Wearable electric field applying device

Abstract

The invention provides a wearable electric field applying device, which comprises a plurality of electrode plates and a flexible conductive connecting part for connecting the electrode plates together, the flexible conductive connecting part is sheet-shaped or annular and is provided with an outer periphery, and the plurality of electrode plates are respectively connected with the outer periphery. The electrode plate comprises a first flexible substrate, a flexible circuit board arranged on the first flexible substrate and an attaching buffer layer which is arranged on the surface of the flexible circuit board and is used for being attached to an application surface; the flexible conductive connection part is provided with a second flexible substrate and a wire embedded in the second flexible substrate, and the flexible circuit board is connected with the wire to form a plurality of parallel circuits. Wherein the plurality of first flexible substrates are arranged at intervals so as to form a plurality of hollow areas around the electrode plate. Through the design of the structural relationship between the electrode plate and the flexible conductive connecting part, the position of the electrode plate can be adjusted more flexibly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the fields of wearable devices, medical devices, and health care instruments, and particularly to a flexible electric field therapy electrode and a wearable device, which are wearable devices for applying an electric field to a living body. Background Art

[0002] Tumor treatment electric field is a low-intensity, medium-frequency, alternating electric field, which achieves the purpose of treating tumors by interfering with the mitosis process of tumor cells. Research shows that tumor electric field therapy has a significant effect in the treatment of tumors such as glioblastoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and melanoma. This method can extend the survival period of patients and has relatively few side effects.

[0003] Wearable intelligent products are a type of high-tech product that has gradually become popular in recent years with the popularity of smartphones and smart tablets. These products integrate a microcomputer and electronic sensors with plant fibers to form wearable textiles such as clothes, gloves, hats, and shoes. Due to their novelty, intelligence, and high interactivity with the human body, they have attracted great interest. Tumor treatment electric field is applied to the tissue area where the tumor is located through an external electrode, and the electric field is applied to the tumor in the form of capacitive coupling. The tumor treatment electric field electrode is applied to the skin surface of the patient for long-term treatment. In order not to affect the patient's work, life, and entertainment, combining the electric field electrode with a wearable device is a relatively feasible method.

[0004] Currently, the disadvantages of applying wearable devices to electric field therapy electrodes are as follows:

[0005] 1. Flexible circuits and wearable fabrics are made of different materials, and the surface bonding force between them is poor. They are easily misaligned when stretched or kneaded, and the two are separated.

[0006] 2. The contact between the flexible circuit and the skin is poor, and the circuit applied to the skin is unstable, which will affect the electric field therapy effect.

[0007] 3. The tumor treatment electric field electrode needs to treat the human body for a long time. Traditional wearable electrodes have poor air permeability, which can cause redness and allergies on the skin surface.

[0008] The content in the background art section is only the technology known to the inventor and does not necessarily represent the prior art in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In view of one or more problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a wearable electric field applying device, including a plurality of electrode sheets and a flexible conductive connecting part connecting each of the electrode sheets together. The flexible conductive connecting part is sheet-shaped or ring-shaped and has an outer perimeter, and a plurality of the electrode sheets are respectively connected to the outer perimeter; the electrode sheet includes a first flexible substrate, a flexible circuit board disposed on the first flexible substrate, and a fitting buffer layer disposed on the surface of the flexible circuit board for fitting to an applying surface; the flexible conductive connecting part is provided with a second flexible substrate and a wire embedded in the second flexible substrate, and the flexible circuit board is connected to the wire to form a plurality of parallel circuits; wherein, a plurality of the first flexible substrates are spaced apart from each other to form a plurality of hollow areas around the electrode sheet.

[0010] Further, the flexible conductive connecting part is circular sheet-shaped, and the flexible conductive connecting part can be stretched and retracted along the radial direction.

[0011] Further, a cross-sectional view of the flexible conductive connecting part in any direction is wavy.

[0012] Further, the electrode sheet is strip-shaped.

[0013] Further, the electrode sheet is circular ring-shaped, and each of the electrode sheets is connected to the flexible conductive connecting part through a connecting wire.

[0014] Further, the first flexible substrate is made of one or a combination of two or more of hydrogel, polydimethylsiloxane PDMS, liquid silicone rubber, polyurethane film, and acrylic adhesive.

[0015] Further, the second flexible substrate is all made of one or a combination of two or more of hydrogel, polydimethylsiloxane PDMS, liquid silicone rubber, polyurethane film, and acrylic adhesive.

[0016] Further, the first flexible substrate and the second flexible substrate are an integral layer.

[0017] Further, the fitting buffer layer includes a medium and conductive components dispersed in the medium, wherein the medium is made of one or a combination of two or more of hydrogel, polydimethylsiloxane PDMS, and liquid silicone rubber, and the conductive components are made of one or a combination of two or more of sodium salt, potassium salt, silver wire, graphene, and carbon nanotubes; at an alternating current of 200KHz, the impedance of the fitting buffer layer with a volume of 1 inch * 1 inch * 1mm is 15 - 30 ohms.

[0018] Further, the wearable electric field applying device further includes a removable protective layer, and the protective layer is attached to the surface of the fitting buffer layer and the surface of the flexible electrical connecting part for fitting to the surface of the applying substrate.

[0019] Through the design of the structural relationship between the electrode sheet and the flexible conductive connection part, the present invention can be more flexibly applied to the human body; through the setting of the fitting buffer layer, both flexibility can be enhanced, and the bonding force between the electrode sheet and the skin surface can be made to fit, and it is not easy to fall off; at the same time, the design of the present invention makes the skin surface breathable, allows sweat to overflow through the breathable area, and reduces the redness and allergy of the patient's skin. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention, and constitute a part of the specification, and are used to explain the present invention together with the embodiments of the present invention, and do not constitute a limitation to the present invention. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram (mesh-like) of the wearable electric field applying device in Embodiment 1;

[0022] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of one kind of electrode sheet in the schematic structural diagram of the wearable electric field applying device in Embodiment 1;

[0023] Figure 3 is another cross-sectional view of the electrode sheet in the schematic structural diagram of the wearable electric field applying device in Embodiment 1;

[0024] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of one kind of flexible conductive connection part in the schematic structural diagram of the wearable electric field applying device in Embodiment 1;

[0025] Figure 5 is another cross-sectional view of the flexible conductive connection part in the schematic structural diagram of the wearable electric field applying device in Embodiment 1;

[0026] Figure 6 is another schematic structural diagram (mesh-like) of the wearable electric field applying device shown in Embodiment 1;

[0027] Figure 7 is another schematic structural diagram (mesh-like) of the wearable electric field applying device shown in Embodiment 1;

[0028] Figure 8 is another schematic structural diagram (mesh-like) of the wearable electric field applying device shown in Embodiment 1;

[0029] Figure 9 is a schematic structural diagram (gripper-like) of a wearable electric field applying device shown in Embodiment 2;

[0030] Figure 10 is a schematic structural diagram (ring-like) of a wearable electric field applying device shown in Embodiment 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0031] In the following text, only some exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various different ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the accompanying drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

[0032] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the described features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0033] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "mounted", "connected" and "coupled" shall be construed broadly. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection capable of mutual communication; it may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0034] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the first feature being "on" or "under" the second feature may include the direct contact between the first and second features, or may include the situation where the first and second features are not in direct contact but in contact through additional features therebetween. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or merely means that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being "under", "beneath" and "underneath" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or merely means that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0035] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different structures of the present invention. To simplify the disclosure of the present invention, components and arrangements of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the present invention may repeat reference numerals and / or reference letters in different examples. Such repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity and does not itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed. In addition, the present invention provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but those of ordinary skill in the art can be aware of the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0036] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are only for the purpose of illustrating and explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0037] Embodiment 1:

[0038] As Figure 1-5 shown, the first embodiment of the present invention provides a wearable electric field application device. As Figure 1 shown, the wearable electric field application device has a grid-like structure and can generally be applied to the human head, back, and abdomen for applying an electric field to tumors of the human body or other animal bodies. It includes: a plurality of electrode sheets 100 and a flexible conductive connection part 200 for connecting the plurality of electrode sheets. The grid-like wearable electric field application device includes a fitting area and a breathable area. The fitting area is the area covered by the electrode sheets in the wearable electric field application device and the area where the flexible electrical connection band fits with the application surface. The breathable area is the area not covered by the electrode sheets in the wearable electric field application device and the area where the flexible electrical connection band does not fit with the application surface; the breathable area surrounds the fitting area. The setting of the breathable area enables the heat on the application surface to be evacuated immediately, and the human body feels more comfortable and less stimulating. Through clinical research, the breathable area should preferably be 0.2 - 2 times that of the fitting area, and the best is 1.5 - 1.8 times.

[0039] The following specifically describes each component of the wearable electric field application device.

[0040] Figure 2 The cross-sectional schematic diagram of the electrode sheet 100 is shown. The electrode sheet 100 is the terminal component of the wearable electric field application device for applying an electric field to the human body or other animal bodies and needs to be attached to the skin surface. The electrode sheet can be circular or square with rounded corners, and those skilled in the art can set it into other shapes according to needs. For example, Figure 1 the electrode sheet of the wearable electric field application device shown is circular, Figure 6The electrode sheet of the wearable electric field application device shown is square, and the shape of the electrode sheet 100 is determined according to the comfort requirements of the application design and the grid design. In the present invention, limited by the circuit design of the electrode plate, generally circular sheets or square shapes are used. The electrode sheet 100 includes a first flexible substrate 101, a flexible circuit board 102 disposed on the first flexible substrate, and a fitting buffer layer 103 disposed on the surface of the flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit board 102 can adopt an FPC flexible circuit board, and the conductor of the FPC flexible circuit board can adopt copper foil, silver paste, etc. The first flexible substrate 101 and the flexible circuit board 102 can be bonded together or can be attached together by other common methods for those skilled in the art. The fitting buffer layer 103 includes a medium and conductive components dispersed in the medium. Its impedance at an alternating current of 200KHz, for a volume of 1 inch * 1 inch * 1mm of the fitting buffer layer, is lower than or equal to 200 ohms, preferably 15 - 30 ohms. The medium adopts one or a combination of two or more of hydrogel, polydimethylsiloxane PDMS, and liquid silicone rubber; the conductive components adopt one or a combination of two or more of sodium salt, potassium salt, silver wire, graphene, and carbon nanotubes. The thickness of the fitting buffer layer is 0.4 - 1.5mm, preferably 0.5 - 1mm. The cytotoxicity of the fitting buffer layer is at level 0, 1, or 2, meeting the requirements of the United States Pharmacopeia. In the present invention, by adjusting the content of the conductive components in the fitting buffer layer, its impedance can meet the above requirements. Through research, it is found that under the test conditions: when the impedance of the fitting buffer layer with a volume of 1 inch * 1 inch * 1mm at an alternating current of 200KHz is below 200 ohms, the electric field can meet the treatment intensity. The plurality of electrode sheets are arranged in a regular array, so that when applied to the human body, a state where two electrode sheets face each other is presented; a plurality of electrodes can form a plurality of electrode pairs, and each electrode pair can be symmetrically arranged on the surface of the substrate to which it is applied. After the two-by-two paired electrode sheets are energized, an electric field is generated. Through the position where the electrode sheet is attached to the outer epidermis of the body, the electric field is applied to the tissue area where the tumor is located, and the electric field is applied to the tumor area in the form of capacitive coupling. The electric field is applied to the body or tissue through the conductive electrode, and the output intermediate frequency electric field acts on the body or tissue, and the tumor cells are affected by the intermediate frequency electric field. By controlling the frequency of the alternating electric field, the movement of charged particles and polarized molecules inside the cells during the mitosis of tumor cells can be interfered, resulting in the inability to normally form the internal structure of some tumor cells, and even causing the rupture of the tumor cell membrane, inducing apoptosis of cells in the mitotic phase, thereby achieving the purpose of treating tumors.

[0041] As a preferred solution, as Figure 3 shown, a removable protective layer 51 is provided on the surface of the fitting buffer layer 103. When not in use, the protective layer 51 can be attached to the surface of the fitting buffer layer 103 to prevent the fitting buffer layer 103 from being contaminated.

[0042] Figure 4The flexible conductive connection part 200 is shown, which is used to connect a plurality of electrode sheets 100 and conduct current to the plurality of electrode sheets 100. The flexible conductive connection part 200 is in a strip shape, also known as a flexible conductive connection strip, and can also be called a grid wire in this embodiment. The flexible conductive connection strip 200 includes a second flexible substrate 201 and a wire 202 embedded in the second flexible substrate. The grid-shaped wearable electric field application device is mainly formed by the shape design of the grid composed of the flexible conductive connection strip 200. The flexible conductive connection strip 200 is made into a grid-shaped (or checkerboard-shaped) structure, and the flexible circuit board 102 in the electrode sheet 100 is connected to the conductor of the wire 202 in the flexible conductive connection strip 200. After being powered on, a plurality of parallel circuits can be formed. When in use, since the flexible conductive connection strip 200 is flexible, the grid-shaped wearable electric field application device is like a fabric and can freely conform to the electrode sheet 100 arranged on the flexible conductive connection strip 200 according to the shape characteristics of the application substrate (such as the human body), while also maintaining the breathability of the wearable electric field application device and making the body feel more comfortable. The plurality of parallel circuits include a first main circuit and a plurality of first branch circuits connected to the first main circuit, a second main circuit and a plurality of second branch circuits connected to the second main circuit. The end points of each first branch circuit or second branch circuit are connected with an electrode sheet, and the ends of the first main circuit and the second main circuit are used to connect the power supply; the number of electrode sheets connected by the plurality of first branch circuits is the same as that of the electrode sheets connected by the plurality of second branch circuits, and a plurality of electrode pairs are formed. The grid-shaped wearable electric field application device can be realized by designing the internal wires of a net-shaped wearable electric field application device to form the above-mentioned parallel circuits, or by using two grid-shaped wearable electric field application devices together to form the above-mentioned parallel circuits. As Figure 6 , 8 shown, they are the states where the grid wire (i.e., the flexible conductive connection strip 200) is fully covered and not fully covered respectively. When using Figure 6 and 8 the grid-shaped wearable electric field application device shown, after the power supply lead 1 is connected to the power supply, through the design of the wire 202 in the flexible conductive connection strip 200, the current forms the above-mentioned circuits. Those skilled in the art can achieve this through the prior art according to the circuit requirements. As Figure 7 shown, it is two grid-shaped wearable electric field application devices. The power supply leads 1A and 1B are respectively connected to the positive and negative poles of the power supply, and the above-mentioned parallel circuits can also be formed.

[0043] As Figure 4As shown, the wire 202 has a stretchable and resilient structure in the longitudinal direction. For example, the wire 202 is made into a wavy structure in the longitudinal direction. When it needs to be stretched in the longitudinal direction, the waves are pulled apart to form a straight line, and when the distance needs to be reduced, it can rebound into a wavy shape. At the same time, as a preferred method, the overall flexible conductive connection strip 200 composed of the second flexible substrate 201 and the wire 202 has a stretchable and resilient structure in the longitudinal direction, for example, made into an overall wavy structure. The wire 202 can be made of a variety of conductor materials known to those skilled in the art. For example: multi-strand copper core wires can be used. There are 20 - 30 wires on a cross-section of 1.0 square millimeter, which are mostly used in places that need to be bent excessively and move frequently; carbon-based wires can also be used, such as a wire core composed of graphene with a copper cladding outside the wire core, which can enhance the electrical conductivity of the wire, reduce the weight of the wire, and improve the flexibility of the wire without affecting the welding performance of the wire.

[0044] As a preferred solution of the flexible conductive connection strip 200, as Figure 5 shown, on the side of the flexible conductive connection strip 200 for fitting the surface of the application substrate, there is a removable protective layer 52, which is used to protect the cleanliness of the fitting surface, is conducive to repeated use, and extends the service life. When the flexible conductive connection strip 200 has a stretchable and resilient structure such as a wavy shape in the longitudinal direction, there is an open space 53 between the protective layer 52 and the wavy flexible conductive connection strip 200.

[0045] In this embodiment, both the first flexible substrate 101 and the second flexible substrate 201 are made of one or a combination of two or more of hydrogel, polydimethylsiloxane PDMS, liquid silicone rubber, polyurethane film, and acrylic adhesive. The first flexible substrate 101 and the second flexible substrate 201 can be an integral layer, or can be separately made into flexible conductive connection parts or electrode sheets. When the first flexible substrate 101 and the second flexible substrate 201 can be an integral layer, according to the layout design of the electrode arrangement, a flexible circuit board is made on the surface of the flexible substrate at the position where the electrode is set, and a buffer layer is attached, then the electrode sheet 100 is formed. Wires embedded inside the flexible substrate are made at other positions of the flexible substrate according to the circuit design, then the flexible conductive connection part is formed. The protective layers 51 and 52 can also be separate components, or can be an integral layer covering the side of the electric field application device that fits the surface of the application substrate (such as the human body).

[0046] Embodiment 2:

[0047] This embodiment provides a wearable electric field application device, as Figure 9As shown, the wearable electric field application device has a soft gripper-like structure. It includes: a plurality of electrode sheets 100 and a flexible conductive connection part 200 for connecting the plurality of electrode sheets. The electrode sheets 100 are the same as those in Embodiment 1 and are in the shape of sheets. In this example, the electrode sheets 100 are long strip-shaped sheets. The flexible conductive connection part 200 is circular, and the cross-sectional view in any direction of the circular sheet is wavy, looking like "ripples" from the center of the circle outwards. Its internal structure is basically the same as that in Embodiment 1, that is, it includes a second flexible substrate 201 and wires 202 embedded in the second flexible substrate. Those skilled in the art arrange the wires 202 in the formed circular second flexible substrate 201 with "ripples" according to the requirements of circuit design. The wires 202 are attached to the inside of the second flexible substrate 201, and the second flexible substrate 201 undulates with the undulations. This process of arranging wires is the prior art in this field and will not be elaborated in this embodiment. The plurality of electrode sheets 100 are the "grippers" of the soft gripper-like structure, and the flexible circuit boards 102 of the plurality of electrode sheets 100 are connected to the wires 202 arranged in the circular flexible conductive connection part 200. The soft gripper-like wearable electric field application device shown in this embodiment is more suitable for the head position. According to the requirements of the electrode arrangement position, the circular flexible conductive connection part 200 with "ripples" can be deformed and stretched.

[0048] Embodiment 3:

[0049] This embodiment provides a wearable electric field application device, as Figure 10 shown, the flexible conductive connection part 200 is connected to the plurality of electrode sheets 100 to form a ring-shaped wearable electric field application device. The electric field application device with this structural feature is more suitable for the head and trunk of the human body.

[0050] Finally, it should be noted that the above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0051] The above is only the preferred implementation manner of this application and is not used to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of this application shall be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A wearable electric field application device, comprising a plurality of electrode sheets and a flexible conductive connection part connecting each of the electrode sheets together, characterized in that, The flexible conductive connection part is sheet-shaped or ring-shaped and has an outer periphery, and a plurality of the electrode sheets are respectively connected to the outer periphery; the electrode sheet includes a first flexible substrate, a flexible circuit board disposed on the first flexible substrate, and a fitting buffer layer disposed on the surface of the flexible circuit board for fitting to an application surface; the flexible conductive connection part is provided with a second flexible substrate and a wire embedded in the second flexible substrate, and the flexible circuit board is connected to the wire to form a plurality of parallel circuits; wherein, a plurality of the first flexible substrates are spaced apart from each other to form a plurality of hollow areas around the electrode sheet.

2. The wearable electric field application device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible conductive connection part is circular sheet-shaped, and the flexible conductive connection part can be stretched and retracted in the radial direction.

3. The wearable electric field applying device according to claim 2, wherein The cross-sectional view of the flexible conductive connection part in any direction is wavy.

4. The wearable electric field application device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The electrode sheet is strip-shaped.

5. The wearable electric field applying device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The electrode sheet is circular ring-shaped, and each of the electrode sheets is connected to the flexible conductive connection part through a connection line.

6. The wearable electric field applying device according to claim 1, wherein The first flexible substrate is made of one or a combination of two or more of hydrogel, polydimethylsiloxane PDMS, liquid silicone rubber, polyurethane film, and acrylic adhesive.

7. The wearable electric field applying device according to claim 6, wherein The second flexible substrate is made of one or a combination of two or more of hydrogel, polydimethylsiloxane PDMS, liquid silicone rubber, polyurethane film, and acrylic adhesive.

8. The wearable electric field applying device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first flexible substrate and the second flexible substrate are an integral layer.

9. The wearable electric field application device according to claim 1, characterized in that The fitting buffer layer includes a medium and conductive components dispersed in the medium, wherein the medium is made of one or a combination of two or more of hydrogel, polydimethylsiloxane PDMS, and liquid silicone rubber, and the conductive components are made of one or a combination of two or more of sodium salt, potassium salt, silver wire, graphene, and carbon nanotubes; at an alternating current of 200 KHz, the impedance of the fitting buffer layer with a volume of 1 inch * 1 inch * 1 mm is 15 - 30 ohms.

10. The wearable electric field application device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes a removable protective layer, and the protective layer is attached to the surface of the fitting buffer layer and the surface of the flexible electrical connection part for fitting to the surface of the application substrate.

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