JP2000325383A - Medical treatment for bone, healing diagnosing method and medical treatment and healing diagnosing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To measure the healing state of a lesion while medical treatment for the bone is made by a simple means by measuring the healing state of the bone which is a lesion by a reflection signal with the same ultrasonic wave as that used in medical treatment at the time of diagnosing the medical treatment and healing of the bone. SOLUTION: At the time of medical treatment by a medial treatment and healing diagnosing apparatus, signals from a sine wave oscillator 1 and a rectangular wave oscillator 2 are multiplied by a multiplier 3 to form a ultrasonic wave signal, the signal is controlled to a designated level by an amplifier 4, and then given to a probe 6 through a gate circuit 5, and an irradiation ultrasonic wave 9 for medical treatment is applied to the fracture lesion 8. The reflected wave is detected by the probe 6, and the detection signal is input to a PC 13 trough an amplifier 11 and an A/D converter 12. The PC 13 inputs patient data from an operator 15 according to the signal, generates a probe driving voltage adjusting signal 20 according to the information of a medical treatment condition, further generates a medical treatment time setting signal 19 to be set in a timer 18, and displays necessary information on a monitor 14.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for treating and healing a bone and a diagnostic apparatus for treating and healing a bone, and more particularly to an ultrasonic signal for measuring the healing state of a bone and the affected part after a surgical operation. The present invention relates to a treatment / healing diagnosis method and a treatment / healing diagnosis device for damaged bone.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional technique relating to a method and an apparatus for promoting treatment of a fracture, there are, for example, a method in which an electrode is attached to an affected part to apply electric stimulation to the affected part, and an induced current is applied to the affected part by exposing the entire affected part to a magnetic field. Are known. In the former prior art, the electrode mounting is often invasive, and the physical and mental burden on the patient is large, and there is also a risk of infection. In the latter conventional technique, the size of the apparatus is huge, and the treatment period until the effect is achieved, and the time of one treatment is extremely long (about several hours a day), so that the patient is restrained during that time. is there.

[0003] None of the above-mentioned conventional techniques using electric stimulation and application of a magnetic field are currently used for the reasons described above.

[0004] On the other hand, in recent years, attention has been paid to fracture treatment by ultrasonic irradiation. In this method, treatment of the fracture is promoted by irradiating the fracture with the acoustic energy percutaneously. The method using ultrasonic irradiation can solve the problems of the invasive, large-scale device, long treatment, and long treatment of the above-described methods of electric stimulation and magnetic field application. Things.

[0005] As a conventional technique relating to fracture treatment by ultrasonic irradiation, for example, techniques described in JP-A-4-82567, JP-A-4-82568 and the like are known. This conventional technique promotes healing of a fractured site by simultaneously performing ultrasonic irradiation and electrical stimulation. As another conventional technique, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
The technique described in 220220 is known.
This prior art includes a device for measuring a boundary position between a bone and a surrounding tissue so that an ultrasonic wave to be irradiated is focused on a surface of a bone of a fracture affected part, and automatically controls an ultrasonic irradiation method suitable for treatment. That is.

Further, as another prior art, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
The technology described in 108054 is known.
In this prior art, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are mounted on a fractured affected part, and the excitation effect is controlled in a time-division manner to increase the therapeutic effect.
Further, as another prior art, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-1872
There are known techniques described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 65-65, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-332209, and the like. These prior arts focus on the gap between the bones of the fractured affected area, and can more efficiently transmit and irradiate acoustic energy to the space. 1 /
By selecting the frequency of the ultrasonic wave so as to be four wavelengths, a standing wave is established in the space between the bones to promote treatment.

[0007] None of the aforementioned methods and devices for treating fractures using ultrasonic waves according to the prior art have a function of measuring the healing state of an affected part of a fracture, and are dedicated to treatment by ultrasonic irradiation. However, the diagnosis of the healing condition must rely on another method and apparatus.

As the only prior art relating to a method and an apparatus for simultaneously performing treatment and diagnosis using ultrasonic waves, the technique described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 9-505745 is known. , As bone diagnosis, bone mineral density,
It measures strength and fracture rate quantitatively, and its correlation with fracture healing degree is not clear, and the measurement, analysis, and calculation means are complicated.

In this prior art, since a pair of transducers are used so as to sandwich the affected part, the transmitting transducer, the part to be measured (affected part), and the receiving transducer must be on a straight line. Therefore, it is difficult to align the transducers. Further, in this conventional technique, since most of the transmitted ultrasonic waves are reflected on the surface of the affected part (bone), the energy of the transmitted ultrasonic waves is extremely small, and the transmission energy is increased in order to obtain sufficient transmitted energy. It is necessary, but this causes a problem that it is difficult to suppress the intensity of the ultrasonic wave transmitted within the safety standard for the living body.

[0010] Generally, in the treatment by irradiation of ultrasonic waves, if the intensity of the irradiated ultrasonic waves is too high, there is a risk of destroying the tissue. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the intensity of the irradiated ultrasonic waves to a certain reference value or less. There is. Many of the above-mentioned prior arts also take this point into consideration, and there is a description specifying the intensity of the ultrasonic wave to be irradiated. However, all of the above-mentioned conventional techniques are intended to treat a bone located at a relatively shallow subcutaneous site, and the fat between the skin and the bone,
No consideration is given to the attenuation of ultrasonic waves caused by muscles, tendons and the like.

[0011] In the past, there have been many reports on diagnostic methods aimed at diagnosing osteoporosis, but none of these techniques has been known for the purpose of measuring the state of fracture healing.

[0012] Diagnosis of fracture healing at present is performed based on a doctor's subjective judgment by examining an image obtained by X-ray imaging of the affected part of the fracture. In other words, the criteria for the diagnosis of “healed” is made by comparing the fractured part with the healthy part, and can be said to be a relative diagnosis.

[0013]

The prior art described above is
In any case, the treatment and the diagnosis cannot be performed simultaneously. Even if the treatment and the diagnosis can be performed simultaneously, the measurement, analysis, and calculation means are complicated, and the alignment of the transducer is also difficult. Is difficult to take.

Although the above-mentioned prior art considers the intensity of ultrasonic waves to be irradiated, it does not consider the intensity of ultrasonic waves which are attenuated by subcutaneous fat or muscle and reach the bone surface. It is considered that only the bones in the subcutaneous area such as the calcaneus are targeted for treatment, and in the case of fractures in the deep subcutaneous areas such as the femur, the ultrasonic waves of the intended strength do not necessarily reach the surface of the bone when applying treatment. There is a problem that it cannot be said that there is.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to provide an apparatus such as an X-ray imaging apparatus which may be exposed to radiation or an MR.
Bone that enables measurement of the healing state of the affected area while performing bone treatment after surgery and the like by non-invasive and simple means using ultrasound without using a large device such as I To provide a treatment / healing diagnosis method and a treatment / healing diagnosis device.

The amount measured in the healing state diagnosis according to the present invention is not a physical quantity of the bone itself whose correlation with the degree of fracture healing is complicated because the measuring means is complicated as in the case of the prior art, but is measured by a simple method. Fracture gap distance that can be analyzed. The reason why the fracture gap distance is measured as the degree of fracture healing is that, at present, the judgment of fracture healing that is routinely performed by a doctor is made based on the presence or absence of a boundary between a healthy part and a fracture part from an X-ray image. In consideration of this, it is considered that the information useful for determining the fracture healing is not the physical quantity such as the bone density but the distance of the fracture gap space.

Another object of the present invention is to measure the distance between the skin and the bone by ultrasonic waves in consideration of attenuation of ultrasonic waves generated in fat, muscle and tendon existing between the body surface and the bone. ,
Ultrasound irradiation intensity suitable for treatment can be achieved not on the transducer surface but on the affected bone surface.In this case, the irradiation ultrasonic intensity becomes higher than the bone surface in the vicinity of the transducer. It is an object of the present invention to provide a bone treatment / healing diagnosis method and a bone treatment / healing diagnosis device that can be suppressed within a reference threshold.

[0018]

According to the present invention, there is provided a bone treatment / healing diagnosis method for treating a bone by irradiating an ultrasonic wave and diagnosing a healing state. This is achieved by measuring the healing state using the same ultrasonic reflected signal as the ultrasonic wave used for the treatment.

The object of the present invention is to measure the degree of healing of a bone by receiving a reflected wave of an ultrasonic wave from the surface of the bone, taking the received signal into a computer, and performing signal processing. In addition, this is achieved by measuring the intensity distribution of the ultrasonic reflected signal from the long axis direction of the bone including the fractured part of the affected part.

The object of the present invention is to optimize the bone treatment by measuring the distance between the part of the bone to be treated and the body surface using ultrasonic waves, calculating the attenuation of the ultrasonic waves, and setting the treatment. By controlling the intensity of the ultrasound so that the intensity of the ultrasound is achieved at the surface of the bone,
When a setting exceeding the safety standard value for the living body is performed, a warning sound is emitted and the intensity of the ultrasonic wave to be irradiated is automatically set within the safety standard.

[0021] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for treating bone by irradiating an ultrasonic wave and diagnosing a healing state.
In a healing diagnostic device, a transducer that generates ultrasonic waves, irradiates the ultrasonic waves to the affected bone, and receives a reflected signal of the ultrasonic waves from the bone, and a process provided in a computer for the received reflected signals of the ultrasonic waves This is achieved by measuring the healing state of the affected bone using the same ultrasonic reflected signal as the ultrasonic wave used for the treatment.

Further, the object is to provide a means for measuring the intensity distribution of an ultrasonic reflected signal from the longitudinal direction of the bone including the fractured part of the affected part for measuring the degree of healing of the bone. For the treatment of bone, the distance between the part of the bone to be treated and the body surface is measured by ultrasound, the means for calculating the attenuation of the ultrasound, and the strength of the ultrasound that is optimal for the set treatment Means for controlling the intensity of the ultrasound as achieved at the surface.

Further, the object is to provide an indicator lamp having a plurality of lamps, a function of a timer during treatment and a function of displaying that the ultrasonic wave applied to the affected part is correctly applied to the affected part. Means that emits a warning sound when the intensity of the irradiated ultrasonic wave exceeds the safety standard value for the living body, and automatically controls the intensity of the irradiated ultrasonic wave. And means for setting within the standard.

[0024] Further, the object is to provide a means for managing a large number of personal data of a patient's individual treatment history and the change over time of the healing state in a database, and a means for displaying the personal data for setting optimal treatment conditions. This is achieved by having the following.

[0025]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a method for treating and healing a bone and a diagnostic apparatus for healing and healing according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a bone treatment / healing diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of processing for automatically setting the intensity of ultrasonic waves to be irradiated. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the function of the indicator lamp of the treatment / healing diagnosis device, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the distribution of the reflection intensity of the ultrasonic wave in the longitudinal direction of the bone, and FIGS. 5 and 6 manage the data of the individual patient. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. 1, 3 and 4, 1 is a sine wave oscillator, 2 is a rectangular wave oscillator, 3 is a multiplier, 4 and 11 are amplifiers, 5 is a gate circuit, and 6 is an ultrasonic transducer (probe, probe). , 7 is the surface of the patient's body (skin), 8 is the affected part of the fracture, 9 is the irradiation ultrasonic wave for treatment, 10 is the reflected ultrasonic wave for diagnosis, 12 is the A / D converter, 13 is the PC (PC), 1
4 is a monitor, 15 is an operator (doctor), 18 is a timer, 19 is a treatment time setting signal, 20 is a probe drive voltage adjustment signal, 21 is a power indicator lamp, 22 is a power switch, and 23 is a probe drive voltage. An adjustment knob, 24 is a process indicator, 25 is a treatment time setting knob, and 26 is a treatment start button.

A bone treatment / healing diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a treatment section for driving and controlling a probe, a diagnosis section for analyzing a reflected wave signal received by the probe, and a package of diagnosis results and patient personal data. The diagnosis unit and the management unit are realized by software on a PC.

As shown in FIG. 1, the treatment / healing diagnostic apparatus includes a sine wave oscillator 1, a rectangular wave oscillator 2, a multiplier 3 for multiplying signals from these oscillators, and amplifying a signal from the multiplier 3. Amplifier 4, a signal for irradiation from the amplifier 4 to the probe 6, and a reflected signal from the probe 6 to the amplifier 1.
A gate circuit 5 for separating the signal so as to transfer the signal to 1; a signal for irradiation converted into an ultrasonic wave;
A probe 6 for receiving a reflected ultrasonic wave 10 for diagnosis, an amplifier 11 for amplifying a reflected signal, an A / D converter 12 for converting an analog signal from the amplifier 11 into a digital signal, and an A / D converter 12 , And generates a probe drive voltage adjustment signal 20 and a treatment time setting signal 19 for the probe 6 so that the amplification degree of the amplifier 4 and the timer 1
The PC 13 is provided to set the value of 8 and to generate necessary information for the operator to display on the monitor 14.

In the above description, the oscillation frequency of the sine wave oscillator 1 is 1.5 MHz, which is known as a frequency suitable for bone treatment, and the oscillation frequency of the rectangular wave oscillator 2 is 1 KHz having a duty ratio of 20%. . In the treatment by the treatment / healing diagnostic apparatus configured as described above, the signals from the oscillators 1 and 2 are multiplied by the multiplier 3 to form a pulse-like (20% portion of a 1 kHz rectangular wave into a 1.5 MHz sine wave). (There is a wave).
The level is controlled to a predetermined level by the amplifier 4 and the gate circuit 5
Irradiating the fractured affected part 8 with therapeutic irradiation ultrasonic waves 9 which are given to the probe 6 via the probe 6 and the irradiation ultrasonic intensity of which is controlled from the probe 6.

At this time, the reflected wave is detected by the probe 6 at a time when the 1 KHz rectangular wave is not output, and the detection signal is output to the amplifier 11 and the A / D converter 12.
Is input to the PC 13 via the. The PC 13 generates a probe drive voltage adjustment signal 20 for controlling the amplification degree of the amplifier 4 based on this signal, and on the basis of patient data input and treatment condition setting information from the operator 15 as a doctor, , Generates a treatment time setting signal 19 and generates a timer 1
Set to 8.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, a processing operation by the PC 13 when the doctor sets the intensity of the ultrasonic wave to be irradiated suitable for the treatment will be described. The ultrasonic waves applied to the affected area are attenuated by fat and muscle, reach the surface of the bone to be treated, and are used for treatment.The distance between the bone and the body surface is determined by ultrasonic pulses. The drive output (amplifier gain) is measured and compensated for the attenuation.
At this time, automatic control is performed so that the irradiation intensity of the ultrasonic waves before being attenuated on the probe surface is within a safety standard value for the living body.

(1) For setting and controlling the intensity of the ultrasonic wave to be irradiated prior to the treatment, an ultrasonic pulse having an intensity lower than the safety threshold set by the doctor is transmitted, and a reflected wave from the bone surface is received (step). 201-203).

(2) A / D-converted received signal is transmitted to PC1
3 is input. The PC 13 calculates the time delay 2τ corresponding to the round trip propagation time between the skin and the bone by calculating the cross-correlation function between the transmitted and received signals (step 20).
4-206).

(3) Next, the PC 13 makes use of the fact that the propagation speed v of the ultrasonic wave propagating in the living tissue is substantially equal to the propagation speed of the ultrasonic wave in water, and provides the space between the skin and the bone given by vτ. Is calculated (step 207).

(4) Further, the PC 13 obtains the attenuation rate A of the ultrasonic wave between the skin and the bone as A = exp (-αd) based on the attenuation constant α of fat, muscle, tendon and the like measured in advance. The probe drive voltage is adjusted so that the intensity of the ultrasonic wave on the surface of the probe (transducer) 6 becomes 1 / A (Steps 208 and 209).

(5) It is checked whether or not the intensity of the ultrasonic wave on the surface of the probe (transducer) 6 is within the safety standard. If the intensity exceeds the safety standard, the probe drive voltage is readjusted. To start the actual treatment (Step 2
10, 211).

By the above-described processing, the ultrasonic wave is irradiated on the bone surface at an intensity of 1 / A times the intensity of the ultrasonic wave on the surface of the probe (transducer) 6, and the ultrasonic wave exceeds the safety threshold of the irradiated ultrasonic wave intensity. Without such a condition, it is possible to perform treatment with ultrasonic intensity suitable for treatment of the bone surface.
In general, the ultrasonic power on the bone surface that is optimal for bone treatment is approximately 30 mW / cm ² , and is a safety standard value of the ultrasonic intensity on the surface of the probe (transducer) 6, that is, the skin surface. Is several hundreds mW / cm ² or less.

The algorithm for setting the intensity of the ultrasonic waves to be irradiated by the doctor suitable for the treatment is programmed on the PC 13 as software. Further, the treatment time is set according to the judgment of the doctor according to the progress of the healing state of the patient. In addition, when performing the above-described setting of the ultrasonic intensity or during the treatment, when the intensity of the ultrasonic wave to be irradiated is set to exceed the safety standard value for the living body for any reason, the present invention provides a warning sound. It can be emitted and the intensity of the radiated ultrasonic wave can be automatically set within the safety standard.

The treatment of the patient is performed as described above. During the treatment, the patient is unaware that the treatment is being performed due to the characteristics of the ultrasound. However, in some cases, this can cause anxiety in the patient. For this reason,
The treatment / healing diagnosis device according to the embodiment of the present invention always receives and monitors a reflected wave from a bone even during treatment, and informs the patient that treatment is actually being performed (ultrasonic waves are irradiated on the affected part). An indicator lamp is provided so that it can be notified. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 3, this indicator lamp calls attention by flashing or extinguishing the lamp when the ultrasonic irradiation being monitored does not hit the fractured part for some reason. The lamp also serves as a timer until the end of the treatment period, helping to reduce the mental anxiety of patients who merely vaguely wait for the end of the treatment period.

Although the above description has been made on the assumption that ultrasonic waves are irradiated to the affected part of the fracture in order to treat a human fracture and promote healing, the present invention is also applicable to an animal in which a fracture can be fatal. Can be.

Next, an example of the arrangement and functions of the indicator lamps of the treatment / healing diagnosis apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3A, a power indicator lamp 21, a power switch 22, a probe drive voltage adjusting knob 23, a process indicator are provided on the front panel of the treatment / healing diagnostic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 24, a treatment time setting knob 25, and a treatment start button 26 are arranged. The arrangement of the indicator lamps and the like is not limited to the illustrated example, and can be arbitrarily designed.

The process indicator 24 is composed of a plurality of lamps, LEDs, and the like (hereinafter simply referred to as lamps). As shown in FIG. Lights up and E just before the end of treatment
Only one lamp on the ND side (left side in the illustrated example) lights up in green. Also, during treatment, it is monitored whether the irradiated ultrasonic wave is steadily irradiating the affected area, and if the irradiation beam does not hit the affected area for any reason, the indicator lamp is controlled to flash red and flash Is done.

Conventionally, the diagnosis of the healing state is made based on the doctor's subjective judgment by examining the image obtained by X-ray imaging of the fractured part, but this diagnosis method requires complicated physical quantities. It must be measured by means. In the embodiment of the present invention, the healing state is diagnosed by measuring a more realistic amount (fracture gap space distance) by a simple method.

That is, the embodiment of the present invention measures the distance of the fracture gap space which is closely related to the healing state of the fracture, as shown in FIG. Then, an ultrasonic pulse was transmitted for each, and the distribution of the reflection coefficient of the ultrasonic wave in the longitudinal direction of the bone was measured. This makes use of the fact that the reflection coefficient of the fractured part is lower than that of the healthy part. Based on the measurement result, the distance of the area having a small reflection coefficient is calculated, and the calculated distance is used as the spatial distance of the fracture gap. And this distance is
As the healing state progresses, it becomes smaller and is considered to be closely related to the healing state. Therefore, this distance can be diagnosed as the healing degree.

Next, a method for measuring the bone healing state by measuring the distribution of the reflection intensity of ultrasonic waves in the longitudinal direction of the bone will be described with reference to FIG.

When measuring the healing state of the bone, FIG.
As shown in (1), the healthy part and the affected part 8 of the bone are irradiated with an ultrasonic beam in the longitudinal direction of the bone, the intensity of reflection from the bone is measured, and the distribution in the longitudinal direction of the bone is measured. At this time, the scanning of the ultrasonic beam may be either a sector (sector) or a square (linear), but in the former case, the reflection intensity needs to be corrected by the angle of the ultrasonic beam irradiation direction. Since the reflection intensity of the ultrasonic wave in the affected area is smaller than the reflection intensity of the healthy part, an area having a small reflection intensity is determined to be the affected area, and the distance between the areas can be used as an index of the healing state.

That is, the distribution of the measured reflection intensity from the bone in the longitudinal direction of the bone is displayed on the monitor 14 as shown in FIG. A curve 27 shown in FIG. 4 (b) indicates the measured reflection intensity, a portion indicated as a fracture interval distance 28 is a fractured affected portion, a portion where the ultrasonic reflection intensity is small, and the doctor determines the fracture interval distance. The healing state can be determined by looking at the size of 28.

In the case of the sector scan, the above-described ultrasonic beam scanning can be performed by giving a signal whose phase is controlled to each of a plurality of electro-acoustic transducers constituting the probe. For scanning, this can be done by sliding the probe over the skin surface. In addition, by performing the above-described measurement prior to the treatment, the relative position between the probe and the fractured part can be known, whereby the probe can be set to the best position. In addition, the intensity of the ultrasonic wave when performing the above-described measurement may be the same as in the case of the treatment.

In order to manage the personal data of the patient, a display screen for managing the personal data of the patient as shown in FIG. The doctor or the like can use this display screen to enter data regarding the patient (patient ID, name, furigana, date of birth, age, gender, affected part, reason for visiting the patient, etc.), and to treat the patient. The personal data and treatment history (date, treatment time, set irradiation intensity) can be displayed every time, and the healing degree can be input. Further, if necessary, a reflection intensity distribution at the time of diagnosis can be displayed.

The example of the display screen for managing the personal data of the patient shown in FIG. 6 is an example in which the data on the individual patient and the change with time of the healing state are displayed, and is based on a healing plan model set in advance by a doctor. A curve 29 indicated by a broken line and a curve 30 indicating the progress of the actually measured healing state are displayed in a certain figure. The physician can set the next treatment time and the irradiation intensity of the ultrasonic wave by seeing this.

The control, treatment, and diagnosis processes of the treatment / healing diagnosis apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention described above are managed by a management process that controls each process implemented as software on the PC 13. . And this management process is based on the patient's personal data (name,
It is possible to collectively manage not only gender, age, treatment site, reason for visiting, etc.) but also treatment history (treatment time for each treatment, irradiation intensity, etc.), and temporal change of the healing state. Accordingly, the physician uses the patient I to determine the optimal treatment conditions (ultrasonic irradiation intensity, treatment time, etc.) based on the past treatment history for each patient.
By inputting D, it is possible to browse easily.

In addition, the management process described above is based on a database having a history of past treatment of a patient, so that it is effective when evaluating the results of bone treatment. In addition to organizing data, the program is programmed to collectively provide data only by the input of a physician in evaluation and examination of treatment time vs. treatment effect, irradiation intensity vs. healing effect. Further, as described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the management process is programmed so that the personal data of the patient and the change over time of the healing state can be displayed on the monitor of the PC.

According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the healing state can be measured as it is without removing the ultrasonic transducer adhered to the body surface for treating a fracture. That is, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the treatment and the diagnosis can be performed at the same time by using exactly the same device.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the treatment period determined by the conventional subjective judgment by the doctor using X-rays is presented to the doctor in addition to the personal data of the patient, By making a comparison with a healing curve set by a doctor, it is possible to determine objectively, and at the same time, it is possible to completely eliminate the risk of being exposed by X-ray imaging. Furthermore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, since a mechanism for realizing the intensity of the irradiation ultrasonic wave suitable for the treatment is realized on the bone surface, the effect based on the intensity based treatment on the ultrasonic transducer surface cannot be achieved. Medical treatment can be performed.

[0056]

As described above, according to the present invention, X
Non-invasive, simple and non-invasive treatment of the bones after surgery, etc., using ultrasound without the use of large-scale devices such as MRI or MRI or other devices that may be exposed to radiation. It is possible to measure the healing state of the affected part.

According to the present invention, the distance between the skin and the bone is measured by ultrasonic waves in consideration of the attenuation of the ultrasonic waves generated in fat, muscle and tendon existing between the body surface and the bone. ,
Ultrasonic irradiation intensity suitable for treatment can be achieved not on the transducer surface but on the affected bone surface, and the irradiation ultrasonic intensity higher than the bone surface near the transducer should be within the safety standard threshold. Treatment can be suppressed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a bone treatment / healing diagnosis device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a process of automatically setting the intensity of ultrasonic waves to be irradiated.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a function of an indicator lamp of the treatment / healing diagnosis device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the distribution of the reflection intensity of ultrasonic waves in the longitudinal direction of a bone.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example (part 1) of a display screen for managing individual patient data.

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining an example (part 2) of a display screen for managing individual patient data.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 sine wave oscillator 2 square wave oscillator 3 multiplier 4, 11 amplifier 5 gate circuit 6 ultrasonic transducer (probe, probe) 7 patient body surface (skin) 8 fracture affected part 9 therapeutic irradiation ultrasonic wave 10 diagnostic reflection ultrasonic Sound wave 12 A / D converter 13 PC (personal computer) 14 Monitor 15 Operator (doctor) 18 Timer 19 Treatment time setting signal 20 Probe drive voltage adjustment signal 21 Power indicator lamp 22 Power switch 23 Probe drive voltage adjustment knob 24 Process indicator 25 Treatment time setting knob 26 Treatment start button

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Chitose Nakatani 216 Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Hitachi Advanced Systems Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Mitsuo Takei 216 Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture 4C099 AA10 CA19 EA20 GA30 JA13 LA21

Claims (12)

[Claims] Claims: 1. A treatment of a bone by irradiation of an ultrasonic wave,
In addition, in a bone treatment / healing diagnosis method for diagnosing a healing state, the healing state of the affected bone is measured using a reflection signal of the same ultrasonic wave as the ultrasonic wave used for the treatment. Treatment / healing diagnosis method. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement of the degree of healing of the bone is performed by receiving a reflected wave of an ultrasonic wave from the surface of the bone, taking the received signal into a computer, and performing signal processing. Bone treatment and healing diagnosis method. 3. The bone according to claim 1, wherein the measurement of the degree of healing of the bone is performed by measuring an intensity distribution of a reflected signal of an ultrasonic wave from a longitudinal direction of the bone including a fracture site of the affected part. Treatment / healing diagnosis method. 4. The treatment of a bone is performed by measuring a distance between a part of a bone to be treated and a body surface by an ultrasonic wave, calculating an attenuation amount of the ultrasonic wave, and setting an optimal ultrasonic wave for the set treatment. 4. The bone treatment / healing diagnosis method according to claim 1, wherein the intensity of the ultrasonic wave is controlled so that the intensity of the sound wave is achieved on the surface of the bone. 5. When the intensity of the ultrasonic wave to be applied exceeds a safety standard value for a living body, a warning sound is issued and the intensity of the ultrasonic wave to be applied is automatically set within the safety standard. The bone treatment / healing diagnosis method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: 6. Treating bone by irradiation of ultrasonic waves,
In addition, in a bone treatment / healing diagnostic apparatus for diagnosing a healing state, a transducer that generates ultrasonic waves, irradiates the ultrasonic waves to the affected bone, and receives a reflected signal of the ultrasonic waves from the bone, A bone treatment / healing diagnostic apparatus, comprising: means for processing a sound wave reflection signal, wherein the healing state of the affected bone is measured using the same ultrasonic reflection signal as the ultrasonic wave used for the treatment. . 7. The bone treatment / healing diagnosis apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said reflection signal processing means is configured in a computer. 8. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising means for measuring an intensity distribution of an ultrasonic reflected signal from a longitudinal direction of the bone including a fracture site of the affected part for measuring a degree of healing of the bone. The bone treatment / healing diagnosis device according to the above. 9. A means for measuring a distance between a part of a bone to be treated and a body surface with an ultrasonic wave to calculate an attenuation amount of the ultrasonic wave for the treatment of the bone, and an optimal ultrasonic treatment for the set treatment. 9. The bone treatment / healing diagnosis apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising means for controlling the intensity of the ultrasonic wave so that the intensity of the sound wave is achieved on the surface of the bone. 10. An indicator lamp comprising a plurality of lamps, the indicator lamp having a function of a timer during treatment and a function of displaying that the ultrasonic wave applied to the affected part is correctly applied to the affected part. The bone treatment / healing diagnosis device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein: 11. A means for issuing a warning sound when the intensity of an ultrasonic wave to be irradiated exceeds a safety standard value for a living body, and automatically setting the intensity of the ultrasonic wave to be irradiated within the safety standard. The bone treatment / healing diagnosis apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 10, further comprising means. 12. A means for managing a large number of personal data of a patient's individual treatment history and a change in healing over time in a database, and a means for displaying the personal data for setting optimal treatment conditions. The bone treatment / healing diagnosis apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein: