WO2024075431A1

WO2024075431A1 - Skin treatment device

Info

Publication number: WO2024075431A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/031061
Authority: WO
Inventors: 朝子田中
Original assignee: ヤーマン株式会社
Priority date: 2022-10-04
Filing date: 2023-08-28
Publication date: 2024-04-11
Also published as: JP2024053769A; CN118139674A

Abstract

The present invention uniformly applies electricity in which electrical biases are suppressed.　This skin treatment device includes a plurality of electrodes 30 that can contact the skin of a user. Each of the plurality of electrodes 30 includes an inner electrode 31 and an outer electrode 32 surrounding the inner electrode 31. A plurality of the outer electrodes 32 are arranged in an array such that one outer electrode 32 is in proximity to or in contact with another outer electrode 32 or is integrated with another outer electrode 32.

Description

Skin treatment device

This disclosure relates to a skin treatment device.

A technology is known that uses four concentric, annular electrodes to apply low-frequency and high-frequency output waveforms to the skin.

International Publication No. 2021/167109

When using multiple electrodes to pass an electric current through the skin to achieve a beauty effect, it is useful to be able to prevent the current from passing locally and to achieve the desired effect evenly and without unevenness.

The present disclosure therefore aims to achieve uniform electrical application with reduced electrical bias.

In one aspect, a skin treatment device is provided that includes a plurality of electrodes that can be brought into contact with the skin of a user, each of the plurality of electrodes having an inner electrode and an outer electrode surrounding the inner electrode, and the plurality of outer electrodes are arranged in an array such that one of the outer electrodes is adjacent to, in contact with, or integrated with another of the outer electrodes.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve uniform electrical application with reduced electrical bias.

1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a skin treatment device according to an embodiment; 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating a head portion of the skin treatment device of FIG 1. FIG. 2A is a front view showing the arrangement of a plurality of electrodes, and FIG. 2B is a front view of the electrodes. FIG. 11 is a front view showing another example of the number of electrodes. FIG. 13 is a front view illustrating an example of an arrangement of a plurality of electrodes. FIG. 11 is a front view illustrating a comparison of the arrangement of a plurality of electrodes. 3 is a front view illustrating linear parallel output regions and equally spaced output regions of the electrodes of the head portion of FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 13 is a front view showing the arrangement of a plurality of electrodes of an electrode device of a comparative example. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the temperature distribution in a plan view of the gel sheet in a verification test. 13A and 13B are front views showing other examples of the shapes and arrangements of the multiple electrodes. 13A and 13B are front views showing other examples of the shapes and arrangements of the multiple electrodes. 13A and 13B are front views showing other examples of the shapes and arrangements of the multiple electrodes. 13A and 13B are front views showing other examples of the shapes and arrangements of the multiple electrodes. 13A and 13B are front views showing other examples of the shapes and arrangements of the multiple electrodes. 13A and 13B are front views showing other examples of the shape and arrangement of the outer edge electrodes.

The following describes the embodiments in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the skin treatment device 1 of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram explaining the head unit 3 of the skin treatment device 1, and is a front view showing the arrangement of multiple electrodes and the electrodes.

The skin processing device 1 of this embodiment is in the form of a facial beautifying device, and is configured to impart beauty-related effects to the skin on the user's face. However, in a modified example, the skin processing device 1 may be configured to impart a similar beauty-related effect to parts of the user's face other than the user's face, in addition to or instead of the user's face. Furthermore, the skin processing device 1 may be used to impart an effect other than a beauty-related effect (for example, the effect of promoting transdermal absorption of medicines).

The beauty-related effect is optional and may include the elimination of sagging, tightening, burning fat, lifting, making the face smaller, improving skin firmness, radiance, moisture, or any combination of one or more of the above. The beauty-related effect may also be a quantifiable effect or a non-quantifiable effect.

The skin treatment device 1 of this embodiment is configured to impart beauty-related effects to the user's skin by applying various outputs via multiple electrodes that contact the user's skin.

The skin treatment device 1 of this embodiment is a portable type that can be held by the user's hand, but it may also be applied to a movable type that is movably supported on a fixed device via an arm or the like.

The skin treatment device 1 of this embodiment includes a grip portion 2 and a head portion 3. In this case, a user can apply various outputs from the skin treatment device 1 to a desired portion by holding the grip portion 2 and applying the head portion 3 to the desired portion of the user's own face or the face of another person (e.g., a patient).

The grip portion 2 has a shape that is easy to grip in the user's hand. The grip portion 2 may include a user interface 20 that includes various buttons such as a power on/off button and an intensity adjustment button. The various buttons may be mechanical buttons or touch switches. The grip portion 2 may also be provided with a display unit (not shown) that displays the status of the skin treatment device 1. The grip portion 2 may also be provided with an electrode (not shown) that comes into contact with the user's hand.

The head portion 3 is provided at the end of the grip portion 2. The head portion 3 may be fixed to the grip portion 2, may be removable, or may be movable relative to the grip portion 2.

The head portion 3 can come into contact with the user's skin and has a shape suitable for being in contact with the user's skin. The head portion 3 may have, for example, a contact surface 3a that is substantially planar (including a curved surface with a relatively large radius of curvature). The contact surface 3a is a plane that can be approximated as a substantially straight line in side view. The shape of the contact surface 3a in front view (i.e., the shape when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface 3a) can be any shape such as a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, etc., and in this embodiment, as an example, it is a circle as shown in FIG. 2(A). The center of the contact surface 3a of the head portion 3 when viewed from the front (i.e., the center of gravity when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface 3a) is referred to as the "center C of the contact surface 3a".

The head portion 3 has a plurality of electrodes 30 arranged in an array on the contact surface 3a. The plurality of electrodes 30 are formed so as to be easily contacted with the user's skin, and may be flush with the basic surface of the contact surface 3a of the head portion 3, or may be slightly protruding from the basic surface of the contact surface 3a of the head portion 3. In this embodiment, the head portion 3 has seven electrodes 30, but the number of electrodes 30 is not limited to seven, and may be any number equal to or greater than two. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, three electrodes 30 may be arranged (FIG. 3A), or 19 electrodes 30 may be arranged (FIG. 3B).

Each of the multiple electrodes 30 has an inner electrode 31 and an outer electrode 32 that is spaced apart from the inner electrode 31 and surrounds the inner electrode 31. The inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 of each of the multiple electrodes 30 form a pair of electrodes for applying an output waveform of a predetermined frequency having, for example, a beauty-related effect (specifically, a warming effect, an electrical muscle stimulation effect, etc.) to the user's skin.

In this embodiment, multiple electrodes 30 are arranged as electrodes that provide a warming effect, and three outer electrodes 33 are arranged as electrodes that provide an electrical muscle stimulation effect. The number of outer electrodes 33 that provide an electrical muscle stimulation effect is not limited to three, and may be any number equal to or greater than two. By arranging multiple outer electrodes 33 that provide an electrical muscle stimulation effect so as to surround at least a portion of the multiple electrodes 30 that provide a warming effect, it is possible to configure the device to achieve a synergistic effect between the warming effect and the electrical muscle stimulation effect. In addition, by forming the multiple electrodes 30 that provide a warming effect in a shape that conforms to the overall shape of the assembly, it is possible to use the contact surface 3a of the head portion 3 without waste and ensure an appropriate (in other words, sufficient) area for the electrodes that provide an electrical muscle stimulation effect. This makes it possible to prevent discomfort caused by a strong stimulation felt when a low-frequency current is passed through an electrode with a small area.

In this embodiment, each of the multiple electrodes 30 has an inner electrode 31 with an outer peripheral edge shaped like a regular hexagon, an outer electrode 32 with an inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge shaped like a regular hexagon, and the outer electrode 32 is formed in a regular hexagonal ring shape so as to surround the inner electrode 31 at a distance from the inner electrode 31. In other words, the outer electrode 32 is disposed radially outside the inner electrode 31 so that the center of the inner electrode 31 (center of gravity position when viewed from the front; same below) and the center of the outer electrode 32 (center of gravity position when viewed from the front; same below) coincide with each other.

In this embodiment, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the shapes of the inner peripheral edge and outer peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 of each of the multiple electrodes 30 are formed into a regular hexagon with rounded corners, so that the dimension d between the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 is constant throughout the entire space S between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 (see FIG. 2(B)). In this case, the symmetry and uniformity of the distance from the inner electrode 31 to the outer electrode 32 realizes uniform electrical application with suppressed electrical bias between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32. However, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the shapes of the inner peripheral edge and outer peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 may be formed into a shape that is not rounded.

In this embodiment, all of the multiple electrodes 30 have the same shape. However, some of the multiple electrodes 30 may have different shapes (in other words, some of the electrodes are the same shape), or all of the multiple electrodes 30 may have shapes different from one another. In other words, the multiple electrodes 30 may all be arranged to have the same shape, or may have two or more different types of electrodes with different shapes.

One electrode 30 (reference number 30c in FIG. 2A) is arranged such that the center of the inner electrode 31 coincides with the center C of the contact surface 3a. In addition, six electrodes 30 (reference number 30a in FIG. 2A) are arranged at equal intervals around the electrode 30 (reference number 30c in (A)) arranged at the center C of the contact surface 3a, on a circumference centered on the center C of the contact surface 3a.

The dimension Li between the opposite sides of the outer periphery of the inner electrode 31 is not limited to a specific value, but may be set to any value within the range of approximately 2 to 5 mm, by way of example only.

The center-to-center dimension of the inner electrodes 31 of adjacent electrodes 30 is not limited to a specific value, but may be set to any value within the range of approximately 4 to 12 mm, by way of example only.

In this embodiment, as described above, each of the multiple electrodes 30 is configured such that the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 is formed into a regular hexagon (more specifically, a regular hexagon with rounded corners; the same applies below), and the inner and outer peripheral edges of the outer electrode 32 are formed into regular hexagons, and the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 are combined so that the center of the inner electrode 31 and the center of the outer electrode 32 coincide with each other.

The multiple electrodes 30 are then arranged in an array with multiple outer electrodes 32 in close proximity to one another (see FIG. 4(A)), in contact (see FIG. 4(B)), or integrated (see FIG. 4(C); this embodiment). The outer electrodes 32 of adjacent electrodes 30 may be integrated (in other words, overlap or be common), but are arranged so as not to intersect.

In this embodiment, the multiple electrodes 30 are arranged in such a manner that at least a portion of the outer electrodes 32 of adjacent electrodes 30 are common, i.e., in the manner shown in FIG. 4(C). In this case, the outer electrodes 32 are formed in a mesh shape when viewed from the front, specifically in a honeycomb shape. Furthermore, the outer edge of the outer electrodes 32 is formed in a regular hexagon, and the multiple electrodes 30 are arranged so that at least a portion of the outer electrodes 32 of adjacent electrodes 30 are integrated (in other words, overlapping or common), so that there are no gaps between the electrodes 30 (in other words, no wasted space), and the number and arrangement of the electrodes 30 are adjusted according to the size and shape of the contact surface 3a, and the electrodes 30 can be arranged to fill the entire surface of the contact surface 3a.

Furthermore, by assembling a plurality of electrodes 30, each of which is made up of an inner electrode 31 and an outer electrode 32 surrounding it, to form an electrode assembly, it is possible to increase the expandability and freedom of arrangement of the electrodes, and it becomes possible to freely adjust the shape of the entire electrode assembly according to the area to which beauty-related effects are to be imparted. Specifically, for example, the shape of the entire electrode assembly may be a shape that fills an approximately circular area as in this embodiment, a shape that fills an approximately elliptical area, a shape that fills an approximately rectangular area, or even a shape that fills an approximately gourd-shaped area.

The electrodes 30 are arranged in an array such that the triangle connecting the centers of the inner electrodes 31 of three adjacent electrodes 30 is not a right triangle (see FIG. 5(A)). By arranging them in this manner, an arrangement is realized in which other electrodes 30 are arranged in the gaps between adjacent electrodes 30, thereby reducing or eliminating the gaps between the electrodes 30. This makes it possible to arrange the electrodes 30 at a higher density than when the electrodes 30 are arranged in an array such that the triangle connecting the centers of the inner electrodes 31 of three adjacent electrodes 30 is a right triangle (see FIG. 5(B)). The gaps between the electrodes 30 (specifically, the gaps between the outer electrodes 32) are areas where electricity does not flow, and therefore are an obstacle to realizing uniform electrical application with suppressed electrical bias.

By forming a pair of electrodes from the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 that is spaced apart from the inner electrode 31 and surrounds the inner electrode 31, the distance between the pair of electrodes (i.e., the dimension d between the outer periphery of the inner electrode 31 and the inner periphery of the outer electrode 32) can be adjusted to any value by changing the size of the inner electrode 31 or the outer electrode 32 or by changing the width of the outer electrode 32. The dimension d between the outer periphery of the inner electrode 31 and the inner periphery of the outer electrode 32 is not limited to a specific value, but is preferably 1.0 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less, more preferably 1.6 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less, and most preferably about 1.8 mm.

As in this embodiment, it is preferable that the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the shape of the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 of the electrodes 30 both have straight lines and parallel portions. This makes it possible to achieve a uniform electrical application with better suppression of electrical bias.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 of the electrode 30 and the shape of the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 are both straight and have a mutually parallel portion SP, and in the region between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 in this parallel portion SP (the "straight parallel output region" which is the dark gray shaded portion in FIG. 6), a uniform electrical application with suppressed electrical bias is realized. In addition, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the shape of the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 are formed into a regular hexagon with rounded corners, so that the dimension d between the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 is constant throughout the entire space S between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32, and in the region between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 in the rounded corners (the "equidistant output region" which is the portion between the straight parallel output regions in FIG. 6), a uniform electrical application with suppressed electrical bias is realized.

The ratio of the area of the outer electrode 32 to the area of the inner electrode 31 of each electrode 30 (referred to as the "ratio of inner and outer electrode areas") is preferably within a predetermined range. The ratio of the inner and outer electrode areas is preferably 0.8 to 1.2, more preferably 0.9 to 1.1, even more preferably 0.95 to 1.05, and most preferably 1.0. By setting the ratio of the inner and outer electrode areas within an appropriate range, good electrical application between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 is achieved.

The ratio of the total area of the space S between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 to the total area of the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 of the multiple electrodes 30 (referred to as the "ratio of the inter-electrode area to the electrode area") is preferably within a predetermined range. The ratio of the inter-electrode area to the electrode area is preferably 0.6 to 1.6, more preferably 0.6 to 1.2, even more preferably 0.7 to 1.1, and most preferably 0.9 to 1.0. By setting the ratio of the inter-electrode area to the electrode area within an appropriate range, good electrical application between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 is achieved.

The skin treatment device 1 includes a control device and an output generation unit as a control system (not shown). The control device may be formed by a computer such as a microcomputer. The output generation unit may be formed by an electric circuit electrically connected to a power source. The power source may be a power source built into the skin treatment device 1 or an external power source.

The control device controls the output generating unit based on user input from the user interface 20 to generate an output waveform via the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 of each of the multiple electrodes 30.

The output generating unit is electrically connected to the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 of each of the multiple electrodes 30. Under the control of the control device, the output generating unit uses the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 of each of the multiple electrodes 30 as a pair of electrodes, and generates an output waveform of a predetermined frequency that has a desired beauty-related effect (specifically, for example, a warming effect or an electrical muscle stimulation effect) via each pair of electrodes and can be applied to the user's skin.

The frequency of the output waveform generated by the output generating unit is not limited to a specific value, but is set appropriately after taking into consideration, for example, a frequency suitable for the desired beauty-related effect. The frequency of the output waveform generated by the output generating unit may be set to any value within a range of, for example, 10 kHz to 5 MHz. The output generating unit may generate two or more types of output waveforms with different frequencies.

(Characteristics of skin treatment device)
The results of the verification tests conducted to confirm the characteristics of the skin treatment device are summarized below.

In this verification test, the heating effect of an electrode device (Example) having characteristics equivalent to those of the skin treatment device according to the present invention was compared with the heating effect of an electrode device (Comparative Example) that does not have characteristics equivalent to those of the skin treatment device according to the present invention.

The example is an electrode device (head unit 3) having multiple electrodes 30 similar to the skin treatment device 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment (see FIG. 2(A)). In the head unit 3 of the example, the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 of each of the multiple electrodes 30 are used as paired electrodes, and an output waveform with a frequency of 165 kHz is generated simultaneously via each pair of electrodes.

The electrode device 50 of the comparative example has a first electrode 51, a second electrode 52, a third electrode 53, and a fourth electrode 54 that are sector-shaped when viewed from the front (see FIG. 7). In the electrode device 50 of the comparative example, a total of four pairs of electrodes are used, with the first electrode 51 and the third electrode 53 and the second electrode 52 and the fourth electrode 54 being paired together, and an output waveform with a frequency of 165 kHz is generated simultaneously via each pair of electrodes.

In this verification test, the planar heat distribution/temperature distribution of the gel sheet due to the heating action provided by the head unit 3 of the embodiment and the electrode device 50 of the comparative example was verified. The gel sheet was heated by the head unit 3 of the embodiment and the electrode device 50 of the comparative example, and the temperature of the gel sheet was measured by a thermal camera.

Figure 8 shows the planar temperature distribution (specifically, a thermo image) measured by a thermo camera 7 seconds after the start of application of the output waveform. In Figure 8, the darker areas indicated by the symbol H have a higher temperature than other areas. Note that the temperature distribution observed in this verification test is the temperature distribution observed from the surface of the gel sheet opposite the surface that is in contact with the contact surface 3a of the head portion 3 in the embodiment or the electrode side surface 50a of the electrode device 50 in the comparative example.

The results shown in FIG. 8 show that the temperature is high in the region between the paired electrodes, and that the temperature distribution of the head unit 3 of the embodiment (FIG. 8 (A)) shows that, compared to the temperature distribution of the electrode device 50 of the comparative example (FIG. 8 (B)), the high temperature areas are distributed at a high density over a wide area. From this, it is confirmed that, according to the embodiment, by closely and uniformly arranging a plurality (even a large number) of electrodes 30 having paired electrodes of relatively fine inner electrodes 31 and outer electrodes 32 at close intervals, a uniform and efficient heating effect is achieved. In other words, according to the embodiment, a uniform electrical application with suppressed electrical bias is achieved, and it is confirmed that it is possible to provide the desired beauty-related effects evenly and uniformly.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and the present invention also includes modifications and changes to the above-mentioned embodiments that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. It is also possible to combine all or some of the components of the above-mentioned embodiments.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 of each of the multiple electrodes 30 is formed into a regular hexagon, and the inner and outer peripheral edges of the outer electrode 32 are formed into regular hexagons. However, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner and outer peripheral edges of the outer electrode 32 are not limited to a regular hexagon, and may be a vertically or horizontally elongated hexagon, or another regular polygon having at least one triangle, or a vertically or horizontally elongated polygon, or may be a circle or an ellipse. Note that, although it is preferable that the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode and the shape of the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode are polygons or ellipses that are similar to each other, they may also be polygons or ellipses that are not similar to each other.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the outer periphery of the inner electrode 31 of each of the multiple electrodes 30 may be triangular, and the inner and outer peripheries of the outer electrode 32 may be triangular. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the outer electrode 32 is arranged radially outside the inner electrode 31 so that the center of the inner electrode 31 and the center of the outer electrode 32 coincide with each other, and the dimension between the outer periphery of the inner electrode 31 and the inner periphery of the outer electrode 32 is constant throughout the space between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 9, the multiple electrodes 30 are all of the same shape, and the space between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 is composed of a linear parallel output region and an equally spaced output region. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the multiple electrodes 30 are arranged in such a manner that at least a part of the outer electrodes 32 of the adjacent electrodes 30 are common, and the triangles connecting the centers of the inner electrodes 31 of the three adjacent electrodes 30 are arranged in an array in a manner different from a right-angled triangle.

Also, as shown in FIG. 10, the outer peripheral edge of each of the multiple electrodes 30 may be formed in a regular pentagon shape of the inner electrode 31, and the inner and outer peripheral edges of the outer electrode 32 may be formed in a regular pentagon shape. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the outer electrode 32 is arranged radially outside the inner electrode 31 so that the center of the inner electrode 31 and the center of the outer electrode 32 coincide with each other, and the dimension between the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 is constant throughout the space between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 10, the multiple electrodes 30 are all of the same shape, and the space between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 is composed of a linear parallel output region and an equally spaced output region. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the multiple electrodes 30 are arranged in such a manner that at least a part of the outer electrodes 32 of the adjacent electrodes 30 are common, and the triangles connecting the centers of the inner electrodes 31 of the three mutually adjacent electrodes 30 are arranged in an array in a manner different from a right-angled triangle.

Also, as shown in FIG. 11, each of the multiple electrodes 30 may be configured such that the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 is formed in a regular octagon, and the inner and outer peripheral edges of the outer electrode 32 are formed in regular octagons. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the outer electrode 32 is arranged radially outside the inner electrode 31 so that the center of the inner electrode 31 and the center of the outer electrode 32 coincide with each other, and the dimension between the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 is constant throughout the space between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 11, the multiple electrodes 30 are all of the same shape, and the space between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 is composed of linear parallel output regions and equally spaced output regions. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the multiple electrodes 30 are arranged in an array in such a manner that at least a portion of the outer electrodes 32 of adjacent electrodes 30 are common.

Also, as shown in FIG. 12, each of the multiple electrodes 30 may be configured such that the outer periphery of the inner electrode 31 is formed in a perfect circle shape, and the inner and outer peripheries of the outer electrode 32 are formed in perfect circles. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the outer electrode 32 is arranged radially outward of the inner electrode 31 so that the center of the inner electrode 31 and the center of the outer electrode 32 coincide with each other, and the dimension between the outer periphery of the inner electrode 31 and the inner periphery of the outer electrode 32 is constant throughout the entire space between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 12, the multiple electrodes 30 are all of the same shape. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the multiple electrodes 30 are arranged in such a manner that at least a part of the outer electrodes 32 of the adjacent electrodes 30 are common, and the triangles connecting the centers of the inner electrodes 31 of the three adjacent electrodes 30 are arranged in an array in a manner different from a right-angled triangle.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, all of the multiple electrodes 30 (specifically, the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner and outer peripheral edges of the outer electrode 32) have the same shape, but the multiple electrodes may be arranged to have two or more different shapes. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, some of the multiple electrodes may be octagonal electrodes 30A, and rectangular electrodes 30B may be arranged between these octagonal electrodes 30A. In the example shown in FIG. 13, the distance between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 is uniform over the entire contact surface 3a of the head portion 3 (the entire surface of the assembly of the multiple electrodes). If the distance between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 varies depending on the location, unevenness in the beauty-related effect occurs (for example, unevenness in the heating effect occurs, and some parts heat up quickly and some parts take a long time to heat up). In contrast, by making the distance between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 uniform over the entire contact surface 3a of the head portion 3, it is possible to achieve a uniform and efficient beauty-related effect. However, for example, the distance between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 may be made smaller for the electrode located at the center of the contact surface 3a of the head portion 3 and larger for the electrode located on the outside than the center, so that the beauty-related effect is gradually imparted from the center to the outside of the contact surface 3a of the head portion 3.

Furthermore, the shape and arrangement of the outer edge electrode 33 that provides electrical muscle stimulation is not limited to the shape and arrangement in the above-described embodiment (specifically, the shape and arrangement in FIG. 2(A)), but may be, for example, the shape and arrangement shown in FIG. 3(A), FIG. 9, or FIG. 14.

Reference Signs List 1 Skin treatment device 2 Grip part 3 Head part 3a Contact surface C Center of contact surface 20 User interface 30 Electrode (electrode that provides a heating effect)
31: inner electrode 32: outer electrode S: space between inner electrode and outer electrode 33: peripheral electrode (electrode that provides electrical muscle stimulation)
50 Electrode device (comparative example)
50a: Electrode side surface 51: First electrode 52: Second electrode 53: Third electrode 54: Fourth electrode

Claims

The device includes a plurality of electrodes that can be brought into contact with the skin of a user,
Each of the plurality of electrodes includes an inner electrode and an outer electrode surrounding the inner electrode,
A skin treatment device, wherein the multiple outer electrodes are arranged in an array such that one outer electrode is adjacent to, in contact with, or integrated with another outer electrode.
The skin treatment device of claim 1, wherein at least some of the electrodes have the same shape.
The skin treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the number of electrodes is three or more, and the triangle connecting the centers of the inner electrodes of each of the three adjacent electrodes is different from a right-angled triangle.
The skin treatment device of claim 1, wherein the dimension between the outer periphery of the inner electrode and the inner periphery of the outer electrode is constant throughout the space between the inner electrode and the outer electrode.
The skin treatment device of claim 1, wherein the shape of the outer periphery of the inner electrode and the shape of the inner periphery of the outer electrode are both straight and have parallel portions.
The skin treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the outer periphery of the inner electrode and the shape of the inner periphery of the outer electrode are mutually similar polygons or ellipses.
The skin treatment device of claim 1, wherein the shape of the outer periphery of the inner electrode and the shape of the inner periphery of the outer electrode are regular hexagons.
The skin treatment device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the outer electrodes of adjacent electrodes are common.
The skin treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the total area of the space between the inner electrode and the outer electrode to the total area of the inner electrode and the outer electrode of the plurality of electrodes is 0.6 or more and 1.6 or less.