KR20210072472A - Apparatus for treating urinary incontinence - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a urinary incontinence treatment device, and more specifically, to a urinary incontinence treatment device, which can be worn and used easily on underwear so as to prevent a user from feeling shame so that the user can use the device without any burden, and which stimulates the pelvic floor muscles through electric muscle stimulation therapy so as to prevent and treat urinary incontinence. The urinary incontinence treatment device according to the present invention is advantageous of: being usable even when a user is wearing clothes so as to be used comfortably anytime and anywhere without any psychological burden or a restriction to a place; being usable cleanly as no foreign substances remain after use; and performing both a passive pelvic floor muscle strengthening exercise through an electrical stimulation signal and an active pelvic floor strengthening exercise, thereby remarkably improving treatment effect. According to the present invention, the urinary incontinence treatment device is formed to be wearable on buttocks and pelvis of the users, and comprises an underwear, device part, connection part, and a remote control part.

Description

Apparatus for treating urinary incontinence

The present invention relates to a urinary incontinence treatment device, and more particularly, to a device for treating urinary incontinence, which can be used without feeling ashamed because it is conveniently worn under underwear, and can be used to prevent and treat urinary incontinence by stimulating pelvic floor muscles through electrical muscle stimulation therapy. It relates to an incontinence treatment device.

In general, urinary incontinence is a disease in which urine leaks regardless of one's will, and although it is a disease that 30-40% of adult women suffer from, only about 20% of all patients visit the hospital. There are traits that are reluctant to take.

Therefore, it is expected that the treatment device in this field can be used without feeling ashamed compared to any other device, and it is expected that a variety of treatments will be available to satisfy the demand in this field, which is rapidly increasing with the aging population, and has a large ripple effect. .

Conventional urinary incontinence treatment devices are mainly insertion-type treatment devices that insert a small device into a woman's vagina and apply a low-frequency pulse, so there are problems such as being very inconvenient and causing shame.

In addition, a cushion-type treatment device has been developed to solve the problem of vaginal insertion. This cushion-type treatment device forms an electrode in the center of the cushion, and when you take off your clothes and sit on the electrode, low-frequency pulses are applied to the pelvic floor muscles of the seated person. is applied to induce passive motion.

However, this cushion-type treatment device also requires that you take off all your underwear and sit on the cushion for treatment, so that the electrode can contact the perineum to apply a low-frequency pulse. Therefore, there is still a problem in that the user has no choice but to take off all the clothes and use it secretly in a place where the user is alone, and there is also a problem that stimulates shame during use.

In addition, the conventional low-frequency therapy device is usually used after applying a conductive material such as cream or gel to the electrode surface, but there is an inconvenience of having to remove the foreign material remaining after use. However, if such a conductive material is not used, electrical stimulation is not properly transmitted to the human body, or tingling symptoms occur due to non-uniform electrical conduction.

In addition, the existing low-frequency therapy device passively contracts and relaxes the pelvic floor muscles through low-frequency pulses, and although the elasticity of the muscles can be increased, it is difficult to strengthen the strength of the muscles. That is, in order to strengthen any muscle, an active exercise in which the muscle directly contracts and relaxes is absolutely necessary, and there is a limit to increasing the strength of the muscle only with passive exercise through low-frequency pulses.

Republic of Korea Patent Registration 10-1292763 Republic of Korea Patent Publication 10-2016-0145046 Republic of Korea Patent Publication 10-2008-0010385 Republic of Korea Registered Utility Model 20-0478064

The present invention is to solve the conventional problems as described above, and since it can be used even when the user is wearing clothes, it can be used comfortably anytime and anywhere without psychological burden and restrictions of place, and there is no foreign matter left after use, so it can be used cleanly It is an object of the present invention to provide a urinary incontinence treatment device that can significantly improve the therapeutic effect by performing both passive pelvic floor muscle strengthening exercise and active pelvic floor muscle strengthening exercise through electrical stimulation signals.

Incontinence treatment apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object is formed to be wearable on the user's buttocks side and the pelvic side, the main body having a pocket portion formed on one side, and the user's pelvic floor muscles and the perineum corresponding to the periphery. an underwear including a skin electrode part formed on the inner surface of the body and comprising a plurality of electrodes that are in contact with the skin around the user's pelvic floor muscles and perineum; a device unit including an electrical stimulation module embedded in the pocket of the underwear and applying an electrical signal for stimulation of pelvic floor muscles to the skin electrode unit, and a wireless communication module capable of wireless communication with an external device; It is provided inside the pocket part so as to transmit the electrical signal applied from the device part to the skin electrode part, is electrically connected to the skin electrode part, and is formed to be detachably coupled to the connection terminal of the device part. a connection part; and a remote control unit capable of wireless communication with the device unit and wirelessly controlling the operation of the electrical stimulation module.

The device part is characterized in that it is further provided with a humidity measurement module for measuring the humidity inside the undeware.

The device unit is characterized in that it is further provided with an EMG module for measuring the user's EMG through the skin electrode unit.

The device unit is further provided with a humidity measuring module for measuring the humidity inside the undeware, and an EMG measuring module capable of measuring the user's EMG through the skin electrode unit, and the remote control unit is capable of wireless communication with the device unit. It includes a wireless communication module, a management module that analyzes and outputs the user's pelvic floor muscle activation and improvement of urinary incontinence through EMG information and humidity information received from the wireless communication module, and a display module that displays information output from the management module characterized in that

According to the user, the skin electrode unit further includes a tension adjusting unit for adjusting the degree of contact with the user's pelvic floor muscle side skin, and the tension adjusting unit is connected to the lower part of the main body with one side corresponding to the user's pelvic floor muscle side, The other side extends a certain length away from the main body and has elasticity so as to be stretchable and has a hook provided at the end, and a plurality of elastic bands coupled to the front side of the main body so that the hook of the elastic band can be selectively fastened according to the position It includes a locking ring of, the locking ring is characterized in that it is arranged to be spaced apart by a predetermined interval up and down along the front surface of the main body.

The urinary incontinence treatment device according to the present invention can be used even when the user is wearing clothes, so that it can be used comfortably anytime and anywhere without any psychological burden or restrictions on the place, and it can be used cleanly because there is no foreign substance left after use, and it can be used with electrical stimulation signals. It has the advantage of significantly improving the therapeutic effect because passive pelvic floor muscle strengthening exercises can be combined with active pelvic floor muscle strengthening exercises.

1 is a schematic view of a urinary incontinence treatment apparatus according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view showing the main body of the urinary incontinence treatment apparatus according to the present invention.
Figure 3 is a front view showing the main body of the urinary incontinence treatment device according to the present invention.
Figure 4 is a rear view showing the main body of the urinary incontinence treatment apparatus according to the present invention.
5 is a block diagram showing the control system of the urinary incontinence treatment apparatus according to the present invention.
6 is a front view showing a tension control unit of the urinary incontinence treatment apparatus according to the present invention.
7 is a front view showing a state in which the tension of the body is adjusted by using the tension adjusting unit of the urinary incontinence treatment apparatus according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, an apparatus for treating urinary incontinence according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 5 show a urinary incontinence treatment apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 to 5 , the urinary incontinence treatment apparatus according to the present invention is configured to include an underwear 100 , a device unit 200 , a connection unit, and a remote control unit 300 .

The underwear 100 is configured to include a body 110 , a pocket part 120 , and a skin electrode part 130 .

The main body 110 is applied to the user's buttocks, buttocks, and underwear, such as normal panties, which can be worn on the pelvis side. The pocket 120 is formed on the inside or outside of the front side of the main body 110 to accommodate the device 200 to be described later.

As shown in the figure, the pocket portion 120 has an open top and a closed bottom and both sides. The pocket part 120 may be formed on the body 110 by attaching a separate cloth to the body 110 and sewing a part of the edge thereof.

The open inlet side of the pocket part 120 applies a high-frequency bonding method to the body 110 so as to prevent interference with the skin or deterioration of the fit when the user wears the body 110 to the body 110 . It is preferable to remove the suture line by bonding.

In addition, the pocket part 120 has a connection part 125 on the inside of the pocket part 120 so that an electric signal applied from the device part 200 to be described later can be transmitted to the skin electrode part 130 provided in the body 110 . more are available

The connection part is electrically connected to the skin electrode part provided in the body, and is formed to be detachably coupled to the connection terminal of the device part. The connection part may be formed in a magnetic snap button type so that the connection terminal of the device part can be detachably coupled using a magnetic force.

In the main body 110, when the user wears the main body 110, on the inner surface of the main body 110 corresponding to the user's pelvic floor muscles, the skin electrode part ( 130) is formed.

The skin electrode unit 130 includes a first electrode 131 and a second electrode 132 that extend along the lower portion of the body 110 corresponding to the user's crotch and are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. .

In the present embodiment, the skin electrode unit 130 is configured of two having the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 132 , but differently, three or more or four or more may be provided. In this case, in which the skin electrode unit 130 is formed of four having first to fourth electrodes spaced apart from each other, the first to fourth electrodes receive electrical signals in various patterns by the electrical stimulation module 210 to be described later. can be authorized

For example, the AC power may be applied only to the first electrode and the second electrode, or the AC power may be applied only to the second electrode and the third electrode. Also, the AC power may be applied only to the third electrode and the fourth electrode, or the AC power may be applied only to the first electrode and the fourth electrode.

In addition, while power is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode, power may be simultaneously applied to the third electrode and the fourth electrode. The more the number of electrodes is provided in the skin electrode unit 130, the more patterns of electrical signals can be selectively applied.

The skin electrode unit 130 is formed of a conductive polymer material, and is integrally formed with the body 110 . The skin electrode unit 130 may be formed by attaching a flexible electrode material to the main body 110 or printing a conductive paste, but it is preferable to be integrally formed with the main body 110 to constitute a part of the main body 110 . .

In addition, the electrical signal applied to the skin electrode unit 130 has a current within 1mA and a voltage of 50V to 150V, and an AC signal within 100Hz may be applied.

On the other hand, a protective cover 140 for protecting the entire area of the skin electrode part 130 may be further added on the skin electrode unit 130 , and the protective cover 140 is different from the illustration in that it is connected to the connection part provided in the pocket part and the skin electrode part 130 . It may be formed only in the portion to which the skin electrode part is connected.

The device unit 200 is built-in and accommodated in the pocket unit 120 of the underwear 100, the electrical stimulation module 210, the wireless communication module 220, the humidity measurement module 230, and the electromyography module 240 and a battery module 250 .

The electrical stimulation module 210 generates an electrical signal for stimulation of the pelvic floor muscles so as to apply the electrical signal for stimulation to the pelvic floor muscles of a user wearing the body 110 , and transmits the generated electrical signal to the skin electrode unit 130 . transmit

A pair of connection terminals are formed in the device unit to be connected to the connection unit provided in the pocket unit so as to transmit the electrical signal output from the electrical stimulation module to the skin electrode and measure the EMG through an EMG measurement module to be described later. As described above, the connection terminal is formed of a magnetic material so as to be detachable by using a magnetic force on the connection portion of the pocket portion.

The number of connection terminals of the device part may be provided in a number corresponding to 1:1 with the number of electrodes in the skin electrode part, or may be provided in 1/2 or 1/4 times.

The wireless communication module 220 supports wireless communication with an external device, and receives a control signal transmitted from the remote control unit 300 to be described later wirelessly and transmits it to the electrical stimulation module 210 . In addition, the wireless communication module 220 wirelessly transmits the humidity information measured by the humidity measurement module 230 and the EMG information measured by the EMG measurement module 240 to the remote control unit 300 . The wireless communication module 220 may apply Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee communication.

The humidity measurement module 230 is provided in the device unit 200 to measure the humidity inside the underwear due to incontinence in real time, and the measured humidity information is transmitted to the remote control unit 300 through the wireless communication module.

The EMG measurement module 240 is provided in the device unit 200 to measure the EMG of the user's pelvic floor muscles through the skin electrode unit 130, and the measured EMG information is transmitted to the remote control unit 300 through the wireless communication module. is sent Unlike the humidity measurement module 230 , the EMG measurement module 240 may operate only when a control signal instructing the EMG measurement is transmitted from the remote control unit 300 .

The battery module 250 supplies power to various electronic devices provided in the device unit 200, is built into the device unit 200, and may be composed of a rechargeable battery or a replaceable battery, and a pouch-type battery. Alternatively, a coin-type battery may be applied.

The remote control unit 300 is capable of wireless communication with the device unit 200 and wirelessly controls the operation of the electrical stimulation module 210, and in this embodiment, a smartphone can be applied.

The remote control unit 300 includes a wireless communication module 310 , a management module 320 , and a display module.

The wireless communication module 310 of the remote control unit 300 performs wireless communication with the wireless communication module 220 of the device unit 200, and transmits measurement information transmitted from the device unit and control information transmitted from the remote control unit. do.

The management module 320 is provided in the form of a program and an app to the remote control unit 300 , and supports various operation modes to operate the electrical stimulation module 210 in various modes.

The management module 320 counts and monitors the number of occurrences of urinary incontinence based on the humidity information measured by the humidity measurement module 230 , and stimulates the pelvic floor muscles and the pelvic floor through electrical stimulation based on the EMG information measured by the EMG measurement module 240 . Analyze the degree of muscle activation.

The management module 320 supports the selection of the stimulation mode, and the stimulation intensity and time setting through the electrical stimulation module 210, and analyzes and analyzes the degree of pelvic floor muscle strengthening through the measured EMG signal analysis in connection with the number of occurrences of incontinence. The degree of improvement of urinary incontinence is digitized and output to the display module so that the user can easily grasp it.

The management module 320 can provide a simple game such as popping a balloon when the force is applied to the pelvic floor muscles. As an example, the degree to which the user applies a force to the pelvic floor muscles may be determined through the EMG module 240 and applied to the game.

Meanwhile, FIGS. 6 and 7 show a urinary incontinence treatment apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, which further includes a tension adjusting unit for adjusting the degree of adhesion of the skin electrode unit to the user's pelvic floor muscle side skin according to the user.

6 and 7, the tension control unit is configured to include an elastic band and a hook ring.

One side of the elastic band is connected and fixed to the main body of the lower part of the main body or the pocket part under the corresponding side of the user's pelvic floor muscles, and the other side is extended a certain length away from the main body. The elastic band has elasticity so that it can be stretched and is provided with a hook-shaped hook at the end.

The hooking ring is coupled to the front side of the main body so that the hook of the elastic band can be selectively fastened according to the position, and a plurality of them are arranged to be spaced apart from each other at regular intervals in the up and down direction along the front of the main body.

By selectively fastening the hooks of the elastic band to the hooks at various positions at the bottom, the tension control unit can stably attach the skin electrode unit to the user's pelvic floor muscles or the skin around the perineum according to the user's body shape.

The urinary incontinence treatment apparatus according to the present invention described above has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but this is merely an example, and various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible by those skilled in the art. will understand

Accordingly, the scope of true technical protection of the present invention should be defined only by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

100: underwear
110: body
120: pocket part
130: skin electrode part
200: device unit
210: electrical stimulation module
220: wireless communication module
230: humidity measurement module
240: EMG module
300: remote control unit
310: wireless communication module
320: management module
330: display module
150: tension control unit
151: elastic band
152 : hook
153: hook

Claims (5)

The body is formed to be wearable on the user's buttocks and pelvic side, and the pocket part is formed on one side, and the user's pelvic floor muscles and the skin around the perineum are formed on the inner surface of the body corresponding to the periphery of the user's pelvic floor muscles and perineum. an underwear comprising a skin electrode unit composed of a plurality of electrodes in contact with the ;
a device unit including an electric stimulation module embedded in the pocket unit of the underwear and applying an electric signal for stimulation of pelvic floor muscles to the skin electrode unit, and a wireless communication module capable of wireless communication with an external device;
It is provided inside the pocket part so as to transmit the electrical signal applied from the device part to the skin electrode part, is electrically connected to the skin electrode part, and is formed so that the connection terminal of the device part can be detachably coupled. a connection part;
and a remote control unit capable of wireless communication with the device unit and wirelessly controlling the operation of the electrical stimulation module.
According to claim 1,
Incontinence treatment apparatus, characterized in that the device unit is further provided with a humidity measurement module for measuring the humidity inside the undeware.
According to claim 1,
The device unit, urinary incontinence treatment apparatus, characterized in that further provided with an EMG module for measuring the user's EMG through the skin electrode unit.
According to claim 1,
The device unit is further provided with a humidity measuring module for measuring the humidity inside the undeware, and an EMG measuring module for measuring the user's EMG through the skin electrode unit,
The remote control unit includes a wireless communication module capable of wireless communication with the device unit, and a management module and the management module for analyzing and outputting a user's pelvic floor muscle activation and improvement in urinary incontinence through EMG information and humidity information received from the wireless communication module Urinary incontinence treatment apparatus comprising a display module for displaying information output from the.
According to claim 1,
Further comprising a tension adjusting unit for adjusting the degree of adhesion of the skin electrode unit to the user's pelvic floor muscle side skin according to the user,
The tension control unit has one side connected to the lower part of the main body corresponding to the pelvic floor muscle side of the user and the other side is extended a certain length away from the main body and has elasticity so as to be stretchable and has an elastic band provided with a hook at the end, and the elasticity It includes a plurality of engaging rings coupled to the front side of the main body so that the hook of the band can be selectively fastened according to the position,
The incontinence treatment device, characterized in that the locking ring is arranged to be spaced at regular intervals up and down along the front surface of the main body.

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