section, 18, 37 ... Dielectric member,
20... Cooling mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An electromagnetic wave power supply section provided at one end of the case body, a radio wave lens section provided at the other end of the case body, and an electromagnetic wave power supply section attached to the electromagnetic wave emitting end of this radio wave lens section. In the heating therapy applicator having a cooling mechanism, a matching layer made of a dielectric material is provided in the entire space between the electromagnetic wave power feeding part and the cooling mechanism, and the matching layer is provided with a dielectric constant that is suitable for electromagnetic waves. An applicator for heating therapy, characterized in that the applicator is formed to gradually increase in size from the power supply part toward the cooling mechanism.