WO2022030724A1

WO2022030724A1 - Transcranial electrical stimulator

Info

Publication number: WO2022030724A1
Application number: PCT/KR2021/004423
Authority: WO
Inventors: 김민규
Original assignee: 주식회사 왓슨앤컴퍼니
Priority date: 2020-08-06
Filing date: 2021-04-08
Publication date: 2022-02-10
Also published as: KR102213309B1

Abstract

A transcranial electrical stimulator according to the present invention is a transcranial DC stimulator that is worn on the user's head in order to give electrical stimulation. The transcranial stimulator comprises: a main body having a built-in electrical stimulation generator (electric current generator); and a fixing band coupled to both sides of the main body and having an adjustable length. The main body has a band shape that is curved toward one side so as to contact the user's forehead. The main body may include a holder, a cover part which is coupled to one side of the holder and which, in conjunction with the holder, forms a housing holding the electric current generator therein, and an inner cover which is coupled to the other side of the holder and contacts the user's skin when the transcranial electrical stimulator is worn. The holder and cover part are made of a stiff material, preferably a plastic material, and thus hold the electric current generator with a certain amount of strength. Moreover, the holder and cover part absorb external force by means of the inner cover in close contact with the holder, and can maintain the strength of the fixation to an electrode patch.

Description

transcranial electrical stimulator

The present invention relates to a non-invasive nerve stimulator, and more particularly, to a transcranial electric stimulator device applicable to the head.

Non-surgical brain stimulation is a method to locally stimulate the scalp without using surgical therapy for the treatment of brain diseases, and there are transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

In particular, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a method of non-invasive brain stimulation that stimulates neurons in the cerebral cortex with a weak direct current by attaching electrodes to the head. In the transcranial direct current stimulation method, the anode and cathode in the form of a patch are attached to the scalp, and a constant current flows non-invasively. This electrical stimulation method is known to be effective in improving brain function by regulating the activation state of cranial nerves, improving cognitive ability, and treating mental disorders such as alleviation of symptoms of depression and addiction (Jun-Won Kim and Jae-Won Lee. (2016). Department of Psychiatry The use of transcranial direct current stimulation in Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 2016;55(3):158-167).

The conventional transcranial direct current stimulation apparatus as shown in FIG. 6 generally includes an electric signal generating unit for generating fine direct current electricity, an electrode pad for applying the current from the electric signal generating unit to the human body through a cable, and an electrode pad for the specific part of the head. It consists of a fixing part for holding fixed in position. The fixing part for attaching the electrode pad to the skin of the head uses a band entirely made of fiber or a rigid frame having a certain shape.

In the case of the whole band method as shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to wear customized according to the size and shape of each user's head, but it is difficult for the user to place the electrode pad in the correct position and fix the band alone, so the therapist needs to help the wearer, so user convenience This is not good. In addition, over time, the electrode is not fixed and tends to move away from the desired attachment position, and because of this, a microcurrent is not applied to the correct position, so it is difficult to expect an appropriate electrical stimulation effect.

On the other hand, in the case of the rigid fixed frame method, since there is a limit in responding to the user's various curvature shapes and sizes of the user's scalp, stable adhesion of the electrode pad is difficult. In other words, the electrode pad fixed to the fixed frame must be in close contact with the user's skin so that current is applied to the human body through the electrode pad. It was difficult. In order to solve this problem, there have been attempts, such as separately providing a complex electrode pad coupling structure in the fixed frame, but it is difficult to achieve the expected effect and causes a problem of increased manufacturing cost.

Further, looking at the conventional device in more detail with reference to FIG. 6 , the electrode pad of a general transcranial DC stimulation device has a structure in which a sponge sufficiently soaked in physiological saline (electrolyte) is accommodated in a conductive silicone case, and the current is an electrical stimulation generator. , The cable, conductive silicone, wet sponge, and the sponge are applied to the skull through the closely attached scalp. In this case, not only must the sponge be sprayed with physiological saline (electrolyte) every time the device is used to allow current to flow, but when the number of times of use increases, current does not flow due to the change in the physical properties of the conductive silicone case. necessary. Moreover, it is difficult to know the exact time of physical property change, and the user may feel local irritation or pain during transcranial stimulation due to the increase in the resistance of the conductive silicone. It is necessary to replace the bonding structure of the sponge and conductive silicon with one that is more convenient to use.

An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the conventional devices, and to provide an electrical stimulation device that can respond to a user's various head shapes while stably maintaining close contact between the skin and an electrode patch of the electrical stimulation device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical stimulation device that is excellent in ease of use and that an electrode patch can be stably maintained in close contact with an application site while reducing manufacturing costs.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new structure that solves the problem that the conductive body that fixedly supports the sponge impregnated with electrolyte loses conductivity due to repeated use and cannot be used.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a transcranial direct current stimulator for giving electrical stimulation by being worn on a user's head includes: an electric current generator; a main body having a built-in electric stimulation generator; and a length-adjustable fixing band coupled to both sides of the body. The body is preferably in the shape of a band curved to one side so as to be in contact with the user's forehead. That is, the body has a curved band shape to correspond to the user's head circumference shape.

The transcranial direct current stimulator may further include an electrode patch detachably coupled to the body.

In addition, the main body includes a holder, a cover part coupled to one side of the holder to form a housing for holding the electrical stimulation generating unit inside together with the holder, and a cover part coupled to the other side of the holder when the transcranial DC stimulator is worn. It may include an inner cover in contact with the user's skin. It is preferable that the holder and the cover part are made of a rigid material, preferably a plastic material, so as to retain the electrical stimulation generating part with constant strength and to absorb external force by the inner cover in close contact with the holder, but to maintain the fixing force to the electrode patch.

The inner cover is made of non-conductive elastic material or non-conductive foam, which can be deformed or absorb external force, and is preferably made of non-conductive silicone.

An electrode patch may be attached to the inner cover and an attachment terminal for electrically connecting may be formed. The attachment terminal preferably includes a seating plate on which the electrode patch is mounted.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the transcranial electrical stimulator is worn on a user's head to provide electrical stimulation, comprising: a main body having a built-in electrical stimulation generating unit; And a length-adjustable fixing band coupled to both sides of the main body; includes, wherein the main body is a band shape curved to one side so as to contact the user's forehead.

The transcranial electrical stimulator according to an aspect of the present invention can respond to a user's various head shapes while stably maintaining close contact between the skin and the electrical stimulator patch.

In addition, the transcranial electrical stimulator according to an aspect of the present invention allows the electrode patch to be stably maintained in close contact with the application site while being excellent in ease of use, and at the same time, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

1 is a perspective view of a transcranial direct current stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a perspective view of the transcranial DC stimulator as viewed from the rear according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which an electrode patch is attached to the transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is an exploded perspective view of a transcranial direct current stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a cross-sectional view of a transcranial direct current stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a view showing the wearing state of the conventional band-type transcranial direct current stimulator.

Hereinafter, a transcranial electrical stimulator will be described as the best embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this process, the thickness of the lines or the size of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation. In addition, the terms to be described later are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, which may vary according to the intention or custom of the operator or operator. Therefore, definitions of these terms should be made based on the content throughout this specification.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention is worn on a user's head and has a shape that is easy to wear on the user's head. The transcranial DC stimulator 1 includes a band-shaped body 10 curved to one side so as to be in contact with the user's forehead and a fixing band 20 coupled to both sides of the body 10 to fix the body 10 to the user's forehead. ) is included. The electrode patch can be detachably attached to the concavely curved inner side of the main body 10 and receives electric current from the main body 10 to apply electrical stimulation to the user's skin. Hereinafter, when the DC stimulator is worn on the head, the direction in contact with the forehead will be described as the inside of the main body 10 and the opposite direction will be described as the outside.

The main body 10 is a device with a built-in electrical stimulation generating unit, and is formed to be curved so that the inside is concave and the outside is convex. The transcranial DC stimulator 1 can be worn to fit a general user's head shape due to the curved band shape of the main body 10 . At this time, it is preferable that the radius of curvature of the body 10 is formed as the average radius of curvature of the forehead of the users. The outer surface of the main body includes an outer cover and an inner cover as the cover unit 130 , and the inner surface of the main body 10 includes an inner cover 100 as a skin-contacting surface. The inner cover 100 may be made of a material having non-conductive elasticity and flexible properties so that the user can easily attach the main body 10 to his/her head, and the current is concentrated in a certain area (electrode part) to flow. . In addition, the electrode patch is attached to the inner side of the main body 10 so that when the transcranial direct current stimulator 1 is mounted on the user's head, it is positioned between the inner side of the main body 10 and the user's scalp. On the other hand, the transcranial DC stimulator 1 may be driven by the electrical stimulation generating unit, and the electrical stimulation generating unit may be operated by the switch 150 . Specific details will be described later.

The fixing band 20 is connected to the main body 10 so that the user can wear it on the head and use it. When the transcranial direct current stimulator 1 is worn on the user's head, the fixing band 20 may be fixed to fit the user's head size by adjusting the length. The fixing band 20 may be coupled to the main body 10 in various ways such as bonding and screwing, and may be detachable, but does not necessarily have to be detachable. In addition, the fixing band 20 may be made of a flexible material, for example, a rubber material or a fiber material to correspond to the shape of the user's head. The fixing band 20 may be composed of two bands, and one end of each band is coupled to the side end of the main body 10 and a fastening part is formed at the other end of the band, and the fastening part 21 of each band can be coupled to each other. is configured to

2 is a perspective view of the transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which an electrode patch is attached to the transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 to 3 schematically disclose an electrode patch and a transcranial DC stimulator.

2 to 3, the main body of the transcranial DC stimulator according to the embodiment of the present invention is coupled to the electrical stimulation generating unit, the holder, and one side of the holder to hold the electrical stimulation generating unit together with the holder inside. and a cover part 130 forming a housing. The electrical stimulation generating unit is implemented as a printed circuit board (PCB) on which a circuit is formed to generate a direct current from the power source and deliver a minute current of a constant intensity for a predetermined time to the electrode unit. (See FIG. 5 )

The holder is made of a general plastic material, and a seating portion is formed on a part thereof to seat the electrical stimulation generating unit 124 , and a rechargeable battery unit (secondary battery, 126 ) is connected to the electrical stimulation generating unit 124 .

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it further includes an inner cover 100 coupled to the other side of the holder and in contact with the user's skin when the transcranial DC stimulator is worn.

The inner cover 100 is preferably made of a non-conductive elastic material, in particular, non-conductive silicone. An electrode patch 300 is attached to the inner cover 100 and an attachment terminal 110 for electrically connecting is formed.

That is, the inner cover 100 is configured to surround the holder from the inside, and is physically and electrically connected to the electrical stimulation generating unit held in the housing formed by the holder and the cover unit 130 to physically and electrically connect the electrode patch 300 . , it further includes an attachment terminal 110 for electrically connecting. The electrical stimulation generating unit may be provided in a space between the cover unit 130 and the inner cover 100 of the main body in the main body to supply current to the attachment terminal 110 . The attachment terminal 110 includes a seating plate 114 that is connected to the electrical stimulation generating unit and an electric wire (not shown), and a concave groove 112 is formed in the inner center. (See FIG. 4) The coupling protrusions 312 and 314 of the electrode patch 300 having the hydrogel layer 302 in direct contact with the skin are seated and coupled to the seating plate. The structure of the electrode patch 300 and the attachment terminal 110 will be described later.

The transcranial direct current stimulator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention can properly respond to various curvatures of the user's head. To this end, it is more effective that the inner cover 100 is made of non-conductive flexible silicon, but is not limited thereto. Accordingly, when an external force acts from the outside, the inner cover 100 serves as a buffer so that the inner cover 100 is partially depressed according to, for example, the curvature of the user's skin. And when the external force is removed, the original shape may be restored by the elastic force of the inner cover 100 itself.

A protruding terminal including a protrusion 312 formed to correspond to the groove 112 of the attachment terminal 110 is formed on one surface of the electrode patch 300 , and is detachably coupled to the attachment terminal 110 . The attachment terminal 110 includes a magnet, so that an electrode patch including a metal or a magnetic coupling part may be mounted in a magnetic coupling method, and accordingly, the electrode patch 300 may receive current from the attachment terminal 110 . have. The electrode patch 300 may receive current from the attachment terminal 110 and apply electrical stimulation to the user.

The electrode patch 300 has a sheet shape of a square cross section and is made of a deformable material, but is not limited to a square sheet and may be a circular or other shape sheet. When combined with the main body, one surface of the electrode patch 300 in contact with the main body is made of a nonwoven fabric 301, and a part of the nonwoven fabric 301, preferably a conductive protrusion terminal is coupled to the center, and a hydrogel layer 302 on the other surface. These are combined and come into contact with the skin. One surface of the electrode patch 300 on which the hydrogel layer 302 is applied is preferably in contact with the user's skin. When the patch 300 is coupled to the body, it increases the degree of freedom to be deformed according to the user's head, and it is easy to deform due to the flexible feature, thereby helping the patch 300 to adhere to the skin.

On the other hand, the skin consists of keratin having a relatively high impedance and components other than keratin having a relatively low impedance. can flow However, according to the electrode patch 300 according to the embodiment of the present invention, by the hydrogel layer 302 of the patch, the influence by the impedance difference between the keratin and the components other than the keratin can be reduced, so that a part of the skin The current is prevented from being concentrated and flowing, and the current density can be formed evenly over the entire area of the skin in contact with the electrode patch 300 . Therefore, it is possible to stably apply electrical stimulation through the electrode patch 300 .

Additionally, the transcranial DC stimulator 1 may include a charging unit 140 , and the inner cover 100 may have a hole formed to expose the charging unit 140 . The charging unit 140 is located inside the body to supply power to the transcranial DC stimulator 1 . The transcranial DC stimulator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be operated independently without wiring with other devices because the transcranial DC stimulator 1 is driven using the power of the battery attached to the body. Accordingly, the user can freely engage in activities even when wearing the transcranial DC stimulator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

4, the transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an outer cover 131, an inner cover 132, a holder 120, an inner cover 100, an attachment terminal 110, an electrode patch ( 300), including a fixing band (20). The cover portion of the transcranial DC stimulator 1 is composed of an inner cover 132 and an outer cover 131 , and the inner cover 132 may be coupled to be covered by the outer cover 131 . The outer cover 131 may display the operating state of the transcranial DC stimulator 1 and/or may be used as a design element, but is not limited thereto. In the space between the outer cover 131 and the inner cover 132, a light emitting structure or color conversion element, for example, a laser diode (LD), LED and / or OLED parts may be provided, and the outer cover 131 . can be used to protect the light emitting structure or the color conversion element.

The inner cover 132 is coupled to the holder 120 , and the battery unit and the electrical stimulation generating unit may be accommodated in a space between the inner cover 132 and the holder 120 . The inner cover 132 is formed by screw coupling with the holder 120 . A plurality of fixing protrusions may be formed on one surface of the inner cover 132 and may protrude along the holder 120 direction.

The holder 120 may be formed by being bent at a certain angle, and a PCB mounting portion may be formed in the central portion. In addition, the holder 120 includes one or more holes, and the PCB cable may supply current to the attachment terminal 110 through the hole.

The inner cover 100 may be configured to surround the holder 120 on the inner surface of the body. The inner cover 100 is formed of a non-conductive material, so that when the transcranial DC stimulator 1 is used, it is possible to insulate the area where the body can come into contact with the user's skin except for the area where the current patch 300 comes into contact. Accordingly, the user can safely use the transcranial DC stimulator 1 . Meanwhile, at least one through hole is formed in the inner cover 100 so that the attachment terminal 110 can be fitted thereinto. The through holes are preferably formed according to the number of electrode patches, and in the case of two electrode patches, two through holes are formed.

The attachment terminal 110 fitted into the through hole of the inner cover 100 is a high structure made of a seating plate 114 having a groove 112 formed therein, and two legs of a conductive material extending downward from the seating plate 114 . government 116 . The fixing part 116 is flexible and can be bent outwardly during assembly, thereby being fixed to the inner cover 100 and connected to the electrical stimulation generating unit (PCB) with an electric wire (not shown) to receive current and receive an electrode patch. It can be passed to (300). That is, the fixing part functions as a physical fixing part to the inner cover and an electrical connection part from the electrical stimulation generating part.

The electrode patch 300 may be magnetically coupled to the attachment terminal 110 to receive current from the attachment terminal 110 . In addition, when the transcranial DC stimulator 1 is worn on the user's head, the inner cover 100 and the electrode patch 300 are elastically deformed according to the curvature of the scalp, so that the main body can be brought into close contact with the user's forehead. At this time, the lifting of the electrode patch 300 from the scalp is reduced by the elastic force of the inner cover 100 and the electrode patch 300 , so that the contact area between the user's scalp and the electrode patch 300 is increased and the electrode patch 300 . The current density generated in the Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the local current from flowing to a specific location on the user's skin during electrical stimulation, and to apply the electrical stimulation stably.

Referring to FIG. 5 , a light emitting structure or a color conversion element may be accommodated in a space between the outer cover 131 and the inner cover 132 , and a battery unit in the housing space between the inner cover 132 and the holder 120 . 126 and the electrical stimulation generating unit 124 may be accommodated. A fixing protrusion 133 is formed on one surface of the inner cover 132 so that the battery unit 126 can be seated and fixed. Although not limited thereto, the lattice-type protrusions are shown as fixing protrusions, and protrusions of various shapes such as straight protrusions, rectangular protrusions, honeycomb protrusions, spike-type protrusions, and spiral protrusions may be substituted. In addition, the holder 120 is formed with a PCB mounting portion so that the electrical stimulation generating unit 124 can be seated and fixed.

The transcranial direct current stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention having the above structure can respond to various types of the user's head, can stably maintain close contact between the skin and the electrode patch of the electric stimulator, and has excellent ease of use. Furthermore, it is easy to assemble the attachment terminal and the inner cover, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.

[Drawing Code]

1 Transcranial DC Stimulator

10 body

20 fixed strap

21 joint

100 inner cover

110 Attachment terminal

112 home

114 mounting plate

116 Fixed part

120 holder

124 Electrical stimulation generator (PCB)

126 battery

130 cover

131 outer cover

132 inner cover

133 Fixed projection

140 live parts

150 switch

300 electrode patch

301 Nonwoven

302 hydrogel layer

312 stone

314 protruding terminal

Claims

A transcranial direct current stimulator to be worn on a user's head to give electrical stimulation,

electric current generator;

main body; and

Including; a fixing band coupled to both sides of the main body;

The body is a transcranial direct current stimulator, characterized in that the band shape curved to one side to contact the user's forehead.
According to claim 1,

The main body includes an inner cover in contact with the user's skin when the transcranial direct current stimulator is worn,

The body has a built-in electrical stimulation generator,

The body is a transcranial DC stimulator, characterized in that it further comprises an attachment terminal for detachably coupling the electrode patch.
3. The method of claim 2,

The inner cover is made of a non-conductive material, and the transcranial DC stimulator is characterized in that it is deformable in response to the bending of the human body when the transcranial DC stimulator is worn.
4. The method of claim 3,

A through hole is formed in the inner cover, the attachment terminal is fixedly coupled to the hole, and the electrode patch is physically and electrically connected to the attachment terminal.
The method of claim 1,

The body is

holder,

A cover unit coupled to one side of the holder to form a housing for holding the electrical stimulation generating unit therein together with the holder, and

and an inner cover coupled to the other side of the holder and in contact with the user's skin when the transcranial DC stimulator is worn.
An electrical stimulator for giving electrical stimulation by wearing it on a user's head,

a body having a built-in electrical stimulation generator; and

Including; a length-adjustable fixing band coupled to both sides of the main body;

The electric stimulator, characterized in that the main body is in the shape of a band curved to one side so as to be in contact with the user's forehead.