ES2278499A1 - Device for generating electro-osmosis, comprises unit to generate high voltage, other unit to electric field from high voltage and third unit to apply electric field on surface of membrane to produce osmosis effect - Google Patents

Abstract

The device comprises a unit to generate high voltage, an other unit to electric field from the high voltage and a third unit to apply the electric field on the surface of membrane to produce osmosis effect.

Description

Device to generate electroosmosis.

The present invention relates to a device to generate electroosmosis and, more specifically, to a device comprising an electric field generator high variables, capable of moving suspended particles to through semi-permeable membranes very close or in contact with said generator.

Background of the invention

It is known in the state of the art a phenomenon referred to as osmosis, which is based on which ions or particles suspended and separated by a porous membrane or semipermeable can cross from one side of the membrane to the other. This phenomenon can be pressed and accelerated with the application of an elevated electric field, with which the phenomenon passes to called electroosmosis.

In the case that the electric field applied to achieve the said acceleration be of an alternating nature in polarity, and depending on the frequency with which it occurs said alternation, it is possible to achieve the conduction of particles to a certain place desired by a user, said phenomenon receiving the name of dielectrophoresis.

A characteristic common to all the phenomena described above is based on the fact that the temperature intervenes as an enhancer effect of the movement of the particles from one side of the membrane to the other.
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The electroosmosis application equipment and Dielectrophoresis comprises high voltage generators, either in continuous or alternating. Said high voltage generated is carried by wires to plates, usually metallic, that create each other an electric field.

The fact of having to bring high voltage to through some cables from the high voltage generator to the plates to generate the electric field, arranged distant of the generator, supposes a series of important inconveniences.

First, the wires that are due use have to be special, and therefore expensive and difficult to handle, because they have to endure tensions of order of the kilovolts at a certain radiofrequency. Before this order of magnitude, said wires have to be conveniently isolated from high voltage to avoid possible Downloads as well as burns. Therefore a possible damage to the insulation can cause significant injuries. Furthermore, said cables are thick and rigid and, therefore, hard to handle

The fact that these cables carry high tension implicitly assumes that they become a line of high impedance This feature makes them very wires sensitive to the proximity, for example, of a human body, so You can vary the frequency. The fact that the cable is rolled or having an excessive length also affects said frequency.

On the other hand, as another consequence of inconvenience described, manipulation and / or not possible Simple modification of the equipment. So, for example, it is not possible exchanging different plates for different applications and / or bodies, or different areas of the same body. In the case of if possible, it would be necessary to change the whole set formed by the transmission cable plates of the High tension to the plates.

Description of the invention

Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention provide a device for generating electroosmosis simpler, in which a high transfer is not necessary voltage from the voltage generator to the plates.

This objective is achieved in accordance with claim 1 by providing a device for generating electroosmosis in which the means for generating the high voltage, the means for generating the electric field and the means for applying the electric field are arranged together, so that the High voltage and the electric field, normally variable, are generated at the same point of application of the electric field on one of the faces of the
membrane.

In this way a device is achieved for generate electroosmosis that prevents the transfer of high voltage, since the generation of high voltage and the formation of electric field are performed at the same point of application of the electric field. Therefore, it is not necessary to use cables special to move the voltage from a possible low generator  voltage to the means to generate high voltage, arranged distant, since the voltage to be transferred is low voltage. In addition, any danger of discharge or burn to the users and frequency is not affected by any body near or in contact with the cable, such as a human body. The frequency is also not affected by other features such such as the length of the cable or its winding. All of this is due. to which the low voltage transmission is carried out at low impedance.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means to generate the electric field and the means to apply said electric field they can be formed by same elements, said elements being able to understand at least two plates, usually of a conductive material.

According to an embodiment of the invention, Each plate can be arranged on one side of the membrane. Bliss realization is only possible when you have access to both sides of the membrane, whatever the shape of the membrane. In this case, the plates generate an electric field between them that act on the particles or solute ions that you want to move through the membrane

Alternatively, the two plates can be arranged on the same side of the membrane. In this case, the plates must be placed very close to each other, forcing arrange them very close or in contact with the membrane. It is because the electric field that is created between the two plates is inversely proportional to the square of the distance that To stop.

Preferably, the plates may comprise conductive tracks on a printed circuit board, being able to said printed circuit board being of a flexible material. From In this way, the conductive plates can have different shapes according to the need of the application and can be adapted to different surfaces, that is, it is possible to perform any design of the conductive plates, being able to adapt to surfaces flat, curved or three-dimensional.

According to another embodiment of the invention, it can an insulating element is disposed between the means to apply the electric field and the membrane, avoiding direct contact between the means of application of the electric field, such as plates, and the membrane, and the propagation of electrical currents by the membrane, but not the electric field. Supposing the boards are implemented on a printed circuit board in the form of conductive tracks, said insulating element or layer It can stick to the printed circuit, on the tracks.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the device comprises means for generating low voltage and means to transport said low voltage to the means to generate the high voltage from said low voltage.

Said means to generate low voltage, such as an alternating low voltage generator, may be distant dispositions or sets with the rest of the described means. In the case that distant ones are available, the means to transport the low voltage generated can be, for example, cables  electric In the case that sets are available, the means to transport low voltage can be, for example, tracks conductors of a printed circuit board.

According to an embodiment of the invention, cough means for generating high voltage can comprise a transformer resonant, which may be formed by an inductance and a capacitor, to which it can be coupled, for example, so inductive, capacitive or direct, the signal that comes from the means for generating low voltage, achieving high voltage necessary for greater security on the device.

With inductive coupling, a great isolation between the transformer and the rest of the device of the invention. In this case, if the device also presents the insulating element between the means to apply the field electrical and the membrane, a double insulation between the transformer and the point of application of the electric field.

In addition, the elements, such as plates, They can be part of the same resonant circuit.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the means to generate high voltage, the means to generate the electric field from high voltage, and the means to applying said electric field may be comprised in a container, which can present a handle.

This embodiment allows it to be performed a manual (or mechanical) displacement of the container, which incorporates, among others, the means to apply the electric field, along the membrane, if said membrane has a surface greater than the surface of the applicator. Obviously the container It can have different shapes that incorporate or not a handle.

On the other hand, it is possible to incorporate device an indicator of the electric field strength produced, taking a sample of the transformer voltage resonant and sending it to an indicator pilot. Said pilot indicator can be attached to the container and visible from the outside of it.

Brief description of the drawings

For greater understanding of how much has been exposed Drawings are accompanied in which, schematically and only to non-limiting example title, a case study of realization.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram in form of an electrical circuit of the device to generate electroosmosis, according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram in form of an electrical circuit of a detail of the plates and their connection in the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a possible realization of a container of the plates of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a longitudinal section of the container of Fig. 3; Y

Fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a possible embodiment of the conductive plates of Fig. 2, for the container of Fig. 3.

Description of preferred embodiments

The description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which the membrane semipermeable is human skin, although the application of invention may encompass, among other fields, electromedicine, the cosmetic or industrial applications in which the movement, separation or regrouping of particles.

As you can see in Fig. 1, the device 10 to generate electroosmosis when applying an electric field variable and elevated on a semipermeable or porous membrane, such Like human skin, it comprises a generator (not shown) of low AC voltage V_ {i}, which is sent to an applicator 30 (see Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) using a cable 11 (without a sophisticated insulation since high voltage does not move), whose applicator in turn it comprises a high voltage generator in the form of a parallel resonant transformer 12, and conductive plates 13 (see also Fig. 2) among which the electric field is generated at apply to the skin (membrane).

The transformer 12 comprises an inductance L with n_ {2} turns and a capacitor C, which is coupled in inductive form 14 the signal V_ {i} that comes from the generator low voltage. Said coupling provides great insulation. between the generator and the rest of the device 10.

It is important to note that said coupling it could also be done, for example, in a capacitive or direct form

Thus, the references in Fig. 1 also represent:

n_ {1}: number of turns of the coupling 14.

n_ {2}: number of turns of the inductance L.

L and C: the inductance and capacitor respectively that form the circuit resonant at a given F frequency.

V_ {i}: tension input from the low voltage generator.

V_ {o}: voltage Induced output in the resonant circuit LC taken in its ends a and b.

It should be considered that the voltage V_ {i} generated by the low voltage generator can be variable in amplitude and frequency, and can also be modulated.

The resonant frequency F of the circuit resonant (transformer + plates) is determined by the formula

F = 1 / 6.28 \ sqrt {LC}

where F corresponds to the frequency of resonance, L corresponds to the inductance (in Henry) and C corresponds to the value of the capacity (in Faradios), as it has been aforementioned previously.

The relationship of tension transformation from input to output is given by the following formula:

V_ {o} = (n_ {2} / n_ {1}) 2 V_ {1}

The impedances of inductance and capacitor must be equal (Z_ {L} = Z_ {C}), situation that only the resonance frequency F of the circuit is given, being Z_ {L} the inductance impedance and corresponding to 6.28LF_ {o}, and Z_ {C} is the capacitor impedance, which corresponds to 1 / (6.28CF_ {o}).

At said resonance frequency F of the circuit resonant LC, the larger the relationship between n_ {1} and n_ {2}, the higher the voltage produced at the ends of the circuit resonant parallel. In this way, the high voltage is obtained necessary to generate the electric field to apply to the skin and Get the effect of osmosis.

As can be seen in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, in the ends of the resonant circuit and being part of it, it they place the conductive plates 13 that generate an electric field between them. Since the applied voltage is alternating in polarity, the generated field will also be changing direction to the frequency of the transformer 12.

The electric field that is created between the two conductive plates 13 to which the voltage V o is applied is inversely proportional to the square of the distance that To stop. For this reason, applicator 30 should be placed as close as possible. possible from the skin, coming to contact. Between the applicator and the skin can be placed a thin layer of a certain product, by example, cosmetic, from which it is desired to achieve penetration at through the semipermeable membrane of the skin. Said product It can be applied in liquid or gelatinous form.

To avoid direct contact between plates conductive 13 and the skin intercalates an insulating material 31 (see Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) that prevents the propagation of electric currents, but not that of the electric field. Said electric field involves both sides of the skin, as well as particles, ions or product interposed.

If the intensity of the applied electric field is regulates from a certain value, a phenomenon of heating due to dielectric losses on both sides of the skin, that can be controlled, and that significantly accelerates the effect osmotic, increasing the speed and amount of transfer of ions or particles.

As described above, it is remarkable application in medicine and cosmetics for product penetration through the semipermeable membrane of the skin.

From Fig. 2 it is also possible to add an indicator 20 of the intensity of the generated electric field, taking a sample of the voltage of the resonant transformer V o, sending it to said indicator 20, which can be, for example, an LED ( Light Emitting Diode ).

From everything described, the following is will perform the description of the operation of the device according to the invention. The low voltage generator generates a voltage V_ that is transmitted via cable 11 to the transformer resonant 12 to cause its conversion to high voltage V_ {i}. TO through the capacitor C of the transformer 12, the voltage V_ is inductively couples and the output voltage V o is obtained in the transformer 12, said voltage V o being induced in the LC resonant circuit taken at its ends a and b.

With said voltage V o, the plates 13 generate an elevated electric field, so that when the applicator 30 is puts the layer-shaped product near or in contact with the skin thin arranged on the skin penetrates through it, causing a phenomenon of heating due to dielectric losses to both sides of the skin, the osmotic effect is noticeably accelerating in the same.

Fig. 3 shows a possible embodiment of the applicator 30 cited above, which may present different forms, adapting to the application to which it is intended. Said applicator is formed by a container 30 comprising a piece 31 of insulating material to prevent the spread of electrical currents through the skin, but not that of the electric field, a handle 32 so that it can be held by hand and made displacements, and the field strength indicator 20 electric.

It is important to note that the applicator 30 of the device 10 can be exchanged with other applicators, presenting said other applicators shapes and configurations appropriate to the area on which they have to act and / or to the application that you want to give them. Because the tension it reaches  the applicator is low voltage, it is possible to exchange only the applicators, without the cables, without the existence of discharges to the user who performs the exchange.

The construction of the applicator 30 provides for possibility that a displacement can be made, either by mechanical or manual means, along the membrane if it It has an area greater than that of the applicator.

A section view is shown in Fig. 4 length of the applicator 30 according to the embodiment of Fig. 3. In said figure can be seen that inside the container has the resonant transformer 12, which receives the voltage V_ {i} from the cable 11, the capacitor C, the indicator 20 of the intensity of the electric field, and the conductive plates 13 generators of said electric field.

As shown in Fig. 5, the plates conductors 13 can have different shapes according to the need of the application and have to adapt to surfaces, so it is suitable to perform them in the form of a flexible printed circuit 50 which can be given any design of conductive plates and adapt it to flat and curved surfaces. The printed circuit 50 is glue to a surface of insulating material that can be flexible or have a fixed form Since the same device 10 is They can connect different applicators, each with a shape appropriate to the application and / or the area over which you have to act, it is necessary that the conductive plates present the described embodiment. Specifically, the circuit shown adapts to the insulator material element 31 of the applicator 30 of Fig. 3 and Fig. 4.

Although they have been described and represented specific embodiments of the present invention, it is clear that the person skilled in the art may introduce variants and modifications, or replace the details with others technically equivalent, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims.

For example, it is possible to arrange the generator low voltage in the container 30 itself, so that it will not be The presence of cables is necessary. Said low voltage generator it can be based, for example, on an oscillator powered by batteries In this case it is not necessary to transport neither high nor low tension, getting an even simpler device.

Claims (20)

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1. Device (10) for generating electroosmosis comprising means (12) for generating high voltage (V o), means (13) for generating an electric field from said high voltage, and means (13) for applying said electric field on at least one of the faces of a membrane in which the osmotic effect occurs, characterized by the fact that the means for generating high voltage, the means for generating the electric field and the means for applying the electric field assemblies are arranged, so that the high voltage and the electric field are generated at the same point of application of the electric field on one of the faces of the membrane. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for generating the electric field and the means for applying said electric field are formed by the same elements (13). 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the elements comprise at least two plates (13). Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the plates (13) are made of a conductive material. 5. Device according to any of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that each plate (13) is arranged on one side of the membrane. Device according to any of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the two plates (13) are arranged on the same side of the membrane. Device according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the plates comprise conductive tracks (13) on a printed circuit board (50). Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the printed circuit board (50) is made of a flexible material. 9. Device according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the generated electric field is a variable electric field. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that an insulating element (31) is arranged between the means (13) for applying the electric field and the membrane. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises means for generating low voltage and means (11) for transporting the low voltage generated to the means (12) for generating high voltage from said low voltage. 12. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that the means for generating the low voltage and the means (12) for generating the high voltage are arranged distant. 13. Device according to any of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that the means for transporting the low voltage comprise electric cables (11). 14. Device according to any of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the means for generating the low voltage comprise an alternating low voltage generator. 15. Device according to any of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the means for generating the high voltage comprise a resonant transformer (12). 16. Device according to claim 15, characterized in that the resonant transformer (12) comprises an inductance (L) and a capacitor (C), to which the signal coming from the means for generating the low voltage is coupled . 17. Device according to claim 16, characterized in that the coupling between the signal from the means for generating the low voltage and the capacitor (C) of the transformer (12) is inductive (14). 18. Device according to any of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the elements (13) are part of the resonant transformer (12). 19. Device according to any of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the means (12) for generating the high voltage, the means (13) for generating the electric field from the generated high voltage, and the means (13) to apply said electric field are contained in a container (30). 20. Device according to claim 19, characterized in that the container (30) comprises a handle (32).