KR20100049382A

KR20100049382A - Device of stimulating muscles of the legs electrically for preventing economy class syndrome

Info

Publication number: KR20100049382A
Application number: KR1020080108513A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 최상식
Original assignee: 최상식
Priority date: 2008-11-03
Filing date: 2008-11-03
Publication date: 2010-05-12

Abstract

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a lower limb muscle electric stimulator which is easy to wear and effectively prevents deep vein thrombosis resulting from prolonged sitting position in a narrow place including economy class syndrome. To this end, in the present invention, the lower limbs made of a material that can be deformed according to the appearance of the lower limbs while pressing the worn lower limbs; A plurality of electrodes installed in the lower extremity stimulator so as to contact the surface skin of the lower extremity and transmitting electrical stimulation to deep muscles of the wearer; And a control unit for transmitting and controlling an electrical signal to the electrode.

Description

Device of stimulating muscles of the legs electrically for preventing economy class syndrome}

The present invention relates to lower extremity muscle electric stimulator for preventing economy class syndrome, and more particularly, to lower extremity muscle electric stimulator for easy wearing and effective prevention of economy class syndrome.

Economy class syndrome is a term that refers to a disease that causes pulmonary embolism due to the formation of a blood clot, which is a small lump formed by blood hardening in the leg vein when sitting for a long time in a narrow seat. If you sit for a long time in a narrow seat such as economy class among the airplane seats, blood clots or clots may develop in the veins of your legs, which can block the pulmonary artery and cause pulmonary embolism such as dyspnea or cardiopulmonary arrest. . It is more likely to occur to elderly people, people with obesity, and people who drink alcohol on board. In some cases, passengers who have been sitting for a long time on the plane die immediately after getting off the plane.

In addition, even if you do not reach economy class syndrome, sitting in a narrow seat for a long time tends to cause discomfort such as cramping or numbness in the lower limb muscles.

Basically, in order to avoid the discomfort of economy class syndrome or lower extremity, it is recommended to exercise a lot of water and bend and lift during the long flight. In addition, a method of preventing economy class syndrome is recommended by wearing compression stockings designed to weaken the tightening force from the toe to the thigh. However, wearing compression stockings itself is inconvenient, and men are not only inclined to wear stockings, there is a problem that it is difficult to wear off easily in the cabin when wearing these compression stockings is uncomfortable.

A study by the University of Chieti, Italy, presented in Techno Leaders' Digest (TLD) No. 29 (December 7, 2004), suggests that people with moderate to severe illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, If you wear an elastic tights on the market, you can prevent economy class syndrome. In this study, researchers investigated the effects of elastic stockings and aspirin in recent years to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) that can occur when boarding an airplane. For Economy Class Syndrome, 1,000 people with moderate to severe disease were divided into two groups, and subjects were trained to wear elastic stockings that stretched below the knees during the 8-13 hour flight. Post-flight ultrasound examination of the leg veins revealed that deep vein thrombosis was found in 1.1% of the group wearing stockings (mean age 46 years, 51% male). In comparison, the control group (mean age 47 years, 54% male) was found to be DVT more than four times (4.6% in 1 patient), which was significantly lower in the subject group. Age, sex, and DVT risks were similar in subjects and controls, and 91% of DVTs were asymptomatic. Although the findings were limited to moderate to moderate risk groups, the number of incidences of involuntary blood clots occurred in one to several tens of people per flight. Demonstrate the need to actively implement preventive measures. Although wearing compression stockings is effective in preventing DVT, there is still a need to find ways to prevent it more effectively. In addition, it is necessary to take measures to relieve leg fatigue and effectively prevent various diseases to those who are concerned about the occurrence of various diseases due to prolonged standing, traveling in a long sitting state, and working in a long sitting state. This is very big.

The present invention is to solve various problems including the above problems, the object of the present invention is to be easy to wear effectively and effectively prevent deep vein thrombosis resulting from long sitting position in a narrow place including economy class syndrome Will not provide muscle stimulators.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to relieve fatigue of the leg and effectively prevent various diseases to those who are concerned about the occurrence of various diseases due to long standing work, travel in a long seated state, work in a long seated state, etc. To help muscle muscle stimulators.

An object of the present invention as described above, the lower limbs made of a material that can be deformed according to the appearance of the lower limbs while pressing the lower limbs to be worn;

A plurality of electrodes installed in the lower extremity stimulator so as to contact the surface skin of the lower extremity and transmitting electrical stimulation to deep muscles of the wearer; And

It is achieved by providing a lower extremity muscle electric stimulator comprising a control unit for transmitting and controlling an electrical signal to the electrode.

Here, the lower extremity stimulation part includes a lower limb stimulation part,

The plurality of electrodes included in the lower stimulus may be positioned to correspond to at least one portion of the skin of a portion where the spread muscle group, the flexion muscle group, and the fibula muscle group of the wearer's lower leg are located.

Or wherein the lower extremity stimulus includes a lower stimulus and a femoral stimulus,

The plurality of electrodes included in the lower stimulus is positioned to correspond to at least one portion of the skin of the portion where the spread muscle group, the flexion muscle group, and the fibula muscle group of the wearer's lower leg are located.

The plurality of electrodes included in the femoral stimulation unit is positioned to correspond to at least one portion of the skin of the part where the spread muscle group, inward muscle group, and flexion muscle group of the wearer's thigh are located,

It may further include a connecting portion for electrically connecting the electrodes of the lower thigh stimulation and the electrodes of the thigh stimulation while connecting the lower thigh and femoral stimulation.

Here, the lower extremity stimulus may be made of a stockings for pressing the lower extremities.

Alternatively, the lower limb magnetic pole portion is made of a flexible material that can be wound in the form of a roll, the fastener for wrapping and fixing the lower limbs in the circumferential direction to adjust the pressure to press the lower limbs in consideration of the thickness of different lower limbs for each person It may be arranged at both end sides.

The lower limb muscle electric stimulator of the present invention can be easily worn or removed by the user. In addition, in the case of using the lower extremity muscle electric stimulator of the present invention, deep vein thrombosis resulting from prolonged sitting posture in a narrow place including economy class syndrome can be effectively prevented.

In addition, it is possible to relieve leg fatigue and effectively prevent the occurrence of various diseases to those concerned about the occurrence of various diseases due to prolonged standing, traveling in a long seating state, and working in a long seating state. do.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail.

1 is a view schematically showing a state in which a user wears the lower extremity muscle electric stimulator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view in an unfolded state of the lower extremity muscle electric stimulator of FIG. 1. have.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower extremity muscle stimulator 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a lower leg stimulator 30 and a plurality of electrodes 31 installed in the lower leg stimulator 30. Include.

The lower stimulus 30 is a portion surrounding the lower leg corresponding to the structure of the human lower leg, made of a flexible material that can be wound in a roll shape, in the unfolded state has a planar shape having a predetermined thickness. In spite of the thickness of the lower thighs differing from person to person, fixing parts are provided on both end sides so as to press the lower thigh at an appropriate pressure. The fastening portion can be, for example, a velcro tape, a snap fastener, a belt or the like, and an example of the state in which the velcro tapes 33 and 34 are applied is shown in FIG. 2.

A plurality of electrodes 31 are installed on the lower magnetic pole portion and are electrically connected to each other, and are arranged to receive power by a power source. The electrode contacts the skin of the lower leg of the wearer to allow electrical stimulation to be delivered to the lower leg muscles.

In the case of lower limbs, the internal muscles are divided into bulging muscle groups, flexing muscle groups and fibula muscle groups. That is, the muscles of the lower leg are classified into three groups: the bulging muscle group in front of the lower leg, the flexion muscle group in the back, and the fibula muscle group on the outside. As around the upper arm, around the ankle, the fascia surrounding the muscles becomes thick, forming a stretch and flexion support band, which serves to fix the tendon extending to the foot.

The extensor muscle group consists of three muscles in front of the lower leg that flex the ankle toward the back of the foot. These muscles, however, are not inside the tibia but are observed outside, ie between the tibia and the fibula. When viewed from the front, the anterior tibialis on the inside of the lower leg and the four tendons on the outside show the extensor digitorum longus running on the instep. Deep between these two muscles is the extensor hallucis longus. There is a small muscle that splits from the lower lateral part of the long toe muscle and is called peroneus tertius.

The flexor muscle group acts to flex the ankle towards the plantar foot (the base), which is distributed behind the lower leg and is divided into a shallow muscle layer and a deep muscle layer. In the shallow muscle layer, when viewed from the back, the gastrocnemius, which consists of two muscles inside and outside the lower leg, is observed. Deep in the calf muscle is the soleus, a broad and thin muscle, and along the inside of the sole, the plantarius, which consists of thin tendons, runs. Combination of the two muscles of the calf muscle and the soleus muscle is also called the lower limb branch muscle. The three tendons of the lower limbs are combined to form a strong heel tendon, or Achilles tendon, attached to the back of the hoof bone. The deep muscle layer is made up of four muscles. After removal of the shallow muscle layer, the popliteus running obliquely above the lower leg is observed, flexor hallucis longus, tibialis posterior and 4 from the outside of the lower leg to the inside. The dog's tendon digitorum longus, which in turn runs up and down.

The fibula muscle group (peroneus longus, peroneus brevis) serves to eversion the ankle and to flex the ankle toward the sole of the foot. These muscles are attached to the lateral side of the lower leg, ie, the fibula, and are composed of peroneus longus and peroneus brevis. The long nasal muscles are long tendons that run across the sole of the foot toward the big toe.

The lower extremity muscle electric stimulator of Example 1 may further include a controller electrically connected to the electrodes to control the generation and transmission of the electrical stimulation.

The control unit may be in the form of a wired or wireless remote controller 50 including an operation button that can be operated by the wearer, a power supply unit for supplying necessary power, and an electric signal transmission means to an electrode, and a low frequency generation unit therein ( Not shown). If necessary, the controller may further include a display unit and a charging module.

The control unit transmits the low frequency generated from the low frequency generator to each of the electrodes, and controls the frequency, pulse size, duration, etc. of the low frequency to a level desired or required by the wearer.

The lower extremity muscle electric stimulator having such a configuration electrically stimulates the lower leg muscles and has substantially the same effect as moving the muscles even when the lower leg muscles remain almost motionless for a long time, thereby preventing the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis. It helps to relieve fatigue of lower leg muscles and prevent various diseases.

In Example 1, it is more effective that the electrodes are arranged to contact the skin on both sides and the back of the lower leg rather than on the tibial bone of the lower leg and the thick fascia around it.

In addition, in consideration of the thickness of the lower limbs different for each person, fasteners are provided at both ends so as to press the lower limbs at an appropriate pressure. As an example of the fastener, Velcro tape was used in the drawing, and in addition, a snap fastener or a belt installed in plural to be adjustable in the circumferential direction of the lower leg may be used. When fastened using Velcro tape, snap fasteners, belts, etc., it is easy to wear or remove it, so that it can be used without any inconvenience even in an open place such as a cabin or an office. In addition, the problem that men may have a rejection for wearing stockings does not correspond to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2.

3 is a view schematically showing a state in which a user wears the lower extremity muscle electric stimulator according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view in an unfolded state of the lower extremity muscle electric stimulator of FIG. 3. have.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lower extremity muscle stimulator 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes the lower leg stimulator 30, the femoral stimulator 20, and the plurality of electrodes 21 and 31. Include.

The lower magnetic pole portion 30 and the plurality of electrodes 21 and 31 are substantially the same as in the first embodiment.

The femoral stimulator 20 has a configuration similar to the lower thigh stimulator 30. That is, the femoral stimulation unit 20 has a function of wrapping and pressing the thigh in response to the structure of the human thigh, and has a planar shape having a predetermined thickness in the unfolded state.

The plurality of electrodes 21 disposed on the femoral stimulation part 20 are positioned to correspond to the skin of the part where the internal muscle of the wearer is located. In the case of the femur, the internal muscles are divided into a bulging muscle group, an inward muscle group and a bending muscle group.

The muscles of the femur are classified into three groups: the anterior muscle group in the front, the inward muscle group in the inner side, and the flexion muscle group in the rear. The surface of the femur is covered with strong femoral fascia.

The extensor muscle group acts to flex the thigh and straighten the knee. These muscles consist of two muscles, starting at the long bone or femur and ending at the tibial coarse side. The sartorius is the longest muscle in the human body, traveling obliquely down the femur. The quadriceps are the four muscles that play the most important role in the thigh flexion and knee extension. That is, they are located in the medial, medial, and lateral sides of the femur, and are called medial (vastus medialis), medial (vastus intermedius), and lateral broad muscles (vastus lateralis), respectively. The common tendon of the femoral quadriceps muscle becomes the knee tendon that surrounds the knee bone and is attached to the tibial tuberosity, which is also a ligament that tests the tendon reflex of the knee.

The inductor muscle group serves to inward the femur and consists of five muscles located in the medial side of the femur, starting from the pubic bone and attaching to the back of the femur. When viewed from the front, the sagittal tibialisus (gracilis) runs on the innermost side, and the longus inwards (adductor longus) and the tibialisus (pectineus) are located on the outer side of the muscle. Deep adductor brevis is found deep in the pubic root, and large adductor magnus spread along the femur deep in the long inward root.

The flexor muscle group consists of three muscles that stretch the thigh, serve to bend the knee, and are located at the back of the thigh. When viewed from the rear, biceps femoris on the lateral side of the femur, semitendinosis and semimembnosus on the shallow and deep sides, respectively. Thus, tendons of the flexing muscles can be urged on the outside and inside of the hamstring. Thigh biceps tendons are two, short prongs are hidden deep in long prongs.

Unlike the lower thigh, the muscles are distributed in the anterior side differently from the lower thigh, so that the electrodes disposed on the femoral stimulation unit are preferably disposed over the entire circumference including the front of the thigh. Therefore, it is preferable that the electrode is also disposed at the portion where the fixing portion is arranged. Since the both ends of the femoral stimulation portion are overlapped by a predetermined width, the electrode is installed at a portion below the overlapping portion.

The lower thigh stimulator 30 and the thigh stimulator 20 are connected to each other by a connection unit 40, and the electrical connection between the electrodes and the remote controller 50 is possible in the connection unit 40. The wiring can pass through. The remote controller 50 may include a power supply unit, an operation unit, a charging module, and a display unit.

The connecting portion 40 is detachably connected to the lower thigh magnetic pole and the femoral magnetic pole, respectively, and the remote controller 50 is also detachably connected to the thigh magnetic pole. If the lower limb muscle stimulator of Example 2 is intended to use only the lower limb stimulator portion, the connection part is removed and the remote controller is connected to the connector where the connecting portion of the lower limb stimulator is arranged in a similar form to the lower limb muscle electrostimulator of Example 1 Can be used. In addition, if you want to use only the femoral stimulation, it is possible to remove the connection and the lower stimulus. In addition, any one or more of the remote controller, the lower thigh stimulation unit and the thigh stimulation unit may be provided with a selection key (not shown) for selecting and using only one of the lower thigh stimulation unit and the thigh stimulation unit to a portion that is not to be used. The power supply can be cut off.

Figure 5 is a view showing a state wearing a lower limb muscle electric stimulator according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lower extremity muscle electric stimulator 300 includes a lower extremity magnetic pole 110 having a stockings shape for pressing the lower extremities and a plurality of electrodes 101 installed at the stockings type lower extremity magnetic pole 110. .

The configuration of the electrodes 101 is substantially the same as that of the electrodes described above.

The lower extremity stimulation unit 110 is formed in a stockings shape, when there is no electrical stimulation by the electrode has a thrombus generation prevention effect, when the electrical stimulation by the electrodes is added to prevent the effect of the thrombus generation Very big Also in the third embodiment, the control unit may be electrically connected to the electrodes to control the generation and transmission of the electrical stimulation. The third embodiment may also include a remote controller 120 similar to the first and second embodiments.

On the other hand, the low frequency described in the present invention means an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 10kHz or less. In addition, although only the case where the low frequency generator belongs to a control unit separated from the electrode plate is described, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a low frequency generating function may be added to the electrode plate. In this case, the controller controls the frequency of the low frequency by controlling the power supplied to the electrode plate.

In the following description of the present invention, the embodiments illustrated in the drawings have been described with reference to the embodiments, which are merely exemplary, and various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible to those skilled in the art. I will understand the point. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

1 is a view schematically showing a state in which a user wears a lower limb muscle electric stimulator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view in an expanded state of the lower limb muscle electric stimulator of Figure 1;

3 is a view schematically showing a state in which a user wears a lower limb muscle electric stimulator according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lower extremity muscle electric stimulator of Figure 3 in an expanded state.

5 is a view schematically showing a state in which a user wears a lower limb muscle electric stimulator according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

20: femoral stimulation portion 21, 31: electrode

23, 24, 33, 34: Velcro tape 30: Lower leg portion

40: connection part 50, 120: remote controller

100, 200, 300: muscle muscle stimulator 101: electrode

110: stockings type lower extremity stimulation part

Claims

Lower limbs made of a material that can be deformed according to the appearance of the lower limbs while pressing the worn lower limbs;

A lower limb muscle electric stimulator comprising a control unit for transmitting and controlling an electrical signal to the electrode.

The method of claim 1,

The lower extremity stimulus includes a lower leg stimulus,

The plurality of electrodes included in the lower stimulation unit is located in the lower leg muscle electrostimulator, characterized in that positioned to correspond to at least one portion of the skin of the portion where the spread muscle group, bending muscle group and the nasal muscle group of the wearer.

The method of claim 1,

The lower extremity stimulus includes a lower thigh stimulus and a femoral stimulus,

The lower leg muscle electrical stimulator further comprises a connecting portion for electrically connecting the electrodes of the lower thigh stimulation and the electrodes of the femoral stimulation while connecting the lower stimulation and femoral stimulation.

The method of claim 1,

The lower extremity stimulator is a lower extremity muscle electric stimulator, characterized in that made of stockings.

The method of claim 1,

The lower extremity magnetic pole part is made of a flexible material that can be wound in a roll shape, and a fastener for wrapping and fixing the lower limb part in the circumferential direction to adjust the pressure to press the lower limb part in consideration of the thickness of the lower limb part different for each person on both end sides. A lower extremity muscle electric stimulator, characterized in that disposed.