Flexible epidermal patch for accelerating cerebrospinal fluid circulation
The spiral structure of the flexible epidermal patch deforms under voltage excitation, directly acting on the cervical lymphatic vessels, solving the problem of reduced cerebrospinal fluid secretion, accelerating cerebrospinal fluid circulation, and having the effect of delaying brain degeneration and treating Alzheimer's disease.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511330108.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-17
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-12
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, as people age, the secretion of cerebrospinal fluid decreases, and the ability to clear it is impaired, leading to brain dysfunction. Existing patch solutions are relatively rare and have poor effects.
A flexible epidermal patch is designed that uses a stacked spiral structure to deform a piezoelectric film under voltage excitation, causing the spiral structure to deflect and directly act on the superficial lymphatic vessels in the neck to accelerate cerebrospinal fluid circulation.
It effectively accelerates cerebrospinal fluid circulation, slows down brain degeneration, prevents or treats Alzheimer's disease, is lightweight and portable, highly controllable, and suitable for wide application.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of flexible skin patches. Specifically, this application relates to flexible skin patches that accelerate cerebrospinal fluid circulation. Background Technology
[0002] Efficiently clearing metabolic waste is crucial for maintaining healthy brain function; otherwise, it can easily trigger inflammatory responses and nerve damage, impairing cognitive, memory, and other brain functions. This clearing process in the brain is primarily carried out by cerebrospinal fluid. However, with age, cerebrospinal fluid secretion decreases, and the clearing capacity is impaired.
[0003] Currently, reports on methods using skin patches to accelerate cerebrospinal fluid circulation are still relatively rare, and this direction requires further research. Summary of the Invention
[0004] This application aims to at least partially address the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this application proposes a flexible epidermal patch and its application in the preparation of products that accelerate cerebrospinal fluid circulation. This flexible epidermal patch, by acting on the skin, can effectively exert force on lymphatic vessels, thereby accelerating cerebrospinal fluid circulation. Furthermore, this flexible epidermal patch is thin, portable, highly controllable, and suitable for wide application.
[0005] In one aspect of this application, a flexible epidermal patch is provided. According to an embodiment of this application, the flexible epidermal patch includes: a plurality of spirally stacked layers, the stack including a first flexible substrate layer, a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric film, a second electrode layer, and a second flexible substrate layer stacked together; under the action of voltage, the piezoelectric film can undergo tensile or compressive deformation in the in-plane direction, and the spiral structure can generate deflection in the out-of-plane direction.
[0006] According to the embodiments of this application, the flexible epidermal patch, through a spiral structure consisting of a first flexible base layer, a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric film, a second electrode layer, and a second flexible base layer, allows the piezoelectric film to actively stretch or compress under voltage excitation. This causes the spiral structure to generate a large out-of-plane displacement and act on the skin, effectively applying force to the superficial lymphatic vessels of the neck in a physical manner, thereby accelerating cerebrospinal fluid circulation. Furthermore, this flexible epidermal patch is lightweight, thin, portable, highly controllable, and suitable for a wide range of applications.
[0007] According to embodiments of this application, the above-mentioned flexible epidermal patch may also have the following additional technical features: According to an embodiment of this application, the number of turns of the spiral structure is 1 to 5; the deflection of the spiral structure in the outward direction is 1 to 3 mm, and the diameter of the outermost ring is 2 to 20 mm; the strain of the piezoelectric film is less than 0.2%.
[0008] According to an embodiment of this application, the cross-sectional line width of the spiral structure is greater than the cross-sectional thickness of the spiral structure; the distance between the neutral surface of the stack and the mid-surface of the piezoelectric film is greater than the thickness of the piezoelectric film.
[0009] According to an embodiment of this application, the thickness of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are each independently 10 nanometers to 200 nanometers; the thickness of the piezoelectric film is 0.5 micrometers to 5 micrometers.
[0010] According to an embodiment of this application, the thicknesses of the first flexible substrate layer and the second flexible substrate layer are different; preferably, the thickness of the first flexible substrate layer is more than twice the thickness of the second flexible substrate layer, more preferably, the thickness of the first flexible substrate layer is 5 to 20 micrometers; and the thickness of the second flexible substrate layer is 20 to 100 micrometers.
[0011] According to embodiments of this application, the materials of the first flexible substrate layer and the second flexible substrate layer are each independently selected from at least one of polyimide and polyethylene terephthalate; the material of the piezoelectric film is selected from piezoelectric ceramics, including lead zirconate titanate; and the materials of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are each independently selected from at least one of gold, silver, and copper.
[0012] According to an embodiment of this application, the flexible skin patch further includes a backing plate, and the outer end of the stack is fixed to the backing plate; the material of the backing plate includes at least one of polyimide and polyethylene terephthalate; an adhesive layer is provided on the side surface of the backing plate facing the stack.
[0013] According to an embodiment of this application, the plurality of stacked layers are distributed in an array.
[0014] In another aspect of this application, the application of the aforementioned flexible epidermal patch in the preparation of a product is proposed. According to an embodiment of this application, the product is used to accelerate cerebrospinal fluid circulation.
[0015] According to embodiments of this application, the product is used to delay brain degeneration and prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease.
[0016] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description
[0017] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the flexible epidermal patch structure is shown; Figure 2The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the stack is shown; Figure 3 This shows a magnified view of a portion of the stacked layers; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the stacked layers and electrode layers of the flexible epidermal patch is shown; Figure 5 The image shows a magnified view of the stacked layers and electrode layers of the flexible epidermal patch.
[0018] Figure label: 1: Flexible skin patch; 100: Lamination; 110: First flexible substrate layer; 120: First electrode layer; 130: Piezoelectric film; 140: Second electrode layer; 150: Second flexible substrate layer. Detailed Implementation
[0019] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. The embodiments described below are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.
[0020] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more.
[0021] The endpoints and any values of the ranges disclosed herein are not limited to the precise ranges or values, and these ranges or values should be understood to include values close to these ranges or values. For numerical ranges, the endpoint values of the various ranges, the endpoint values of the various ranges and individual point values, and individual point values can be combined with each other to obtain one or more new numerical ranges, which should be considered as specifically disclosed herein.
[0022] In this document, the terms “comprising” or “including” are open-ended expressions, meaning that they include the contents specified in this application but do not exclude other contents.
[0023] This application discloses flexible epidermal patches and their application in the preparation of products that accelerate cerebrospinal fluid circulation, which will be described in detail below.
[0024] Flexible skin patch In one aspect of this application, a flexible epidermal patch is provided. According to an embodiment of this application, see [link to embodiment]. Figure 1 and Figure 2The flexible epidermal patch 1 includes a plurality of spirally stacked layers 100, each layer 100 including a first flexible substrate layer 110, a first electrode layer 120, a piezoelectric film 130, a second electrode layer 140, and a second flexible substrate layer 150 stacked together; under voltage, the piezoelectric film can undergo tensile or compressive deformation in the in-plane direction, and the spiral structure can generate deflection in the out-of-plane direction.
[0025] According to the embodiments of this application, the flexible epidermal patch, through a spiral structure consisting of a first flexible base layer, a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric film, a second electrode layer, and a second flexible base layer, allows the piezoelectric film to actively stretch or compress under voltage excitation. This causes the spiral structure to generate a large out-of-plane displacement and act on the skin, effectively applying force to the superficial lymphatic vessels of the neck in a physical manner, thereby accelerating cerebrospinal fluid circulation. Furthermore, this flexible epidermal patch is lightweight, thin, portable, highly controllable, and suitable for a wide range of applications.
[0026] According to embodiments of this application, the plurality of stacked layers 100 are distributed in an array. This expands the patch's coverage area on the skin, allowing the force to be applied more evenly and comprehensively to the superficial lymphatic vessels of the neck.
[0027] According to embodiments of this application, the spiral structure has 1 to 5 turns. This provides a suitable force applied towards the skin, effectively accelerating cerebrospinal fluid circulation. Too many turns can result in insufficient force.
[0028] According to embodiments of this application, the deflection of the spiral structure in the outward direction is 1-3 mm, and the outermost diameter is 2-20 mm; the strain of the piezoelectric film is less than 0.2%. Therefore, the applied force towards the skin is appropriate, effectively accelerating cerebrospinal fluid circulation.
[0029] According to an embodiment of this application, see Figure 3 The width d of the cross-section of the spiral structure is greater than the cross-sectional thickness (in the out-of-plane direction). This ensures the stability of deformation.
[0030] According to an embodiment of this application, the distance between the neutral surface of the laminate 100 and the mid-surface of the piezoelectric film 130 is greater than the thickness of the piezoelectric film 130. This ensures a higher tolerance for processing errors, reduces the precision requirements and difficulty in the fabrication process, and improves energy utilization. It ensures that the tensile or compressive deformation of the piezoelectric film under voltage excitation can be efficiently converted into large out-of-plane displacement of the helical structure, making the force exerted by the helical structure on the skin more effective. This, in turn, guarantees the patch's mechanical stimulation effect on the superficial lymphatic vessels of the neck, achieving the function of accelerating cerebrospinal fluid circulation.
[0031] It is understood that in this application, the term "neutral surface of the stack" refers to a plane with zero axial strain when bent, which can be obtained through conventional calculations in materials mechanics; "middle surface of the piezoelectric film" refers to a plane that equally divides the thickness of the piezoelectric film; and "thickness of the piezoelectric film" refers to the thickness perpendicular to the extension direction of the stack.
[0032] According to an embodiment of this application, the thickness of the first flexible base layer 110 is 5-20 micrometers; the thickness of the second flexible base layer 150 is 20-100 micrometers. This maintains structural deformation stability, making the force exerted on the skin by the helical structure more effective, thereby ensuring the patch's mechanical stimulation effect on the superficial lymphatic vessels of the neck and achieving the function of accelerating cerebrospinal fluid circulation.
[0033] According to an embodiment of this application, the thickness of the piezoelectric film 130 is 0.5 micrometers to 5 micrometers. This allows for stable and sufficient tensile or compressive deformation under voltage excitation, effectively driving the helical structure to generate large out-of-plane displacement, ensuring that the mechanical stimulation intensity applied to the skin and superficial lymphatic vessels of the neck meets the required standards.
[0034] According to an embodiment of this application, the thickness of the first electrode layer 120 and the second electrode layer 140 is independently 10 nanometers to 200 nanometers. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The diagrams show the structure of the first and second electrode layers. This ensures a stable electrical connection between the electrode layer and the piezoelectric film, guaranteeing efficient and lossless voltage excitation to the film, driving it to stretch or compress, and consequently causing the helical structure to produce the required large out-of-plane deflection. It also avoids excessive thickness leading to increased rigidity of the electrode layer, which would compromise the flexibility of the entire stacked helical structure and affect the comfort and deformation coordination of the patch when applied to the skin. Furthermore, it prevents insufficient conductivity or breakage of the electrode layer due to excessive thinness. Thus, a balance is achieved between electrical performance, structural flexibility, and operational stability, efficiently enabling the patch to accelerate cerebrospinal fluid circulation by mechanically stimulating superficial lymphatic vessels in the neck.
[0035] According to embodiments of this application, the thickness of the piezoelectric film 130 is 0.5 micrometers to 5 micrometers. This ensures that, under voltage excitation, the piezoelectric film can stably generate active tensile or compressive deformation, effectively driving the helical structure to undergo large out-of-plane displacement to apply sufficient force to the skin to stimulate superficial lymphatic vessels in the neck. Furthermore, it avoids the problem of excessive thickness leading to decreased flexibility and affecting the overall deformation coordination of the laminate, or insufficient thickness resulting in insufficient deformation and inability to transmit effective force.
[0036] According to embodiments of this application, the thicknesses of the first flexible substrate layer 110 and the second flexible substrate layer 150 are different. This ensures a higher tolerance for processing errors, reduces the precision requirements and difficulty in the fabrication process, and improves energy utilization. It ensures that the tensile or compressive deformation of the piezoelectric film under voltage excitation can be efficiently converted into large out-of-plane displacement of the helical structure, making the force exerted by the helical structure on the skin more effective. This, in turn, guarantees the patch's mechanical stimulation effect on the superficial lymphatic vessels of the neck, achieving the function of accelerating cerebrospinal fluid circulation. In some embodiments, the thickness of the first flexible substrate layer 110 is more than twice the thickness of the second flexible substrate layer 150.
[0037] According to embodiments of this application, the materials of the first flexible substrate layer 110 and the second flexible substrate layer 150 are each independently selected from at least one of polyimide (PI) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET); the material of the piezoelectric film 130 is selected from piezoelectric ceramics, including lead zirconate titanate; and the materials of the first electrode layer 120 and the second electrode layer 140 are each independently selected from at least one of gold, silver, and copper.
[0038] According to embodiments of this application, an encapsulation film may also be disposed between the laminate and the skin. The encapsulation film may be made of an elastic soft material such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The encapsulation film design serves as an isolation barrier, preventing the core structures such as the piezoelectric film and electrodes in the laminate from directly contacting the skin, reducing potential irritation or adverse contact between the skin and these components. Simultaneously, it isolates external dust, sweat, and other impurities, protecting the internal structure from corrosion and maintaining the stability of the patch's electrical and mechanical properties.
[0039] According to embodiments of this application, the material of the backsheet includes at least one of polyimide and polyethylene terephthalate.
[0040] In addition, this application also proposes a method for preparing the aforementioned flexible epidermal patch, comprising: Spin-coat the first flexible substrate layer; spin-coat photoresist, perform photolithography, and magnetron sputter the first electrode layer; prepare a piezoelectric thin film by magnetron sputtering or wet process, etch the piezoelectric thin film pattern by plasma etching, and spin-coat the same flexible substrate layer; spin-coat photoresist, perform photolithography, and magnetron sputter the second electrode layer; spin-coat the second flexible substrate layer.
[0041] In another aspect of this application, the application of the aforementioned flexible epidermal patch in the preparation of a product is proposed. According to an embodiment of this application, the product is used to accelerate cerebrospinal fluid circulation.
[0042] According to embodiments of this application, the product is used to delay brain degeneration and prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease.
[0043] The following will explain the solution of this application with reference to embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that the following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as limiting the scope of this application. Where specific techniques or conditions are not specified in the embodiments, they are performed according to the techniques or conditions described in the literature in the art or according to the product instructions. Reagents or instruments whose manufacturers are not specified are all conventional products that can be obtained commercially.
[0044] Example 1 1. In this embodiment, a flexible epidermal patch is provided, comprising a stack of helical structures arranged in a 3×10 array. The stack includes a first flexible substrate layer, a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric film, a second electrode layer, and a second flexible substrate layer, all stacked together. The first / second flexible substrate layers are made of polyimide (Young's modulus of 2.5 GPa), with a thickness of 10 micrometers for the first flexible substrate layer and 60 micrometers for the second flexible substrate layer. The first / second electrode layers are made of gold and have a thickness of 100 nanometers. The piezoelectric film is made of lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramic (Young's modulus of 70 GPa) and has a thickness of 1 micrometer. The distance between the neutral plane of the stack and the mid-plane of the piezoelectric film is 7.4 micrometers. The maximum strain of the piezoelectric film in the helical structure is set to 0.2%, the outermost diameter is 5 millimeters, the deflection of the helical structure towards the skin can reach 2 millimeters, the cross-sectional line width of the helical structure is 300 micrometers, and the cross-sectional thickness is 71.2 micrometers.
[0045] 2. When using, apply the patch to the skin near the superficial lymphatic vessels in the neck, applying voltage to each row separately, starting from the top row and applying voltage to each row downwards; then repeat this top-down voltage application process multiple times, for a total of 10-20 minutes. This can effectively accelerate cerebrospinal fluid circulation.
[0046] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application.
Claims
1. A flexible epidermal patch, characterized in that, include: Multiple spiral-structured stacked layers, the stacked layers including a first flexible substrate layer, a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric thin film, a second electrode layer and a second flexible substrate layer stacked together; Under voltage, the piezoelectric film can undergo tensile or compressive deformation in the in-plane direction, and the helical structure can generate deflection in the out-of-plane direction.
2. The flexible epidermal patch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spiral structure has 1 to 5 turns; The deflection of the spiral structure in the outward direction is 1~3 mm, and the outermost diameter is 2~20 mm; The strain of the piezoelectric film is less than 0.2%.
3. The flexible epidermal patch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the cross-section of the spiral structure is greater than the cross-sectional thickness of the spiral structure; The distance between the neutral surface of the stack and the mid-surface of the piezoelectric film is greater than the thickness of the piezoelectric film.
4. The flexible epidermal patch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are each independently 10 nanometers to 200 nanometers; The thickness of the piezoelectric film is 0.5 micrometers to 5 micrometers.
5. The flexible epidermal patch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first flexible substrate layer and the second flexible substrate layer have different thicknesses; Preferably, the thickness of the first flexible substrate layer is greater than twice the thickness of the second flexible substrate layer; More preferably, the thickness of the first flexible substrate layer is 5 to 20 micrometers; The thickness of the second flexible substrate layer is 20~100 micrometers.
6. The flexible epidermal patch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The materials of the first flexible substrate layer and the second flexible substrate layer are each independently selected from at least one of polyimide and polyethylene terephthalate; The material of the piezoelectric thin film is selected from piezoelectric ceramics, including lead zirconate titanate; The materials of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are each independently selected from at least one of gold, silver and copper.
7. The flexible epidermal patch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible skin patch further includes a backing plate, and the outer end of the stack is fixed to the backing plate; The material of the back panel includes at least one of polyimide and polyethylene terephthalate; An adhesive layer is provided on the side surface of the back plate facing the stack.
8. The flexible epidermal patch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multiple stacks are distributed in an array.
9. The application of the flexible epidermal patch according to any one of claims 1 to 8 in the preparation of a product, characterized in that, The product is used to accelerate cerebrospinal fluid circulation.
10. The application according to claim 9, characterized in that, The product is used to slow brain degeneration and prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease.