GB2315223A

GB2315223A - Apparatus for treating the human body

Info

Publication number: GB2315223A
Application number: GB9713189A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lorenzo Piana
Original assignee: PIANA COSMETICI SpA
Current assignee: PIANA COSMETICI SpA
Priority date: 1996-07-12
Filing date: 1997-06-24
Publication date: 1998-01-28
Also published as: GB9713189D0; IT1285754B1; ITBO960386A0; ITBO960386A1

Abstract

An appliance for the beauty treatment of the human body is used for electrical or electrically-controlled stimulation, through at least one stimulation unit which can be connected to a part of the body. The appliance comprises a control unit 1, supplied with means of processing information which may be on a smart card, thus enabling the creation of a personal program defined by a series of data representing pre-defined parameters in order to determine a succession of stimuli to be applied by the stimulation unit. At least one stimulation unit 2', separate or separable from the control unit 1, has means for reading the data and controlling the application of the stimuli through connectors 23 to electrodes 21 on a face mask.

Description

Appliance for the beauty treatment of parts of the human body The present invention relates to an appliance for the beauty treatment of parts of the human body, in particular a beauty treatment appliance for electric stimulation of parts of the human body.

Electric or medical electric equipment is considered to be important in the field of beauty treatment.

These appliances electrically stimulate a part of the human body using stimulation units which can take different forms. For example hand pieces consisting of an electrode with a hand grip, or electrodes distributed in series in a mask which is applied to the face or to other parts of the body, or other types, including for example, plates, bands or other kinds of element.

Appliances with hand pieces require the constant intervention of an operator, however, where the appliance involves the use of a mask, the intervention of an operator is limited and less important, usually at the beginning and the end of every treatment session.

Among the different kinds of appliance for the beauty treatment of the human body, there are some designed to be used in the home. This type of appliance does not require an operator, the responsibility for carrying out the treatment correctly, passes from the professional to the consumer. The latter follows the manual or instruction booklet issued with the appliance, or the advice of other people, but the instructions and advice are not always adequate.

One of the purposes of the present invention is to unify the procedure described above in an appliance capable of being used both professionally in a salon or clinic and in the home, at the same time guaranteeing that the treatment is carried out correctly.

Furthermore the present invention enables a series of treatments to be programmed in advanced, it is capable of carrying out more than one treatment according to a series of pre-set instructions defined beforehand by a professional. These instructions are automatically followed and carried out by the appliance's stimulation unit.

The appliance memorises the treatment to be carried out, the duration, intensity, number of treatment sessions and or parameters. The information is programmed either directly into the stimulation unit or onto a portable medium, which enables each stimulation unit to carry out the necessary treatment.

The portable medium can also contain information about the cost of treatment, which can be used to calculate payment for the treatment sessions.

The technical characteristics of the present invention, according to the above mentioned aims are described in the claims below and its advantages are apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and in which: - figure 1 is a schematic drawing of an example of the appliance disclosed, its component parts are not to scale, in order to make the drawing as clear as possible; - figure 2 shows two block diagrams which show the possible connections and/or interaction between the components of an appliance made in accordance with the present invention.

According to the accompanying drawings, the appliance consists of a control unit 1 and at least one stimulation unit 2. There can be more than one stimulation unit, as for example in figure 1 where there are five stimulation units 2 (or alternatively containment units 2' as described below) connected to one control unit 1.

The appliance for the beauty treatment of parts of the human body is used for electric stimulation or electrically controlled stimulation; in other words, the appliance can send various types of electric pulses directly to the human body, or through control signals, it can activate other devices which act directly on the body even if not electrically.

In practice, by way of example, a massage can be performed directly using electric stimulation, or a basically mechanical massage can be carried out using electrical controls to activate the massaging equipment.

The control unit 1 can be programmed with a series of data relative to pre-defined parameters, therefore it can contain a personal programme or treatment plan which determines a succession of stimuli produced by the stimulation unit.

The control unit 1 can include semi conducting electronic devices, which determine a series of data, labelled DP in figure 2, related to an operation (or a series of operations) which the stimulation unit has to carry out according to the needs of the person on whom it is operating or the user (labelled UT in figure 2).

The stimulation unit 2 is separate or separable from the control unit 1 and is capable of carrying out autonomously the various beauty treatments required on the user UT.

This is the first main advantage when compared to other appliances of this kind. It eliminates the logistic problems which up to now in salons, beauty clinics and similar institutions, meant that each appliance could only be used for one user.

The stimulation unit 2 is equipped with the means with which it can read the series of data DP and then consequently control its own operation.

According to figure 2, the stimulation unit 2 reads the series of data DP and consequently controls the correct stimulation in an interaction represented schematically by P in figure 2.

The transmission of data DP between the control unit 1 and the various stimulation units 2 can take place either directly or through a portable medium 3.

Therefore, according to the upper diagram in figure 2, the control unit 1 can be equipped with means of data transmission 12, which can be directly connected to stimulation units 2.

Alternatively, as previously mentioned and as illustrated in the lower diagram in figure 2, the means of data transmission can include at least one portable data storage medium 3.

In this case, the control unit 1 has means of memorising the data on portable medium 3 and the stimulation unit 2 has the corresponding means of reading the data from the portable medium 3, thus transmitting the said series of data from the control unit 1 to the stimulation unit 2. These means of memorising on the medium 3 are represented by the block 12 in the lower example in figure 2.

The control unit 1 can be equipped with means 10 of interaction with an operator OP, which allows a personalised programme to be put in. These means of interaction can include a display, a series of push-buttons or knobs, sometimes a key-board. In practice they are an interface between the control unit and an operator OP, who can process a series of data which defines the treatment or series of treatments to be carried out on the user UT.

To create a personal programme, the operator OP can programme in data defining an entire personal programme, or can use, at least partially, a series of programmes which are already in the control unit and memorised in the internal memory which forms an archive.

Alternatively the programme archive can be located on a non resident memory which can be installed on the control unit 1 when the treatment is being programmed.

The series of data DP can include, for example, information which relates to; the sequence of pulses for every stimulation, the duration of the periods of stimulation, the number of stimuli in a single treatment and the total number of treatment sessions. The information about the total number of treatment sessions can include data relevant to payment for the same.

Once the personal programme has been established, that is to say the series of data DP has been defined, it is transmitted from the control unit 1 through the means of connection-transmission labelled 12 in figure 2. As previously mentioned, the transmission can be direct, or indirect, using a portable medium 3, which can be for example, a type of "smart card". The stimulation unit 2 then receives the data DP and carries out the programme P on the user.

The control unit 1 can also be connected through the means of connection labelled 14 in figure 2, to an electrical power supply R. A battery charger 13 can also be supplied capable of charging at least one battery attached to the stimulation unit 2. The power supply in-feed, labelled A in figure 2, can be connected independently of the portable medium 3. Obviously if the stimulation unit 2 has an autonomous power supply, for example a non rechargeable battery or direct connection to the power supply, the connection with a battery charger is unnecessary.

As illustrated by the example in figure 1, the stimulation unit 2 can consist of a series of electrodes, placed on a support structure 21 designed to follow the shape of a part 20 of the human body or to be applied to the same part. The electrodes are electrically connected to a containing unit 2', in which are located the means of reading the series of data DP from the personal programme. In cases where the portable medium 3 is used there is also a reader suitable for that medium. In figure 1 the support structure 21 is schematically represented and only shows the part which relates to the electrodes which can be applied to the human body.

If the support structure 21 consists of a mask containing electrodes shaped to fit onto a face 20, the stimulation unit 2 can also include a connection structure 24 between the containing unit 2' and the support structure 21 basically taking the form of a necklace, or something which can be worn round the neck. In particular there is a necklace like structure 24 on which are placed connectors 23 which connect, through conductors 22, the electrodes from the mask and the containing unit 2'.

The mask 21 can be made from "non woven fabric" or from conductive rubber or other material which can conduct electricity. Where "non woven fabric" is used the mask can be wet and applied using a gel, in the case of conductive rubber gel alone is sufficient.

Obviously the application to a face 20 is only an example, and equally the mask 21 can be shaped to fit over another part of the body. In a case where electrodes for direct electrical stimulation are not provided, the mask 21 can be substituted by another type of device.

The invention described can be subject to modifications and variations without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept.

Moreover, all the details of the invention may be substituted by technically equivalent elements.

Claims

1) An appliance for the beauty treatment of parts of the body which can be used to carry out an electrical or electrically controlled stimulation, through at least one stimulation unit which can be connected to a part of the body, the appliance being characterised in that, it comprises; a control unit, equipped with the means of programming a personal programme defined by a series of data related to pre-defined parameters capable of determining a succession of stimuli supplied by the said stimulation unit; at least one stimulation unit, separate or separable from the said control unit, and provided with the means of reading the said series of data which accordingly controls the operation of the said stimulation unit, being provided with means of transmitting data, from the said control unit to the said stimulation unit, so that the said series of data relevant to the personal programme is transmitted between the two.

2) The appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that, the said means of transmitting data consists of at least one portable data storage medium, the said control unit being equipped with a means for storing data on the said portable medium and at least one stimulation unit, each having means of reading data from the portable medium, so that the said series of data is transmitted from the said control unit to the said stimulation unit.

3) The appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that, the said stimulation unit consists of a series of electrodes placed on a support structure shaped to follow a part of the human body or to be applicable to part of the same, and electrical connections to the containing unit of the said means, so that it reads the said series of data.

4) The appliance according to claim 3, characterised in that, the said support structure consists of a mask containing electrodes shaped to fit onto a face and that the said stimulation unit also includes a connection structure between the said containing unit and said support structure substantially shaped like a necklace or suitable to be worn round the neck.

5) The appliance according to claim 3, characterised in that, the said support structure consists of a mask electrode made from non woven fabric.

6) The appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that, the said control unit is equipped with means for interaction with an operator, in order to allow the programming of a personal programme.

7) The appliance according to claim 6, characterised in that, the said control unit includes internal means of storing data, constituting an archive of programmes which can be used, through means of interaction, to define a personal programme.

8) The appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that, the said control unit is supplied with means of connecting to an electrical power supply and means of charging batteries, which enable the charging of at least one battery in the unit of stimulation.

9) The appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that, the said series of data includes information relative to the sequence of pulses in every stimulation, the duration of the stimulation, the number of stimuli which make up a single treatment and the total number of treatments.

10) The appliance according to claim 9, characterised in that, the information relative to the total number of treatment sessions includes data relevant to payment for the same.

11) The appliance for the beauty treatment of parts of the human body as described and illustrated herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.