JP2892181B2 - Magnetic stimulation coil - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stimulation coil for electromagnetically stimulating nerve cells of a living body from outside the living body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 shows, for example, IEEE Transa
ction on Magnetics, Vol. MA
G-26, No5. This is a cranial nerve stimulation method using a conventional stimulation coil described in September 1990. In the figure, reference numerals 1 and 2 denote stimulation coils placed parallel to the scalp, reference numerals 3 and 4 denote induced currents induced by the stimulation coils in the head, and reference numeral 5 denotes nerve cells to be stimulated.

Next, the operation will be described. When a pulse current is applied to the stimulation coil, a pulse magnetic field is generated in the brain, and the induced current 3 flows in a direction to cancel the magnetic field. The same applies to the stimulation coil 2. When pulse currents of opposite directions are simultaneously applied to the stimulation coils 1 and 2, the induced current is strengthened at the contact points of the coils 1 and 2 to stimulate the nerve cells 5 corresponding to the contact positions. In this case, the induced current flowing through the nerve cell 5 flows in a plane parallel to the coil, that is, the scalp, and has one direction (the same as the direction of the current at the portion where the coils 1 and 2 are in contact). Of the five nerve cells, only the nerve cells whose induced current is flowing from the cell body side to the peripheral side are stimulated. That is, only nerve cells in the same direction as the induced current are stimulated. Here, the direction of the nerve cell is a direction from the cell body side to the peripheral side.

[0004]

Since the conventional magnetic stimulation coil is configured as described above, there is a problem that it is not possible to stimulate a nerve cell oriented in a direction perpendicular to the scalp or the body surface. .

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has as its object to be able to stimulate all nerve cells which are oriented in an arbitrary direction.

[0006]

A magnetic stimulation coil according to the present invention is provided for electromagnetically stimulating nerve cells of a living body.
A plurality of coils perpendicular to the scalp or body surface and above
The nerve cell is located at a position where multiple coils face each other.
So that the sides of the coils are
Current direction is the same at the opposite position
The current is supplied to the plurality of coils . In addition, multiple scalp or body surface
In addition to the coils, placed horizontally with the scalp or body surface
It is provided with a plurality of coils . In addition, magnetic stimulation
The part of the file adjacent to the stimulus object
It is formed according to the shape .

[0007]

[Action] magnetic stimulation coils in the present invention, stimulation coils so induces a perpendicular induced current to the scalp or body surface, can be performed even if the nerve stimulation vertically neurons scalp or body surface is disposed.

[0008] The stimulation coil pair placed parallel to the scalp or body surface and the stimulation coil pair placed perpendicular to the scalp or body surface induce an induced current in any direction on the scalp or body surface. Stimulates the nerve cells.

[0009]

【Example】

Embodiment 1 FIG. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, 5 is a nerve cell, 6 is a scalp, 7, 8 are 2
One side of the coil is a stimulation coil placed perpendicular to the scalp. 3, 4 are induced currents induced by the stimulation coils.

[0010] The stimulation coils 7, 8 are connected to the scalp or body surface.
Nerve cells in a vertical position where the stimulation coils 7 and 8 face each other
5 are arranged correspondingly. Stimulation coils 7, 8
Then, as shown by the solid arrows in the figure, the contact positions of the stimulation coils 7 and 8
Position, that is, the current direction
By passing the current in the same direction, the scalp
Alternatively, induced currents 3 and 4 flow on the body surface,
3 and 4 are corresponding nerve cells 5 on the scalp or body surface.
Vertically strengthened and effectively vertical nerve cells
5 can be stimulated.

Embodiment 2 FIG. FIG. 2 shows another embodiment. When four stimulation coils 7, 8, 9, 10 are arranged, the induced current at the position of the nerve cell is twice as large as that of the two, and stimulation can be easily performed. In the above embodiment, four stimulation coils are used, but any number of stimulation coils may be used as long as the number is two or more.

Embodiment 3 FIG. Another embodiment is shown in FIG. A combination of the vertical stimulation coils 7 and 8 and the horizontal stimulation coils 1 and 2 can generate an induced current at an arbitrary angle from the scalp by changing the respective current values. This can stimulate neurons in all directions.

Embodiment 4 FIG. Another embodiment is shown in FIG. The portions near the scalp of the vertical stimulation coils 7 and 8 have the same curvature as the scalp. It can also be applied to horizontal stimulation coils. As a result, the ratio of the magnetic field generated by the stimulation coil entering the body increases, and stimulation can be performed efficiently.

[0014]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
Can be used to electromagnetically stimulate living nerve cells.
Coils, perpendicular to the scalp or body surface and
Make sure that the nerve cells correspond to the positions where the coils face each other
In a position where multiple coils face each other
Current through multiple coils so that the current direction is the same.
So that multiple coils are paired with each other.
This has the effect of stimulating nerve cells perpendicular to the scalp or body surface corresponding to the facing position .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the scalp
Or, in addition to multiple coils arranged perpendicular to the body surface,
Provide multiple coils that are placed horizontally with the scalp or body surface
Corresponding to the position where multiple coils face each other
It has the effect of stimulating all the nerve cells you do.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a layout view of a magnetic stimulation coil according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a layout view of a magnetic stimulation coil according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a layout view of a magnetic stimulation coil according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a layout view of a magnetic stimulation coil according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a layout view of a conventional magnetic stimulation coil.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,2 horizontal stimulation coil 3,4 induced current 5 neuron 6 scalp 7,8,9,10 vertical stimulation coil

Continuation of front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) A61N 2/00 A61N 1/40

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] A plurality of coils for electromagnetically stimulating nerve cells of a living body are provided perpendicularly to the scalp or body surface and
The neural network is located at a position where the plurality of coils face each other.
Cells are arranged so that they correspond to each other, and the coils
So that the current direction is the same at the position facing
A magnetic stimulation coil, characterized in that a current is applied to the plurality of coils. 2. A plurality of cells arranged perpendicular to the scalp or body surface
In addition to the coils, placed horizontally with the scalp or body surface
2. The magnetic stimulation coil according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of coils. 3. A magnetic stimulation coil adjacent to an object to be stimulated.
The part was formed according to the external shape of the stimulation target
3. The magnetic stimulation coil according to claim 1, wherein:
Le.