BRAIN STIMULATION DEVICE USING ULTRASONIC WAVES AND METHOD USING SAME

• Main Authors: SEO, JONG BUM, YOU, BUM JAE, JO, YONG JUN, PARK, JIN KAM
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; Korean
• Published: 26.11.2015
• Subjects: DIAGNOSIS; ELECTROTHERAPY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; MAGNETOTHERAPY; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; RADIATION THERAPY; SURGERY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY

Disclosed are a brain stimulation device and method using ultrasonic waves. The brain stimulation device using ultrasonic waves comprises: a target position calculation unit for calculating, on the basis of an image of the skull of a user which has been obtained in advance and an image of the skull of the user which has been photographed through at least one marker, an ultrasonic wave target position to be irradiated by ultrasonic waves; a phase adjustment unit for adjusting the phase of each of a plurality of piezoelectric elements so that a multi-focus is formed at the ultrasonic wave target position; and an ultrasonic wave conversion unit for converting an electric signal into an ultrasonic wave signal by applying the electric signal to the plurality of piezoelectric elements which have been phase-adjusted so that ultrasonic waves are irradiated on the ultrasonic wave target position. Accordingly, it is possible for ultrasonic waves to irradiate the exact position of the brain which needs to be stimulated and it is possible to prevent permanent damage to the brain by shortening the ultrasonic wave stimulation time. L'invention concerne un dispositif et un procédé de stimulation du cerveau employant une onde ultrasonore. Le dispositif de stimulation du cerveau employant une onde ultrasonore comprend : une unité de calcul de position de cible pour calculer, sur la base d'une image du crâne d'un utilisateur qui a été obtenue à l'avance et d'une image du crâne de l'utilisateur qui a été photographié par l'intermédiaire d'au moins un marqueur, d'une position cible d'onde ultrasonore devant être irradiée par une onde ultrasonore ; une unité d'ajustement de phase pour ajuster la phase de chaque élément d'une pluralité d'éléments piézo-électriques de telle sorte qu'un point focal multiple se forme sur la position cible de l'onde ultrasonore ; et une unité de conversion d'onde ultrasonore pour convertir un signal électrique en un signal d'onde ultrasonore par application du signal électrique à la pluralité d'éléments piézo-électriques dont la phase a été ajustée de sorte que l'onde ultrasonore irradie la position cible d'onde ultrasonore. Ainsi, il est possible que l'onde ultrasonore irradie la position exacte du cerveau qui doit être stimulée et il est possible d'éviter des lésions permanentes au cerveau en raccourcissant de la durée de stimulation par l'onde ultrasonore. 초음파를 이용하는 뇌 자극 장치 및 방법이 개시된다. 초음파를 이용하는 뇌 자극 장치는 미리 획득한 사용자 두개골의 영상 및 적어도 하나의 마커(maker)를 통해 촬영된 사용자 두개골의 영상을 기반으로 초음파를 조사할 초음파 타겟 위치를 산출하는 타겟 위치 산출부, 초음파 타겟 위치에 다중 초점이 형성되도록 다수의 압전 소자 각각에 대한 위상을 조절하는 위상 조절부 및 초음파 타겟 위치에 초음파가 조사되도록 위상이 조절된 다수의 압전 소자에 전기 신호를 가하여 초음파 신호로 변환하는 초음파 변환부를 포함한다. 따라서, 자극이 필요한 정확한 뇌의 위치에 초음파를 조사할 수 있으며 초음파 자극 시간을 단축하여 뇌의 영구적 손상을 방지할 수 있다.