JP2023041659A - Device and control method for device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a non-contact type device and a control method for the device.SOLUTION: A non-contact type device includes: a base material; a reference electrode which is provided for the base material and which can be brought into contact with a user; a drive electrode which is provided for the base material, which can be arranged in the state of facing a user's skin region and which has a direct-current drive voltage applied to a voltage of the reference electrode; and a contact part which is provided for the base material and which brings the base material into contact with the user so that a cavity can be formed between the drive electrode and the skin region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a device and a control method for the device.

In recent years, skin stimulation devices that can be attached to the skin have been devised. The skin stimulation device described in Patent Literature 1 includes a face-shaped mask and a magnetic material embedded in the mask. The magnetic field generated by the magnetic material improves the function of the skin.

JP 2018-138187 A

The skin stimulation device described in Patent Literature 1 performs skin stimulation while the skin portion to be stimulated is in contact with the device. Therefore, if the barrier function of the skin is weak, skin troubles such as pain, itching and inflammation may occur due to contact.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a non-contact device and a control method for the device.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a substrate; a reference electrode provided on the substrate and contactable with a user; a drive electrode to which a DC drive voltage is applied with respect to the voltage of the reference electrode; and a contact portion for contacting a substrate with the user.

According to another aspect of the invention, a reference electrode provided on a substrate and contacting a user; and a drive electrode provided on the substrate and positionable against a portion of the skin of the user. and applying a predetermined DC drive voltage relative to the voltage of the reference electrode; and a contact portion provided on the substrate such that a gap is formed between the drive electrode and the skin portion. and bringing the substrate into contact with the user.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a non-contact device and a control method for the device.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the skin stimulation system in this invention. 4 is a plan view of a mask in the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the mask in the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the mask in the first embodiment; FIG. It is a block diagram of the control part in 1st Embodiment. 3 is a block diagram of a user terminal in the first embodiment; FIG. It is an example of the operation screen of the user terminal in the first embodiment. It is an example of the operation screen of the user terminal in the first embodiment. It is an example of the operation screen of the user terminal in the first embodiment. It is an example of the operation screen of the user terminal in the first embodiment. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the skin stimulation device in the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a plan view of a mask in a second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a mask in a second embodiment; It is a block diagram of the control part in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flow chart showing operation of the skin stimulation device in a 2nd embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a mask in a third embodiment;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Elements having common functions throughout the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted or simplified.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a skin stimulation system according to the present invention. A skin stimulation system includes a skin stimulation device 1 and a user terminal 4 . The skin stimulation device 1 includes a mask 2 that can be worn on the skin and a controller 3 that controls the mask 2 . The mask 2 is equipped with electrodes and is used to stimulate the user's skin. The mask 2 can be a mobile terminal or a stationary terminal.

The controller 3 is electrically connected to the mask 2 via a cable 5 and controls the mask 2 . The control unit 3 has a touch display operated by a user, and drives the mask 2 according to the user's operation. The control unit 3 can also be operated by the user terminal 4 .

The user terminal 4 is used to operate the skin stimulation device 1 and can communicate with the control unit 3 via Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark). The wireless communication method between the skin stimulation device 1 and the user terminal 4 is not limited to Bluetooth, and may be any communication method such as NFC (Near Field Communication). The user terminal 4 may be a mobile terminal such as a smart phone, a tablet terminal, or a wearable terminal, or a stationary terminal such as a personal computer. Note that the user terminal 4 does not necessarily need to be provided separately from the control unit 3 , and may be configured integrally with the control unit 3 .

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the mask 2 in this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the mask 2 in this embodiment, taken along line III-III' of FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the mask 2 in this embodiment, taken along line IV-IV' of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG.

In FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the direction perpendicular to the front surface of the mask 2 is the Z direction, and arbitrary orthogonal axes substantially parallel to the surface of the mask 2 are the X direction and the Y direction. Here, the “front” of the mask 2 indicates the surface facing forward with respect to the skin 6 of the user, and the “back” of the mask 2 indicates the mounting surface facing the skin 6 .

The mask 2 includes a substrate 21 , mounting portions 22 , 23 , 24 and 25 , an insulating material 26 , a drive electrode 27 and a reference electrode 28 .

The substrate 21 may be composed of a thin film having a substantially elliptical shape in plan view in FIG. Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the base material 21 is curved in a hemispherical shape so as to cover the face. The substrate 21 preferably has a size sufficient to cover the face, but may cover only part of the face. Also, the base material 21 may have a shape that covers a part other than the face, such as the neck. Openings are formed in the base material 21 at locations corresponding to the nose, mouth, and eyes. In addition, when a space for breathing is formed between the base material 21 and the skin, openings corresponding to the nose and mouth are not necessarily formed. Also, if the substrate 21 is transparent, the openings corresponding to the eyes are not necessarily formed. By reducing the number of openings as much as possible, drive electrodes 27, which will be described later, can be provided at a plurality of locations on the substrate 21, and stimulation can be applied to the entire face. The base material 21 is preferably stretchable and has insulating properties, and can be made of a material such as silicone rubber or resin, for example.

A plurality of drive electrodes 27 are arranged on the substrate 21 at desired positions such as the cheeks, the corner of the eyes, and the chin. The drive electrode 27 is connected to the control unit 3 via the cable 5, and the drive electrode 27 can apply DC electric field stimulation to the skin 6. FIG. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the drive electrode 27 is provided on the substrate 21 at a position facing the skin 6 , that is, on the back surface of the substrate 21 . Therefore, the distance from the drive electrode 27 to the skin is shortened, and a DC electric field can be effectively applied to the skin. The drive electrode 27 can be made of, for example, a conductive film such as copper or aluminum. When the substrate 21 is made of a transparent material, the drive electrode 27 is made of a transparent electrode such as Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) or Fluorine doped Tin Oxide (FTO). good too. Although the drive electrode 27 has a rectangular shape in plan view in FIG. 2, it may have a regular polygonal, circular, or elliptical shape. Further, the number of drive electrodes 27 is not limited, and any number of drive electrodes 27 can be provided. A plurality of drive electrodes 27 may be arranged in an array over the substrate 21 , or one drive electrode 27 may be formed over the substrate 21 . Furthermore, the drive electrode 27 does not necessarily need to be in the form of a film, and may be an electrode wiring. In this case, the plurality of drive electrodes 27 can be formed in a mesh shape over the entire surface of the base material 21 .

The insulating material 26 is formed to cover the front and rear surfaces of the substrate 21 and the drive electrodes 27 , and functions as an insulating film for the drive electrodes 27 and a protective film for the substrate 21 . The insulating material 26 may be composed of materials such as polyimide and polyethylene terephthalate, for example. Note that the base material 21 and the insulating material 26 may be made of the same material. Alternatively, the insulating material 26 may be composed of a part of the base material 21 . In this case, the drive electrodes 27 are preferably embedded inside the base material 21 . This makes it possible to insulate the driving electrodes 27 while reducing the number of components of the mask 2 .

The pair of mounting portions 22 are elongated like ear hooks for eyeglasses. One end of each of the mounting portions 22 is attached to both sides of the base material 21, and the other end of each of the mounting portions 22 is curved so as to be hung on the user's ear. The mounting portion 22 may be made of flexible resin or the like, but preferably has a hardness higher than that of the base material 21 so that the mounting portion 22 can be securely mounted on the user's head. A reference electrode 28 is provided on the side surface of the mounting portion 22 so as to be exposed. The reference electrode 28 is made of the same material as the drive electrode 27, and can be brought into contact with the temple when the mask 2 is worn. The reference electrode 28 can charge the skin 6 to a reference potential by contacting the skin 6 .

The mounting part 23 has a shape like a nose pad of eyeglasses, and is provided on the back surface of the base material 21 at a position corresponding to the nose. The mounting portion 23 has a nose pad portion 231 and a connecting portion 232 . The connection part 232 has a rod shape, one end of the connection part 232 is connected to the back surface of the base material 21 , and the other end of the connection part 232 is connected to the nose pad part 231 . A pair of nose pad portions 231 are supported by connecting portions 232 so as to sandwich the bridge of the nose. The nose pad 231 can be made of flexible material such as silicone rubber or resin. The connecting portion 232 may be made of the same material as the nose pad portion 231, or may be made of a different material. A reference electrode 28 is provided at the tip of the nose pad 231, and the reference electrode 28 can come into contact with the nose when the mask 2 is worn.

The mounting portions 24 and 25 are formed so as to protrude from the back surface of the base material 21 in the vertical direction. The mounting portion 24 is provided at a position corresponding to the forehead of the base material 21 , and the mounting portion 25 is provided at a position corresponding to the chin of the base material 21 . The mounting portions 24 and 25 may be formed integrally with the base material 21 as part of the base material 21 or may be formed integrally with the insulating material 26 as part of the insulating material 26 . When the mounting portions 24 , 25 are formed as part of the base material 21 , the surfaces of the mounting portions 24 , 25 are preferably covered with the insulating material 26 . A reference electrode 28 is provided at the end of the mounting parts 24 and 25, that is, the part that can come into contact with the skin. The reference electrode 28 may have a rectangular shape in plan view, but may have a circular, elliptical, or other shape. Since the reference electrode 28 only needs to charge the skin to the reference potential, the contact area between the reference electrode 28 and the skin 6 can be made smaller than the surface area of the drive electrode 27 . Therefore, more driving electrodes 27 can be provided on the base material 21, and an electric field can be applied to a wide area of the skin 6. FIG.

A cable 5 electrically connects the mask 2 and the controller 3 . The cable 5 may include multiple drive wires connected to multiple drive electrodes 27 and one GND wire commonly connected to multiple reference electrodes 28 . The cable 5 is detachably connected to the mask 2 via a connector (connection terminal), and it is desirable that the connector be detachably connected via the connector at a position where the wearing of the mask 2 is not hindered. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the connector may be provided on the outer surface of mounting portion 22 .

In the embodiment configured as described above, when the user wears the mask 2 on the face, the reference electrodes 28 provided on the wearing parts 22, 23, 24, and 25 are in contact with the skin 6, and the skin 6 is at the reference potential. kept in In this state, when a DC drive voltage is applied to drive electrode 27 separated from skin 6 , an electric field is formed from drive electrode 27 to skin 6 . Calcium ions and the like inside the skin 6 are moved by the electric field, the ion concentration distribution inside the skin 6 is changed, and activation of the cells of the skin 6 and skin function are improved. In particular, a DC electric field is superior to an AC electric field in terms of the effect of arranging the structure of skin tissue and enhancing the barrier function. By enhancing the barrier function, evaporation of moisture inside the skin 6 can be suppressed, moisture retention of the skin 6 and elasticity of the skin 6 can be enhanced, and more effective skin stimulation can be achieved. Alternatively, a pulse voltage may be applied to the drive electrodes 27 to form a pulse electric field from the drive electrodes 27 to the skin 6 . A pulsed electric field is superior to a DC electric field and an AC electric field in terms of the effect of generating an induced current inside the skin 6 and promoting the penetration of cosmetic ingredients applied to the skin 6 . As a result, in addition to improving the skin function, it is possible to promote the cosmetic effects of the cosmetic ingredients.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the user can easily realize non-contact skin stimulation only by wearing the mask 2 . When the user puts the wearing part 22 on the ear, the mask 2 is urged toward the face with a constant pressure. At this time, the mounting portions 23 , 24 , 25 protruding from the back surface of the base material 21 come into contact with the skin 6 , forming a gap between the base material 21 and the skin 6 . Therefore, the contact area between the mask 2 and the skin 6 can be reduced, and skin troubles caused by the contact can be avoided. Also, the user can wear the mask 2 while applying makeup. Further, since the mounting portions 22 to 25 are provided with the reference electrodes 28, the mounting portions 22 to 25 can simultaneously have the function of providing the reference potential in addition to the function of forming the gap. This makes it possible to further reduce the area where the mask 2 contacts the skin 6 .

Note that the number and positions of the mounting portions 22 to 25 are not limited to the examples in FIGS. More mounting parts than the mounting parts 22 to 25 may be provided, and for example, mounting parts corresponding to cheek regions may be further provided. A uniform potential distribution can be formed on the skin 6 by increasing the number of the mounting portions 24 and 25 . On the other hand, when the number of the mounting parts 22 to 25 is small, the contact area on the skin is small, and it is possible to further reduce skin troubles caused by contact.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the control section 3 in this embodiment. The control unit 3 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 301, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 302, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 303, a storage device 304, a display 305, a touch sensor 306, a WAN (Wide Area Network) 307, a LAN ( Local Area Network) 308 , bus 310 , DA converter 311 , amplifier 312 , and DC (Direct Current)/DC converter 313 . Each part of the control part 3 is interconnected via a bus 310 .

The CPU 301 controls each part of the skin stimulation device 1 by application programs. The ROM 302 is composed of non-volatile memory and stores application programs for controlling each part of the skin stimulation device 1 . A RAM 303 provides a memory area necessary for the operation of the CPU 301 . The storage device 304 is composed of a hard disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like. The display 305 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) display, or the like. A touch sensor 306 is arranged on the surface of the display 305 . The touch sensor 306 comprises capacitive or resistive sensing circuitry. Display 305 and touch sensor 306 may be used instead of user terminal 4 to operate skin stimulation device 1 . The WAN 307 may communicably connect the skin stimulation device 1 and the user terminal 4 via a mobile communication network. The mobile communication network may be, for example, 3rd generation mobile communication, LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4th generation mobile communication, 5th generation mobile communication, or the like. The LAN 308 is a communication unit that transmits and receives data by wireless communication, and is configured to be able to execute short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth and wireless communication by wireless LAN connection such as Wi-Fi.

The DA converter 311 converts each of the plurality of digital signals output from the CPU 301 into analog signals. Each of the multiple amplifiers 312 includes a differential amplifier circuit and amplifies the analog signal output from the DA converter 311 . The DC/DC converter 313 boosts the analog signal output from the amplifier 312 and supplies a predetermined DC voltage to each drive electrode 27 . The drive voltage can be, for example, several volts to several hundred volts, preferably about 10 to 100 volts. On the other hand, the ground wiring of the controller 3 can be connected to the plurality of reference electrodes 28 via the cable 5 . The skin 6 is charged to a reference potential by the reference electrode 28, and an electric field is formed between the drive electrode 27 and the skin 6 according to the drive voltage. Note that the ground wiring of the control unit 3 may be grounded outside the control unit 3 . Furthermore, the drive voltages output from the DA converter 311 and the DC/DC converter 313 are not necessarily limited to constant voltages, and may have various waveforms such as rectangular waves, sine waves, and pulse waves.

The control unit 3 can supply different drive voltages to each of the plurality of drive electrodes 27 . Therefore, it is possible to apply an electric field of optimum intensity to the skin according to the part of the face. For example, in a region where nerves are concentrated, such as the corner of the eye, the driving voltage can be a relatively small voltage value.

Although not shown, the controller 3 may comprise a rechargeable power source. Since the skin stimulation device in this embodiment generates a DC electric field, a relatively small capacity of the power source is sufficient. Therefore, the controller 3 can be made compact, and the mask 2 and the controller 3 can be integrated. For example, the control unit 3 may be embedded in the base material 21, or may be dispersedly embedded in the mounting portions 22-25. In particular, mounting portions 23-25 protruding from the back surface of substrate 21 may have sufficient volume to accommodate power supplies, circuit components, and the like. Alternatively, the mask 2 and the control unit 3 may be integrally configured, and only the power supply may be provided outside the mask 2 .

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the user terminal 4 in this embodiment. The user terminal 4 includes a CPU 401 , a ROM 402 , a RAM 403 , a storage device 404 , a display 405 , a touch sensor 406 , a first wireless communication section 407 , a second wireless communication section 408 , an imaging section 409 and a bus 410 . Each unit is interconnected via a bus 410 .

The CPU 401 controls each part of the user terminal 4 by application programs. The ROM 402 is a non-volatile memory and stores application programs for controlling each part of the user terminal 4 . A RAM 403 provides a memory area necessary for the operation of the CPU 401 . Storage device 404 is a non-volatile memory, an external memory, or the like.

The display 405 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, an OLED display, an LED display, or the like. A touch sensor 406 is arranged on the surface of the display 405 . The touch sensor 406 comprises capacitive or resistive sensing circuitry.

The first wireless communication unit 407 is a communication unit that performs wireless communication in a mobile communication network, and can execute, for example, third generation mobile communication, LTE, fourth generation mobile communication, fifth generation mobile communication, and the like.

The second wireless communication unit 408 is a communication unit that transmits and receives data by wireless communication, and can perform, for example, short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth, wireless communication by wireless LAN connection such as Wi-Fi, infrared wireless communication, and the like. configured to

The imaging unit 409 is, for example, an area sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor. Note that the skin stimulation device 1 or the user terminal 4 may analyze the image captured by the imaging unit 409 and determine the amplitude, frequency, etc. of the drive voltage from the image.

7A to 7D are examples of operation screens of the user terminal 4 in this embodiment. The mask 2 can give the user the optimum stimulation based on the user information input to the user terminal 4 . When the user starts the application program on the user terminal 4, the user terminal 4 displays the screen shown in FIG. 7A on the display 405. FIG. On the screen of FIG. 7A, the user operates the touch sensor 406 arranged on the display 405 to input information such as gender, birthday (age), and the part to be used to the user terminal 4, and select the driving voltage. can be done. It should be noted that the drive voltage may not be selected by the user but determined by the application program. When the user inputs information and touches the "Next" button, the user terminal 4 causes the display 405 to display the screen shown in FIG. 7B.

On the screen of FIG. 7B, the user inputs the current state of mood to the user terminal 4 . The user terminal 4 displays on the display 405 three icons of "good", "not bad", and "bad" representing the state of mood. The user can input the user's current mood to the user terminal 4 by touching one of the three icons. Additionally, the user may enter subjective symptoms such as skin sensitivity. If the sensitivity is high, the skin stimulation device 1 can reduce the driving voltage to weaken the skin stimulation. On the screen of FIG. 7C, the user inputs an action plan. The user terminal 4 displays icons such as “skin care”, “leisurely”, and “sleep” on the display 405 . The user can input the user's action schedule by touching one of these icons.

The user terminal 4 determines skin stimulation information such as drive voltage and stimulation time based on the user information input as described above. The user terminal 4 transmits the determined skin stimulation information to the control section 3, and the control section 3 outputs a driving voltage based on the skin stimulation information. The driving voltage of the driving electrode 27 is changed according to a predetermined driving pattern. This makes it possible to provide the user with the optimum stimulus. Also, the user terminal 4 may cause the display 405 to display the screen shown in FIG. 7D. On the screen of FIG. 7D, based on the input user information, the user is presented with a treatment schedule that can give the optimum stimulation. By performing treatments according to this treatment schedule, the user can use the skin stimulation device 1 at appropriate frequencies and at appropriate treatment times.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the operation of the skin stimulation device in this embodiment.

First, by operating the touch sensor 406 arranged on the display 405, the user can display the screens of FIGS. , user information such as the user's next action schedule is input to the user terminal 4 (step S101). Next, the user wears the mask 2 on his face (step S102). When the user puts the wearing part 22 on the ear, the mask 2 is urged toward the face with a constant pressure. At this time, the mounting portions 23, 24, and 25 protruding from the back surface of the base material 21 come into contact with the skin 6, forming a gap between the base material 21 and the skin. Further, the reference electrodes 28 provided on the mounting parts 22-25 are in contact with the skin, and the skin is kept at the reference voltage.

The user operates the application program and instructs the skin stimulation device 1 to start skin stimulation (step S103). The control unit 3 determines the driving voltage, the driving time, etc. for each part of the skin based on the input user information (step S104). For example, the driving voltage can be 10 V to 100 V, and the driving time can be several minutes to several tens of minutes, preferably about 5 minutes to 20 minutes. Further, the controller 3 applies the determined drive voltage to the drive electrode 27 (step S105), a DC electric field is formed between the drive electrode 27 and the skin, and the skin is stimulated by the electric field.

Subsequently, the controller 3 determines whether or not to end the skin stimulation (step S106). If the determined operation time has not elapsed (NO in step S106), control unit 3 continues to repeatedly perform skin stimulation (step S105). If the determined time has passed (YES in step S106), control unit 3 stops skin stimulation. Furthermore, the control unit 3 displays the treatment result and the skin condition on the display 405 (step S107). When the above processing is completed, the control unit 3 turns off the main power.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, skin irritation can be applied without contact, and skin troubles such as pain, itching, and inflammation can be avoided. In addition, since the base material 21 is provided with the mounting parts 22 to 25 for forming a gap between the skin 6 and the base material 21, non-contact skin stimulation can be easily performed simply by wearing the mask 2 on the skin 6. It is possible to realize Further, since the mounting portions 22 to 25 are provided with the reference electrodes 28, the mounting portions 22 to 25 can realize the function of providing the reference potential in addition to the function of forming the gap. As a result, the contact area of the mask 2 with the skin 6 is further reduced, and the effect of avoiding skin troubles becomes remarkable.

[Second embodiment]
Next, the skin stimulation device according to this embodiment will be described. The skin stimulation apparatus of this embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that the drive voltage is controlled according to the distance between the drive electrodes and the skin. The following description focuses on the configuration different from that of the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the mask 2 according to this embodiment. Mask 2 further comprises detection electrodes 29 . The detection electrodes 29 are arranged on the substrate 21 at a position close to the skin surface and are capable of measuring the distance between the drive electrodes 27 and the skin 6 . The detection electrode 29 is arranged at a position where the distance between the drive electrode 27 and the skin 6 can be easily measured, for example, near the drive electrode 27 . The shape of the detection electrode 29 is not limited, and may be a regular polygon, a circle, an ellipse, or the like in plan view. Also, the detection electrode 29 may be formed in a frame shape surrounding the drive electrode 27 . The detection electrode 29 needs only to detect the capacitance between it and the skin 6 and does not require an area as large as the drive electrode 27 .

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the mask 2 according to this embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view of the mask 2 taken along line X-X' of FIG. The detection electrodes 29 are formed substantially in the same manner as the drive electrodes 27 and are provided at the same positions as the drive electrodes 27 in the thickness direction of the base material 21 . That is, the distance from detection electrode 29 to skin 6 is equal to the distance from drive electrode 27 to skin 6 . Therefore, the distance from detection electrode 29 to skin 6 can be regarded as the distance from drive electrode 27 to skin 6 .

Since a capacitance is formed between the detection electrode 29 and the skin 6 , the capacitance changes according to the distance between the detection electrode 29 and the skin 6 . A change in capacitance appears as a change in the detection voltage at the detection electrode 29 . By determining the driving voltage based on the detected voltage, the control unit 3 can apply a DC electric field of constant intensity to the skin 6 regardless of the distance from the driving electrode 27 to the skin 6 .

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the control section 3 in this embodiment. The control unit 3 further has an amplifier 321 , a filter circuit 322 and an AD converter 323 . An amplifier 321 and a filter circuit 322 are provided for each detection electrode 29 . Amplifier 321 includes a differential amplifier circuit and amplifies the weak detection voltage output from detection electrode 29 . Although not shown, the input stage of the amplifier 321 is connected to a switch circuit that applies a bias voltage to the detection electrode 29 . The bias voltage may be a reference voltage, a power supply voltage, or the like. During the initial operation of the skin stimulation device, the switch circuit is turned on and then turned off. Thereby, the detection electrode 29 holds the bias voltage. In this state, when the detection electrode 29 approaches the skin 6, the capacitance formed between the detection electrode 29 and the skin 6 increases and the detection voltage rises. On the other hand, when the detection electrode 29 is separated from the skin 6, the capacitance decreases and the detection voltage drops. The filter circuit 322 can remove noise components from the detected voltage amplified by the amplifier 321 . AD converter 323 includes a comparison circuit and a reference voltage generation circuit, and converts the detected voltage into a digital signal. The CPU 301 determines the drive voltage according to the detected voltage. For example, when the distance between the detection electrode 29 and the skin 6 increases and the detection voltage decreases, the CPU 301 increases the driving voltage. On the other hand, when the distance between the detection electrode 29 and the skin 6 is shortened and the detection voltage is increased, the CPU 301 lowers the driving voltage. Therefore, it is possible to apply a DC electric field of constant intensity to the skin 6 regardless of the distance between the detection electrode 29 and the skin 6 .

When the detection electrode 29 is arranged adjacent to the drive electrode 27, the distance between the skin 6 and the drive electrode 27 is determined by detecting a change in the DC electric field between the drive electrode 27 and the detection electrode 29. can be calculated. When skin 6 approaches drive electrode 27 , a portion of the electric field between drive electrode 27 and detection electrode 29 flows into skin 6 . As a result, the electric field between the drive electrode 27 and the detection electrode 29 is reduced, and the potential difference between the drive electrode 27 and the detection electrode 29 is reduced. Also, when the skin 6 moves away from the drive electrode 27 , part of the electric field generated between the drive electrode 27 and the skin 6 flows into the detection electrode 29 . As a result, the electric field generated between the drive electrode 27 and the detection electrode 29 increases, and the potential difference between the drive electrode 27 and the detection electrode 29 increases. That is, the detected voltage of detection electrode 29 changes according to the distance between drive electrode 27 and skin 6 . The controller 3 can control the drive voltage based on the detected voltage of the detection electrode 29 . This allows the controller 3 to apply a constant DC electric field to the skin regardless of the distance between the drive electrode 27 and the skin 6 .

Furthermore, the drive electrodes 27 may have the function of the detection electrodes 29 . That is, the controller 3 may obtain the change in capacitance between the drive electrode 27 and the skin 6 as the detected voltage at the drive electrode 27 in a state where no drive voltage is applied to the drive electrode 27 . After that, the controller 3 can determine the drive voltage based on the detected voltage and apply the drive voltage to the drive electrode 27 . In this case, in FIG. 11, a plurality of switches are preferably provided between drive electrode 27 and DC/DC converter 313 and between drive electrode 27 and amplifier 321, respectively. The control unit 3 turns these switches on or off to switch the function of the drive electrode 27 between the detection electrode function and the drive electrode function. With such a configuration, since it is not necessary to provide the detection electrodes 29, more drive electrodes 27 can be provided on the base material 21, and more effective skin stimulation can be achieved. Further, since the drive electrodes 27 have a function as detection electrodes, it is possible to accurately detect the gap between the drive electrodes 27 and the skin 6 .

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the operation of the skin stimulation device in this embodiment.

First, the user activates the application, and by operating the touch sensor 406 arranged on the display 405, the user's sex, birthday (age), site of use, user's mood state and subjective symptoms, user's next action, and so on. User information such as a schedule is input to the user terminal 4 (step S201). The user may set the part of the face that the user wants to stimulate. Next, the user puts on the mask 2 (step S202) and instructs the user terminal 4 to start skin stimulation (step S203).

The control unit 3 detects the distance between the detection electrode 29 and the skin at each of a plurality of parts of the skin 6 (step S204), and the control unit 3 adjusts the driving voltage and the driving voltage according to the user information and the detected distance. Time is determined (step S205). Further, the controller 3 applies the determined drive voltage to the drive electrodes 27 (step S206). Thereby, a DC electric field is formed between the drive electrode 27 and the skin 6, and the skin is stimulated by the electric field.

Subsequently, the controller 3 determines whether or not to end the skin stimulation (step S207). If the determined operation time has not passed (NO in step S207), the control unit 3 repeatedly executes the process of detecting the air gap and determining the driving voltage (steps S204 to S206). If the determined time has passed (YES in step S207), control unit 3 stops skin stimulation. Furthermore, the control unit 3 displays the treatment result and the skin condition on the display 405 (step S208). When the above processing is completed, the control unit 3 turns off the main power.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the drive voltage of the drive electrode 27 is controlled based on the distance detected by the detection electrode 29 . This makes it possible to apply an electric field of constant intensity to the skin regardless of the distance between the drive electrode 27 and the skin 6 . In particular, when the distance between each of the plurality of drive electrodes 27 and the skin 6 is not constant, the drive voltage can be controlled for each drive electrode 27 according to the distance. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the effects of individual differences in the user's face, misalignment of wearing of the mask 2 , and the like, and apply a constant electric field to each part of the skin 6 .

[Third embodiment]
Next, the skin stimulation device according to this embodiment will be described. The skin stimulation device of this embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that the base material and drive electrodes are curved along the user's face. The following description focuses on the configuration different from that of the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the mask 2 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 13, the substrate 21 is curved along the surface of the face, and the length of the gap between the back surface of the substrate 21 and the skin 6 is constant at each location. Each of the plurality of drive electrodes 27 is provided on the back surface of the base material 21, and the gap between each of the plurality of drive electrodes 27 and the skin is also constant. Therefore, it is possible to form a uniform electric field over the entire face, and to uniformly apply skin stimulation to the face.

Further, each drive electrode 27 is arranged along the back surface of the curved base material 21 and is formed to be curved like the base material 21 . For this reason, the gap distance from the skin 6 is constant in each part of one drive electrode 27 , and a uniform electric field can be formed in one drive electrode 27 .

Since the mask 2 in this embodiment is configured such that the distance between the drive electrode 27 and the skin is constant, the configuration for detecting the distance is not necessarily required as in the second embodiment. Therefore, the configurations of the mask 2 and the control section 3 can be simplified. Moreover, the need to provide the detection electrodes 29 on the mask 2 is eliminated, and more drive electrodes 27 can be provided, thereby further enhancing the effect of skin stimulation.

Also in this embodiment, it is not prevented to provide the configuration for distance detection in the second embodiment. If the mask 2 is not fitted correctly, the distance between the skin 6 and the drive electrode 27 may not be constant. In such cases, a range detection arrangement may be useful.

[Other embodiments]
Furthermore, examples in which a part of the configuration of any one embodiment is added to another embodiment, and examples in which a part of the configuration of another embodiment is replaced are also embodiments of the present invention. In addition, well-known techniques and known techniques in the relevant technical field can be appropriately applied to parts that are not particularly described or illustrated in the embodiments.

1 skin stimulation device 2 mask 3 control unit 4 user terminal 5 cable 21 base material 22 mounting unit 23 mounting unit 24 mounting unit 25 mounting unit 26 insulating material 27 drive electrode 28 reference electrode 29 detection electrode

Claims (21)

a substrate;
a reference electrode provided on the base material and contactable to a user;
a drive electrode that is provided on the base material and can be arranged to face the user's skin portion, and to which a DC drive voltage is applied with respect to the voltage of the reference electrode;
a contact portion provided on the substrate for contacting the substrate with the user such that a gap is formed between the drive electrode and the skin portion. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the contact portion is provided with the reference electrode. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact portion defines the position of the drive electrode relative to the skin portion by contacting at least one of the user's ear, nose, chin and forehead. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact portion is a mounting portion for mounting the substrate on the user such that a gap is formed between the drive electrode and the skin portion. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the drive electrodes are curved along the skin portion of the user's face. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact area between the reference electrode and the user is less than the surface area of the drive electrode. The surface of the drive electrode is covered with an insulating material,
2. The device of claim 1, wherein said insulating material is non-contacting said skin portion. 8. The device of claim 7, wherein said insulating material comprises a portion of said substrate. 9. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a control unit that controls the driving voltage or the driving time of the driving voltage. 10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the control unit controls the driving voltage or the driving time according to at least one of the user's age, sex, subjective symptoms, and skin part. 10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the control unit controls the driving voltage or the driving time based on information obtained from the user's biological body. comprising a plurality of the drive electrodes arranged in an array,
10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the controller can independently control the drive voltage or the drive time of each of the plurality of drive electrodes. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that said drive voltage is between 10 and 100V. 10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the driving time is 5-20 minutes. A detection electrode provided facing the skin portion and capable of outputting a detection voltage according to the distance of the gap,
10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the controller controls the drive voltage or the drive time based on the detected voltage. 16. The device of claim 15, wherein in a state in which the drive voltage is not applied to the drive electrode, the drive electrode functions as the detection electrode. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an internal power supply for generating said drive voltage. 2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a connection terminal connectable to an external power source for generating the drive voltage. 10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the controller is provided in a mobile terminal. 2. The device of claim 1, which is a skin stimulator. contacting a reference electrode provided to a substrate and to a user;
applying a predetermined DC drive voltage with respect to the voltage of the reference electrode to a drive electrode provided on the base material and positionable to face the skin portion of the user;
contacting the substrate with the user with a contact portion provided on the substrate such that a gap is formed between the drive electrode and the skin portion. control method.

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