TW202010534A - Electrical stimulator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an electrical stimulator that allows defective electrical connections to be detected readily. This electrical stimulator 1 comprises an electrode group 10 comprising three or more electrodes, and a drive means 20 for energizing the electrode group 10. The drive means 20 is constituted in such a manner as to assign a first polarity to one electrode among the electrode group 10 and a second polarity to the remaining plurality of electrodes, and to energize the electrode group 10 by sequentially switching the electrode having the first polarity. In addition, this electrical stimulator 1 comprises a defective connection detection means 30 that detects a defect in the electrical connection by detecting whether or not electrical stimuli have been applied to the user when the electrode group 10 has been energized.

Description

Electrical stimulation device

The present invention relates to an electrical stimulation device that uses an electrode group having more than three electrodes to provide electrical stimulation to the body.

In recent years, there has been known an electrical stimulation device in which an electrode is brought into contact with a predetermined position of the body to provide electrical stimulation to the body to perform muscle training. Such an electrical stimulation device has, for example, a device that supplies energy to a specific pair of electrodes and provides electrical stimulation between the electrodes. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a device including electrode segments A1, A2 suitable for the lower part of the patient's body, and electrodes B, C respectively suitable for the flank opposite to the patient's body, and alternately provided on the electrodes A first set of muscle stimulation current pulses flowing between B and electrode C, and a second set of muscle stimulation current pulses flowing between electrode segments A1, A2 and electrodes B, C.

【Prior Technical Literature】 【Patent Literature】

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Special Publication No. 2012-531990

However, in the device of Patent Document 1, there is a problem that since energy is provided between the electrode segments A1, A2 and the electrodes B, C, the electrodes providing stimulation form a multi-electrode to multi-electrode relationship, and when a part of the electrodes are in wiring When an insufficient state occurs in the state or the state of contact between the electrode and the body, there may be cases where an undesirably strong stimulus is applied to other parts of the electrode.

For example, in the device of Patent Document 1, when energy is supplied between the electrode segments A1 and A2 and the electrodes B and C, if peeling occurs on the electrode B, the stimulation is concentrated on the electrode C, and an undesirably strong stimulus is applied. As a result, the user may feel strong stimulation and feel uncomfortable. In addition, the body may reflexively move due to the strong stimulation and may cause injury. Moreover, low temperature burns may be caused by current concentration.

In addition, there is also a problem that if energy is supplied between the multi-electrode and the multi-electrode, the intensity of the stimulus felt by the human body varies depending on the electrode due to the difference in the wiring state or the contact state between the electrode and the body.

The present invention has been completed based on such problems, and the first object is to provide an electrical stimulation device capable of suppressing the generation of undesirable strong stimulation.

The second object of the present invention is to provide an electrical stimulation device capable of providing stimulation with less difference for each electrode.

A third object of the present invention is to provide an electrical stimulation device capable of easily detecting poor electrical connection.

The electrical stimulation device of the present invention provides electrical stimulation to a user, and is provided with: an electrode group having three or more electrodes arranged in contact with the user; a driving mechanism which makes one electrode in the electrode group have the first polarity, The remaining electrodes are of the second polarity, which are sequentially switched to the electrodes of the first polarity and provide energy to the aforementioned electrode group; and a poor connection sensing mechanism that detects whether electrical stimulation is provided to the user when providing energy to the electrode group, thereby Detect poor electrical connection.

The electrical stimulation method of the present invention uses an electrode group having more than three electrodes to provide electrical stimulation to the body, with one electrode of the electrode group having the first polarity and the remaining plurality of electrodes having the second polarity, which are sequentially switched to the first polarity The electrode also supplies energy to the aforementioned electrode group, and detects whether electrical stimulation is provided to the body when energy is supplied to the electrode group, thereby detecting poor electrical connection.

According to the present invention, one electrode in the electrode group is of the first polarity, and the remaining electrodes are of the second polarity. Therefore, current flows between the first electrode of the first polarity and the remaining electrodes of the second polarity, and the stimulation is concentrated For one electrode of the first polarity, for multiple electrodes of the second polarity, the stimulation can be reduced. Depending on the situation, the stimulation of the electrode of the second polarity can be eliminated or made very weak. Thus, for example, even if any one of the plurality of electrodes of the second polarity deteriorates the contact state with the body due to wire breakage or peeling, etc., it is possible to suppress the application of undesirably strong stimulation to the other electrodes of the second polarity . Therefore, it is possible to suppress the user from feeling uncomfortable due to the strong stimulus. In addition, it is also possible to suppress the reflexive activity of the body due to the shock of the strong stimulus, and it is possible to prevent the low-temperature burn caused by the current concentration. This effect is particularly effective when providing high-frequency electrical stimulation.

In addition, by setting the first polarity to one and the second polarity to provide energy, the stimulation is concentrated on one electrode of the first polarity, and the electrodes of the first polarity are sequentially switched in the electrode group. All electrodes were applied sequentially with strong stimuli with less difference. Furthermore, since the stimulation can be concentrated on one electrode of the first polarity, strong stimulation can be applied with lower energy than in the past.

In addition, if the electrical connection failure is detected by detecting whether an electrical stimulation is applied to the user when applying energy to the electrode group, the electrical failure can be easily detected while providing electrical stimulation. Thus, when peeling of the electrode or poor contact occurs, it can be corrected immediately during use.

In addition, since one electrode in the electrode group has the first polarity and the remaining plurality of electrodes have the second polarity and supply energy to the electrode group, if there is a poor electrical connection among the electrodes having the first polarity, the electrode can be used The user provides electrical stimulation at this point to easily detect poor electrical connection.

In addition, if at least the first electrode is arranged corresponding to the right rectus abdominis muscle, the second electrode is arranged corresponding to the left rectus abdominis muscle, and the third electrode is arranged corresponding to the right abdomen oblique muscle, corresponding to the left abdominal oblique muscle The fourth electrode is arranged and switched to the electrode of the first polarity in order, so that the first electrode and the second electrode do not continuously change to the first polarity, it can be suppressed to continuously arrange the first electrode and the second electrode adjacent to each other The nearby muscles provide electrical stimulation which results in insufficient relaxation. This makes it possible to perform relaxation activities more effectively over the entire range in which the electrode group is arranged, and to suppress early muscle fatigue or make the user feel uncomfortable.

1‧‧‧Electrical stimulation device

2‧‧‧Electrical stimulation device

10‧‧‧electrode set

11‧‧‧First electrode

12‧‧‧Second electrode

13‧‧‧third electrode

15‧‧‧Wire

20‧‧‧Drive mechanism

21‧‧‧High voltage generating circuit

22‧‧‧High voltage shaping circuit

23‧‧‧ Stimulation waveform output circuit

30‧‧‧ Bad connection sensing mechanism

40‧‧‧ clothing

50‧‧‧Control agency

210‧‧‧Electrode group

211‧‧‧First electrode

212‧‧‧Second electrode

213‧‧‧third electrode

214‧‧‧The fourth electrode

220‧‧‧Drive mechanism

[Fig. 1] A diagram showing the configuration of an electrical stimulation device in a first embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 2] A diagram showing the circuit configuration of the driving mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

[Fig. 3] A diagram showing the circuit configuration of the connection failure detection mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

[Fig. 4] A diagram for explaining the operation of the electrical stimulation device shown in Fig. 1.

FIG. 5 is another diagram for explaining the operation of the electrical stimulation device shown in FIG. 1.

[Fig. 6] A diagram for explaining the operation of a past electrical stimulation device.

[Fig. 7] A diagram showing the configuration of an electrical stimulation device in a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 8] A diagram showing the sequence of the first electrode when energy is supplied to the electrode group by the driving mechanism shown in Fig. 7.

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

(First embodiment)

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the electrical stimulation device 1 in the first embodiment of the present invention. 2 and 3 show the circuit configuration of the electrical stimulation device 1. The electrical stimulation device 1 provides, for example, electrical stimulation to a user, and includes: an electrode group 10 having three or more electrodes, a drive mechanism 20 that supplies energy to the electrode group 10, and a poor connection sensing mechanism that detects poor electrical connection 30. The clothes 40 of the electrode group 10 and the control mechanism 50 that controls the drive mechanism 20 are arranged at predetermined positions.

The electrode group 10 is arranged at a predetermined position in contact with the user's body, for example. In this embodiment, for example, the electrode group 10 is arranged on a trunk such as an abdomen, and has at least three electrodes. Specifically, it has: a first electrode 11 arranged corresponding to the rectus abdominis muscle, a second electrode 12 arranged corresponding to the right abdominal oblique muscle, and a third electrode arranged corresponding to the left abdominal oblique muscle 13.

The driving mechanism 20 is configured such that one electrode of the electrode group 10 has a first polarity and the remaining plurality of electrodes have a second polarity, and the electrodes having the first polarity are sequentially switched to supply energy to the electrode group 10. As a result, the stimulation is concentrated on one electrode of the first polarity, and the stimulation of the plurality of electrodes of the second polarity is dispersed, so that strong stimulation can be provided in the electrode of the first polarity. In addition, the first polarity and the second polarity are different polarities, for example, the first polarity is a positive electrode and the second polarity is a negative electrode, or the first polarity is a negative electrode and the second polarity is a positive electrode. The order of switching the electrodes having the first polarity may be repeated in the order of the first electrode 11, the second electrode 12, and the third electrode 13, or in the order of the first electrode 11, the third electrode 13, and the second electrode 12, for example The order of the first and second electrodes 12, the second electrode 12, the first electrode 11, and the third electrode 13 can be repeated in turn.

The drive mechanism 20 is disposed relative to the clothes 40, for example, and is connected to the electrode group 10, the connection failure sensing mechanism 30, and the control mechanism 50. The circuit configuration of the drive mechanism 20 includes, for example, a high-voltage generation circuit 21 connected to a power source not shown in the drawing and generating a high-voltage DC voltage; and connected to the high-voltage generation circuit 21 and shaping the waveform A high-voltage shaping circuit 22; and a stimulation waveform output circuit 23 connected to the high-voltage shaping circuit 22 and each electrode of the electrode group 10, and outputting a stimulation waveform to each electrode of the electrode group 10.

The high-voltage generation circuit 21 can fix the generated voltage value, but it is configured that the control mechanism 50 can change the generated voltage value to be ideal. The high-voltage shaping circuit 22 can fix the waveform after shaping, but it is desirable that the waveform can be changed by the control mechanism 50. The stimulation waveform output circuit 23 is configured such that, for example, one electrode in the electrode group 10 has a first polarity and the remaining electrodes have a second polarity, sequentially switches the electrodes having the first polarity, and applies a voltage between each electrode.

The poor connection sensing mechanism 30 detects whether electrical stimulation is applied to the user when energy is applied to the electrode group 10, thereby detecting poor electrical connection. Poor electrical connection, for example, for each electrode of the electrode group 10, disconnection of wiring, peeling from the user's body, or poor contact may be mentioned. For example, the poor connection sensing mechanism 30 is configured to detect that there is a poor electrical connection for the electrode having the first polarity when no electrical stimulation is provided to the user when energy is supplied to the electrode group 10. In this system, in the driving mechanism 20, one electrode of the electrode group 10 has the first polarity, and the remaining electrodes have the second polarity, and the electrodes of the first polarity are sequentially switched to provide energy to the electrode group 10. Therefore, if If the electrode having the first polarity has a poor electrical connection, the user is not provided with electrical stimulation.

The circuit configuration of the connection failure sensing mechanism 30 may be, for example, the configuration shown in FIG. 3(A). The poor connection sensing mechanism 30 has, for example, an NPN bipolar transistor 31 that is grounded as an emitter, and the base of the NPN bipolar transistor 31 is connected to a low side switch group 23A corresponding to each electrode of the stimulation waveform output circuit 23 . Thus, in the poor connection sensing mechanism 30, for example, as shown in FIG. 3(A), all of the low-side switch group 23A and the high-side switch group 23B corresponding to each electrode of the stimulation waveform output circuit 23 are turned on. In the state, and when no energy is supplied to the electrode group 10, the collector of the NPN bipolar transistor 31 becomes High, and a High state sensing signal can be obtained from the collector.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3(B), in the High-side switch group 23B of the stimulation waveform output circuit 23, the switch corresponding to the first electrode 11 is turned off, the other switches are turned on, and the Low-side switch In group 23A, the switch corresponding to the first electrode 11 is turned on, the other switches are turned off, and the first electrode 11 is the first polarity, and the other second electrode 12 and the third electrode 13 are the second polarity and When energy is supplied to the electrode group 10, current flows through the body of the user between the first electrode 11, the second electrode 12, and the third electrode 13, a potential is applied to the base of the NPN bipolar transistor 31, and the collector current flows , The collector becomes Low, and the Low state sensing signal can be obtained from the collector. That is, the state-sensing signal of the collector is a different signal when no energy is supplied to the electrode group 10.

However, as in FIG. 3(B), even when the first electrode 11 has the first polarity and the other second electrodes 12 and the third electrode 13 have the second polarity and supply energy to the electrode group 10, if the first electrode 11 If there is a poor electrical connection due to peeling, etc., as shown in FIG. 3(C), the current does not flow between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 and the third electrode 13, so it is not provided to the user Because of electrical stimulation, no potential is applied to the base of the NPN bipolar transistor 31, the collector becomes High, and a high state sensing signal can be obtained from the collector. That is, the state sensing signal of the collector is the same signal when no energy is supplied to the electrode group 10. Thus, the state signal of the collector electrode differs depending on whether or not electrical stimulation is provided to the user when energy is supplied to the electrode group 10.

Thus, the poor connection sensing mechanism 30 is configured to detect whether the electrical stimulation is provided to the user when the energy is supplied to the electrode group 10 by detecting the state sensing signal of the collector of the NPN bipolar transistor 31. When the user provides electrical stimulation, the electrode with the first polarity detects a poor electrical connection.

In addition, in the above description, although in the High side switch group 23B of the stimulation waveform output circuit 23, the switch corresponding to the electrode having the first polarity is turned off, in the Low side switch group 23A, the and The case where the switch corresponding to the electrode of the first polarity is in the open state will be described. However, in the low-side switch group 23A, the switch corresponding to the electrode of the first polarity is closed, and in the High-side switch group 23B, The same applies to the case where the switch corresponding to the electrode having the first polarity is turned on.

The connection failure sensing mechanism 30 is disposed, for example, on the clothes 40, and is connected to the driving mechanism 20 and the control mechanism 50. The poor connection sensing mechanism 30 is configured, for example, to output a defective signal to the control mechanism 50 if a poor electrical connection is detected. The control mechanism 50 is configured such that if a poor signal is received from the poor connection sensing mechanism 30, an electrode indicating poor electrical connection is ideal.

The clothing 40 may be any item as long as it is an item worn on the body. For example, it may be an article covering the torso such as a jersey or a T-shirt as shown in FIG. 1, but it may also be a belt or a strip wound around the abdomen. In addition, although the sleeveless clothing is shown in FIG. 1, it may have sleeves, and it may have a portion that covers not only the upper body but also the lower body. In addition, the clothing 40 is desirably composed of a stretchable material. This is because the electrode group 10 can fit the body.

The control mechanism 50 is configured, for example, so as not to be disposed on the clothes 40, but can be placed on hand for control. The control mechanism 50, the driving mechanism 20, and the poor connection sensing mechanism 30 may be connected by wire or wirelessly. In addition, it is desirable that the control mechanism 50 is provided with a switch for instructing the drive mechanism 20 to drive and stop, for example.

In addition, each electrode of the electrode group 10 can be composed of, for example, a conductive body in which a conductive polymer is attached to the base material. The material constituting the base material may be any material, but it is preferably a fiber. For example, at least one of natural fibers such as silk and cotton and chemical fibers such as synthetic fibers is preferable. As the conductive polymer, for example, poly 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) is preferably mentioned. The conductor can be obtained, for example, by polymerizing the monomer of the conductive polymer attached to the substrate using an oxidizing agent. At this time, a dopant or a thickener for making the conductive polymer exhibit conductivity may be attached to the substrate together with the monomer of the conductive polymer.

The oxidizing agent, for example, preferably includes iron salts. As the dopant, for example, p-toluenesulfonic acid is preferably used. If an iron salt of p-toluenesulfonic acid (pTS) is used, it can function as an oxidizing agent and a dopant, so it is more desirable. The dopant can also be exemplified by acetonitrile or trifluoroacetic acid. The tackifier system is used to reduce the bleeding of conductive polymers and promote the polymerization of monomers. The tackifier is preferably a substance that does not react with the polymerization reaction of the conductive polymer. For example, glycerin, polyethylene glycol, gelatin, or polysaccharides can be preferably cited.

Each electrode of the electrode group 10 can be formed directly on the clothing 40 by attaching a conductive polymer by printing or the like using the fibers constituting the clothing 40 as a base material, or it can be prepared separately from the clothing 40 A conductor formed by attaching a conductive polymer to the base material is arranged by being stuck or stitched to the clothing 40. The lead 15 connecting each electrode of the electrode group 10 and the drive mechanism 20 can also be configured in the same manner as the electrode group 10.

The electrical stimulation device 1 can be used as follows. First, the user arranges each electrode of the electrode group 10 at a predetermined position on the body by putting the clothing 40 on the body. Then, the control mechanism 50 instructs the drive mechanism 20 to drive. In the driving mechanism 20, for example, one electrode of the electrode group 10 is set to the first polarity, and the remaining plurality of electrodes are set to the second polarity, and the electrodes of the first polarity are sequentially switched to supply energy to the electrode group 10. Thus, current flows between one electrode of the first polarity and the remaining plurality of electrodes of the second polarity. Thus, the stimulation is concentrated on one electrode of the first polarity, and the strong stimulation with less difference is sequentially provided to the electrodes of the first polarity.

In addition, in the electrode group 10, when one electrode is peeled off, for example, resulting in a poor electrical connection, it acts as follows. For example, when the electrical connection of the electrode of the first polarity is poor, since the other electrodes of the second polarity have the same waveform, no undesirable stimulation is generated. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the first electrode 11 has the first polarity and the second electrode 12 and the third electrode 13 have the second polarity, if the electrical connection of the first electrode 11 is broken, the second electrode 12 And the third electrode 13 has no stimulation because it is the same signal. In addition, in FIG. 4, the electrode of the first polarity is indicated by hatching, the electrode of the second polarity is indicated by frosting, and the electrode of poor electrical connection is indicated by gray.

On the other hand, when one electrode of the second polarity has poor electrical connection, there are more than one other electrode of the second polarity, thereby forming a relationship of more than one electrode of the second polarity with respect to an electrode of the first polarity, Therefore, undesired strong stimuli will not be generated, resulting in weaker stimuli. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the first electrode 11 has the first polarity, and the second electrode 12 and the third electrode 13 have the second polarity, if the electrical connection of the second electrode 12 is poor, the original The electrode of the first polarity and the electrode of the second polarity have a relationship of two, but now the electrode of the first polarity is opposed to the electrode of the second polarity, so there is no strong stimulation. In addition, in FIG. 5, the electrode of the first polarity is indicated by hatching, the electrode of the second polarity is indicated by frosting, and the electrode of poor electrical connection is indicated by gray.

On the other hand, when energy is supplied between a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of electrodes, if, for example, peeling occurs in one electrode to cause a poor electrical connection, it acts as follows. For example, in the electrical stimulation device 100 shown in FIG. 6, the electrode group 110 has four electrodes, that is, a first electrode 111 corresponding to the right rectus muscle and a second electrode corresponding to the left rectus muscle 112. The third electrode 113 corresponding to the right abdominal oblique muscle and the fourth electrode 114 corresponding to the left abdominal oblique muscle. By the driving mechanism 120, the first electrode 111 and the third electrode 113 are The first polarity, the second electrode 112 and the fourth electrode 114 are of the second polarity and provide energy to the electrode group 110. In addition, the rest has the same structure as the electrical stimulation device 1 in the present embodiment. Therefore, in FIG. 6, the constituent elements corresponding to the electrical stimulation device 1 are indicated by symbols with 100 added.

In the electrical stimulation device 100, when the first electrode 111 is electrically disconnected, although there were originally a plurality of electrodes of the first polarity and a plurality of electrodes of the second polarity, there is now a relatively The electrodes of one polarity and the electrodes of the second polarity are in a multiple relationship, and stimulation is concentrated on the third electrode 113, thereby generating undesirably strong stimulation on the third electrode 113. In addition, in FIG. 6, the electrode of the first polarity is indicated by hatching, the electrode of the second polarity is indicated by frosting, and the electrode of poor electrical connection is indicated by gray.

In this way, in the electrical stimulation device 1 of the present embodiment, even if the electrical connection to some of the electrodes is disconnected, the generation of undesirable strong stimulation can be suppressed.

In addition, if the electrical connection in each electrode is defective due to disconnection or peeling of the line, for example, it will be detected by the connection failure sensing mechanism 30. For example, as shown in FIG. 3(C), when the first electrode 11 has the first polarity, the other second electrode 12 and the third electrode 13 have the second polarity and supply energy to the electrode group 10, There is a poor electrical connection on the first electrode 11 due to peeling, etc., so that current does not flow between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 and the third electrode 13, so that no electrical stimulation is provided to the user. Thereby, no potential is applied to the base of the NPN bipolar transistor 31, and a high state sensing signal can be obtained from the collector.

On the contrary, when there is no electrical connection failure on each electrode, for example, as shown in FIG. 3(B), current flows between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 and the third electrode 13, so that The user provides electrical stimulation. As a result, a potential is applied to the base of the NPN bipolar transistor 31, and a low state sensing signal can be obtained from the collector. Therefore, the difference in the status signal of the collector is used to detect whether electrical stimulation is provided to the user when energy is supplied to the electrode group 10, and when electrical stimulation is not provided to the user, the presence of an electrical connection is detected for the electrode having the first polarity bad. If the poor connection sensing mechanism 30 detects a poor electrical connection, for example, a poor signal is output to the control mechanism 50, and the control mechanism 50 displays an electrode with poor electrical connection.

In addition, when there is a poor electrical connection in the electrode of the second polarity, although the electrical connection is not detected as the second polarity, the drive mechanism 20 will sequentially switch to the electrode of the first polarity, therefore, becomes At the first polarity, a poor electrical connection will be detected.

In this way, according to the present embodiment, since one electrode in the electrode group 10 has the first polarity and the remaining electrodes have the second polarity, the current between the one electrode of the first polarity and the second polarity has more Between the two electrodes, the stimulation is concentrated on one electrode of the first polarity, while for multiple electrodes of the second polarity, the stimulation can be reduced. Sometimes the stimulation of the electrode of the second polarity can be eliminated or the stimulation of the electrode is very weak. Thus, for example, even if any one of the plurality of electrodes of the second polarity deteriorates the contact state with the body due to disconnection or peeling of the wiring, etc., it is possible to suppress the application of undesirably strong stimulation to the other electrodes of the second polarity. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the user from feeling strong stimulation and feeling uncomfortable. In addition, it is also possible to suppress the reflexive activity of the body due to the shock of strong stimulation, and it is possible to prevent the low-temperature burn caused by the current concentration.

This effect is particularly effective when high-frequency electrical stimulation is provided. The high frequency refers to, for example, a range of 1 kHz to 100 kHz.

In addition, by making the first polarity one and the second polarity multiple and supplying energy, the stimulation is concentrated on one electrode of the first polarity, and the electrodes of the first polarity are sequentially switched in the electrode group 10, so it is possible to All electrodes were applied sequentially with strong stimuli with less difference. Furthermore, since the stimulation can be concentrated on one electrode of the first polarity, strong stimulation can be applied with lower energy than in the past.

In addition, if the electrical connection is detected by detecting whether or not electrical stimulation is applied to the user when energy is supplied to the electrode group 10, the electrical connection can be easily detected while the electrical stimulation is being provided. Thus, when peeling of the electrode or poor contact occurs, it can be corrected immediately during use.

In addition, since one electrode of the electrode group 10 has the first polarity and the remaining plurality of electrodes have the second polarity and supplies energy to the electrode group 10, if there is a poor electrical connection among the electrodes having the first polarity, it is possible It is easy to detect poor electrical connection by not providing users with electrical stimulation.

(Second embodiment type)

FIG. 7 shows the configuration of the electrical stimulation device 2 in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 explains the operation of the electrical stimulation device 2. The electrical stimulation device 2 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that the configuration of the electrode group 210 and the driving mechanism 220 is different. Thus, the same reference numerals are given to the same constituent elements as those in the first embodiment, and the corresponding constituent elements are given the symbol 200, and the detailed description of the same parts is omitted.

Similar to the first embodiment, the electrode group 210 is arranged on the trunk such as the abdomen and has at least four electrodes. Specifically, it has a first electrode 211 disposed corresponding to the right rectus abdominis muscle, a second electrode 212 disposed corresponding to the left rectus abdominis muscle, and a third electrode 213 disposed corresponding to the right abdominal oblique muscle. And the fourth electrode 214 disposed corresponding to the left abdominal oblique muscle. The rest has the same structure as the electrode group 10 of the first embodiment.

The driving mechanism 220 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that the specific order of the electrodes switched to the first polarity is different. The drive mechanism 220 is desirably configured to adopt an order in which the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 do not continuously become the first polarity when switching to the electrode of the first polarity. Since the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 disposed corresponding to the rectus abdominis are physically close to each other, the muscles in the vicinity of the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 if they continuously become the first polarity It will be continuously stimulated by electrical stimulation at short intervals, resulting in insufficient relaxation, which may cause early muscle fatigue or make users feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, the third electrode 213 and the fourth electrode 214 disposed corresponding to the abdominal oblique muscle form a physically separated positional relationship, and the distance from the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 is also relatively long. Therefore, There is no such problem.

For example, the driving mechanism 220 is desirably configured to, as shown in FIG. 8, switch the first electrode 211, the fourth electrode 214, the second electrode 212, and the third electrode 213 in the order of the first polarity. In FIG. 8, the electrode with the first polarity is hatched, and the electrode with the second polarity is frosted.

According to this embodiment mode, the same operation and effect as the first embodiment mode can be obtained. In particular, when one electrode of the second polarity is poorly connected, there are two remaining electrodes of the second polarity, and the current is dispersed. Therefore, strong stimulation is suppressed.

In addition, according to this embodiment, if at least the first electrode 211 is arranged corresponding to the right rectus abdominis muscle, the second electrode 212 is arranged corresponding to the left rectus abdominis muscle, and the third electrode is arranged corresponding to the right abdominal oblique muscle 213, the fourth electrode 214 is arranged corresponding to the left abdominal oblique muscle, and sequentially switched to the electrode of the first polarity, so that the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 do not continuously become the first polarity, it can be suppressed Continuously providing electrical stimulation to the muscles near the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 disposed adjacent to each other results in insufficient relaxation. This makes it possible to more effectively perform the relaxation operation in the entire range where the electrode group 210 is arranged, and to suppress early muscle fatigue or make the user feel uncomfortable.

The present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made. For example, although in the above-described embodiment, the case where the electrode group 10 is disposed on the clothing 40 is described, each electrode of the electrode group 10 may be directly disposed on the body separately, and the electrode group may also be disposed 10 is arranged on the arrangement member so as to be able to be arranged at a predetermined position of the body, and by fixing the arrangement member to the body, the electrode group 10 is arranged together at a predetermined position of the body.

In addition, although the case where the electrode group 10 has three or four electrodes is specifically described in the above-described embodiments, the invention of the present application can be applied to a case where there are at least three electrodes, even if the number of electrodes of the electrode group 10 is five More than one can also obtain the same effect.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the electrodes are provided in the abdomen corresponding to the right rectus abdominis, the left rectus abdominis, the right abdominal oblique, and the left abdominal oblique is described, but the invention of the present application can be any The application is independent of the placement of the electrodes. For example, the electrode may be arranged at another position on the abdomen, and it is not limited to the abdomen, and may be arranged on the back, or may be arranged on the back and abdomen. Furthermore, it is not limited to the torso, but can also be placed on the legs such as the arms or thighs.

In addition, although each of the constituent elements is specifically described in the above-described embodiments, all the constituent elements may not be provided, and other constituent elements may be provided.

1‧‧‧Electrical stimulation device

10‧‧‧electrode set

11‧‧‧First electrode

12‧‧‧Second electrode

13‧‧‧third electrode

15‧‧‧Wire

20‧‧‧Drive mechanism

30‧‧‧ Bad connection sensing mechanism

40‧‧‧ clothing

50‧‧‧Control agency

Claims (5)

An electrical stimulation device. The electrical stimulation device provides electrical stimulation to a user. The characteristic feature of the electrical stimulation device is: An electrode group having three or more electrodes arranged in contact with the user; A driving mechanism that makes one electrode in the electrode group the first polarity, and the remaining plurality of electrodes have the second polarity, sequentially switches to the electrode of the first polarity and supplies energy to the electrode group; and a poor connection sensing mechanism, which Detecting whether to provide electrical stimulation to the user when supplying energy to the electrode group, thereby detecting poor electrical connection; Each of the electrodes is composed of a conductor, and the conductive system has a conductive polymer attached to a base material composed of fibers. The electrical stimulation device as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, in which When no electrical stimulation is provided to the user when supplying energy to the electrode group, the poor connection sensing mechanism detects the presence of poor electrical connection for the electrode having the first polarity. The electrical stimulation device as described in item 1 or 2 of the patent application scope, wherein, The aforementioned electrode group has at least a first electrode arranged corresponding to the rectus abdominis muscle, a second electrode arranged corresponding to the right abdominal oblique muscle, and a third electrode arranged corresponding to the left abdominal oblique muscle. The electrical stimulation device as described in item 1 or 2 of the patent application scope, wherein, The aforementioned electrode group has at least a first electrode arranged corresponding to the right rectus abdominis muscle, a second electrode arranged corresponding to the left rectus abdominis muscle, a third electrode arranged corresponding to the right abdominal oblique muscle, and a The fourth electrode correspondingly arranged on the left abdominal oblique muscle; The driving mechanism switches to the electrode of the first polarity so that the first electrode and the second electrode do not continuously become the first polarity. The electrical stimulation device as described in item 4 of the patent application scope, in which The aforementioned drive mechanism switches into the electrodes of the first polarity in the order of the first electrode, the fourth electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode.

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