JPH0254751B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Industrial Application Field] 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] In recent years, heating therapy

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in such conventional examples, propagation energy is concentrated in the center of each waveguide section in the waveguide section of the electromagnetic wave feeding section and the waveguide section of the radio wave lens section of the applicator. The radio wave lens section had the disadvantage that it could not fully demonstrate its original lens effect. To explain this more specifically, for example, when the electromagnetic waves shown in _FIG . The excitation strength of the zones is 0.90, 0.62, and 0.22 when the electric field strength in the central zone is viewed squarely, assuming that the inside of the waveguide 3B is divided into seven parts, as shown in Figure 8. 2, and because of this, the energy distribution on the inner wall side is small, so the radio lens section 4 is unable to form a sufficient focused electromagnetic wave, which impedes deep heating within the living body. There was this inconvenience. [Object of the Invention] The present invention improves the disadvantages of the prior art and makes it possible to irradiate the electromagnetic wave irradiation surface of the biological surface with dispersed electromagnetic waves. It is an object of the present invention to provide an applicator for heating therapy that can eliminate burns and intensively heat a predetermined location inside a living body. [Means for Solving the Problems] Therefore, the present invention includes an electromagnetic wave power feeding section provided at one end of the case body, and a radio wave lens section provided at the other end of the case body. . A distribution plate is provided between the electromagnetic wave power supply section and the radio wave lens section to approximately evenly distribute the electromagnetic waves sent to the radio wave lens section. The structure is such that a thin plate made of a dielectric material such as sintered titanium is attached to a portion of the side wall of the case body that extends to the electromagnetic wave power supply section and the radio wave lens section and is parallel to the electric field component of the electromagnetic waves. This aims to achieve the above-mentioned purpose. [Function] The case body functions as a waveguide, and the electromagnetic wave power supply section has a function as a relay point that sends electromagnetic waves into the case body. The electromagnetic waves sent to the electromagnetic wave power supply section of the case body are propagated and sent out from the opening at the other end of the case body. In this case, the electromagnetic wave energy is concentrated in the center of the case body, so the lens effect of the radio wave lens section cannot be fully demonstrated, but the electromagnetic wave distribution effect of the distribution plate greatly reduces this inconvenience. It has been eased. On the other hand, in the conventional example, in the side wall portion of the case body, the energy propagation in the portion parallel to the electric field is reduced, and the spread of electromagnetic wave energy in the case body is reduced accordingly. In contrast, in the present invention, a large amount of electromagnetic wave energy is propagated along the side wall due to the action of the dielectric member, and the way the electromagnetic wave spreads before being focused is effective. Therefore, it acts to efficiently and intensively heat a predetermined location within the living body. [Embodiments of the Invention] The first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
This will be explained based on the diagram. First, in FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 10 indicates a case body that functions as a waveguide. The case body 10 is equipped with an electromagnetic wave power supply section 11 at its left end in the figure, and a radio wave lens section 12 at its right end. In the figure, 11A indicates an excitation antenna, 11B indicates a coaxial connector, 12A, 1
2A, . . . each indicate a metal plate for a radio wave lens.
Furthermore, the opening 10A of the case body 10 for irradiating electromagnetic waves is equipped with a cooling mechanism 13 for living bodies. As shown in the figure, this cooling mechanism 13 includes a contact support plate 21 made of a dielectric plate curved to fit the living body (see A in FIG. 4), and this contact support plate 2.
The contact plate 22 is fixed to the outside of the contact plate 1, and a soft dielectric film member 23 is sealed to the outside of the contact plate 22. Among these, a square through hole 21A that matches the opening 10A of the case body 10 is formed in the center of the abutment support plate 21, and a square cutting hole 22 that is larger than the square through hole 21A.
A is formed on the abutting plate 22 as shown in FIG. 1, thereby creating a structure in which the cooling fluids in the case body 10 and the cooling mechanism 13 can flow very naturally. In this embodiment, the cooling liquid used in the cooling mechanism 13 is water (relative permittivity ε _r =80.36; 20° C., measurement wavelength ∞). At the center of the upper surface of the case body 10 in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the contact support plate 21
, so that the cooling liquid can uniformly and effectively cool the entire range from the inside of the case body 10 to the surface of the living body A.
14 indicates air bleeding means. As described above, the radio wave lens section 12 is formed of a plurality of metal plates 12A, 12A, . This allows you to take full advantage of the lens effect. In addition, the cooling mechanism 13
As described above, a soft dielectric film member 23 is disposed on the outer end surface of the
is installed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, a dielectric plate 30 with low loss and a relatively large dielectric constant is attached to the inner wall of the case body 10. This dielectric plate 30 is formed of a thin plate of sintered titanium or the like. In this case, the dielectric plate 30 is arranged in the electric field direction E of the electromagnetic wave.
It is designed to be mounted on an interior wall parallel to the As a result, the electric field distribution inside the case body 10 is as shown in FIG. 3, and the energy of the electromagnetic waves is not concentrated in the center but is substantially uniform, which has the advantage that the focusing function of the radio wave lens section 12 can be fully demonstrated. be. Each metal plate 12A, 12A of the radio wave lens section 12,
. . . includes a dielectric member 4 made of the same material as the dielectric member 30 installed on the inner wall of the case body 10.
0, 40, ...... are installed. For this reason,
The eighth problem that has conventionally occurred in the radio wave lens section 12
2 and 3 It is possible to prevent the electric field distribution from being centered as shown in FIG. 2, and to set the electric field distribution as shown in FIG. 3. As a result, the lattice-like overheating damage that occurs in response to the electric field strength on the biological surface during heating therapy can be prevented, and the biological surface (incident surface)
An ideal applicator for heating therapy can be obtained in that it is possible to cool the body and uniformly irradiate electromagnetic waves, and at the same time to intensively heat a predetermined location inside the body through the action of the radio wave lens. Further, between the central part of the case body 10 shown in FIG.
1,52 are arranged. Of these distribution plates 50, 51, 52, the one in the center is projected toward the electromagnetic wave power supply section 11, and the other distribution plates 51, 52
Each has a structure in which it protrudes toward the radio wave lens section 12 side. The dotted line T in FIG. 1 indicates that the electromagnetic wave energy is effectively divided by the distribution plates 50, 51, and 52. This has the advantage that the irradiation of the electromagnetic waves onto the surface of the living body can be made more uniform. [Effects of the Invention] Since the present invention is configured and functions as described above,
According to this, the electric field strength of the electromagnetic waves output from the radio wave lens section is made almost uniform over the entire surface of the opening by the action of the distribution plate, and furthermore, it is spread more uniformly on the side wall part by the dielectric material, so that It is possible to provide an unprecedented and excellent applicator for heating therapy, which is capable of gently heating the surface of a living body while intensively heating a specific deep part through the action of the radio wave lens section described above. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a front view of Figure 1, Figures 3 1, 2, and 3 are explanatory diagrams each showing the uniformity of electric field intensity due to the action of the dielectric plate, Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the conventional example, and Figure 5 is Fourth
An explanatory diagram showing the radio wave lens unit equipped in the figure, Figures 6 and 7 are respectively explanatory diagrams of the operation of Figure 5, and Figures 8 1 and 2 are waveguides of Figures 4 and 5, respectively. It is an explanatory view showing the propagation situation of electromagnetic waves in a pipe. 10... Case body, 11... Electromagnetic wave power supply section,
12...Radio wave lens section, 30, 40...Dielectric member, 50, 51, 52...Distribution plate.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An applicator for heating therapy having an electromagnetic wave power supply section provided at one end of the case body and a radio wave lens section provided at the other end of the case body, wherein the electromagnetic wave power supply section A distribution plate is provided between the electromagnetic wave feeding unit and the radio lens unit to substantially evenly distribute the electromagnetic waves sent to the radio lens unit, and a distribution plate is provided between the electromagnetic wave feeding unit and the radio lens unit to distribute the electromagnetic waves on the side wall of the case body leading to the electromagnetic wave feeding unit and the radio lens unit. An applicator for heating therapy characterized in that a thin plate made of a dielectric material is attached to a portion parallel to an electric field component.