JPH0342919Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] (b) Industrial application fields This invention relates to an acupuncture point (acupoint) exploration device.

(B) Prior Art Generally, it is known that acupuncture points of a living body have lower skin impedance than other parts of the body, and devices for exploring acupuncture points have been conventionally implemented with this in mind.

This acupuncture point exploration device brings at least two electrodes into contact with the skin, applies a constant voltage between the two electrodes, derives a voltage corresponding to the flowing current, that is, skin impedance, and combines this voltage with a reference voltage. are being compared. At points where the skin impedance is low, such as at acupuncture points, the current flowing becomes large and the derived voltage exceeds the reference voltage, allowing the acupuncture points to be explored. This type of acupuncture point exploration device is designed to adjust the reference voltage using a manual regulator.

(c) Problems that the invention aims to solve Although it is said that the skin impedance of acupuncture points is smaller than that of other parts, this is only relative and actually varies depending on the person or region. Therefore, skin impedance varies from person to person, and it is necessary to determine the voltage (reference voltage) that the signal voltage exceeds to determine the acupuncture point, and to adjust the reference voltage depending on the person and body part. Conventionally, the reference voltage was adjusted using a knob on a manual regulator, and it was not easy to determine how high the reference voltage should be set, making level adjustment extremely troublesome and sometimes leading to incorrect setting of the reference voltage. There was a problem.

In view of the above, the purpose of this invention is to provide an acupuncture point exploration device that can easily set the reference voltage without bothering the person performing the measurement.

(d) Means and action for solving the problems The acupuncture point exploration device of this invention includes a high-pass filter that receives at its input a signal voltage that changes according to skin impedance, a DC reference voltage source, and the output of the high-pass filter. It is characteristically configured to include a comparison circuit which receives and compares the reference voltage from the DC reference voltage source and outputs a signal indicating that it is an acupuncture point when the output of the high-pass filter becomes large.

In this acupuncture point exploration device, the DC component and slow fluctuations of the signal voltage are removed by a high-pass filter, and only the high-frequency component of the signal voltage, that is, the high-level signal at the acupuncture point, is derived from the output side of the high-pass filter. , is input to the comparison circuit. The comparison circuit compares whether or not this signal voltage exceeds the reference voltage, and if it does, outputs a signal indicating the acupuncture point. Since slow changes in the signal voltage are removed by the high-pass filter, there is no need for the measurer to adjust the reference voltage.

(e) Examples This invention will be explained in more detail below using examples.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an acupuncture point exploration device in which this invention is implemented.

This acupuncture point exploration device has three electrodes called an indifferent electrode 1, an indifferent electrode 2, and a potential electrode 3, and these three electrodes move on the surface of the skin 4 at predetermined intervals. It's summery.

A series circuit of a DC power source 5 and a protective resistor 6 is connected between the indifferent electrode 1 and the indifferent electrode 2. DC power supply 5
The connection point between the positive side of the protective resistor 6 and the protective resistor 6 is grounded, and the related electrode 2 is connected to the amplification section 7 and the buffer section 8. On the other hand, the potential electrode 3 is also connected to the input of the amplification section 7. Since the skin impedance is high, the buffer section 8 is provided to suppress the influence on the subsequent circuit.

The outputs of the amplifier section 7 and the buffer section 8 are given to the input of the calculation section 9, and the calculation section 9 calculates the ratio V 1 of the voltage drop V ₁ of the protective resistor 6 to the voltage drop V ₂ of the skin impedance _R. /V ₂ is calculated, and its output is applied to one end of the input of the comparison section 11 via a filter section 10 for removing power supply noise.

The comparator 11 outputs an output when the input signal voltage from the filter unit 10 is higher than the reference voltage.
In other words, it outputs a signal indicating that it is an acupuncture point,
The signal is added to the oscillating section 12, and the oscillating section 12 starts an oscillating operation based on this signal to drive the buzzer 13. That is, each time the signal voltage to the comparator 11 exceeds the reference voltage, the buzzer 13 emits a sound indicating an acupuncture point.

The comparison unit 11 receives the signal voltage input from the filter unit 10, and connects a high-pass filter 21 consisting of a capacitor C and a resistor _R1 , and a reference voltage source 22.
An operational amplifier for comparison receives the output of the high-pass filter 21 and the reference voltage from the reference voltage source 22, compares the levels of both voltages, and outputs an output when the output of the high-pass filter 21 is larger. circuit) 23. This comparison section 11 is where the feature of this invention lies.

Next, the operation of the acupuncture point exploration device according to the above embodiment will be explained.

First, three electrodes 1, 2, and 3 are brought into contact with and moved onto four surfaces of the skin. During operation, a current I depending on the skin impedance R flows through the protective resistor 6, the related electrode 2, and the indifferent electrode 1. Then, the larger the skin impedance R, the larger V ₂ becomes, and the ratio value V ₁ /
V ₂ becomes smaller, and the output signal of the calculation section 9 becomes smaller. Conversely, the smaller the skin impedance,
V ₂ becomes small, the ratio value V ₁ /V ₂ becomes large, and the output of the calculation section 9 at that point, and therefore the signal voltage input to the comparison section 11 through the filter section 10, becomes large.

As each electrode 1, 2, 3 moves on the skin 4, the signal voltage input to the comparison unit 11 changes greatly according to the fluctuation of the skin impedance, and becomes a large impulse-like voltage at the acupuncture points. This waveform is shown in FIG. 2A. This signal voltage also includes a slow fluctuation component, but the slow fluctuation component and DC component are removed by the high-pass filter 21, and the positive input terminal of the operational amplifier 23 is inputted as shown in FIG. Only the impulse portion shown in B is input. Then, in the operational amplifier 23, the reference voltage V _s from the reference voltage source 22 and the second
The changing waveform in Figure B is compared. In areas other than the acupuncture points, the signal voltage output from the high-pass filter 21 is almost 0 and lower than the reference voltage _Vs , so the output of the operational amplifier 23 is at a low level, but when the electrode reaches the acupuncture point, , the signal voltage at the output of the high-pass filter 21 becomes higher than the reference voltage _Vs , and the output of the operational amplifier 23 outputs a signal with a waveform as shown in FIG. 2C, that is, a high-level signal. This pulse signal is a signal indicating that an acupuncture point has been explored, and the oscillating unit 12 is energized by this signal, and the buzzer 13 emits a sound notifying the acupuncture point exploration.

In addition, in the above-mentioned example device, the device using three electrodes was given as an example, but of course, this device
Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to an acupuncture point exploration device that employs two electrodes.

Furthermore, instead of the buzzer, other means such as a display may be used as the means for notifying the acupuncture point exploration.

(f) Effect of the invention According to this invention, the signal voltage to be compared with the reference voltage is inputted to the comparator circuit through a high-pass filter. Therefore, the reference voltage can be easily adjusted, and the troublesome adjustment required in the conventional method is freed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an acupuncture point exploration device in which this invention is implemented, and FIGS. 2A, B, and C are waveform diagrams for explaining the operation of the comparing section of the device. 21: High pass filter, 22: Reference voltage source,
23: Operational amplifier (comparison circuit).

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] Applying a predetermined voltage between at least two electrodes,
An acupuncture point exploration device that explores acupuncture points by the magnitude of the level of a signal voltage derived according to the difference in impedance of the skin in contact with the electrode, which includes: a high-pass filter receiving at its input a signal voltage that changes according to the skin impedance; It comprises a reference voltage source, and a comparison circuit that receives and compares the output of the high-pass filter and the reference voltage from the DC reference voltage source, and outputs a signal indicating an acupuncture point when the output of the high-pass filter is large. An acupuncture point exploration device characterized by: