KR20190041874A - Soft Plasma Skin-care Device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable plasma device and a device for treating skin beauty and skin diseases in which a current does not flow to skin. A conventional plasma skin care device uses skin as a ground electrode to minimize electrical shock and to minimize ozone generation, thereby minimizing amount of plasma generated and lowering the therapeutic effect. The present invention is a method in which plasma is adsorbed to the skin by a flow of the plasma generated from a plasma source installed in a separate space. The present invention relates to the plasma device for treating plasma skin beauty and skin disease adsorbs the plasma to the skin by plasma flow using an air suction apparatus, has no discharge of ozone, and has a skin treatment effect by maximizing the amount of generated plasma as well as a skin lifting function.

Description

{Soft Plasma Skin-care Device}

Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a plasma apparatus applied to skin treatment, and more particularly, to a non-stimulated plasma apparatus which does not apply electric stimulation to the skin.

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) type plasma devices are being developed for the treatment of skin cosmetic and skin diseases. The device developed as a skin beauty device has various forms such as bar, stick, and roller type. They are also commercially available as portable batteries using secondary batteries.

The DBD plasma employs a method in which plasma is generated by contacting the surface of the dielectric layer on the high-voltage electrode with the human skin.

The effects of such plasma have been shown in domestic and foreign journals over the past two decades in relation to activation of skin cells, sterilization of various pathogens, and decomposition of organic and inorganic compounds.

It has been reported that sterilization of plasmas, which are ruptured at the cell level of a pathogen or destroyed by binding with a plasma radical (mainly ROS series), have been reported when cells of pathogenic bacteria such as various bacteria, fungi and viruses come into contact with the plasma.

However, since skin cells are surrounded by proteins in the form of proteins, plasma cells are not directly killed by exposure to plasma, plasma energy is transferred through protein tissue, or plasma radicals (mainly RNS system) Effects of skin regeneration have been reported, such as giving energy to the skin and preventing aging of the skin.

In addition to sterilizing the plasma and regenerating the skin, various kinds of excited species of plasma have excellent reactivity with organic and inorganic compounds. The plasma is used in semiconductor manufacturing processes by utilizing the reactivity of the plasma, and is used for cleaning and deodorizing functions such as washing and soot removal by organic matter removal.

In the conventional DBD type plasma apparatus, a plasma is generated by contacting the skin on a dielectric layer covering an electrode to which a high voltage of several kV is applied. At this time, the skin acts as a floating electrode, and a current of several mA flows through the skin to the human body. In the case of a general adult, when a weak current of about 7 mA or less flows into the skin, it can not detect it and does not feel the electric stimulation. However, even in the case of an electrically sensitive infant or a general adult, electric stimulation may be felt even in such a weak electric current, and heat generated from the electrode surface may be rejected due to prolonged skin contact.

In addition, the skin treatment apparatus by the DBD discharge manages the discharge of ozone below the tolerance by reducing the amount of generated plasma. However, a decrease in the amount of plasma generated is detrimental to the therapeutic effect. The problem of ozone release has been presented in a recent patent application of the present inventor (10-2017-0018739, skin-contact type plasma skin treatment device).

It is an object of the present invention to provide a plasma apparatus which has no direct skin contact with a high voltage electrode surface.

In addition, the present invention aims at eliminating ozone from the plasma apparatus applied to the skin treatment, adding plasma action and airflow action to give a skin lifting effect, and to improve skin wrinkle removal and skin regeneration effect.

According to the above object, in the plasma skin treatment apparatus of the present invention,

A method is provided for inducing a plasma flow from a plasma source that is not in contact with the human skin and allowing the flowing plasma to come into contact with the skin. The flow of the plasma mainly causes the radical particles to interact with the skin.

The plasma flow is controlled by installing an air pump or a fan.

The use of an air pump or fan can be used to provide skin lifting functions.

The plasma skin treatment apparatus uses a carbon filter to oxygenate the inhaled ozone to remove the released ozone.

 The shape of the skin contact portion in contact with the plasma can be circular or linear, and it is also possible to provide a skin treatment device for face-to-face application by making multiple circular or linear shapes.

That is, the present invention is a plasma skin treatment apparatus in which a plasma source is disposed in a separate space separated from a skin contact surface, and a plasma is guided to the skin by the flow of plasma generated in the plasma source.

Since the skin treatment apparatus of the present invention does not directly contact the skin on the electrode surface, there is no problem of electric stimulation or heat generation on the skin. The present invention provides a skin treatment apparatus using a soft plasma with a non-stimulus by allowing radical particles produced by plasma to directly contact the skin.

According to the present invention, there is no electric shock or thermal damage to human skin, and ozone is not emitted due to activated carbon. In addition, the airflow is controlled to effect the skin lifting with plasma. Particularly, since the skin is not used as an electrode and no ozone is released, there is no restriction on the plasma current. Therefore, it is possible to maximize the effect of the skin treatment by the plasma by sufficiently generating the plasma.

The plasma skin treatment apparatus of the present invention can be manufactured in various forms ranging from small size to face-to-face application, and can be used as a device for sterilizing general equipment and tools contaminated with pathogens in addition to human skin.

That is, since the plasma electrode does not directly touch the surface to be treated, the present invention can be used for various purposes such as disinfection of cosmetics or make-up tools that come into contact with the skin, eradication of bacteria such as children's play apparatus toys, .

FIG. 1 is a conventional plasma apparatus for treating skin and skin diseases with a high-voltage electrode. FIG.
2 is a conceptual diagram of a non-stimulated plasma apparatus equipped with a fan according to the present invention;
3 is a conceptual diagram of a non-stimulated plasma apparatus equipped with an air pump according to the present invention.
4 is a perspective view of a plasma apparatus showing the shape of a head part of the present invention.
5 is a conceptual view of a plasma source installed inside a plasma apparatus of the present invention.

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

1 is a conventional portable plasma apparatus 100 of the DBD type. And a head unit 200 and a body unit 300.

A plasma 500 is generated between the dielectric layer and the skin by contacting the human body skin 400 on the dielectric layer 220 surrounding the high voltage electrode 210 of the head unit 200. At this time, the human skin becomes a ground electrode (a so-called floating electrode).

A power supply unit 310 for outputting a high voltage and a rechargeable secondary battery 320 are installed in the body 300.

The skin contacts the dielectric layer on the high-voltage electrode surface, and a plasma current flows through the skin, which is the ground electrode. Although the skin of the human body is electrically safe because it can not detect low current, there is a resistance against the way of using the skin as an electrode. Particularly, when the area of the electrode is wide and the contact surface of the skin is wide, electrical shock occurs when a high current (5 mA or more) flows. In the DBD method, since heat is generated on the electrode surface, a thermal problem is caused in the contact skin. Accordingly, it is necessary to limit the applied voltage and the amount of current for generating the plasma. If the plasma generation is not smooth due to the power limitation, it is necessary to try to control the electrode design in a form favorable for plasma discharge.

In contrast, the present invention provides a plasma skin treatment apparatus in which a plasma generated in a separate space separated from a skin surface is caused to flow toward the skin to cause plasma to be adsorbed on the skin. A fan or air pump is used to control the plasma flow. Further, the ozone contained in the air stream sucked by the fan or the air pump is filtered through the carbon nonwoven fabric to prevent ozone emission. In particular, skin lifting is performed by using a fan or an air pump, and a plasma treatment is added to enhance skin regeneration effect and skin wrinkle removing function.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a concept of a method of inducing a flow of a plasma to the skin using the fan 330 as the portable plasma skin treatment apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The outer wall 230 of the head portion of the skin treatment apparatus forms a space that is disconnected from the outside by skin contact. That is, the outer wall 230 formed in a column shape contacts the skin surface to provide an isolated space with respect to the skin surface.

The skin treatment apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that a plasma source (250) is provided inside the outer wall (230). A hollow cylindrical inner wall 240 having a length shorter than the outer wall 230 and not touching the skin is provided at the center of the head. The end of the inner wall 240 preferably has a horizontal edge. This has the effect that the plasma forms a flow distributed over the entire cross section of the head portion and is uniformly transmitted to the skin.

A fan (330) is installed inside the body part (300) extending to the top of the head part. Further, the carbon filter 350 is disposed at the rear end of the fan 330. A power supply unit is built in the rear end of the body part 300.

The plasma generated in the plasma source 250 installed in the space separated from the outside by the skin contacting with the outer wall 230 moves down between the inner wall 240 and the outer wall 230 by the action of the fan 330 And is raised along the center hollow space of the inner wall 240 and discharged through the carbon filter 350. [

That is, a plasma air current is formed by the fan, and the air current is supplied to the skin through the ascending path after descending, and the plasma is adsorbed to the skin.

The ozone sucked from the fan 330 is purified by the carbon filter 350 and the air is discharged through the air outlet 360 of the body 300. This solves the problem of ozone release. In addition, the action of the fan lowers the air pressure in the plasma discharge space to smooth the plasma discharge and give a slight skin lifting effect.

 In FIG. 2, a plasma source 250 is provided inside the inner wall 240 of the head portion. The inner wall 240 has a hollow column shape, but has a ceiling surface and an opening at the bottom, and a plasma source is installed therein. Plasma flows through the openings and rises around the inner wall 240, and this plasma current covers the skin surface evenly.

It is also possible to provide a fan and a carbon filter on the top of the head portion, and install only the power supply units on the body portion. The head part and the body part may be connected to each other flexibly or linearly as shown in the figure. Preferably, the shape as shown can provide convenience in use and an adequate rate of airflow.

A power supply unit 310 for outputting a high voltage and a rechargeable secondary battery 320 are installed in the body. The power supply apparatus 310 has a first terminal 312 and a second terminal 313 for outputting a high voltage. These two terminals are input to the plasma source 250. Power supplies typically use DC-AC inverters, high-voltage DC-converters, and piezoelectric transformers. In the case of the DC-AC inverter, both ends of the secondary coil of the transformer 311 have a first terminal and a second terminal for outputting a high voltage. In the secondary battery, a predetermined DC-voltage is input through the converter to the primary coil side of the inverter and the power of the fan.

In FIG. 2, the lower part of the outer wall 230 of the head part is made of a material having elasticity, so that the closed space can be well formed at the time of skin contact due to the elasticity of the lower part of the outer wall 230 of the head part. In addition, a mesh-type material may be attached to the end face of the lower portion of the head portion to make the mesh contact with the skin.

3 is a portable plasma apparatus having a skin lifting function according to a second embodiment employing an air pump.

A plasma source 250 is provided between the outer wall 230 and the inner wall 240. A head portion provided with a plasma source 250 inside the inner wall 240 is shown separately. The second embodiment differs from the embodiment of FIG. 2 in that a shielding film 260 made of a breathable waterproof material is provided in a path where the plasma current is raised.

A closed space is formed due to skin contact with the outer wall 230, and plasma generated from the plasma source 250 installed inside the outer wall flows to the inner wall side by the operation of the air pump. Plasma is adsorbed to the skin by the plasma flow. The provision of the shielding film 260 at the lower end of the inner wall of the head portion is a feature of the second embodiment of the present invention. The shielding film 260 uses a waterproofing material through which air passes and moisture is blocked. The waterproofing material is preferably a commercially available paper type Tyvek (trade name: Tyvek) or a waterproof fiber. The presence of such a barrier allows moisture in the skin to stay in the treatment space, thereby preventing skin dryness, enriching active species, and also helping to remove ozone from the skin. Further, the function of the air pump can be buffered to a certain extent, and the time for the plasma active paper to stay near the skin can be increased.

A space in which external air is blocked by skin contact with the outer wall 230 of the head portion is formed by installing the air-permeable shielding film 260. The pressure of the inner space below the shielding film is lowered by the action of the air pump, so that the plasma can be smoothly generated even at a low voltage. The ozone sucked by the air pump is purified by the carbon filter and the purified air is discharged to the air outlet 360 of the apparatus.

4 is a perspective view showing the shape of the head portion.

Fig. 4 (a) shows a circular shape of the head portion, and an outer wall and an inner wall are of an air-core cylinder type. 4 (b) is a perspective view showing a linear head portion. A plasma source is installed in each of the two sides, a sealed space is formed by skin contact with the outer wall edge, and a plasma is linearly flowed from the both sides to the inner wall side of the central portion. The opening at the lower end of the outer wall has a shape in which a circular shape and a linear shape are connected and repeated as shown in the drawing.

It is also possible to provide a large-scale skin cosmetic and dermatological treatment apparatus in which one or more lower cross-sections of circular and linear outer walls are provided in parallel. In the case of a large-area skin treatment device, it can be made non-portable as a household power source.

5 is an example of a plasma source 250. FIG. 5 (a) is a plasma source 250 having a ring-shaped surface electrode structure, and FIG. 5 (b) is a plasma source 250 having a linear surface electrode. The first electrode 251 and the second electrode 252 are formed on the upper and lower portions of the dielectric layer 253 and the first terminal 312 and the second terminal 312, which are both ends of the secondary coil of the transformer 311 of the inverter, Terminal 313, respectively. One or more such plasma sources are installed in the skin treatment apparatus.

A modified embodiment having various shapes and multiple electrodes in addition to the plasma source of Fig. 5 is applicable.

Meanwhile, the present inventors have proposed a plasma emission diode (PED) in which a plasma source itself is unitized with an LED, and the PED can be applied to a skin treatment apparatus.

The plasma generation of the plasma discharge diode element adopts the dielectric barrier discharge method. That is, a plasma source in which a pair of electrodes for applying ac high voltage through a dielectric layer is provided is made into an element.

A plasma source is packaged for elementization. And coupled to the connector for connection to a pair of electrodes of the packaged plasma device. In addition, a plasma module in which a plasma device and a power supply device are combined can be provided. The plasma emission diode (PED) device of the present invention provides a standardized form and specifications, and is conveniently used in medical and biotechnology devices using plasma.

Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0132897, which was invented by the present inventor and filed by the present applicant, discloses a PED device in detail. The contents of the above patent application can be referred to and incorporated in the present invention. In particular, by applying the PED element described in the above Patent Application Specification 2 to 7 to FIGS. 2 to 3 of the present invention, it is very convenient to implement a plasma skin treatment apparatus .

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as described. It is therefore to be understood that the embodiments described above are in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents are to be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention do.

The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus,
A high-voltage electrode 220, a dielectric layer 230, an outer wall 240, an inner wall 250, a plasma source 260,
The present invention relates to a power supply device and a secondary battery,
311: transformer, 312: first terminal, 313: second terminal,
251: first electrode, 252: second electrode, 253: dielectric layer,

Claims (7)

A plasma skin treatment apparatus comprising:
Columnar outer wall;
The inner wall being spaced apart from the outer wall of the outer wall and coaxial with the shape of the outer wall and having a shorter length than the outer wall; And
At least one plasma source disposed in a space between the outer wall and the inner wall;
And a body portion connected to the head portion,
The body portion
An air suction device for forming an air flow;
A carbon filter disposed at a rear end of the air suction device;
A power supply for outputting a high voltage disposed at a rear end of the carbon filter; And
An air outlet;
A lower portion of the outer wall is in contact with the skin to form an isolated space below the head portion,
The plasma source having two electrodes is installed so as not to touch the human skin,
The two electrodes of the plasma source are connected to two high-voltage output terminals of the high-voltage power supply unit of the body to generate plasma,
The generated plasma and the active species form a plasma flow by the air suction device and descend between the inner wall and the outer wall of the head portion to attract plasma to the skin and rise on the center of the inner wall, And the air is converted into oxygen by the air suction device through the carbon filter, and is discharged through the air discharge port. A plasma skin treatment apparatus comprising:
Columnar outer wall;
A hollow inner wall disposed inside the outer wall spaced apart from the outer wall and coaxial with the shape of the outer wall, the inner wall being shorter than the outer wall and having an opening at the bottom; And
And at least one plasma source installed in the inner space of the inner wall;
And a body portion connected to the head portion,
The body portion
An air suction device for forming an air flow;
A carbon filter disposed at a rear end of the air suction device;
A power supply for outputting a high voltage disposed at a rear end of the carbon filter; And
An air outlet;
A lower portion of the outer wall is in contact with the skin to form an isolated space below the head portion,
The plasma source having two electrodes is installed so as not to touch the human skin,
The two electrodes of the plasma source are connected to two high-voltage output terminals of the high-voltage power supply unit of the body to generate plasma,
The generated plasma and the active paper form a plasma flow by the air suction device and descend between the inner wall of the head part and the outer wall to attract the plasma to the skin and rise again so that the ozone generated by the plasma generation is returned to the air suction device Is converted into oxygen via a carbon filter, and is discharged through the air discharge port. The skin irritation plasma skin treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the air suction device is a fan or an air pump. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the air suction device is an air pump, a shielding film made of a waterproof material that passes through the air and does not allow moisture to pass therethrough is provided to lower the pressure of the plasma generating space, And the skin lifting effect of the skin irritation plasma treatment apparatus is improved. 5. The skin non-irritating plasma skin treatment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the shape of the cross section of the outer wall is circular, linear, or a large-area type formed by multiple combinations thereof Device. 5. The plasma display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plasma source has two electrodes arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric layer so as not to overlap with each other,
Wherein each of the two electrodes is connected to a high-voltage positive terminal output from a power source device, and the power source device includes a DC-AC inverter, a high-voltage DC-converter, and a piezoelectric transformer. The skin irritation plasma skin treatment device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the head part and the body part are integrally formed.

Images