CN118045280A - Electrode unit and medicine permeation device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides an electrode unit and a drug permeation device. The electrode unit that contacts the skin is provided with: a first electrode (22) and a second electrode to which voltages are applied; and an insulating base material disposed between the first electrode (22) and the second electrode, wherein the first electrode (22), the second electrode, and the base material are layered, the first electrode (22), the second electrode, and the base material are layered on each other, the first body (22 a) that is the body of the first electrode (22) and the second body that is the body of the second electrode are smaller than the base material body that is the body of the base material, respectively, when viewed in the layering direction, and the first body (22 a) is disposed on the side that contacts the skin than the second body, and has a notch (22 f) that is a first through portion that penetrates the first body (22 a) in the layering direction.

Description

Electrode unit and medicine permeation device

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an electrode unit and a medicament permeation device.

Background

Conventionally, there is a device of the following type: when an electric field is generated between electrodes in a state of being close to the skin (skin) by applying a potential difference between the electrodes in the vicinity of each other, minute pores are formed in the stratum corneum on the skin surface by electroporation, and the speed of movement of the drug to the stratum corneum increases. Patent document 1 discloses a technique related to a patch for local drug delivery, which has an electrode capable of generating electroporation.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2002-536133

Disclosure of Invention

In order to further enhance the electroporation effect, it is necessary to further increase the potential difference applied between the electrodes. However, in the patch disclosed in patent document 1, the electrodes are arranged on the same layer as parallel patterns that mesh close to each other. Therefore, there are the following concerns: when the potential difference is increased while the electrode structure is maintained, a short-circuit failure due to migration occurs.

The present disclosure has been made in view of such problems of the prior art. Further, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an electrode unit and a drug permeation device that suppress occurrence of short-circuit failure due to migration and improve electroporation effect.

The electrode unit of the present disclosure is an electrode unit that contacts skin, and is provided with: a first electrode and a second electrode to which voltages are applied; and an insulating substrate disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode, the second electrode, and the base material are layered, respectively, and the first electrode, the second electrode, and the base material are stacked on each other, and when viewed in the stacking direction, the first body that is the body of the first electrode and the second body that is the body of the second electrode are smaller than the base material body that is the body of the base material, respectively. The first body is disposed on the side contacting the skin, compared to the second body, and has a first through portion penetrating the first body in the stacking direction.

In addition, the drug permeation device of the present disclosure includes: the electrode unit described above; a third electrode for penetrating the agent into the skin in a state where the third electrode is in contact with or in proximity to the skin; and a fourth electrode to which a voltage is applied between the fourth electrode and the third electrode in a state where the fourth electrode is in contact with or in proximity to other parts of the skin.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an electrode unit and a drug permeation device that suppress occurrence of short-circuit failure due to migration and that improve electroporation effects.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side view of a drug permeation device according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the drug permeation device according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the drug permeation device according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an electrode unit according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the electrode unit according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a first example of the first electrode in the first embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a partial sectional view of a head frame holding an electrode unit.

Fig. 8 is a control block diagram of the drug permeation device according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the principle of operation of the electrode unit.

Fig. 10 is a graph showing a relationship between the inter-electrode distance of the first electrode and the drug permeation rate.

Fig. 11 is a plan view showing a second example of the first electrode in the first embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a plan view showing a third example of the first electrode in the first embodiment.

Fig. 13 is a front view of a drug permeation mechanism according to a second embodiment.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a light emitting unit in the second embodiment.

Fig. 15 is a plan view of the first electrode in the second embodiment.

Fig. 16 is a plan view of the second electrode in the second embodiment.

Detailed Description

The embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, a detailed description thereof may be omitted. For example, a detailed description of known matters or a repeated description of substantially the same structure may be omitted. Furthermore, the drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter recited in the claims.

(First embodiment)

Fig. 1, 2 and 3 are schematic views showing the appearance of a drug permeation device 1 according to a first embodiment. Fig. 1 is a side view of a medicament permeation device 1. Fig. 2 is a front view of the drug permeation device 1. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the drug permeation device 1.

The chemical permeation apparatus 1 is used for realizing electroporation that forms minute pores in the stratum corneum (epidermis layer structure) on the skin surface and permeation of chemicals containing substances having a large molecular weight into the stratum corneum. As an example, the drug permeation mechanism 1 is configured to apply an operation to the skin (skin) of a user in a state where the user holds the drug permeation mechanism 1.

The drug permeation device 1 includes a case 10 and an electrode unit 20.

The housing 10 is a member that constitutes the outer shell of the drug permeation device 1 and serves as a construction basis. The housing 10 has a grip 11 and a head 12. The grip 11 is a rod-shaped portion having a thickness that can be gripped by a human hand. The grip portion 11 accommodates the control portion 41 and the power supply portion 42 (see fig. 8), for example, and includes a fourth electrode 32 partially exposed to the outside. The head 12 is a portion continuous with one end of the grip 11, and the electrode unit 20 and the third electrode 31 are provided on the head 12 in a state of facing away from each other.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the electrode unit 20.

The electrode unit 20 is in contact with the skin of an individual such as a human body HB (see fig. 8), and generates an electroporation effect of forming minute holes in the stratum corneum by continuously generating a pulsed electric field to the skin, for example.

The electrode unit 20 has a sheet shape as a whole, and includes an electrode main body portion 20a, an electrode wiring portion 20b, and an electrode terminal portion 20c. The electrode body 20a has a contact surface 20d that can be exposed to the outside from the case 10 and that contacts the skin to be treated. The planar shape of the electrode main body portion 20a is, for example, a rectangle with four corners chamfered. When the electrode unit 20 is provided in the case 10, the electrode wiring portion 20b is deformed inside the case 10 and is disposed inside the case. When the electrode unit 20 is provided in the case 10, the electrode terminal portion 20c is connected to a connector, not shown, for electrical connection with the control portion 41 side.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the electrode unit 20.

The electrode unit 20 includes a first cover 21, a first electrode 22, a base material 23, a second electrode 24, and a second cover 25, each of which is layered. The first cover 21, the first electrode 22, the base material 23, the second electrode 24, and the second cover 25 are laminated in this order. Hereinafter, a direction in which these constituent elements are stacked on each other, which corresponds to the up-down direction shown in fig. 5, is referred to as a "stacking direction".

The first cover 21 covers the first electrode 22 so as to sandwich the first electrode 22 with the base material 23. The first cover 21 is made of an insulating material such as polyimide. The first cover 21 has a first cover main body 21a, a first wiring cover 21b, and a first terminal cover 21c. The first cover main body 21a is an element constituting the electrode main body portion 20 a. The planar shape of the first cover body 21a defines the planar shape of the electrode body portion 20 a. The surface of the opposite side of the two surfaces of the first cover main body 21a to the side facing the base material 23 is the contact surface 20d of the electrode unit 20.

The first wiring cover 21b is a component constituting the electrode wiring portion 20b, and covers the first wiring 22b so as to sandwich the first wiring 22b of the first electrode 22 with the wiring side base material 23b of the base material 23. The first terminal cover 21c is a component constituting the electrode terminal portion 20c, and covers the first terminal 22c so as to sandwich the first terminal 22c of the first electrode 22 with the terminal-side base material 23c of the base material 23.

A voltage is applied between the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24 facing each other with the base material 23 interposed therebetween. The first electrode 22 is formed of a conductive material such as copper foil.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the first electrode 22 as a first example of the first electrode when viewed from the first cover 21 side in the stacking direction.

The first electrode 22 has a first body 22a, a first wiring 22b, and a first terminal 22c. The first body 22a is an element constituting the electrode body portion 20 a. The first wiring 22b is an element constituting the electrode wiring portion 20b, and the first wiring 22b is constituted by one wiring, for example. One end of the first wiring 22b is connected to a part of the outer edge portion of the first body 22a, and the other end of the first wiring 22b is connected to the first terminal 22c. The first terminal 22c is an element constituting the electrode terminal portion 20c, and a part thereof is exposed to the outside of the electrode unit 20.

The first body 22a has a first through portion that penetrates the first body 22a in the stacking direction. The first through-hole portion of the first electrode 22 is a plurality of linear notch portions 22f arranged in parallel with each other. Specifically, in the first main body 22a, a plurality of linear branches 22d having a predetermined electrode width W1 are arranged in parallel in a stripe shape, and adjacent branches 22d are separated from each other by a predetermined interval defined by an inter-electrode distance W2.

In addition, in the first main body 22a, one straight conduction portion 22e extending in the parallel direction of the branch portions 22d is provided in order to ensure conduction between the plurality of branch portions 22 d. That is, the portion forming the space region surrounded by the adjacent branch portions 22d and a part of the conduction portion 22e is the notch portion 22f.

Returning to fig. 5, the substrate 23 is disposed between the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24. The base material 23 is made of an insulating material such as polyimide. The substrate 23 includes a substrate main body 23a, a wiring side substrate 23b, and a terminal side substrate 23c. The base material body 23a is a constituent of the electrode body 20 a. The wiring-side base material 23b is an element constituting the electrode wiring portion 20b, and as described above, covers the first wiring 22b so as to sandwich the first wiring 22b of the first electrode 22 with the first wiring cover 21b of the first cover 21. The terminal-side base material 23c is an element constituting the electrode terminal portion 20c, and as described above, covers the first terminal 22c so as to sandwich the first terminal 22c of the first electrode 22 with the first terminal cover 21c of the first cover 21.

A voltage is applied between the second electrode 24 and the first electrode 22 facing each other with the base material 23 interposed therebetween. The second electrode 24 is formed of a conductive material such as copper foil. The second electrode 24 has a second body 24a, a second wiring 24b, and a second terminal 24c. The second body 24a is an element constituting the electrode body portion 20 a. Here, the first body 22a of the first electrode 22 has a notch 22f as a first through-hole portion, whereas the second body 24a does not have such a first through-hole portion, but has a single planar shape with a continuous entire surface.

The second wiring 24b is an element constituting the electrode wiring portion 20b, and the second wiring 24b is constituted by one wiring, for example. One end of the second wiring 24b is connected to a part of the outer edge portion of the second body 24a, and the other end of the second wiring 24b is connected to the second terminal 24 c. The second terminal 24c is an element constituting the electrode terminal portion 20c, and a part thereof is exposed to the outside of the electrode unit 20.

Here, the first body 22a of the first electrode 22 and the second body 24a of the second electrode 24 are smaller than the base material body 23a of the base material 23, respectively, when viewed in the lamination direction. In the present embodiment, the first body 22a, the second body 24a, and the base material body 23a have identical outer edge shapes when viewed in the stacking direction, but the outer edges of the first body 22a and the second body 24a are set to be smaller than the outer edges of the base material body 23a, respectively.

In the example of the electrode unit 20 shown in fig. 5, the size of the first body 22a is set to be the same as the size of the second body 24a when viewed in the stacking direction. But the following may also be the case: the first body 22a is smaller than the second body 24a when viewed in the stacking direction. In the example of the electrode unit 20 shown in fig. 5, the second body 24a has a single planar shape with a continuous entire surface, but the following may be present: the same shape as the first body 22a may be used in the case where the desired strength of the electric field E can be obtained or in the case where the advantage in terms of manufacturing the electrode unit 20 is provided.

The second cover 25 covers the second electrode 24 so as to sandwich the second electrode 24 with the base material 23. The second cover 25 is made of an insulating material such as polyimide. The second cover 25 has a second cover main body 25a, a second wiring cover 25b, and a second terminal cover 25c. The second cover main body 25a is an element constituting the electrode main body portion 20 a. The planar shape of the second cover body 25a defines the planar shape of the electrode body portion 20a together with the first cover body 21 a. The surface of the second cover main body 25a on the opposite side to the side facing the base material 23 is a surface facing the inside of the case 10. The second wiring cover 25b is a component constituting the electrode wiring portion 20b, and covers the second wiring 24b so as to sandwich the second wiring 24b of the second electrode 24 with the wiring side base material 23b of the base material 23. The second terminal cover 25c is a component constituting the electrode terminal portion 20c, and covers the second terminal 24c so as to sandwich the second terminal 24c of the second electrode 24 with the terminal-side base material 23c of the base material 23.

The electrode unit 20 is formed by bonding these components with an adhesive. For example, the electrode unit 20 may be configured as a flexible printed circuit board.

The drug permeation apparatus 1 further includes a head frame 13 (see fig. 1) for attaching the electrode unit 20 to the case 10.

Fig. 7 is a partial sectional view of the head frame 13 for holding the electrode unit 20, corresponding to the section VII-VII shown in fig. 2.

The head frame 13 may include, for example, a frame body 13a, a frame portion 13b, a ring-shaped base 13c, and a base body 13d. The frame body 13a is annular and is connected to the head 12 of the housing 10. In this case, the electrode main body portion 20a of the electrode unit 20 is placed on the annular base 13c and the base main body 13d supported on the inner peripheral side of the frame main body 13 a. The electrode unit 20 can be mounted on the head frame 13 by pressing the annular frame portion 13b against the outer peripheral portion of the electrode body portion 20a placed on the annular base 13c and the base body 13d and fitting the frame body 13 a.

The base body 13d may be provided with a through hole 13e for allowing the electrode wiring portion 20b of the electrode unit 20 to pass through the inside of the case 10. By disposing the electrode wiring portion 20b so as to penetrate the through hole 13e, the electrode unit 20 is reliably held by the head frame 13 and is less likely to interfere with other structural portions provided in the interior of the case 10, and therefore the scope of design of the drug permeation mechanism 1 is widened.

The drug permeation device 1 further includes a third electrode 31 and a fourth electrode 32 (see fig. 1).

The third electrode 31 is disposed so as to face the outside of the case 10, and is an electrode that contacts the surface of the skin. The third electrode 31 has, for example, a triangular prism shape that is chamfered, and is provided so as to protrude from the head 12 (see fig. 3).

The fourth electrode 32 is disposed on the grip 11 of the case 10 and is an electrode that contacts the skin surface of a portion different from the skin surface contacted by the third electrode 31. The fourth electrode 32 has an elliptical shape in plan view and is bent along the outer surface of the grip 11, and is disposed on the outer surface of the grip 11 opposite to the third electrode 31, that is, on the exposed side of the electrode unit 20 (see fig. 2). Thus, when the user holding the grip portion 11 places the third electrode 31 in the vicinity of the skin of the user's face, the fourth electrode 32 is in contact with the palm of the user. At this time, since the fourth electrode 32 is strongly and widely in close contact with the palm, a predetermined voltage can be reliably applied between the fourth electrode 32 and the third electrode 31 via the human body HB of the user, so that a potential gradient is generated in the vicinity of the surface of the skin.

Fig. 8 is a control block diagram of the drug permeation device 1. In fig. 8, the human body HB of the user is schematically shown in a block of a broken line, and the directions in which the human body HB contacts the respective electrodes are shown by arrows of a broken line.

The drug permeation apparatus 1 includes a control unit 41 and a power supply unit 42.

The control section 41 is electrically connected to the electrode unit 20, the third electrode 31, and the fourth electrode 32. The control unit 41 includes a component constituting a circuit for applying a voltage between the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24 included in the electrode unit 20 so as to generate a pulsed electric field or the like between the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24. The control unit 41 includes a component constituting a circuit for applying a voltage between the third electrode 31 and the fourth electrode 32. The control unit 41 includes a processor or the like for driving these circuits. The power supply unit 42 is electrically connected to the control unit 41, and supplies electric power to a circuit in the control unit 41.

As shown in fig. 3, the drug permeation mechanism 1 includes a switch button 14 as an operation unit. The switch button 14 is exposed to the outside from the grip 11 of the housing 10, for example, and is operated by a user. There may be a plurality of switch buttons 14, for example, a power supply/mode switch that is operated when the power supply is turned on/off, the operation mode is switched, or the like, a horizontal switch that is operated when the energization level is adjusted, and the like.

Next, the operation of the electrode unit 20 and the drug permeation mechanism 1 using the electrode unit 20 will be described.

Fig. 9 is a schematic sectional view for explaining the principle of operation of the electrode unit 20. Specifically, fig. 9 is a partially enlarged view of the electrode unit 20 that is a simulated view of the case when the electric field E is generated.

First, as the action of the electrode unit 20, when a voltage is applied between the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24 in such a manner that a potential difference is generated between the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24, an electric field E is generated between the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24. At this time, the electric field E tends to be stronger from the portion that is the edge (corner) of the first electrode 22 to the second electrode 24 than from other portions of the first electrode 22 to the second electrode 24. Here, in the example shown in fig. 9, the portion that is the edge of the first electrode 22 corresponds to the edge portion 22g or the like of each of the plurality of branch portions 22 d. The electric field E generated from the edge portion 22g of each branch portion 22d or the vicinity of the edge portion 22g of each branch portion 22d is likely to go to the second electrode 24 through the space formed by the notch portion 22f provided in the first electrode 22 as the first through portion. That is, by providing the first electrode 22 with the first through portion such as the notch portion 22f, more edges where the strong electric field E is liable to be generated can be provided. For example, the electric field generation efficiency of the electrode unit 20 as a whole is improved as compared with a case where the first electrode 22 is not provided with the first penetration portion such as the notch portion 22 f.

The electrode unit 20 can further enhance the electroporation effect by increasing the electric field generation efficiency and applying a stronger electric field E to the skin in this way, so that minute pores are easily generated in the stratum corneum on the skin surface. At this time, the generated electric field E passes through the first cover 21 to go to the skin, and thus the skin is not directly contacted with the first electrode 22. Therefore, even if a stronger electric field E is applied through the electrode unit 20, the user does not feel pain easily.

The first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24 are insulated from each other by the base material 23. Therefore, even if the potential difference is set to be larger in order to enhance the electroporation, a short-circuit failure due to migration does not occur.

Next, as an action of the drug permeation mechanism 1, first, the user turns on the power supply by operating the switch button 14, and then, selects an operation mode based on an electroporation action generated by using the electrode unit 20. Thereby, the control unit 41 is supplied with electric power from the power supply unit 42, and the control unit 41 applies a pulse-like potential to the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24 of the electrode unit 20, thereby generating a pulse-like electric field E. When the contact surface 20d of the electrode unit 20 is brought into contact with a desired portion of the skin, the user can cause electroporation by the electric field E to open minute pores in the stratum corneum on the skin surface.

Subsequent to the administration based on electroporation, the user selects an administration mode based on iontophoresis generated using the third electrode 31 and the fourth electrode 32 by operating the switch button 14. The third electrode 31 contacts the surface of the skin desired by the user, and the fourth electrode 32 also contacts the surface of the skin different from the surface of the skin contacted by the third electrode 31, thereby forming a closed circuit via the control unit 41. By applying an electric potential from the control unit 41 in this state, ion electro-osmosis can be generated, and the medicine can permeate into a desired portion of the skin of the user. At this time, more or larger minute holes are opened in the stratum corneum in advance by electroporation using the electrode unit 20. Therefore, the iontophoresis generated by using the third electrode 31 and the fourth electrode 32 is applied to the stratum corneum including the minute holes, thereby further promoting the permeation of the drug from the minute holes.

Next, effects of the electrode unit 20 and the drug permeation mechanism 1 will be described.

The electrode unit 20 according to the present embodiment is an electrode unit 20 that contacts the skin, and the electrode unit 20 includes: a first electrode 22 and a second electrode 24 to which voltages are applied; and an insulating base material 23 disposed between the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24. The first electrode 22, the second electrode 24, and the base material 23 are layered, and the first electrode 22, the second electrode 24, and the base material 23 are stacked on each other. The first body 22a as a body of the first electrode 22 and the second body 24a as a body of the second electrode 24 are respectively smaller than the base material body 23a as a body of the base material 23 when viewed in the lamination direction. The first body 22a is disposed on the side contacting the skin than the second body 24a, and has a first through portion penetrating the first body 22a in the lamination direction.

Here, the first through portion is, for example, a plurality of notch portions 22f.

According to the electrode unit 20, since the first body 22a of the first electrode 22 has the first through portion, the first body 22a has a large number of portions which are edges in terms of structure. As a result, as described above, the electric field generation efficiency of the electrode unit 20 as a whole can be improved, and when micro holes are generated in the stratum corneum on the skin surface by electroporation, the micro holes are more easily generated.

In addition, according to the electrode unit 20, an insulating base material 23 is disposed between the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24, and the first body 22a and the second body 24a are each set smaller than the base material body 23a when viewed in the stacking direction. Thus, the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24 are insulated from each other by the base material 23. As a result, even if the potential difference is set to be larger in order to enhance the electroporation, a short-circuit failure due to migration does not occur between the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the electrode unit 20 in which occurrence of short-circuit failure due to migration is suppressed and electroporation effect is improved.

In the electrode unit 20, the first body 22a may be smaller than the second body 24a when viewed in the stacking direction.

According to this electrode unit 20, the entire outer edge of the first body 22a can also function as an edge that is prone to generate a stronger electric field E, and thus the electroporation effect can be further improved.

In the electrode unit 20, the first through-hole may be a plurality of linear notch portions 22f arranged in parallel with each other when viewed in the stacking direction.

According to this electrode unit 20, as illustrated in fig. 6, more edges that are liable to generate a stronger electric field E can be provided on the first body 22a of the first electrode 22.

As an example, fig. 10 is a graph showing a relationship between the inter-electrode distance W2 of the first electrode 22 and the permeation rate of the hyaluronic acid drug, with respect to a case where the first body 22a of the first electrode 22 is provided with the plurality of notched portions 22f illustrated in fig. 6. The horizontal axis represents the inter-electrode distance W2, and the vertical axis represents the penetration ratio of the hyaluronic acid drug.

The thickness of the first body 22a is set to 1mm or less. In addition, in fig. 10, the results in the case where the inter-electrode distance W2 is set to three levels of 0.5[ mm ], 1.0[ mm ] and 2.0[ mm ] and the electrode width W1 is set to three levels of 0.5[ mm ], 1.0[ mm ] and 2.0[ mm ] for each setting of the inter-electrode distance W2 are shown.

As shown in fig. 10, according to the results obtained under the above-described conditions, the drug permeation rate ratio of hyaluronic acid was highest when both the electrode width W1 and the inter-electrode distance W2 were set to 1.0[ mm ]. Therefore, in the case where the electrode unit 20 is provided with the plurality of cutout portions 22f illustrated in fig. 6, the shape of the first body 22a can be set to a more appropriate shape by defining the shape of the cutout portions 22f based on the result.

In the electrode unit 20, the first through-hole may be a plurality of holes.

The shape of the first through-hole portion is not limited to the shape of the plurality of notch portions 22f exemplified above. For example, in the electrode unit 20, the following first electrode 50 or first electrode 51 may be employed instead of the first electrode 22.

Fig. 11 is a plan view showing a first electrode 50 as a second example in place of the first electrode 22 as a first example.

The first electrode 50 has a first body 50a, a first wiring 50b, and a first terminal 50c. The first body 50a corresponds to the first body 22a in the first electrode 22. The first wiring 50b has the same shape as the first wiring 22b in the first electrode 22. The first terminal 50c is the same shape as the first terminal 22c in the first electrode 22. The first through portion of the first body 50a that penetrates the first body 50a in the stacking direction is a first hole portion 50e that is formed in the body flat plate 50d and has a circular shape.

Fig. 12 is a plan view showing a first electrode 51 as a third example in place of the first electrode 22 as the first example.

The first electrode 51 has a first body 51a, a first wiring 51b, and a first terminal 51c. The first body 51a corresponds to the first body 22a in the first electrode 22. The first wiring 51b has the same shape as the first wiring 22b in the first electrode 22. The first terminal 51c is the same shape as the first terminal 22c in the first electrode 22. In the first body 51a, a first through portion that penetrates the first body 51a in the stacking direction is a plurality of second hole portions 51e that are rectangular in opening shape and formed in the body flat plate 51 d.

According to these electrode units 20, the inner edge portions of the first hole portions 50E and the second hole portions 51E can be edges where a stronger electric field E is likely to be generated. That is, as with the plurality of notched portions 22f provided in the first body 22a of the first electrode 22, the edges that are prone to generate the stronger electric field E can be provided more.

The electrode unit 20 may include an insulating cover that covers the first electrode 22 so as to sandwich the first electrode 22 with the base material 23.

Here, the insulating cover covering the first electrode 22 so as to sandwich the first electrode 22 with the base material 23 corresponds to the first cover 21 in the above-described example.

According to the electrode unit 20, even if the electrode unit 20 is close to the skin, the electrode unit 20 is insulated from the skin by the first cover 21, so that the user can hardly feel pain on the skin even if a stronger electric field E is applied.

The drug permeation device 1 according to the present embodiment includes an electrode unit 20, and the electrode unit 20 is in contact with the skin and includes a first electrode 22 and a second electrode 24 to which voltages are applied. The drug permeation device 1 further includes: a third electrode 31 for penetrating the drug into the skin in a state where the third electrode is in contact with or in proximity to the skin; and a fourth electrode 32, wherein a voltage is applied between the fourth electrode 32 and the third electrode 31 in a state where the fourth electrode 32 is in contact with or in proximity to other parts of the skin.

According to the drug permeation device 1, since the electrode unit 20 is provided, the electroporation can be applied to the skin using the electrode unit 20 before the iontophoresis is applied to the skin using the third electrode 31 and the fourth electrode 32. As a result, since iontophoresis can be applied to the stratum corneum in which many or more micropores are opened in advance, permeation of the drug from the micropores can be further promoted.

According to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the chemical permeation apparatus 1 including the electrode unit 20 in which occurrence of short-circuit failure due to migration is suppressed and electroporation effect is improved.

In the drug permeation apparatus 1, a voltage higher than the voltage applied to the second electrode 24 may be applied to the first electrode 22.

According to the drug permeation device 1, the generated electric field E is liable to act on the skin, and thus the electroporation effect by the electrode unit 20 can be improved, and the drug permeation effect by the iontophoresis by using the third electrode 31 or the like can be further improved.

(Second embodiment)

The drug permeation device 2 that imparts the skin-beautifying effect by using an LED (light emitting diode) can be also configured by improving the drug permeation device 1 illustrated in the first embodiment.

Fig. 13 is a schematic front view showing an appearance of the drug permeation device 2 according to the second embodiment.

The same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the drug permeation apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment among the components of the drug permeation apparatus 2, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The drug permeation device 2 includes a light emitting unit 33.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the light emitting unit 33.

The light emitting unit 33 is constituted by a mounting substrate 33b on which a plurality of LEDs 33a are mounted. The plurality of LEDs 33a are arranged in a so-called staggered pattern in which row intervals are shifted between adjacent columns on one surface of the mounting substrate 33 b. The arrangement of the LEDs 33a is not limited to this. If the head frame 13 illustrated in fig. 7 is referred to, the light emitting unit 33 can be provided between the electrode main body portion 20a and the annular base 13c and the base main body 13 d. The mounting board 33b is electrically connected to the control unit 41.

Here, in the drug permeation device 2, a plurality of light passing hole portions 52i (see fig. 13) are provided in the electrode unit 60 according to the present embodiment so as to emit light emitted from the LEDs 33a to the outside.

The electrode unit 60 includes a first electrode 52 that replaces the first electrode 22 included in the electrode unit 20 in the first embodiment, and a second electrode 53 that replaces the second electrode 24 included in the electrode unit 20 in the first embodiment.

Fig. 15 is a plan view of the first electrode 52 in the second embodiment.

The first electrode 52 has a first body 52a, a first wiring 52b, and a first terminal 52c. The first body 52a corresponds to the first body 22a in the first electrode 22. The first wiring 52b has the same shape as the first wiring 22b in the first electrode 22. The first terminal 52c is the same shape as the first terminal 22c in the first electrode 22.

The first body 52a has a first through portion that penetrates the first body 52a in the stacking direction. The first through portion of the first electrode 52 has a plurality of light passing holes 52i for passing the light emitted from the LED 33a, in addition to the cutout portions 52f corresponding to the plurality of cutout portions 22f of the first electrode 22 in the first embodiment.

The first body 52a includes the branch portions 52d corresponding to the plurality of linear branch portions 22d in the first embodiment. The first body 52a includes a conductive portion 52e corresponding to the linear conductive portion 22e in the first embodiment. The first body 52a has a plurality of annular portions 52h at positions aligned with the positions where the plurality of LEDs 33a are provided when viewed in the stacking direction. The inner edge of each annular portion 52h is a light passing hole 52i.

Fig. 16 is a plan view of the second electrode 53 in the second embodiment.

The second electrode 53 has a second main body 53a, a second wiring 53b, and a second terminal 53c. The second body 53a corresponds to the second body 24a in the second electrode 24. The second wiring 53b has the same shape as the second wiring 24b in the second electrode 24. The second terminal 53c is the same shape as the second terminal 24c in the second electrode 24.

The second body 53a has a second through portion that penetrates the second body 53a in the stacking direction. The second through portion is a plurality of light passing hole portions 53i formed in the main body flat plate 53d for passing the light emitted from the LED 33 a. The plurality of light passing hole portions 53i are formed at positions overlapping the plurality of light passing hole portions 52i formed in the first body 52a of the first electrode 52 in the stacking direction.

In addition, a plurality of light passing holes 52i and 53i overlapping each other in the stacking direction may be formed in advance in each portion of the electrode unit 60 corresponding to the first cover 21, the base material 23, and the second cover 25. However, in this case, it is necessary to perform an insulating treatment, a water-repellent treatment, or the like on the inner edge of each light passing hole.

As described above, in the drug permeation device 2, the second body 53a may have a second through portion that penetrates the second body 53a in the stacking direction, and at least a part of the second through portion may overlap with the first through portion in the stacking direction.

Here, the first through portion may correspond to the plurality of light passing hole portions 52i in the first electrode 52. The second through portion can correspond to the plurality of light passing hole portions 53i in the second electrode 53.

According to the drug permeation device 2, a plurality of positions penetrating the electrode unit 60 in the stacking direction can be set. Therefore, the light passing hole 52i and the light passing hole 53i can be used as a site where a probe for imparting a cosmetic effect other than drug permeation is provided without deteriorating the permeation performance described in the first embodiment.

The drug permeation apparatus 2 may further include a light source that emits light to the outside in a position where the first through-hole and the second through-hole overlap each other in the stacking direction.

Here, the light source corresponds to the plurality of LEDs 33a.

In the drug permeation apparatus 2, the electrode unit 60 generates an electric field E for generating electroporation, as in the electrode unit 20 in the first embodiment. Meanwhile, the light emitting unit 33 irradiates light to the skin surface under operation through the plurality of light passing hole portions 52i and the light passing hole portion 53i by the power supplied from the control portion 41 for lighting the LED 33 a. Thus, the chemical permeation apparatus 2 can impart the skin-beautifying effect by the LED 33a while generating the electroporation effect.

As the skin-beautifying effect that can be imparted by the LED 33a, the following skin-beautifying effect can be expected for each wavelength of light.

For example, when the wavelength is set in the range of 400nm to 550nm, effects such as improvement of small wrinkles, improvement of acne, improvement of red blood streaks, moisture retention, improvement of pores, anti-inflammatory action, reduction of sebum, and healing of wounds can be expected. When the wavelength is set in the range of 550nm to 620nm, effects such as improvement of small wrinkles, improvement of striae, promotion of skin metabolism, and improvement of color spots can be expected. When the wavelength is set in the range of 620nm to 750nm, effects such as wound healing, immunity activation, wrinkle improvement, color spot improvement, skin metabolism promotion, collagen production and the like can be expected. When the wavelength is set in the range of 750nm to 2000nm, effects such as wound healing, immunity activation, and skin metabolism promotion can be expected. Further, by using the LED 33a having a wavelength spectrum of 550nm to 1000nm, an effect of improving the brightness of skin can be obtained.

As described above, according to the drug permeation device 2, the electroporation and the light-induced cosmetic effect can be simultaneously applied, and a composite cosmetic effect can be provided.

(Additionally remembered)

The following techniques are disclosed according to the above embodiments.

(Technique 1) an electrode unit that comes into contact with skin, the electrode unit comprising: a first electrode and a second electrode to which voltages are applied; and an insulating base material disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the base material are layered, the first electrode, the second electrode, and the base material are layered on each other, a first body that is a body of the first electrode and a second body that is a body of the second electrode are smaller than a base material body that is a body of the base material, respectively, when viewed in a layered direction, and the first body is disposed on a side that contacts the skin than the second body, and has a first through portion that penetrates the first body in the layered direction.

According to the electrode unit 20 of the technology 1, since the first body 22a of the first electrode has the first through portion, the first body 22a has a large number of portions that are edges in terms of structure. As a result, as described above, the electric field generation efficiency of the electrode unit 20 as a whole can be improved, and when micro holes are generated in the stratum corneum on the skin surface by electroporation, the micro holes are more easily generated.

In addition, according to the electrode unit 20 of the technology 1, the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24 are insulated from each other by the base material 23. As a result, even if the potential difference is set to be larger in order to enhance the electroporation, a short-circuit failure due to migration does not occur between the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24.

As such, according to the technique 1, it is possible to provide the electrode unit 20 in which occurrence of short-circuit failure due to migration is suppressed and electroporation effect is improved.

The electrode unit according to the aspect 1, wherein the first body is smaller than the second body when viewed in the stacking direction.

According to the electrode unit 20 of the technology 2, the entire outer edge of the first body 22a can also function as an edge that is prone to generate a stronger electric field E, and thus the electroporation effect can be further improved.

The electrode unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first through-hole is a plurality of linear cutouts arranged in parallel with each other when viewed in the stacking direction.

According to the electrode unit 20 of the technology 3, as illustrated in fig. 6, more edges that are liable to generate a stronger electric field E can be provided on the first body 22a of the first electrode 22.

The electrode unit according to any one of the above 1 to 3, wherein the first through-hole is a plurality of holes.

According to the electrode unit 20 of the technology 4, the inner edge portions of the plurality of first hole portions 50E and the plurality of second hole portions 51E can be edges that are prone to generate a stronger electric field E. That is, as with the plurality of notched portions 22f provided in the first body 22a of the first electrode 22, the edges that are prone to generate the stronger electric field E can be provided more.

The electrode unit according to any one of the above 1 to 4, further comprising an insulating cover that covers the first electrode so as to sandwich the first electrode with the base material.

According to the electrode unit 20 of the technology 5, even if the electrode unit 20 approaches the skin, the electrode unit 20 is insulated from the skin by the first cover 21, so that the user can hardly feel pain on the skin even if a stronger electric field E is applied.

(Technique 6) A drug permeation device comprising: the electrode unit according to any one of the techniques 1 to 5; a third electrode for penetrating a drug into the skin in a state where the third electrode is in contact with or in proximity to the skin; and a fourth electrode to which a voltage is applied between the fourth electrode and the third electrode in a state where the fourth electrode is in contact with or in proximity to other parts of the skin.

According to the drug permeation device 1 of the technology 6, since the electrode unit 20 is provided, the electroporation can be applied to the skin using the electrode unit 20 before the iontophoresis is applied to the skin using the third electrode 31 and the fourth electrode 32. As a result, since iontophoresis can be applied to the stratum corneum in which many or more micropores are opened in advance, permeation of the drug from the micropores can be further promoted.

As described above, according to the technique 6, it is possible to provide the chemical permeation apparatus 1 having the electrode unit 20 in which occurrence of short-circuit failure due to migration is suppressed and electroporation effect is improved.

The drug permeation device according to the technology 6, wherein a higher voltage is applied to the first electrode than to the second electrode.

According to the drug permeation device 1 of the technology 7, the generated electric field E is liable to act on the skin, so that the electroporation effect by the electrode unit 20 can be improved, and the drug permeation effect by the iontophoresis by using the third electrode 31 or the like can be further improved.

(Technique 8) the drug permeation device according to the technique 6 or the technique 7, wherein,

The second body has a second through portion that penetrates the second body in the stacking direction,

At least a part of the second through-hole portion overlaps the first through-hole portion in the stacking direction.

According to the drug permeation device 2 of the technology 8, a plurality of positions of the through electrode unit 60 in the stacking direction can be set. Therefore, the light passing hole 52i and the light passing hole 53i can be used as a site where a probe for imparting a cosmetic effect other than drug permeation is provided without deteriorating the permeation performance described in the first embodiment.

The drug permeation device according to claim 8, further comprising a light source that emits light to the outside in a position where the first through-hole and the second through-hole overlap each other in the stacking direction.

In the drug permeation device 2 according to the technology 9, the electrode unit 60 generates an electric field E for generating electroporation, as in the electrode unit 20 according to the first embodiment. At the same time, the light emitting unit 33 is supplied with power for lighting the LED 33a from the control section 41, and irradiates light to the skin surface under operation through the plurality of light passing hole sections 52i and 53 i. Thus, the chemical permeation apparatus 2 can impart the skin-beautifying effect by the LED 33a while generating the electroporation effect.

As described above, according to the drug permeation device 2, the electroporation and the light-induced cosmetic effect can be simultaneously applied, and a composite cosmetic effect can be provided.

(Technique 10) an electrode unit that comes into contact with skin, the electrode unit having: a first electrode and a second electrode to which voltages are applied; and an insulating substrate disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the electrode unit is disposed in a state of being enclosed in the second electrode in at least a part of an edge of the first electrode.

According to the technique 10, since the same function as the electrode unit 20 of the technique 1 is performed, it is possible to provide an electrode unit in which occurrence of short-circuit failure due to migration is suppressed and electroporation effect is improved.

The electrode unit according to the item 10, wherein the electrode unit is arranged in a state in which the first electrode is enveloped by the second electrode.

According to the electrode unit of the technology 11, for example, in the first electrode 22, since the portion that becomes the edge is reliably increased in terms of the structure, the electric field generation efficiency can be further improved, and as a result, the electroporation effect can be further improved.

The electrode unit according to claim 10 or 11, wherein at least one hole is provided, and a center point of the at least one hole overlaps when each of the first electrode and the second electrode is viewed from a normal direction.

According to the electrode unit of the technology 12, for example, the hole of the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24 that overlap each other is set to penetrate one portion of the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24 in the normal direction. One portion penetrating the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 24 as described above can be used as a portion for disposing a probe or a portion for passing light in association with the technique 8 or the technique 9.

(Technique 13) the electrode unit according to any one of techniques 10 to 12, wherein the electrode unit is used in a cosmetic device.

According to the electrode unit of the technology 13, one component of the beauty device can be formed.

The above-described embodiments are for illustrating the technology in the present disclosure, and thus various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, and the like can be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

Industrial applicability

The present disclosure can be applied to applications such as drug permeation devices and drug delivery systems in the medical field, in addition to home applications.

Description of the reference numerals

1. 2: A medicament permeation device; 10: a housing; 11: a holding part; 12: a head; 13: a head frame; 13a: a frame body; 13b: a frame portion; 13c: an annular base; 13d: a base body; 13e: a through hole; 14: a switch button; 20. 60: an electrode unit; 20a: an electrode main body portion; 20b: an electrode wiring section; 20c: an electrode terminal part; 20d: a contact surface; 21: a first cover; 21a: a first cover main body; 21b: a first wiring cover; 21c: a first terminal cover; 22. 50, 51, 52: a first electrode; 22a: a first body; 22b: a first wiring; 22c: a first terminal; 22d: a branch part; 22e: a conduction part; 22f: a notch portion; 22g: an edge portion; 23: a substrate; 23a: a substrate body; 23b: a wiring side base material; 23c: a terminal side base material; 24. 53: a second electrode; 24a: a second body; 24b: a second wiring; 24c: a second terminal; 25: a second cover; 25a: a second cover main body; 25b: a second wiring cover; 25c: a second terminal cover; 31: a third electrode; 32: a fourth electrode; 33: a light emitting unit; 33a: an LED;33b: a mounting substrate; 41: a control unit; 42: a power supply section; 50a: a first body; 50b: a first wiring; 50c: a first terminal; 50d: a main body panel; 50e: a first hole portion; 51a: a first body; 51b: a first wiring; 51c: a first terminal; 51d: a main body panel; 51e: a second hole portion; 52a: a first body; 52b: a first wiring; 52c: a first terminal; 52d: a branch part; 52e: a conduction part; 52f: a notch portion; 52h: an annular portion; 52i, 53i: a light passing hole portion; 53a: a second body; 53b: a second wiring; 53c: a second terminal; 53d: a main body panel; w1: electrode width; w2: an inter-electrode distance; HB: and (3) a human body.

Claims (13)

1. An electrode unit in contact with skin, the electrode unit comprising:

a first electrode and a second electrode to which voltages are applied; and

An insulating base material disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode,

Wherein the first electrode, the second electrode and the base material are respectively layered,

The first electrode, the second electrode, and the base material are laminated on each other,

The first body as the body of the first electrode and the second body as the body of the second electrode are smaller than the base material body as the body of the base material, respectively, when viewed in the stacking direction,

The first body is disposed on a side in contact with the skin, as compared with the second body, and has a first through portion that penetrates the first body in the lamination direction.

2. The electrode unit according to claim 1, wherein,

The first body is smaller than the second body when viewed in the stacking direction.

3. The electrode unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

The first through portion is a plurality of linear notch portions arranged in parallel with each other when viewed in the stacking direction.

4. The electrode unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

The first through part is a plurality of hole parts.

5. The electrode unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

The substrate is provided with an insulating cover which covers the first electrode so as to sandwich the first electrode with the substrate.

6. A drug permeation device is provided with:

The electrode unit according to claim 1 or 2;

A third electrode for penetrating a drug into the skin in a state where the third electrode is in contact with or in proximity to the skin; and

And a fourth electrode to which a voltage is applied between the fourth electrode and the third electrode in a state where the fourth electrode is in contact with or in proximity to the other part of the skin.

7. The agent permeation device according to claim 6, wherein,

A voltage higher than a voltage applied to the second electrode is applied to the first electrode.

8. The agent permeation device according to claim 6, wherein,

The second body has a second through portion that penetrates the second body in the stacking direction,

At least a part of the second through-hole portion overlaps the first through-hole portion in the stacking direction.

9. The agent permeation device of claim 8, wherein,

The light source is aligned with the position where the first through portion and the second through portion overlap in the stacking direction, and emits light to the outside.

10. An electrode unit in contact with skin, the electrode unit having:

a first electrode and a second electrode to which voltages are applied; and

An insulating base material disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode,

Wherein the electrode unit is disposed in a state of being enclosed in the second electrode in at least a part of an edge of the first electrode.

11. The electrode unit according to claim 10, wherein,

The electrode unit is configured in a state in which the first electrode is enveloped by the second electrode.

12. The electrode unit according to claim 10 or 11, wherein,

At least one hole is provided, and the center points of the at least one hole overlap when each of the first electrode and the second electrode is viewed from the normal direction.

13. The electrode unit according to claim 10 or 11, wherein,

The electrode unit is used in a cosmetic device.