CN215915654U - Acupoint stimulation device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an acupoint stimulation device. The acupoint stimulation device comprises: a body having a first side facing a body part and a second side not facing the body part; a first heat generating unit and a second heat generating unit disposed inside the body at a first end and a second end of the body, respectively; first and second stimulation electrodes disposed at first and second locations, respectively, on a first side of the body, a center of the first stimulation electrode being within an area of the first heat generating unit and a center of the second stimulation electrode being within an area of the second heat generating unit when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first side; and a stimulation supply unit attached on the second side of the body and configured to provide an electrical stimulation signal to the first stimulation electrode and the second stimulation electrode, wherein a length of the body between the first position and the second position is designed such that the second stimulation electrode covers an acupuncture point of the human body part when the first stimulation electrode is placed on a reference point at the human body part.

Description

Acupoint stimulation device

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of medical devices, and more particularly to an acupoint stimulation device.

Background

According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, the human body has a plurality of acupuncture points, and the physical condition can be improved by properly stimulating the acupuncture points. However, without the intervention or guidance of a professional physician, it is often difficult for a person to accurately locate the acupuncture points and take the right actions to stimulate the acupuncture points, which results in failure to achieve the desired effect and sometimes even counterproductive.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an acupoint stimulation device including: a body having a first side facing a body part and a second side not facing the body part; a first heat generating unit and a second heat generating unit disposed inside the body at a first end and a second end of the body, respectively; first and second stimulation electrodes disposed at first and second locations, respectively, on a first side of the body, wherein a center of the first stimulation electrode is within a region of the first heat generating unit and a center of the second stimulation electrode is within a region of the second heat generating unit when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first side; and a stimulation supply unit attached on the second side of the body and configured to provide an electrical stimulation signal to the first and second stimulation electrodes, wherein a length of the body between the first and second positions is designed such that the second stimulation electrode covers an acupuncture point of the human body part when the first stimulation electrode is placed on a reference point at the human body part.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an acupoint stimulation device including: a body; and a first and second heat generating units disposed inside the body at the first and second ends of the body, respectively, wherein a length of the body between the first and second heat generating units is designed such that the second heat generating unit covers an acupuncture point of the human body part when the first heat generating unit is placed on a reference point at the human body part.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an acupoint stimulation device including: a body; first and second stimulation electrodes disposed at first and second positions, respectively, on a side of the body facing the human body part; and a stimulation supply unit disposed on the body and configured to provide an electrical stimulation signal to the first and second stimulation electrodes, wherein a length of the body between the first and second positions is designed such that the second stimulation electrode covers an acupuncture point of the human body part when the first stimulation electrode is placed on a reference point at the human body part.

Other features of the present disclosure and advantages thereof will become more apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, further serve to explain the principles of the disclosure and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the disclosure. Wherein:

fig. 1 and 2 are perspective views of an acupoint stimulation device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 3 is a block diagram of a stimulation supply unit of the acupuncture point stimulation apparatus of fig. 1;

fig. 4 is an exploded view of the acupuncture point stimulation device of fig. 1;

fig. 5 is an exploded view of the body of the acupuncture point stimulation device of fig. 1;

fig. 6 is an exploded view of an acupuncture point stimulation device according to further embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 7 is a block diagram of a stimulation supply unit of the acupuncture point stimulation apparatus of fig. 6;

figure 8 is an exploded view of an acupuncture point stimulation device according to further embodiments of the present disclosure; and

fig. 9-11 are schematic views of a body of an acupoint stimulation device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Note that in the embodiments described below, the same reference numerals are used in common between different drawings to denote the same portions or portions having the same functions, and a repetitive description thereof will be omitted. In some cases, similar reference numbers and letters are used to denote similar items, and thus, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be discussed further in subsequent figures.

For convenience of understanding, the positions, sizes, ranges, and the like of the respective structures shown in the drawings and the like do not sometimes indicate actual positions, sizes, ranges, and the like. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the positions, dimensions, ranges, and the like disclosed in the drawings and the like. Moreover, the figures are not necessarily to scale, some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components.

Detailed Description

Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that: the following description of various exemplary embodiments is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the ways in which the disclosure may be practiced and are not exhaustive. Furthermore, the relative arrangement of the components, the numerical expressions, and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure unless specifically stated otherwise. Techniques, methods, and apparatus known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail but are intended to be part of the specification where appropriate.

Traditional Chinese medicine mainly adopts acupuncture or massage to stimulate acupuncture points of a human body to condition the body, but the acupuncture or massage needs rich experience and professional knowledge. For ordinary people who do not have such experience and knowledge, it is not easy to find their own acupoints, and how to stimulate the acupoints correctly and effectively is not necessary.

The acupoint stimulation device provided by the present disclosure may include: a body; a first stimulation unit and a second stimulation unit respectively disposed at the first end and the second end of the body, wherein a length of the body between the first stimulation unit and the second stimulation unit is designed such that the second stimulation unit covers an acupuncture point of the human body part when the first stimulation unit is placed on a reference point at the human body part. The first and second stimulation units may each comprise a heat generating unit and/or a stimulation electrode. The acupuncture point stimulation device of the present disclosure can allow a user to easily position it on a target acupuncture point, so that even a user who is inexperienced or knowledgeable can use it conveniently and obtain a good effect.

An acupoint stimulation device 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to fig. 1 and 2. It should be noted that other components may be present in an actual acupuncture point stimulation device, and are not shown in the drawings and discussed herein in order to avoid obscuring the gist of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the acupuncture point stimulation device 100 may include: a body 101 having a first side 101a facing a human body part and a second side 101b not facing the human body part; a first heat generating unit 1021 and a second heat generating unit 1022 which are respectively provided at the first end 1011 and the second end 1012 of the body 101 inside the body 101; a first and a second stimulation electrode 1031, 1032 arranged at a first and a second location, respectively, on the first side 101a of the body 101, wherein the center of the first stimulation electrode 1031 is within the area of the first heat generating unit 1021 and the center of the second stimulation electrode 1032 is within the area of the second heat generating unit 1022, when seen from a direction perpendicular to the first side 101 a; and a stimulation supply unit 104 attached on the second side 101b of the body 101 and configured to provide electrical stimulation signals to the first and second stimulation electrodes 1031, 1032. The length of the body 101 between the first and second positions may be designed such that the second stimulation electrode 1032 covers an acupuncture point of the human body part when the first stimulation electrode 1031 is placed on a reference point at the human body part.

Herein, the "first position" and the "second position" may be point positions, and the length of the body 101 between the first position and the second position may be a length from the point of the first position to the point of the second position. Arranging the first and second stimulation electrodes 1031, 1032 at the first and second locations, respectively, may comprise coinciding respective points of the first and second stimulation electrodes 1031, 1032 with points of the first and second locations, respectively. The respective points of the first and second stimulation electrodes 1031, 1032 may be points at respective locations on the first and second stimulation electrodes 1031, 1032, for example may be centers of the first and second stimulation electrodes 1031, 1032, or may be points on corresponding edges.

The reference point may be a prominent location on the body part that is easily recognized by the user. For example, when the body part is the wrist, the reference point may be the center point of the first transverse striation under the palm, and the Neiguan point is typically three fingers wide (about 2 inches) down (away from the palm) from this point. Thus, as a non-limiting example, when the acupoint stimulation device 100 is applied to a wrist acupoint, the length of the body 101 between the first and second positions may be designed such that the second stimulation electrode 1032 can cover the Neiguan acupoint of a human body part when the first stimulation electrode 1031 is placed on the reference point that is the center point of the first pass striation under the palm. As another non-limiting example, when the body part is an ankle, the reference point may be the medial malleolus (where the medial malleolus is highest) of the foot, and the Sanyinjiao point is typically four fingers wide (about 3 inches) upward (away from the ball of the foot) from this point.

Since such a reference point is easily located for the user, the body of the acupoint stimulation device of the present disclosure is specifically dimensioned to allow the user to place the second stimulation electrode exactly over the acupoint once the first end of the body or the first stimulation electrode is placed on the reference point. This enables the user to easily, quickly, and accurately position the acupuncture points for stimulation.

The inventors of the present application have also found that stimulating multiple acupuncture points simultaneously has a better effect than stimulating only one acupuncture point. For example, to improve sleep, the inventors of the present application found that stimulating both the shenmen and neiguan points of the wrist more effectively than stimulating only the shenmen or neiguan points, stimulating both the calnasal and tsuri points of the leg more effectively than stimulating only the calnasal or tsuri points, and stimulating both the medial malleolus point and the Sanyinjiao point of the ankle more effectively than stimulating only the medial malleolus point or the Sanyinjiao point. However, it is difficult for ordinary people to accurately locate a plurality of acupuncture points at the same time.

In some embodiments, the human body part may have a first acupoint at the reference point, and when the first stimulation electrode is placed on the reference point at the human body part, the first stimulation electrode covers a first acupoint of the human body part, and the second stimulation electrode covers a second acupoint of the human body part different from the first acupoint. That is, a length of the body between the first and second positions may be designed such that when the first stimulation electrode is placed on a first acupoint of the human body part, the second stimulation electrode covers a second acupoint of the human body part.

For example, when the human body part is a wrist, the first acupoint may be Shenmen acupoint and the second acupoint may be Neiguan acupoint; when the human body part is a leg part, the first acupoint can be a calf nose acupoint, and the second acupoint can be a Zusanli acupoint; when the human body part is ankle, the first acupoint can be medial malleolus point, and the second acupoint can be Sanyinjiao point; and so on. It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described human body parts and acupuncture points, but may be applied to any suitable human body parts and acupuncture points. In some embodiments, the stimulation supply unit 104 may be configured to selectively provide one of a plurality of electrical stimulation signals for a plurality of human body sites to the first and second stimulation electrodes 1031, 1032.

The acupoint stimulation device of the present disclosure arranges the stimulation units (e.g., including the heat generating unit and/or the stimulation electrodes) for the respective acupoints at the corresponding positions of the same body having the specially designed dimensions, so that the user does not need to separately position each stimulation unit to the corresponding acupoint position, but only needs to perform the positioning of the stimulation unit with respect to one of the acupoints, and thus, it is naturally possible to achieve the accurate positioning of the remaining stimulation units of the acupoint stimulation device on the remaining acupoints. This greatly simplifies the user's operation and improves the likelihood of multiple points being accurately located at the same time.

Further, the inventors of the present application found that the length of the body between the first position and the second position can be designed according to the finger-sizing method for performing acupoint positioning (point finding). The finger-size method is a method of measuring points based on the width of a certain portion of a human finger. For example, the tips of the middle and large fingers may be connected together to form a ring, and the distance between the tips of the transverse striations at the lateral ends of the first and second segments of the middle finger is folded to be 1 inch, which can be used for the four limbs and the back to pick points. For example, the width of the first segment of the thumb may be 1 inch, which is also applicable to the location of points on the limbs. For example, the width of the fingers may be used as the size of the acupoint selection, for example, 1 cun for the first index finger, 1.5 cun for the index finger and the middle finger, 2 cun for the index finger, the middle finger and the ring finger, and 3 cun for the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger and the small finger. Accordingly, designing the length of the body between the first and second positions according to the fingering method may include, but is not limited to, designing the length of the body between the first and second positions based on any of the above combined dimensions of the thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and pinky finger.

Also, the inventors of the present application have found that by taking a large number of samples across a range of parameters such as gender, age, height, etc., the adult may typically have a three-finger width of between 40mm and 60mm (with an average of about 50mm) and a four-finger width of between 50mm and 80mm (with an average of about 65 mm). Thus, in some embodiments, the length of the body between the first position and the second position may be set between 10mm and 90mm, or between 40mm and 80mm, or between 40mm and 60mm, or between 50mm and 80 mm. For example, when the acupoint stimulation device is used for a wrist acupoint, the length of the body between the first position and the second position may be set to be between 45mm and 55mm, for example, 50 mm. For example, when the acupuncture point stimulation device is used for a leg or ankle acupuncture point, the length of the body between the first position and the second position may be set to be between 60mm and 70mm, for example 65 mm. In addition, in order to secure the stimulation effect while providing a placement tolerance, the heat generating unit and the stimulation electrode may have appropriate areas. In some embodiments, the area of the stimulation electrode may be less than or equal to the area of the heat-generating unit. In some embodiments, the first and second heat generating units 1021 and 1022 may have a circular shape with a diameter between 10mm and 70mm, or between 15mm and 45mm, or equal to 30mm or 40mm, and in some embodiments, the first and second stimulation electrodes 1031 and 1032 may have a circular shape with a diameter between 1mm and 45mm, or between 5mm and 15mm, or equal to 10 mm. In some embodiments, the area of the stimulation electrode may also be larger than the area of the heat generating unit. It is to be understood that the first and second heat generating units 1021, 1022, the first and second stimulation electrodes 1031, 1032 are not limited to having a circular shape, but may have any suitable shape, including but not limited to triangular, rectangular, etc.

When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first side, in some embodiments, the stimulating electrode may be at the center of the respective firing cell; in some embodiments, the stimulation electrodes may be within the area of the respective heat-generating unit; in some embodiments, the stimulation electrodes may partially overlap with the respective heat-generating units. In addition, the stimulating electrode and the heating unit may have other suitable relative positional relationships.

As shown, the first stimulation unit (combination of the first firing unit 1021 and the first stimulation electrode 1031) and the second stimulation unit (combination of the second firing unit 1022 and the second stimulation electrode 1032) are spaced apart from each other with no thermal or electrical stimulation source therebetween. Compared with the condition that the whole human body part is uniformly applied with electric stimulation and/or thermal stimulation, the method can stimulate the target acupuncture point more pertinently, not only can ensure the stimulation effect, but also can prevent the adverse effect on the peripheral area of the acupuncture point and relieve the discomfort of a user (the large-area coverage can aggravate the sultry caused by fever and the tingling caused by electric stimulation).

With further reference to fig. 3, in some embodiments, the stimulation supply unit 104 may include a power supply 1041, a controller 1042, a stimulation circuit 1043, and first and second electrical contacts 1044a and 1044b, wherein the power supply 1041 may be configured to supply power to the controller 1042 and the stimulation circuit 1043, the stimulation circuit 1043 may be configured to generate and output electrical stimulation signals to the first and second electrical contacts 1044a and 1044b under the control of the controller 1042, and the first and second electrical contacts 1044a and 1044b may be electrically coupled to the first and second stimulation electrodes 1031 and 1032, respectively, to provide the electrical stimulation signals thereto. The electrical stimulation signals may for example take the form of electrical pulses. The duration of the electric pulse may be, for example, between 1 minute and 30 minutes, or between 5 minutes and 25 minutes, for example 20 minutes. The pulse width of the electrical pulse may be, for example, between 1 μ s and 100 μ s, or between 10 μ s and 80 μ s, for example 30 μ s, 45 μ s, 60 μ s, or 75 μ s, etc. The frequency of the electrical pulses may be between 20Hz and 200Hz, or between 50Hz and 100 Hz. The electrical pulse may have an amplitude of between 20 and 60 volts, or between 40 and 50 volts, for example 44 volts. The electrical pulses may take the form of square waves, triangular waves, or sine waves, among others. Power supply 1041 may be, for example, a battery including, but not limited to, a disposable battery, a rechargeable battery, or the like.

In some embodiments, the stimulation supply unit may further include a switch for turning on or off the operation of the stimulation supply unit; or may further include a wireless communication component (e.g., a bluetooth antenna, etc.) that may be configured to wirelessly receive a command from an external device (e.g., a computing device such as a personal computer, smartphone, etc.) instructing to turn on or off operation of the stimulation supply unit; or may further comprise detection means for detecting a circuit connection at the first and second electrical contacts, wherein the stimulus supply unit may be configured to start operation when the detection means detects a circuit connection and to stop operation when the detection means does not detect a circuit connection.

In some embodiments, the stimulation supply unit 104 may be removably attached on the second side of the body 101. In some examples, the stimulus supply unit 104 can be removably attached on the second side of the body via an adhesive attachment mechanism (e.g., applying an adhesive layer between the stimulus supply unit 104 and the body 101, etc.), a mechanical attachment mechanism (e.g., via fasteners), or a magnetic attachment mechanism (e.g., providing mutually magnetically attractable members in the stimulus supply unit 104 and the body 101, respectively).

One example manner of assembling the stimulus supply unit 104 with the body 101 is described below in conjunction with fig. 1, 2, and 4.

As shown, in some embodiments, the acupoint stimulation device may further include a first conductive member 1071 configured to electrically connect the first electrical contact 1044a with the first stimulation electrode 1031 and a second conductive member 1072 configured to electrically connect the second electrical contact 1044b with the second stimulation electrode 1032.

In some embodiments, the first and second conductive members 1071, 1072 may be disposed on the first side 101a of the body 101, and the first and second electrical contacts 1044a, 1044b pass from the second side 101b of the body 101 through the openings 1014, 1015 disposed in the body 101 to the first side 101a of the body 101 to contact the first and second conductive members 1071, 1072, respectively.

In some embodiments, the acupuncture point stimulation device may further include a strap assembly 106, the strap assembly 106 may include a strap 1062, a mounting component 1061 connected at one end of the strap 1062 for mounting the stimulation supply unit 104, and a base 1063 connected at the other end of the strap 1062, wherein each of the first and second conductive members 1071, 1072 is partially received in the base 1063, and the base 1063 includes respective openings 1063a, 1063b to expose portions of the first and second conductive members 1071, 1072 received in the base 1063, and wherein the strap 1062 is bent such that when the body 101 is inserted into the bent strap 1062 (as shown in fig. 1 and 2), the stimulation supply unit 104 mounted to the mounting component 1061 is on the second side 101b of the body 101 and the base 1063 is on the first side 101a of the body 101, and the first and second electrical contacts 1044a, 1044b pass through the openings 1044a in the body 101, 1015 enter openings 1063a, 1063b of base 1063 to contact first and second conductive members 1071, 1072, respectively.

In some examples, the first and second electrical contacts 1044a, 1044b may be plated metal pieces having magnets contained therein, and portions of the first and second conductive members 1071, 1072, respectively, with the first and second electrical contacts 1044a, 1044b may be magnetically attractable.

In some embodiments, the first and second heat-generating units 1021, 1022 may be chemical heat-generating units comprising exothermic compositions. For example, the exothermic composition may comprise iron powder, carbon, and water, or may comprise any suitable exothermic composition now known or later developed. In some embodiments, the duration of the heating of the chemical heating element may be between 1 minute and 30 minutes, or between 5 minutes and 25 minutes, for example 20 minutes. In some embodiments, the maximum temperature that can be reached by the chemical heat generating unit may be between 38 ℃ and 44 ℃, or between 40 ℃ and 42 ℃. For example, fig. 5 shows an exemplary structure of the body 101 including the first heat generating unit 1021 and the second heat generating unit 1022 as the chemical heat generating units. The body 101 may include a first layer 101A, a second layer 101C, and an adhesive layer 101B. The first heat generating unit 1021 and the second heat generating unit 1022 are disposed between the first layer 101A and the second layer 101C, and then the first layer 101A and the second layer 101C are bonded together by the adhesive layer 101B to form the body 101. Of course, the first layer 101A and the second layer 101C may be joined together by other suitable means than by the adhesive layer 101B. The first layer 101A and the second layer 101C may be formed of, for example, a nonwoven fabric or other suitable material. The chemical heating unit has the advantage of allowing the device to have a simpler structure and a light size, thereby facilitating the use of the device by users in various scenes of daily life.

The first and second heat generating units 1021 and 1022 are not limited to the chemical heat generation method. Fig. 6 and 7 exemplarily show an acupuncture point stimulation device 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, of which a heat generating unit may employ an electrical heat generation method.

As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the first and second heat generating units 2021 and 2022 may be electrical heat generating units, and may include, for example, a resistance heating wire or a coil. The stimulation supply unit 204 may also include a heating circuit 2041 and third and fourth electrical contacts 2044c, 2044d as compared to the stimulation supply unit 104. The power source 2041 is configured to provide power to the controller 2042, the stimulation circuit 2043, and the heating circuit 2045. The stimulation circuitry 2043 is configured to generate and output electrical stimulation signals to the first and second electrical contacts 2044a, 2044b under the control of the controller 2042 in order to provide the electrical stimulation signals to the first and second stimulation electrodes 2031, 2032. The heating circuit 2045 is configured to generate and output an electrical heating signal to the third and fourth electrical contacts 2044c, 2044d under the control of the controller 2042, the third and fourth electrical contacts 2044c, 2044d being electrically coupled to the first and second heat generating units 2021, 2022, respectively, to provide the electrical heating signal thereto. In the illustrated example, the body 201 may include a first layer 201A on a second side of the non-body-facing portion, the first layer 201A overlying the first and second heat generating units 2021, 2022 and being provided with openings allowing the first, second, third and fourth electrical contacts 2044a, 2044b, 2044c, 2044d to pass therethrough. The first and second heat generating units 2021 and 2022 may be disposed on the first and second stimulating electrodes 2031 and 2032 and an insulating layer may be disposed therebetween. The body 201 may further include a second layer 201B on a first side facing the human body part, and the second layer 201B may be provided with openings 2013 and 2014 to expose the first and second stimulation electrodes 2031 and 2032 on the first side of the body 201.

In some embodiments, the acupoint stimulation device may further include a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the first and second heat generating units, wherein the controller of the stimulation supply unit is in communication with the temperature sensor and is configured to control the stimulation circuitry to generate the electrical stimulation signal based at least in part on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. For example, as shown in fig. 3, the controller 1042 may control the stimulation circuit 1043 to generate an electrical stimulation signal based on the temperatures of the first and second heat-generating units, e.g., as chemical heat-generating units, detected by the temperature sensor 105, e.g., the electrical stimulation signal may be started, stopped, or modified according to the detected temperatures. For example, as shown in fig. 7, the controller 2042 may control the stimulation circuit 2043 to generate an electrical stimulation signal and/or control the heating circuit 2045 to generate an electrical heating signal based on the temperatures of the first and second heat generating units, e.g., as electrical heat generating units, detected by the temperature sensor 205.

Fig. 8 illustrates an acupoint stimulation device 300 according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. The acupuncture point stimulation device similarly includes a body 301, first and second heat generating units 3011 and 3012, first and second stimulation electrodes 3031 and 3032, and a stimulation supply unit 304. The body 301 has a first opening 3013 at the first end 3011 and a second opening 3014 at the second end 3012, wherein the first firing unit 3021 is disposed around the first opening 3013 and the second firing unit 3022 is disposed around the second opening 3014, wherein the first stimulating electrode 3031 is disposed in the first opening 3013 and the second stimulating electrode 3032 is disposed in the second opening 3014, and wherein the first and second electrically conductive members 3071 and 3072 are disposed on the second side 301b of the body 301. In some embodiments, the first electrical contact 3044a, the first conductive member 3071, and the first stimulation electrode 3031 may be unitary, and the second electrical contact 3044b, the second conductive member 3072, and the second stimulation electrode 3032 may be unitary. In such embodiments, the first and second heat generating units 3021 and 3022 may be either chemical heat generating units or electrical heat generating units, or any other suitable heat generating units.

In addition, in some embodiments, the body of the acupuncture point stimulation device may include a first portion, a first connection member connected to the first portion, a second portion, and a second connection member connected to the second portion, wherein the first heating unit and the first stimulation electrode are at the first portion of the body, and the second heating unit and the second stimulation electrode are at the second portion of the body, and wherein the first connection member and the second connection member are detachably connected to each other and configured such that a length of the body between the first position and the second position is adjustable. In some embodiments, the first and second connectors may be configured such that a length of the body between the first and second positions is switchable between a plurality of lengths. In some embodiments, the first and second connectors may be configured such that a length of the body between the first and second positions is switchable between a first length and a second length. For example, the first length may be 50mm and the second length may be 65 mm. This may enable the acupuncture point stimulation device to be flexibly applied to different users or different parts of the same user. It will be appreciated that the stimulus supply unit can be provided on the non-body part facing side of the first and second connectors that are connected together.

As shown in fig. 9, as a non-limiting example, the body 401 may include a first part 4011, a first connection 4013 connected to the first part 4011, a second part 4012, and a second connection 4014 connected to the second part 4012, the first connection 4013 having a hook and loop surface 4015, and the second connection 4014 having a hook and loop surface 4016 that mates with the hook and loop surface 4015 of the first connection 4013. One of the hook and loop fastening surface (e.g., the hook and loop fastening surface 4016 of fig. 9) has a plurality of stopper lines including at least a first stopper line 4017 and a second stopper line 4018, and wherein a length of the body 401 between the first position and the second position is equal to the first length when the other of the hook and loop fastening surface (e.g., the hook and loop fastening surface 4015 of fig. 9) is attached to the one of the hook and loop fastening surface in alignment with the first stopper line 4017, and a length of the body 401 between the first position and the second position is equal to the second length when the other of the hook and loop fastening surface is attached to the one of the hook and loop fastening surface in alignment with the second stopper line 4018.

As shown in fig. 10, as another non-limiting example, the body 501 may include a first portion 5011, a first connector 5013 connected to the first portion 5011, a second portion 5012, and a second connector 5014 connected to the second portion 5012, the first connector 5013 having a plurality of limiting holes including at least a first limiting hole 5015 and a second limiting hole 5016, the second connector 5014 including a catch 5017 capable of catching into the limiting holes of the first connector 5013, wherein a length of the body 501 between the first position and the second position when the catch 5017 of the second connector 5014 catches into the first limiting hole 5015 of the first connector 5013 is equal to the first length, and a length of the body 501 between the first position and the second position when the catch 5017 of the second connector 5014 catches into the second limiting hole 5016 of the first connector 5013 is equal to the second length.

In addition, the acupoint stimulation device of the present disclosure may further include more than two stimulation units for simultaneously stimulating more than two acupoints. In some embodiments, for example, as shown in fig. 11, the acupoint stimulation apparatus is provided with a first heat generating unit 6021 and a first stimulating electrode 6031 at a first end 6011 of the body 601, and a second heat generating unit 6022 and a second stimulating electrode 6032 at a second end 6012 of the body 601, and further, the acupoint stimulation apparatus may further include: a third heat generating unit 6023 disposed inside the body 601 at a third end 6013 of the body 601; a third stimulation electrode 6033 arranged at a third location on the first side of the body 601, wherein the center of the third stimulation electrode 6033 is within the area of the third heating unit 6023 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first side, wherein the stimulation supply unit is further configured to provide an electrical stimulation signal to the third stimulation electrode 6033, wherein a length of the body 601 between the first location and the third location is designed such that when the first stimulation electrode 6031 is placed on a reference point at the human body part, the third stimulation electrode 6033 covers an acupuncture point of the human body part different from an acupuncture point covered by the second stimulation electrode. In some embodiments, the human body part may have a first acupoint at the reference point, and when the first stimulation electrode 6031 is placed on the reference point at the human body part, the first stimulation electrode 6031 covers the first acupoint, the second stimulation electrode 6032 covers the second acupoint, and the third stimulation electrode 6033 covers a third acupoint, the first acupoint, the second acupoint, and the third acupoint being different from one another. In addition, the body of the acupuncture point stimulation device may be further shaped to have more ends, each end being provided with a stimulation unit, respectively, such that when the first end is placed on a reference point at a human body part, the stimulation units of the remaining ends are all overlaid on the corresponding acupuncture point.

The acupuncture point stimulation device can be directly placed on a human body. Further, the acupuncture point stimulation device of the present disclosure may also be used for an attachment mechanism to be attached to a human body, which may allow a user to use the acupuncture point stimulation device of the present disclosure even while in motion. In some embodiments, a connecting band may be added on the periphery of the body for attaching to a human body part. In some embodiments, the acupuncture point stimulation device may further include an adhesive layer disposed on a first side of the body facing the human body part for adhering the acupuncture point stimulation device to the human body part.

Although the stimulation unit of the acupuncture point stimulation device of the foregoing aspect of the present disclosure includes both the heat generating unit and the stimulation electrode, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and an acupuncture point stimulation device including a stimulation unit having a heat generating unit or a stimulation electrode may be provided. It will be appreciated that the embodiments referred to in the foregoing aspects are equally applicable to an acupuncture point stimulation device comprising a stimulation unit having a heat generating unit or a stimulation electrode. To avoid redundancy, only some embodiments are further illustrated below, but this is merely exemplary and not limiting.

For example, another aspect of the present disclosure may also provide an acupuncture point stimulation device including: a body; and a first and second heat generating units disposed inside the body at the first and second ends of the body, respectively, wherein a length of the body between the first and second heat generating units is designed such that the second heat generating unit covers an acupuncture point of the human body part when the first heat generating unit is placed on a reference point at the human body part. The length of the body between the first and second heat generating units may be a length between corresponding points of the first and second heat generating units. The respective points of the first and second heat generating units may be points at respective positions on the first and second heat generating units, for example, may be centers of the first and second heat generating units, or may be points on corresponding edges. It will be appreciated that such an acupuncture point stimulation device may be similar to the acupuncture point stimulation devices described previously but does not include stimulation electrodes.

In some embodiments, the human body part has a first acupoint at the reference point, and when the first heat-generating unit is placed on the reference point at the human body part, the first heat-generating unit covers the first acupoint of the human body part, and the second heat-generating unit covers a second acupoint of the human body part different from the first acupoint.

In some embodiments, the first and second heat-generating units may be chemical heat-generating units comprising an exothermic composition.

In some embodiments, the first and second heat generating units may be electrical heat generating units and configured to receive an electrical heating signal from an external power source. In such an embodiment, the acupuncture point stimulation device may further include an attachment mechanism for attaching a stimulation supply unit on a non-human body part facing side of the body, the stimulation supply unit may be configured to provide electrical heating signals to the first and second heat generating units.

In addition, in some embodiments, the acupoint stimulation device may further include a first attachment mechanism configured to attach the first stimulation electrode and the second stimulation electrode at a first position and a second position, respectively, on a side of the body facing the human body part such that a center of the first stimulation electrode is within an area of the first heat generating unit and a center of the second stimulation electrode is within an area of the second heat generating unit when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first side, and a second attachment mechanism configured to attach a stimulation supply unit to the attachment mechanism on the side of the body not facing the human body part, the stimulation supply unit may be configured to provide the electrical stimulation signal to the first stimulation electrode and the second stimulation electrode attached to the body via the first attachment mechanism, wherein a length of the body between the first position and the second position is designed such that the first stimulation electrode is placed at the human body part at the reference position When the examination point is on, the second stimulating electrode covers the acupuncture points of the human body part. When the acupuncture point stimulation device is attached with the stimulation supply unit and the first and second stimulation electrodes, it may be similar to the acupuncture point stimulation device (e.g., the acupuncture point stimulation devices 100, 200, 300, etc.) of the previous embodiments. In addition, when the first and second heat generating units are electrical heat generating units, the stimulus supply unit attached to the body via the second attachment mechanism may be further configured to provide electrical heating signals to the first and second heat generating units.

In some embodiments, the acupuncture point stimulation device may further include: an attachment mechanism configured to attach a stimulation supply assembly comprising first and second stimulation electrodes and a stimulation supply unit to the body, the stimulation supply unit providing electrical stimulation signals, such that the stimulation supply unit is located on a non-human body part facing side of the body, and such that the first and second stimulation electrodes are located at first and second locations, respectively, on the human body part facing side of the body, wherein a length of the body between the first and second locations is designed such that the second stimulation electrode covers an acupuncture point of the human body part when the first stimulation electrode is placed on a reference point at the human body part. In some examples, the first and second stimulation electrodes may also be part of the stimulation supply unit.

In some embodiments, the human body part has a first acupoint at the reference point, and when the first stimulation electrode is placed on the reference point at the human body part, the first stimulation electrode covers a first acupoint of the human body part and the second stimulation electrode covers a second acupoint of the human body part different from the first acupoint.

The attachment mechanism, the first attachment mechanism, the second attachment mechanism described above may be configured to provide a detachable attachment and may be one of: adhesive attachment mechanisms, mechanical attachment mechanisms, magnetic attachment mechanisms.

In some embodiments, the body of the acupuncture point stimulation device has a first opening at the first end and a second opening at the second end, wherein the first heat generating unit is disposed around the first opening and the second heat generating unit is disposed around the second opening. As previously described with respect to fig. 8, such a configuration may allow a stimulation supply assembly attached to the body of the acupoint stimulation device to extend the first and second stimulation electrodes into the first and second openings of the body, respectively, to contact a human body site for stimulating an acupoint.

In some embodiments, the acupuncture point stimulation device may further include an adhesive layer disposed on a side of the body facing the human body part for adhering the acupuncture point stimulation device to the human body part.

In some embodiments, the acupuncture point stimulation device may further include: and a third heat generating unit disposed inside the body at a third end of the body, wherein a length of the body between the first heat generating unit and the third heat generating unit is designed such that the third heat generating unit covers acupuncture points of the human body part different from acupuncture points covered by the second heat generating unit when the first heat generating unit is placed on a reference point at the human body part. In some embodiments, the human body part may have a first acupoint at the reference point, and when the first heat-generating unit is placed on the reference point at the human body part, the first heat-generating unit covers the first acupoint, the second heat-generating unit covers the second acupoint, and the third heat-generating unit covers the third acupoint, the first acupoint, the second acupoint, and the third acupoint being different from each other. It will be appreciated that the acupoint stimulation device, when including more firing cells, may be configured to allow for the addition of stimulation electrodes accordingly to provide further electrical stimulation. In some embodiments, the body may include a first portion, a first connection connected to the first portion, a second portion, and a second connection connected to the second portion, wherein the first heat generating unit is at the first portion of the body and the second heat generating unit is at the second portion of the body, and wherein the first connection and the second connection are detachably connected to each other and configured such that a length of the body between the first heat generating unit and the second heat generating unit is adjustable. Various specific embodiments of the first connecting element and the second connecting element have been described in detail above, and are not described herein again.

For example, still another aspect of the present disclosure may also provide an acupuncture point stimulation device including: a body; first and second stimulation electrodes disposed at first and second positions, respectively, on a side of the body facing the human body part; and a stimulation supply unit disposed on the body and configured to provide an electrical stimulation signal to the first and second stimulation electrodes, wherein a length of the body between the first and second positions is designed such that the second stimulation electrode covers an acupuncture point of the human body part when the first stimulation electrode is placed on a reference point at the human body part. It will be appreciated that such an acupuncture point stimulation device may be similar to the acupuncture point stimulation devices described hereinbefore but does not include a heat generating unit.

Although some specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail by way of example, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing examples are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The various embodiments of the invention herein may be combined in any combination without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims (31)

1. An acupoint stimulation device, comprising:

a body having a first side facing a body part and a second side not facing the body part;

a first heat generating unit and a second heat generating unit disposed inside the body at a first end and a second end of the body, respectively;

first and second stimulation electrodes disposed at first and second locations, respectively, on a first side of the body, wherein a center of the first stimulation electrode is within a region of the first heat generating unit and a center of the second stimulation electrode is within a region of the second heat generating unit when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first side; and

a stimulation supply unit attached on the second side of the body and configured to provide an electrical stimulation signal to the first and second stimulation electrodes,

wherein a length of the body between the first position and the second position is designed such that the second stimulation electrode covers an acupuncture point of the human body part when the first stimulation electrode is placed on a reference point at the human body part.

2. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 1, wherein the human body part has a first acupoint at the reference point, and when the first stimulation electrode is placed on the reference point at the human body part, the first stimulation electrode covers a first acupoint of the human body part, and the second stimulation electrode covers a second acupoint of the human body part different from the first acupoint.

3. The acupuncture point stimulation device of claim 1 wherein the first and second heat generating units are chemical heat generating units comprising exothermic compositions.

4. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 1, wherein the stimulation supply unit comprises a power source, a controller, a stimulation circuit, and first and second electrical contacts, wherein the power source is configured to supply power to the controller and the stimulation circuit, the stimulation circuit is configured to generate and output electrical stimulation signals to the first and second electrical contacts under the control of the controller, and the first and second electrical contacts are configured to be electrically coupled to the first and second stimulation electrodes, respectively, to provide the electrical stimulation signals thereto.

5. The acupuncture point stimulation device of claim 4, wherein the first and second heat generating units are electrical heat generating units, wherein the stimulation supply unit further comprises a heating circuit and third and fourth electrical contacts, and wherein the power source is further configured to supply power to the heating circuit, the heating circuit being configured to generate and output electrical heating signals to the third and fourth electrical contacts under control of the controller, the third and fourth electrical contacts being configured to be electrically coupled to the first and second heat generating units, respectively, to supply electrical heating signals thereto.

6. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 4, further comprising a first conductive member configured to electrically connect the first electrical contact with the first stimulation electrode and a second conductive member configured to electrically connect the second electrical contact with the second stimulation electrode.

7. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 6, wherein the first and second conductive members are disposed on a first side of the body, and the first and second electrical contacts pass from a second side of the body through an opening disposed in the body to the first side of the body to contact the first and second conductive members, respectively.

8. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 6, wherein the body has a first opening at the first end and a second opening at the second end, wherein the first heat generating unit is disposed around the first opening and the second heat generating unit is disposed around the second opening, wherein the first stimulation electrode is disposed in the first opening and the second stimulation electrode is disposed in the second opening, and wherein the first conductive member and the second conductive member are disposed on the second side of the body.

9. The acupuncture point stimulation device according to claim 1, wherein the stimulation supply unit is detachably attached on the second side of the body.

10. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a first portion, a first connector coupled to the first portion, a second portion, and a second connector coupled to the second portion,

wherein the first heat generating unit and the first stimulating electrode are at a first portion of the body and the second heat generating unit and the second stimulating electrode are at a second portion of the body, and

wherein the first and second connectors are detachably connected to each other and configured such that a length of the body between the first and second positions is adjustable.

11. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 10, wherein the first and second connectors are configured such that a length of the body between the first and second positions is switchable between a plurality of lengths.

12. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 4, further comprising a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the first and second heat generating units, wherein the controller of the stimulation supply unit is in communication with the temperature sensor and is configured to control the stimulation circuit to generate the electrical stimulation signal based at least in part on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

13. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third heat generating unit disposed inside the body at a third end of the body;

a third stimulating electrode disposed at a third location on the first side of the body, wherein a center of the third stimulating electrode is within a region of the third firing cell when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first side,

wherein the stimulation supply unit is further configured to provide an electrical stimulation signal to the third stimulation electrode,

wherein a length of the body between the first and third positions is designed such that when the first stimulation electrode is placed on a reference point of the human body part, the third stimulation electrode covers acupuncture points of the human body part that are different from the acupuncture points covered by the second stimulation electrode.

14. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer disposed on the first side of the body for adhering the acupoint stimulation device to a human body site.

15. The acupuncture point stimulation device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second heat generating units have a circular shape with a diameter between 15mm and 45 mm.

16. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 1, wherein the first and second stimulation electrodes have a circular shape with a diameter between 5mm and 45 mm.

17. The point stimulation device of claim 1 wherein the length of the body between the first position and the second position is between 10mm and 90 mm.

18. An acupoint stimulation device, comprising:

a body;

a first heat generating unit and a second heat generating unit disposed inside the body at a first end and a second end of the body, respectively,

wherein a length of the body between the first and second heat generating units is designed such that the second heat generating unit covers an acupuncture point of the human body part when the first heat generating unit is placed on a reference point at the human body part.

19. The acupuncture point stimulation device of claim 18, wherein the human body part has a first acupuncture point at a reference point, and when the first heat generating unit is placed on the reference point at the human body part, the first heat generating unit covers a first acupuncture point of the human body part, and the second heat generating unit covers a second acupuncture point of the human body part different from the first acupuncture point.

20. The acupuncture point stimulation device of claim 18 wherein the first and second heat generating units are chemical heat generating units comprising exothermic compositions.

21. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 18, wherein the first and second heat generating units are electrical heat generating units and are configured to receive electrical heating signals from an external power source.

22. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 21, further comprising an attachment mechanism for attaching the stimulation supply unit on a non-human body part facing side of the body, the stimulation supply unit being configured to provide electrical heating signals to the first and second heat generating units.

23. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 18, further comprising:

a first attachment mechanism configured to attach the first and second stimulation electrodes at first and second locations, respectively, on a side of the body facing the human body part such that a center of the first stimulation electrode is within an area of the first heat generating unit and a center of the second stimulation electrode is within an area of the second heat generating unit when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the side of the body facing the human body part; and

a second attachment mechanism configured for attaching the stimulation supply unit on an attachment mechanism on a non-human body part facing side of the body, the stimulation supply unit configured to provide an electrical stimulation signal to a first stimulation electrode and a second stimulation electrode attached on the body via the first attachment mechanism,

wherein a length of the body between the first position and the second position is designed such that the second stimulation electrode covers an acupuncture point of the human body part when the first stimulation electrode is placed on a reference point at the human body part.

24. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 23, wherein the first and second heat generating units are electrical heat generating units, wherein the stimulation supply unit attached to the body via the second attachment mechanism is further configured to provide electrical heating signals to the first and second heat generating units.

25. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 18, further comprising:

an attachment mechanism configured to attach a stimulation supply assembly comprising first and second stimulation electrodes and a stimulation supply unit for providing electrical stimulation signals to the first and second stimulation electrodes to the body such that the stimulation supply unit is located on a non-human body part facing side of the body and such that the first and second stimulation electrodes are located at first and second locations, respectively, on the human body part facing side of the body,

wherein a length of the body between the first position and the second position is designed such that the second stimulation electrode covers an acupuncture point of the human body part when the first stimulation electrode is placed on a reference point at the human body part.

26. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 23 or 25, wherein the human body part has a first acupoint at the reference point, and when the first stimulation electrode is placed on the reference point at the human body part, the first stimulation electrode covers a first acupoint of the human body part, and the second stimulation electrode covers a second acupoint of the human body part different from the first acupoint.

27. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 18, wherein the body has a first opening at the first end and a second opening at the second end, wherein the first heat generating unit is disposed around the first opening and the second heat generating unit is disposed around the second opening.

28. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 18, further comprising an adhesive layer disposed on a side of the body facing the human body site for adhering the acupoint stimulation device to the human body site.

29. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 18, further comprising:

a third heating unit disposed inside the body at a third end of the body,

wherein a length of the body between the first heat generating unit and the third heat generating unit is designed such that the third heat generating unit covers acupuncture points of the human body part different from acupuncture points covered by the second heat generating unit when the first heat generating unit is placed on a reference point at the human body part.

30. The acupoint stimulation device of claim 18, wherein the body comprises a first portion, a first connector coupled to the first portion, a second portion, and a second connector coupled to the second portion,

wherein the first heat generating unit is at a first portion of the body and the second heat generating unit is at a second portion of the body, and

wherein the first and second connectors are detachably connected to each other and configured such that a length of the body between the first and second heat generating units is adjustable.

31. An acupoint stimulation device, comprising:

a body;

first and second stimulation electrodes disposed at first and second positions, respectively, on a side of the body facing the human body part; and

a stimulation supply unit disposed on the body and configured to provide an electrical stimulation signal to the first and second stimulation electrodes,

wherein a length of the body between the first position and the second position is designed such that the second stimulation electrode covers an acupuncture point of the human body part when the first stimulation electrode is placed on a reference point at the human body part.

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