KR20230023596A - User-tailored mental health care device for brain stimulation-based diafnosis and treatment - Google Patents

Abstract

A head-customized healthcare device comprises: a frame including support units and connection units disposed between the support units; electrode units disposed on the support units to be spaced apart from each other and not being overlapped with the connection units; and a strap connected to the frame. The support units include: a first support unit having an oval shape and a defined frame opening; a second support unit disposed in the frame opening and connected to the first support unit; and a third support unit connected to the second support unit and including a driving unit for driving the electrode units. The elastic modulus of the connecting unit is lower than that of the support unit. The healthcare device can be worn regardless of the circumference and shape of the head.

Description

User-TAILORED MENTAL HEALTH CARE DEVICE FOR BRAIN STIMULATION-BASED DIAFNOSIS AND TREATMENT}

The present invention relates to a mental health care device customized for a user's head for diagnosis and treatment based on brain stimulation. More specifically, it relates to a mental health care device customized for a user's head for diagnosis and treatment based on brain stimulation that varies according to the user's head.

When activating the production of brain cells, neurogenesis, speed of neurogenesis and survival period, etc., activity, food, stimulants, games, music, meditation, etc. have been used as ways to activate the brain in the past. . In addition, various stress-related diseases are increasing in accordance with the rapidly changing trend of modern society, and brain stimulation-based diagnosis and treatment are being developed.

In particular, a healthcare device for stimulating the central nervous system (CNS (Central Nervo 200 Syst 20)) using low frequency as a non-pharmacological and/or non-invasive treatment method for stress-related diseases is being developed.

Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2397139

An object of the present invention is to provide a user-customized mental health care device for diagnosis and treatment based on brain stimulation, which can be worn on heads of various sizes and shapes, has improved portability and minimized bulkiness.

The problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

A healthcare device according to an aspect of the present disclosure for achieving the above technical problem includes a frame including a support unit and connection units disposed between the support units; electrode parts spaced apart from each other, disposed on the support part, and non-overlapping with the connection parts; and a strap connected to the frame, wherein the support portion includes: a first support portion having an elliptical shape and having a frame opening defined therein; a second support part disposed within the frame opening and connected to the first support part; and a third support part connected to the second support part and including a driving part for driving the electrode parts, wherein the elastic modulus of the connecting parts is lower than that of the support part.

Among the connection parts, the connection parts disposed on the first support part include a first connection part, a second connection part spaced apart from the first connection part, and a third connection part spaced apart from the second connection part with the first connection part therebetween; , The angle between a portion of the first support portion disposed between the first connection portion and the second connection portion and another portion of the first support portion disposed between the first connection portion and the third connection portion is variable on a plane. It can be characterized by doing.

The angle may be 90 degrees or more and 180 degrees or less.

Among the connection parts disposed on the first support, the number of connection parts disposed on the upper side of the first support part with respect to the second support part is greater than the number of connection parts disposed on the lower side of the first support part with respect to the second support part. can be characterized.

It overlaps with the corresponding electrode part among the electrode parts and includes at least one guide part disposed inside the first support part, and the electrode part overlapping with the at least one guide part moves along the guide part. can be done with

The first support part and the second support part may have a predetermined curvature.

Each of the electrode parts may include a base part connected to the support part and protruding parts protruding from the base part.

The protrusions may include conductive silicon.

The support part may include plastic, and the strap may be made of neoprene.

Each of the electrode parts may provide a low frequency.

According to the above-mentioned problem solving means of the present disclosure, the health care device according to the present invention may be deformed in shape to correspond to the user's head. Accordingly, regardless of the circumference and shape of the head, men and women of all ages can easily wear the healthcare device, and accordingly, the healthcare device with improved wearing comfort can be provided.

The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

1 is a perspective view of a healthcare device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
2 is a perspective view of a state in which a healthcare device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is worn.
3 is a plan view of a healthcare device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
4 is a plan view of a state in which a healthcare device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is worn.
5 is a plan view of a state in which a healthcare device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is worn.
6 is a perspective view of a healthcare device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
7A to 7C are plan views illustrating a disposition relationship between a guide part and an electrode part according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
8 is a diagram illustrating a process of controlling a healthcare device using a mobile device for driving the healthcare device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as an example.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and methods of achieving them, will become clear with reference to the detailed description of the following embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, only these embodiments are intended to complete the disclosure of the present invention, and are common in the art to which the present invention belongs. It is provided to fully inform the person skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims.

Terminology used herein is for describing the embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, singular forms also include plural forms unless specifically stated otherwise in a phrase. As used herein, "comprises" and/or "comprising" does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements other than the recited elements. Like reference numerals throughout the specification refer to like elements, and “and/or” includes each and every combination of one or more of the recited elements. Although "first", "second", etc. are used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms, of course. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. Accordingly, it goes without saying that the first element mentioned below may also be the second element within the technical spirit of the present invention.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification may be used with meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. In addition, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly specifically defined.

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

1 is a perspective view of a healthcare device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which a healthcare device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is worn.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , a healthcare device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a frame 10 , electrode parts 20 , and a strap 30 . The healthcare device 100 according to the present invention may be a wearable healthcare device 100 in the form of a band that can be worn on a part of the body. More specifically, the healthcare device 100 may be a wearable healthcare device 100 in the form of a band that can be worn on the head of the user 200 . The healthcare device 100 according to the present invention may be a treatment device capable of improving stress-related diseases caused by the activity state of the user 200 with a non-drug and/or non-invasive treatment method.

The frame 10 may be coupled with other structures of the healthcare device 100 . The frame 10 according to one embodiment may include a support. The support unit may include a first support unit 11 , a second support unit 12 , and a third support unit 13 . The frame 10 may include plastic. The first support part 11, the second support part 12, and the third support part 13 may be integrally manufactured through an injection process, but will be described separately for convenience of description.

The first support part 11 may have an elliptical shape. A frame opening 14 may be defined in the first support part 11 . The second support part 12 is disposed within the frame opening 14, and one end and the other end may be connected to the first support part 11. Accordingly, the first support portion 11 may be divided into an upper side and a lower side with the second support portion 12 as the center. The third support part 13 may overlap the frame opening 14 and be connected to the second support part 12 .

A driving unit for driving the electrode units 20 may be included inside the third support unit 13 . In addition, a power supply module, a circuit board module, a sound input/output module, a power supply module, a vibration module, and a plurality of sensors for interworking with applications may be disposed inside the third support part 13 . However, it is not limited thereto, and the module disposed inside the third support part 13 is not limited to any one as long as it is necessary for the operation of the healthcare device 100.

The first support part 11 and the second support part 12 may be provided in the form of a hollow tube. Accordingly, wires connecting the driving unit and the electrode units 20 may be disposed along empty spaces of the first support unit 11 and the second support unit 12 . However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and wires required for operation of the healthcare device 100 may be disposed along empty spaces of the first support part 11 and the second support part 12 .

The first support part 11 and the second support part 12 according to an embodiment may have a predetermined curvature and have a curved shape to correspond to the head of the user 200 . Therefore, the user 200 can intuitively wear the healthcare device 100 on the back of the head, and the healthcare device 100 with increased wearability can be provided.

Each of the electrode parts 20 may be spaced apart from each other and disposed on a corresponding support part among the first and second support parts 11 and 12 . Although FIG. 1 shows that one electrode unit is disposed on the second support unit 12, it is not limited thereto, and the electrode units 20 are disposed only on the first support unit 11, or a plurality of them on the second support unit 12. It can be arranged as, and is not limited to any one embodiment. Each of the electrode units 20 may be driven individually from each other, and may be driven by separate groups different from each other. Each of the electrode parts 20 according to an embodiment may be connected to a corresponding support part in a ball joint manner. Therefore, the electrode parts 20 can be separated from the support part and can be replaced.

Each of the electrode parts 20 may include a base part 21 and protrusion parts 22 . Each of the protrusions 22 may protrude from the base portion 21 . The protrusions 22 are configured to directly contact the back of the user 200, and the protrusions 22 may serve as a medium for transmitting low-frequency electrodes formed through the driving unit to the back of the user 200. The base part 21 may be configured to stably couple the protrusions 22 to the corresponding support part. Accordingly, the protrusions 22 may include a more flexible material than the base portion 21 . According to one embodiment, the protrusions 22 may include conductive silicon.

One end and the other end of the strap 30 may be connected to the second support part 12 . The user 200 may stably wear the healthcare device 100 through the strap 30 .

The strap 30 may include a band portion 31 and a length adjusting portion 32 . The length of the band part 31 can be adjusted through the length adjusting part 32 . The band portion 31 may include an elastic material. The band part 31 may include a neoprene material to increase the wearing comfort of the user 200 . The strap 30 according to one embodiment may be replaced and washed from the second support part 12 .

As the healthcare device 100 flows a low-frequency current to the electrodes 20, the electrodes 20 directly contact the back of the user 200 to stimulate the central nervous system (CNS (Central Nervo200 Syst20)) can do. Accordingly, the user 200 can treat stress-related diseases in a non-pharmacological and/or non-invasive way.

The electrode units 20 according to an embodiment may include an electroencephalogram (EEG) tester function. Therefore, the electrode parts 20 attached to the back of the user 200 can analyze current waveforms induced on the scalp, and brain waves having specific waveforms can be detected according to the cerebral activity state. The electrode units 20 according to the present invention detect an abnormal electrical signal generated in the cerebral cortex, and a driving unit receiving the abnormal electrical signal may apply a current corresponding to the electrical signal to the electrode units 20 . Therefore, the electrode parts 20 can provide currents of different strengths to the user according to the treatment purpose, and only the electrode parts 20 that come into contact with the location where the abnormal electrical signal is detected in the back of the user can be operated. In addition, brain wave signals detected from the electrode units 20 can be converted into data and linked to a mobile device carried by the user 200 through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The user 200 may operate the electrode parts 20 of the healthcare device 100 for each part through an application or the like based on the analyzed data.

3 is a plan view of a healthcare device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 4 is a plan view of a state in which a healthcare device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is worn. 5 is a plan view of a state in which a healthcare device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is worn.

3 illustrates a state in which the healthcare device 100-1 according to an embodiment is viewed from the rear. 4 and 5 show a state in which the healthcare device 100-1 is viewed from the top. The same/similar reference numerals are used for the same/similar configurations as those described in FIGS. 1 and 2, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the healthcare device 100-1 may include a frame 10, electrode parts 20, and a strap 30.

The frame 10 may include a support part and a connection part 40 . The support unit may include a first support unit 11 , a second support unit 12 (see FIG. 1 ), and a third support unit 13 . The frame 10 may include plastic.

The first support part 11 may have an elliptical shape. A frame opening 14 may be defined in the first support part 11 . The second support part 12 (see FIG. 1 ) is disposed within the frame opening 14 , and one end and the other end may be connected to the first support part 11 . Accordingly, the first support portion 11 may be divided into an upper side and a lower side with the second support portion 12 (see FIG. 1) as the center. The third support part 13 may overlap the frame opening 14 and be connected to the second support part 12 (see FIG. 1 ). A driving unit for driving the electrode units 20 may be included inside the third support unit 13 . The first support portion 11 having an elliptical shape is to provide an optimal signal transmission and advantageous contact with a stimulation site according to the shape of the head, since most of the occipital region of the human brain is formed in an elliptical shape. The first support part 11 having such an elliptical shape may be set in an optimal position through detailed sensor position control and a connection part having a low elastic modulus.

The connection part 40 according to an embodiment may be disposed on the first support part 11 . The connecting part 40 may include first to fourth connecting parts 41 , 42 , 43 , and 44 . The first to fourth connection parts 41 , 42 , 43 , and 44 may be spaced apart from each other within the first support part 11 .

The first to third connection parts 41 , 42 , and 43 may be disposed above the first support part 11 , and the fourth connection part 44 may be disposed below the first support part 11 . According to one embodiment, the number of connection parts disposed on the upper side of the first support part 11 may be greater than the number of connection part(s) disposed on the lower side of the first support part 11 .

However, it is not limited thereto, and any one of the first to fourth connection parts 41, 42, 43, and 44 may be omitted or may further include at least one additional connection part, and is limited to any one embodiment. It doesn't work.

The connection part 40 may include a more flexible material than the support part. Accordingly, the elastic modulus of the first to fourth connecting parts 41, 42, 43, and 44 may be lower than that of the supporting part.

Each of the electrode parts 20 may be spaced apart from each other and disposed on corresponding supports. One end and the other end of the strap 30 are connected to the second support part 12 (see FIG. 1), and the user 200 (see FIG. 2) can stably wear the healthcare device 100 through the strap 30. there is.

4 and 5 show only the first to third connection parts 41, 42, and 43 disposed above the first support part 11 among the first to fourth connection parts 41, 44, 43, and 42. did

The second connection part 42 may be spaced apart from the third connection part 43 with the first connection part 41 interposed therebetween. Accordingly, a part 11-L of the first support part 11 is disposed between the first connection part 41 and the second connection part 42, and between the first connection part 41 and the third connection part 43. Another part 11-R of the first support 11 may be disposed.

According to one embodiment, an angle between a part 11 -L and another part 11 -R of the first support part 11 may be varied. For example, the head of the first user 200-1 shown in FIG. 4 has a first circumference, and the head of the second user 200-2 shown in FIG. 5 has a second circumference greater than the first circumference. can have a circumference.

At this time, when the first user 200-1 wears the healthcare device 100-1a, the angle between the part 11-L and the other part 11-R of the first support 11 is 1 may have an angle Θ1. When the second user 200-2 wears the healthcare device 100-1b, the angle between the part 11-L and the other part 11-R of the first support 11 is the second angle. (Θ2). According to an embodiment, the second angle Θ2 may be greater than the first angle Θ1. The range of angles between the part 11-L and the other part 11-R of the first support part 11, which can be varied according to the head shape of the users 200-1 and 200-2, ranges from 90 degrees to 180 degrees. may be below.

As the healthcare device 100-1 according to an embodiment includes the connection part 40, the shape of the support part may be changed to correspond to the heads of the users 200-1 and 200-2. Therefore, regardless of the circumference and shape of the head, men and women of all ages can easily wear the healthcare device 100-1, and accordingly, the healthcare device 100-1 with improved wearing comfort can be provided.

6 is a perspective view of a healthcare device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 7A to 7C are plan views illustrating a disposition relationship between a guide part and an electrode part according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The same/similar reference numerals are used for the same/similar configurations as those described in FIGS. 1 to 5, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the healthcare device 100-2 may include a frame 10, electrode parts 20, and a strap 30. The healthcare device 100-2 according to an embodiment may further include guide parts 50.

The frame 10 may include a support part and a connection part 40 . The support unit may include a first support unit 11 , a second support unit 12 (see FIG. 1 ), and a third support unit 13 .

The first support part 11 may have an elliptical shape. A frame opening 14 may be defined in the first support part 11 . The second support part 12 is disposed within the frame opening 14, and one end and the other end may be connected to the first support part 11. The third support part 13 may overlap the frame opening 14 and be connected to the second support part 12 . A driving unit for driving the electrode units 20 may be included inside the third support unit 13 .

In one embodiment, other guide parts 50 may be disposed inside the first support part 11 . Each of the guide parts 50 may overlap with a corresponding one of the electrode parts 20 . Each of the electrode parts 20 may be connected to a motor or the like within the corresponding guide part 50 and move along the extending direction of the guide part 50 . Each of the electrode parts 20 may be individually driven and moved to a desired position within the corresponding guide part 50 . The position of the electrode units 20 may be moved through an application linked to a mobile device carried by the user 200 or may be moved to a position where current can be accurately transmitted according to the brain waves detected from the electrode units 20. .

7A to 7C exemplarily show that one electrode part 20-a, 20-b, 20-c is moved within the corresponding guide part 50. In the first operating state, the electrode part 20-a may be disposed at the center of the guide part 50. In the second operating state, the electrode part 20-b may be moved to the left from the center of the guide part 50 and disposed, and in the third operating state, the electrode part 20-c may move to the guide part 50. It can be arranged by moving from the center to the right.

In the healthcare device 100-2 according to an embodiment, as the electrode parts 20 are moved on the corresponding guide part 50, the electrode parts 20 designate a more accurate position to transmit low-frequency current to the user 200. , see FIG. 2). Accordingly, the efficiency of electrical stimulation can be increased, and the healthcare device 100 - 2 with improved treatment of stress disorders and the like can be provided.

Each of the electrode parts 20 may be disposed on first and second support parts 11 and 12 that are spaced apart from each other and correspond to each other. One end and the other end of the strap 30 are connected to the second support part 12, and the user 200 (see FIG. 2) can stably wear the healthcare device 100-2 through the strap 30.

8 is a diagram illustrating a process of controlling a healthcare device using a mobile device for driving the healthcare device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as an example.

Referring to FIG. 8 , a user 200 may execute an app on a mobile device 300 to set whether to diagnose electrical stimulation of the brain or treat electrical stimulation of the brain (310). At this time, the user 200 may optimize the electric stimulation unit using the app of the mobile device 300, and may set stimulation intensity and time.

The user 200 may collect EEG for diagnosing the level of stress on the app screen of the mobile device 300 (320), and view collected signals for each sensor for brain conduction test on the app screen of the mobile device 300 (320). Yes (330).

The user 200 may set the treatment time and stimulation intensity on the app screen of the mobile device 300 (340). Here, the mental health care device 100 may set an optimal diagnosis/treatment location (350). For example, the location of the sensor may be adjusted while viewing the strength of the signal value at the abnormal location using the app screen of the mobile device 300 and the mental health care device 100 .

At this time, the mental health care device 100 may include an interface module 110, a battery 120, a communication unit 130, and an operation unit 140. For example, the interface module 110 may be provided for linking a device and an app, the battery 120 may be provided in a USB C type charging form, the communication unit 130 may perform Bluetooth communication, , The operation unit 140 may perform at least one of a power on/off operation, stimulation type setting, and an app-linked operation.

Here, the mental health care device 100 can adjust the position of the sensor so that it becomes a normal signal, and can adjust the overall size tailored to the size of the head. In addition, the mental health care device 100 may perform mental health care on the optimized area. For example, the mental health care device 100 may stimulate a target such as depression, stress, or insomnia.

The user 200 may record a treatment diary on the app screen of the mobile device 300 (360).

As described above, the present disclosure can find a location suitable for the head image during diagnosis and guide the wearer of the mental health care device 100 to the treatment location during treatment. In addition, the present disclosure may utilize data at the time of diagnosis without using the locating function at the time of treatment.

As above, the disclosed embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will understand that the present disclosure may be implemented in a form different from the disclosed embodiments without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present disclosure. The disclosed embodiments are illustrative and should not be construed as limiting.

100: mental health care device tailored to the head
10: frame
20: electrode part
21: base part
22: protrusion
30: strap
31: band part
32: length adjustment unit
40: connection part
50: guide unit

Claims (10)

a frame comprising a support portion and connecting portions disposed between the support portions;
electrode parts spaced apart from each other, disposed on the support part, and non-overlapping with the connection parts; and
A strap connected to the frame;
the support,
a first support portion having an elliptical shape and having a frame opening defined therein;
a second support part disposed within the frame opening and connected to the first support part; and
A third support portion connected to the second support portion and including a driving portion for driving the electrode portions;
The modulus of elasticity of the connection parts is lower than the modulus of elasticity of the support part, customized mental health care device for the head. According to claim 1,
Of the connection parts, the connection parts disposed in the first support part,
A first connection part, a second connection part spaced apart from the first connection part, and a third connection part spaced apart from the second connection part with the first connection part therebetween,
An angle between a portion of the first support portion disposed between the first connection portion and the second connection portion and another portion of the first support portion disposed between the first connection portion and the third connection portion is variable on a plane. Mental health care device tailored to the head. According to claim 2,
The angle is 90 degrees or more and 180 degrees or less, a customized mental health care device for the head. According to claim 1,
Among the connection parts disposed on the first support, the number of connection parts disposed on the upper side of the first support part with respect to the second support part is greater than the number of connection parts disposed on the lower side of the first support part with respect to the second support part. Personalized mental health care device. According to claim 1,
At least one guide part overlapping with the corresponding one of the electrode parts and disposed inside the first support part;
The electrode unit overlapping the at least one guide unit is moved along the guide unit. According to claim 1,
The first support part and the second support part have a predetermined curvature, the head customized mental health care device. According to claim 1,
Each of the electrode parts includes a base part connected to the support part and protrusions protruding from the base part. According to claim 7,
The protrusions are head-customized mental health care devices containing conductive silicon. According to claim 1,
The support portion includes plastic,
The strap is a head-customized mental health care device made of neoprene. According to claim 1,
Each of the electrode parts is a head-customized mental health care device that provides a low frequency.

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