Ultrasonic wave applying apparatus

• US 6,183,426 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Masayuki, Akisada, Shosuke, Inoue, Hiromitu, Abe, Hideaki, Nishimura, Shinji, Muto, Motoharu, Saida, Itaru, Kawai, Kozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Jeoyuh
• Application Number:
  US09/147,391
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 433/86, 736/20, 601/2, 601/46, 601/80, 128/660.03, 320/108, 324/109, 604/22, 310/317, 310/320, 310/316, 310/321, 310/328
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00123 and automatic shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/546 involving monitoring or regulation of device temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0176 By stopping operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0245 with ultrasonic transducers, e.g. piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092

Abstract

An ultrasonic wave applying apparatus which is safe and convenient for use. The apparatus includes an hand-held applicator having a vibration element which is, in use, contact with a skin of a user to apply ultrasonic waves to the skin, a power source providing a DC voltage, an oscillator circuit which is energized by the DC voltage from the power source to generate an oscillating output for driving the vibration element, and a load detecting circuit which monitors whether the vibration element is loaded such as by contact with the skin and provides a load detection signal when the vibration element is so loaded. In addition, a motion detecting circuit is provided to monitor whether the vibration element is moving and give a motion detection signal when the vibration element is so moving. A control circuit is connected to the load detecting circuit and the motion detecting circuit for controlling the driving circuit to reduce the oscillating output being fed to the ultrasonic vibration element when the load detection signal is not received within a predetermined first time period or when the motion detection signal is not continuous over a critical time duration within a predetermined second time period even in the presence of the load detection signal being detected within the first time period.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic wave applying apparatus comprising:

a hand-held applicator device having a vibration element for contacting a skin of a user to apply ultrasonic waves to the skin;

a power source providing a DC voltage;

an oscillator circuit which is energized by the DC voltage from said power source to generate an oscillating output for driving said vibration element;

a load detecting circuit which monitors whether said vibration element is loaded such as by contact with the skin and provides a load detection signal when said vibration element is so loaded;

a motion detecting circuit which monitors whether said vibration element is moving and provides a motion detection signal when said vibration element is so moving;

a control circuit which is connected to said load detecting circuit and said motion detecting circuit for controlling said oscillation circuit to lower said oscillating output being fed to said vibration element when said load detection signal is not received within a predetermined first time period or when said motion detection signal is not continuous over a critical time duration within a predetermined second time period even in the presence of said load detection signal being detected within said first time period.

2. The ultrasonic wave applying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a monitoring circuit is provided to give a single monitoring output indicative of the ultrasonic vibrations being effected by said vibration element and includes a low frequency component caused by moving said vibration element and having a frequency lower than that of said ultrasonic vibrations, said monitoring output being fed to said load detecting circuit and to said motion detecting circuit where it is processed to provide said load detection signal and said motion detection signal.

3. The ultrasonic wave applying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said oscillator circuit includes a transformer with a primary winding and a secondary winding across which said vibration element comprising a piezoelectric element is connected, said primary winding generating an oscillating voltage so that said secondary winding provides said oscillating output for driving said vibration element, said monitoring circuit comprising an auxiliary winding which is magnetically coupled to said transformer to provide said monitoring output.

4. The ultrasonic wave applying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said oscillator circuit includes a transformer with a primary winding and a secondary winding across which said vibration element comprising a piezoelectric element is connected, said primary winding generating an oscillating voltage so that said secondary winding provides said oscillating output for driving said vibration element,

said monitoring circuit being connected across said secondary winding in parallel with said vibration element to rectify said oscillating voltage into said monitoring output in the form of a voltage.

5. The ultrasonic wave applying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said oscillator circuit comprises:

a transformer with a primary winding and a secondary winding across which said vibration element comprising a piezoelectric element is connected;

a capacitor being connected across said primary winding and cooperative with said primary winding to form a parallel resonant circuit; and

a switching element connected in series with said parallel resonant circuit across a DC voltage source and driven to alternately turn on and off for causing said resonant circuit to provide an oscillating voltage which induces said oscillating output at said secondary winding;

said monitoring circuit comprising a current sensing resistor connected in series with said switching element and said resonant circuit across said DC voltage to provide said monitoring output in the form of a voltage.

6. The ultrasonic wave applying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said monitoring circuit comprises a transformer with a primary winding and a secondary winding, said primary winding is connected in series with said vibration element comprising a piezoelectric element in an output path of said oscillator circuit so that said secondary winding provides said monitoring output.

7. The ultrasonic wave applying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said load detecting circuit comprises a comparator which compares an amplitude of said monitoring output with a predetermined level to provide said load detection signal when said amplitude deviates from said predetermined level by a certain extent.

8. The ultrasonic wave applying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said motion detecting circuit comprises

a low-pass filter to derive said low frequency component from said monitoring output;

and

a judging circuit which provides said motion detection signal to said control circuit when an amplitude of said low frequency component exceeds a predetermined critical level.

9. The ultrasonic wave applying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said load detecting circuit comprises a comparator which compares an amplitude of said monitoring output with a predetermined level to provide said load detection signal when said amplitude deviates from said predetermined level by a certain extent, and wherein said motion detecting circuit comprises

a low-pass filter to derive said low frequency component from said monitoring output;

and

a judging circuit which provides said motion detection signal to said control circuit when an amplitude of said low frequency component exceeds a predetermined critical level.

10. The ultrasonic wave applying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor disk disposed adjacent to said vibration element in a relation that said sensor disk is deformed as a consequence of said vibration element being loaded, said sensor disk comprising a pressure sensitive electroconductive rubber which varies electrical resistance when deformed, said sensor disk having on one surface a first electrode and on an opposite surface a plurality of second electrodes; and

a plurality of voltage sources each applying a voltage between said first electrode and each of said second electrodes to provide a plurality of monitoring outputs representing a degree of deformation occurring at a portion of said sensor disk adjacent to each of said second electrodes;

said control circuit being configured to analyze at least one of said monitoring outputs to create said load detection signal and to compare all of said monitoring outputs with each other in order to create said motion detection signal.

11. The ultrasonic wave applying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

a temperature sensor which senses a temperature of said vibration element and provides a temperature output indicative thereof;

and

a protector circuit which, upon receiving said temperature output indicative of said temperature exceeding a critical level, produces a stop signal for disabling said oscillator circuit from generating said oscillating output.

12. The ultrasonic wave applying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said oscillator circuit produces said oscillating output intermittently in such a manner as to leave a rest period between adjacent pulse series of said oscillating output;

said load detecting circuit and said motion detecting circuit being configured to transmit said load detection signal and said motion detection signal within said rest period to said control circuit.

13. The ultrasonic wave applying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said oscillator circuit and said power source are incorporated within said hand-held applicator together with a battery which supplies a source voltage to said power source, said hand-held applicator being physically detachable from a main housing which incorporates an inverter providing an AC voltage, said inverter including a primary power winding across which said AC voltage is developed, said hand-held applicator incorporating therein a secondary power winding which is magnetically coupled to said primary power winding to induce a corresponding voltage when said applicator is physically connected to said main housing, said secondary power winding being connected within said hand-held applicator to charge said battery by said voltage induced on said secondary power winding.

14. An ultrasonic wave applying apparatus comprising:

a hand-held applicator device having a vibration element for contacting a skin of a user;

a power source;

an oscillator circuit energized by said power source that generates an oscillating output for driving said vibration element;

a skin contacting detecting circuit for monitoring whether said vibrating element is in contact with a skin of a user;

a motion detecting circuit for monitoring whether said vibrating element is moving and providing a detection signal when movement of the vibration element occurs;

a control circuit connected to said skin contacting detecting circuit and said motion detecting circuit to lower said oscillating output when a signal from said skin contacting detecting circuit is not received within a first time period or when said motion detection signal is discontinuous over a critical time duration within a second time period.