A treatment device and method of treatment

Abstract

Treatment devices, treatment heads and methods of beauty and therapeutic treatment. Some devices and treatment heads utilise a whip action to deliver a "slap" type impact to the skin of a user. Other devices and treatment heads utilise masses at outer edges of the treatment heads to deliver a "thump" type of impact to the skin of a user.

Description

[0001] A TREATMENT DEVICE AND METHOD OF TREATMENT FIELD This invention relates to a treatment device and method of providing therapeutic or beauty treatment. BACKGROUND A wide range of massage techniques are either delivered by hand or by a range of electromechanical devices. There are several facial massage techniques including cupping, kneading, folding, effleurage, vibration, tapping, slapping, percussion and pinching. These techniques are commonly delivered by a trained massage therapist or beauty therapist. A wide range of powered devices are used for beauty and therapeutic treatment. These devices are not able to mimic most of the above techniques which need to be administered by a trained therapist. These devices are limited to delivering vibration, kneading, tapping and percussion massage treatments and those available on the market are expensive. Other devices deliver microcurrents to the skin which provide a range of treatments including toning the facial skin and muscles. Other devices utilise light-emitting diodes to deliver a range of therapeutic wavelengths to the facial skin to treat the effects of anti-aging and acne. Devices are available in which a motor oscillates or moves a soft elastic exterior to cleanse the skin or to apply creams or lotions. These devices produce micro movements of the exterior that delivers a gentle oscillating vibration massage to the surface of the skin but do not deliver a slapping, patting or percussion massage nor do they stimulate the important subcutaneous layers of the skin tissue. A beauty massage device that delivers a kneading massage is the ClarisonicTMSmartPROfile with its circular head and 3 protuberances that oscillates over a large surface area of around 20cm2. This device does not produce a slapping, patting or thumping massage. Another device has a large flat blade that delivers a circular kneading skin massage that mimics the hand rubbing and massaging the skin. The blade can be manually rotated to deliver a patting motion. Given the internal mechanics the maximum frequency of this device is expected to be under 5Hz, which would be insufficient to deliver vibration, slap or percussion. Another beauty treatment device delivers a reciprocating patting motion to the skin. Another device uses two fingers that alternate providing a tapping motion. No device utilises a whipping motion to increase the kinetic energy available to be transferred to the skin or sub cutaneous layers of the soft tissue of the face. Many of these devices require a special purpose drive unit to provide the required type of motion, increasing the cost to a consumer compared to utilising an existing drive unit, such as an electric toothbrush. There are no devices on the market that produce a combination of two or more of the slapping, patting or percussion motions nor offer this in a simple and low-cost device. A recent clinical study (Philippe Humbert et al, 2015) has shown that the application of mechanical stimuli of the cutaneous and subcutaneous tissue by delivering microbeats to the skin’s surface, is able to induce clinically identifiable improvement in facial skin appearance. This study demonstrates that mechanical stimulation showed increases in hyaluronic acid, elastin, type 1 collagen and MMP9 contact along with improvement capacity of the fibroblasts. A significant improvement of different clinical signs associated with skin aging and subject satisfaction were observed. A more recent clinical study (Elisa Caberlotto et al, 2017) has shown that oscillating mechanical stimulation of fibroblast cells can stimulate the production of collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid, and other important nutrients. Clinical evaluations showed a significant improvement of various signs associated with skin aging (e.g. wrinkles, fine lines, sagging, heterogeneity of the complexion, puffiness and tear-trough hollowness) thus evoking an anti-aging response. This study showed that mechanical stimulation of the sub cutaneous tissue layer of the face across a frequency range of 65Hz to 85Hz is best for stimulating the production of collagen, other proteins and nutrients in fibroblasts that deliver an anti-aging response. This correlates well with common oscillating electric toothbrushes which oscillate in the range of 65-85Hz. However, the conversion mechanism of these electric toothbrushes produces powerful acceleration and force vectors which require considerable moderation in order to deliver an effective and non-painful mechanical stimulation to the facial skin tissue. A whipping motion is a well-known phenomenon where the velocity of the tip increases exponentially producing a significant amount of kinetic energy from the small mass at the whip’s tip. To the applicant’s knowledge there are no devices that utilise a whipping motion to maximise the energy transmitted by a treatment device. Microcurrent electrical neuromuscular stimulator or MENS devices are a well-known therapy for facial skin treatment. This device is used to apply weak electrical signals into the skin using extremely small microamp [uA] electrical currents (less than 1 milliampere [mA]) to the tissues using electrodes placed on the skin. There is a need for a therapeutic and / or beauty treatment device that can provide different or enhanced stimulation. Such a device may advantageously employ a standard electric toothbrush as its motive source. These objects are to be read disjunctively with the object of at least providing the public with a useful choice. SUMMARY According to one example embodiment there is provided a treatment device comprising: i. a drive unit having a body and a drive shaft extending therefrom; and ii. a treatment head driven by the drive shaft having one or more flexible lateral extensions, each configured to produce a whip action at its end when the massage head is driven by the drive unit. According to another example embodiment there is provided a treatment device comprising: i. a drive unit having a body and a drive shaft extending therefrom; and ii. a treatment head comprising: a. a proximal end engaged with the body; b. a distal end driven by the drive shaft; c. an intermediate section between proximal and distal ends configured to store and release torsional energy generated between the proximal end and distal end; and d. one or more flexible lateral extensions, each configured to produce a whip action at its end when the massage head is driven by the drive unit. According to another example embodiment there is provided a treatment device comprising: i. a drive unit having a body and a drive shaft extending therefrom configured to oscillate when driven; and ii. a treatment head comprising: a. a proximal end engaged with the body; b. a distal end driven by the drive shaft; c. an intermediate section between proximal and distal ends configured to store and release torsional energy generated between the proximal end and distal end; and d. one or more flexible lateral extensions, each configured to produce a whip action at its end when the massage head is driven by the drive unit. According to another example embodiment there is provided a treatment device comprising: i. a drive unit having a body and a drive shaft extending therefrom configured to oscillate over a first angular range when driven; and ii. a treatment head driven by the drive shaft having one or more flexible lateral extensions, the tips of which are configured to oscillate over a range of 5 degrees greater than the first angular range when the treatment head is driven in free space by the drive unit. According to another example embodiment there is provided a treatment device comprising: i. a drive unit having a body and a drive shaft extending therefrom ii. a treatment head comprising: a. a proximal end engaged with the body; b. a distal end driven by the drive shaft; c. an intermediate section between proximal and distal ends configured to store and release torsional energy generated between the proximal end and distal end; and d. one or more flexible lateral extensions. According to another example embodiment there is provided a treatment device comprising: i. a drive unit having a body and a drive shaft extending therefrom configured to oscillate the drive shaft at first and second selectable frequencies; and ii. a treatment head driven by the drive shaft having one or more flexible lateral extensions having peripheral edges which are configured to oscillate to produce a wave along each peripheral edge wherein the wave has a first number of maxima at the first frequency and a different number of maxima at the second frequency. According to another example embodiment there is provided a treatment head having a central body configured to receive a drive shaft of a drive unit and one or more flexible lateral extensions extending from the central body configured to produce a whip action at the end of each flexible lateral extension when the massage head is driven by the drive unit. According to another example embodiment there is provided a treatment head having a central body configured to receive a drive shaft of a drive unit and one or more flexible lateral extensions extending from the central body in a T configuration with an equivalent point-mass greater than 0.1 gram provided at or near the distal end of each flexible lateral extension. According to another example embodiment there is provided treatment head configured to receive a drive shaft of a drive unit having one or more flexible lateral extensions having contact surfaces or contact pads secured to outer regions of the lateral extensions configured to impact a user during a treatment. According to another example embodiment there is provided treatment head having a central body configured to receive a drive shaft of a drive unit and one or more flexible lateral extensions extending from the central body having a contact surface configured to engage the skin of a user in use, each flexible lateral extensions wherein one or more of the flexible lateral extensions includes an internal reservoir having an outlet at or near the contact surface. According to another example embodiment there is provided method of treatment of the skin of a subject comprising repeatedly applying a peak force of between 2 and 10 N over a skin contact area of between 20 and 300 mm2. Embodiments may be implemented according to any one of the dependent claims. It is acknowledged that the terms “comprise”, “comprises” and “comprising” may, under varying jurisdictions, be attributed with either an exclusive or an inclusive meaning. For the purpose of this specification, and unless otherwise noted, these terms are intended to have an inclusive meaning – i.e., they will be taken to mean an inclusion of the listed components which the use directly references, and possibly also of other non-specified components or elements. Reference to any document in this specification does not constitute an admission that it is prior art, validly combinable with other documents or that it forms part of the common general knowledge. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings which are incorporated in and constitute part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description of embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention, in which: Figures 1a shows a schematic front view of a treatment device according to one example comprising a drive unit and a treatment head for connection to a drive shaft of the drive unit; Figure 1b shows an enlarged view of the treatment head of the device shown in Figure 1a; Figure 2a shows a front view of a treatment head according to one example; Figure 2b shows a cross-sectional view through line A-A of the treatment head shown in Figure 2a; Figure 2c shows a front view of a treatment head according to another example; Figure 2d shows a cross-sectional view through line B-B of the treatment head shown in Figure 2c; Figure 2e shows a cross-sectional perspective view of the twisting elastic intermediate cylindrical sleeve; Figure 3a shows a schematic front view of a treatment head connected to a drive unit according to another example; Figure 3b shows a front view of a treatment head according to another example; Figure 3c shows a cross-sectional view through line C-C of the treatment head shown in Figure 3b; Figure 4a shows a front view of a treatment head with an over-molded section according to one example; Figure 4b shows a cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 4a; Figure 4c shows a front view of a treatment head with an over-molded section according to another example; Figure 4d shows a cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 4c; Figure 4e shows a front view of a treatment head with an over-molded section according to another example; Figure 4f shows a cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 4e; Figure 4g shows a front view of a treatment head with an over-molded section according to another example; Figure 4h shows a cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 4g; Figure 5a shows a front view of a treatment head according to another example; Figure 5b shows an end view of the treatment head shown in Figure 5a; Figure 5c shows a front view of a treatment head according to another example; Figure 5d shows an end view of the treatment head shown in Figure 5c; Figure 5e shows a front view of a treatment head according to another example; Figure 5f shows an end view of the treatment head shown in Figure 5e; Figure 5g shows a front view of a treatment head according to another example; Figure 5h shows an end view of the treatment head shown in Figure 5g; Figure 6a shows a front view of a treatment head according to another example; Figure 6b shows an end view of the treatment head shown in Figure 6a; Figure 6c shows a front view of a treatment head according to another example; Figure 6d shows an end view of the treatment head shown in Figure 6c; Figures 7a illustrates the rotational movement of a treatment head with non-flexible arms without whip action; Figures 7b-e illustrate the generation of a whip action and the impact of the contact surface on soft tissue for treatment heads with flexible arms of the type shown in Figures 5a and 6a; Figure 8a-h illustrates how energy is delivered through the contact surface to the soft tissue for the four different treatment heads shown in Figure 5(a), (c) and (e) and where the Pat head of Figure 8g is a replica of Pat attachment Figure 5(c) but with non-flexible arms and also illustrates its respective force measurements and other measures as a comparison to Figure 5(c) with flexible arms; Figures 9a-x show a variety of treatment head shapes with the lower view of each being a front view and the upper view being an end view of the treatment head below; Figure 10a shows a front view of a heart shaped treatment head according to one example; Figure 10b shows an end view of the heart shaped treatment head of Figure 10a when at rest; Figure 10c shows an end view of the heart shaped treatment head of Figure 10a when oscillated about its central axis by a drive shaft; Figure 10d shows a side view of the heart shaped treatment head of Figure 10a when driven at a first frequency of oscillation in a first mode of operation; Figure 10e shows an end view of the heart shaped treatment head of Figure 10a when driven in a first mode of operation; Figure 10f shows a side view of the heart shaped treatment head of Figure 10a when driven at a second frequency of oscillation in a second mode of operation; and Figure 10g shows a side view of the heart shaped treatment head of Figure 10a when driven at a third frequency of oscillation in a third mode of operation. Figure 11ai-iii shows three end views of a treatment head when driven through three stages of rotation at a first frequency of oscillation in a first mode of operation; and Figure 11bi-iii shows three end views of the treatment head shown in Figure 11a when driven through three stages of rotation at a second frequency of oscillation in a second mode of operation. Figure 12 shows a chart of the velocity and acceleration vectors of the conversion mechanism used in common oscillating electric toothbrushes. Figures 13a-d show the four positions of a complete oscillation of the conversion mechanism used in common oscillating electric toothbrushes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Described below are examples of treatment devices suitable for providing beauty and / or therapeutic treatments. A number of these devices may employ elements from the applicant’s prior massage accessory and drive unit disclosed in its prior application published as WO2021 / 112690 (annexed hereto) the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by way of reference. One advantageous feature of this prior device is the storage and release of torque in the flexible sleeve which connects the body to the head of the treatment device. Here, the constant torque generated by the rotating electric motor is converted to an oscillating torque by a conversion mechanism which is transferred to the drive shaft of the electric toothbrush. When using the simple conversion mechanism of a standard electric toothbrush the resultant oscillating velocity, acceleration and torque vectors may not be symmetrical between the first arc and the return arc, where linear acceleration along the direction of travel of the arc increases rapidly near the end of each arc and it is not zero in the middle of the arc. This is illustrated in Figures 12 and 13 and is discussed in more detail below. Figures 1a and 1b show a schematic front view of a treatment device according to one example comprising a drive unit 2 having a treatment head 1 connected to a drive shaft 5 which is connected to the output shaft 8 of the drive unit 2. The drive unit 2 has a body containing a battery 12 and control circuit 11 driving an electric motor 10 (wired connections not shown). In this example the rotary output of electric motor 10 is converted by a motion converting mechanism 9 into an oscillating output at its output shaft 8. The output shaft 8 can be configured to oscillate over a desired angular range of less than 180owhen the treatment head 1 is driven in free space by the drive unit 2. In most implementations the desired angular range may be between 30 to 90 degrees. The motion converting mechanism 9 may be a four-point linkage as used in a standard electric toothbrush. Common oscillating electric toothbrushes use this simple mechanism which is often referred to as a Crank Rocker to convert the rotation of the electric motor to an oscillating motion delivering an oscillation arc of the output drive shaft commonly between 45-50 degrees and an operating frequency commonly in the range of 65Hz to 85Hz. This type of mechanism typically produces velocity, acceleration and torque vectors which are not symmetrical across the two cycles of each oscillation. For improved performance one or more fixed points of the four-point linkage may be adjusted to change the oscillatory movement and improve the velocity, acceleration, and torque vectors over those produced by a common oscillating electric toothbrush (see: “Design of the crank–rocker mechanism for various design cases based on the closed-form solution”, H Mutlu 2020). This may allow the range of oscillatory movement of the drive shaft to be adjusted by at least 30o. In other examples the motion converting mechanism 9 may be a Coulisse mechanism or a cam mechanism. Additionally the motion converting mechanism 9 may include a linear oscillator producing oscillation along the axis of the drive shaft to move it longitudinally. This can be achieved using rotating ramps to vary the longitudinal displacement of the drive shaft. Motor 10 may be driven at a constant level. Alternatively, motor 10 can be driven at a plurality of power levels. The power level may be user selectable via user controls on the drive unit 2. Where the motion converting mechanism 9 oscillates output shaft 8 it may desirably oscillate output shaft 8 at a frequency greater than 30 Hz. In some applications it may desirably oscillate output shaft 8 at a frequency greater than 50 Hz. In other applications it may desirably oscillate output shaft 8 at a frequency between 50 Hz and 105 Hz. The drive unit can be configured to control motor 10 to oscillate the drive shaft 8 at a plurality of different frequencies. These different frequencies may be selectable by a user via user controls. The different frequencies may be two or more user selectable frequencies. Alternatively, the different frequencies may be continuously variable within a permitted range. The treatment head 1 includes a central body 3 configured to engage with drive shaft 5, such as per the coupling of a toothbrush to an electric toothbrush driver. Drive shaft 5 couples to output shaft 8 of the drive unit 2. The treatment head 1 includes an intermediate section 13 between its proximal end (central body 3) and its distal end. The casing 6 is attached to the fitted plug 7 of the treatment head which slots into the distal end of the drive unit 2. Intermediate section 13 is configured to store and release torsional energy generated between the proximal end and distal end when the drive shaft 5 oscillates lateral extensions 4 (two opposed lateral extensions in this example). In some examples intermediate section 13 can be configured to store and release torque of greater than 5N·mm during each oscillation. In some examples intermediate section 13 can be configured to store and release torque between 10 and 35 N·mm. In this example a flexible lateral extension 4 extends from either side from central body 3. Different numbers and forms of lateral extensions may be employed as per later examples. The flexible lateral extension is believed to smooth out these vectors to deliver a smoother and less abrupt change of these various related measures over each arc. A second benefit is that as the treatment head rotates to the end of its oscillation arc, a proportion of this torque is stored as potential rotational kinetic energy in the intermediate section 13 which comprises the flexible and generally cylindrical flexible lateral extension (in Figure 2e) which, when the head returns along the same oscillation arc, this additional energy is released and is additive to the torque already normally being delivered by the conversion mechanism to deliver a smoother combined total oscillating torque to the treatment head. The maximum torque stored by the flexible lateral extension must not be too large as to put undue stress on the motor and drain too much energy from the battery and the minimum torque must be sufficient to have a smoothing benefit as referred to above. An additional feature is that the intermediate section provides a self-centering mechanism which allows the treatment head to oscillate while being attached to the external casing 6 which is rigidly attached to the drive unit. The use of a flexible lateral extension rather than a rigid extension can provide additional smoothing of the oscillation torque delivered by the conversion mechanism mentioned above. Utilising rigid lateral extensions to impact the skin can be far too painful in many variants and the flexible arms can allow for the energy to be delivered in a less intensive and more comfortable manner. Figure 2a shows an example as per figure 1b except for the addition of contact pads 14. Otherwise the same numbers have been used to identify the same parts in Figure 2a. The contact pads 14 may have a flat, convex or concave contact surface for contacting a user’s skin. These contact pads can be of the same material as the lateral extension 4 or of a different harder or softer material. The contact pads can be a metal such as copper or a magnetic material. The contact pads may be conductive and connected to an electrical power source to deliver an electrical current to the skin. The contact pads can also be replaced by a light source, such as LEDs, which are connected to an electrical power source to deliver a range of light wavelengths to the skin. It will be seen in the cross-sectional view of the treatment head in Figure 2b that the lateral extensions 4 taper towards their distal edges. The lateral extensions 4 also decrease in mass towards their distal edges. The lateral extensions 4 can be formed of a flexible material configured to produce a whip action at its end when the massage head is driven by the drive unit 2. Suitable materials and a more detailed description of the whip actions will be provided below. Central body 3 can be formed of a stiffer material than the lateral extensions to facilitate coupling with shaft 5. The casing 6 can be formed of a stiffer material than the lateral extensions 4 to facilitate the coupling of the treatment head 1 to the drive unit 2. Lateral extensions 4 and intermediate section 13 may couple to central body 3 geometrically (square cross-section in axis of rotation) or chemically (by bonding using an over-moulding process or otherwise). The intermediate section 13 may couple to the proximal end of the casing 6 geometrically (square cross-section in axis of rotation) or chemically (by bonding using an over-moulding process or otherwise). Figures 2c and 2d show a modified form of Figure 2a in which the central region 3 has a laterally extended shape 15 (other elements as per Figure 2a). This provides good rotational coupling but also modifies the flex of the lateral extensions to achieve a desired action. Figure 2e shows diagrammatically how intermediate section 13 stores and releases rotary torque as indicated by arrow 16. Figure 3a shows a further example that is a variant of Figures 2a and 2b and elements that are the same and given the same numbers. In this example the lateral extensions 4 include one or more conductive contact pads 14a that deliver a small electrical current to the user along internal wires 17a. The microcurrent is delivered either using the user’s hand to complete the connection via a conductive pad 15a on the outside of the drive unit 2 or delivered between two or more contact pads where the current, voltage, frequency, wave form and polarity are controlled by the control circuit 11 or controlled by a battery and control unit 15b which is incorporated into the treatment head 1. In another variant of Figure 3a the lateral extensions 4 include one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) 14b in place of contact pads or along the central axis that deliver therapeutic light treatment to the skin. The LEDs can produce one or more wavelengths of light and can be powered via internal wires 17b where the power and LED wavelengths are controlled by the control circuit 11 in the drive unit or controlled by a battery and control unit in 15b which is incorporated into the treatment head 1. Microcurrent electrical neuromuscular stimulators devices are a well-known therapy for facial skin treatment. This stimulation technique has been around since the 1970s and there are many devices available on the market for personal use or professional use. These devices typically operate at a voltage of between 2.5 to 12 volts DC and deliver currents in a wide range but at less than 1 milliampere mA and more commonly in the range from 0 to 600 microamps µA. These microcurrents are usually below a user’s sensory threshold. These devices can deliver a microcurrent across a wide range of wave forms (e.g., sine, square, biphasic, monophasic, pulsed, galvanic, etc.) and a wide range of frequencies (usually between 0.3 to 300Hz). The polarity of these microcurrent pulses is commonly reversed at a range of intervals which are commonly between 1 to 3 seconds. Devices using light emitting diodes are another common facial skin treatment. These devices use varying wavelengths of light including red and blue and there are numerous personal and professional devices commercially available. LED light therapy is now used by many aestheticians and dermatologists to treat acne, decrease scarring, promote anti-inflammatory effects, and help regenerate the skin from the effects of aging. For anti-aging purposes LED wavelengths are usually in the amber (~605nm) to red (~630nm to ~660nm) and infrared ranges (~855nm). Blue light is considered most effective for the treatment of acne and red light is considered best for anti-aging treatment. There are a wide range of personal handheld LED therapy devices available commercially from those which have a small number of LEDs to those with scores of LEDs on the surface of the treatment head. Some examples place many LEDs on the inside of a mask which fits over a user’s face. Figures 3b and 3c show a further example that is a variant of Figures 2a and 2b and elements that are the same and given the same numbers. In this example the lateral extensions 4 include internal reservoirs 18 containing a substance to be dispensed from an aperture 19 when in use which utilise the whipping action of the lateral arms to generate a centrifugal force to assist in the delivery of the substance to the skin surface. Figures 4a to 4g show examples of treatment heads with different central body and lateral element geometries. The outer parts of the treatment heads may be over-moulded over the core elements. In the example shown in Figures 4a and 4b the lateral extensions 20 and central body 21 are formed in one piece from a medium stiffness material whilst the intermediate section 22 is formed of a hyper elastic material to store and release rotational torque. In the example shown in Figures 4c and 4d the lateral extensions 23 are formed of a hyper elastic material over- moulded over core 24 formed of a medium stiffness material. The intermediate section 25 is formed of the same or different hyper elastic material to store and release rotational torque. In the example shown in Figures 4e and 4f the lateral extensions 26 and intermediate section 27 are formed of a hyper elastic material and over-moulded in one piece over core 28 formed of a medium stiffness material. The example shown in Figures 4g and 4h is similar to Figure 4a except that the intermediate section 29 formed of a hyper elastic material extends over the top of the core 30 too. Figures 5a to 5h show the outlines of a number of treatment head designs omitting some of the detail of the earlier drawings. Figures 5a and 5b show a design of the type shown in figure 2a using contact pads 31 and 32 having flat contact surfaces at distal ends of the lateral extensions suitable for a “slap” type device. Figures 5c and 5d show a design of the type shown in figure 2a using contact pads 33 and 34 having convex contact surfaces at distal ends of the lateral extensions suitable for a “pat” type device. Figures 5e and 5f show a design having balls 35 and 36 at distal ends of the lateral extensions suitable for a “thump” type device. Figures 5g and 5h show lateral extensions which are of different shapes which do not have a contact pad and where the distal ends directly contact the skin. The pads and balls may be integrally formed with the lateral extensions, chemically bonded, mechanically secured or bonded using an adhesive. Where in this specification reference is made to a ‘slap’ reference is made in comparison to a pat or a thump where a slap generally has a small point-mass moving at high velocity with a contact surface that is flat and where the whole contact surface strikes the skin at the same time and energy is dissipated rapidly at the same time over flat contact surface resulting in a slapping sound with lowest level of displacement of the skin. A user may find some slaps to be painful. Given the low level of displacement, the greatest degree of mechanical stimulation is believed to act in the epidermis and dermis layers of skin with the resultant pressure wave penetrating the subcutaneous tissue also providing a degree of stimulation. A slap delivered by a flexible arm which utilises a whip action is illustrated in Figure 8b using the device of Figure 8a (using a treatment head of the shape of Figures 5a and 5b). Where in this specification reference is made to a ‘pat’ reference is made in comparison to a slap or a thump where a pat generally has a; medium point-mass moving at medium velocity with a contact surface that does not strike the skin at the same time and energy is dissipated more slowly with medium displacement of the skin. Here the mechanical stimulation occurs deeper than that for a slap but given the increased level of displacement mechanical stimulation is believed to be occurring deeper in the subcutaneous tissue along with stimulation created by the pressure wave. A pat delivered by a flexible arm which utilises a whip action is illustrated in Figure 8d using the device of Figure 8c (using a treatment head of the shape of Figures 5c and 5d). A pat which is delivered by an inflexible arm which does not utilise a whip action is illustrated in Figure 8h using the device of Figure 8g (using a treatment head of the shape of Figures 5c and 5d). Where in this specification reference is made to a ‘thump’ reference is made in comparison to a slap or a pat where a thump generally has a large point-mass moving at slower velocity with a contact surface that is larger and spherical, and energy is dissipated more slowly than for a pat with maximum displacement of the skin and underlying soft tissue. Here the mechanical stimulation occurs much deeper than that for a slap or pat and given the high level of displacement the stimulation is believed to be occurring in the skin, the subcutaneous tissue and through to the underlying muscle. The force experienced by a user is akin to a percussion massage. A thump delivered by a flexible arm which utilises a whip action is illustrated in Figure 8f using the device of Figure 8e (using a treatment head of the shape of Figures 5e and 5f). Figures 6a and 6b show an example of a treatment head of the type shown in Figures 1a and 1b in which the lateral extensions 37 and intermediate section are formed in one piece. As shown in Figure 6b the lateral extensions 37 taper towards their distal edges and decrease in mass towards their distal edges. Figures 6c and 6d show an example of a treatment head of the type shown in Figures 1a and 1b in which a plurality of protuberances 38 extend from the treatment head 39. Figures 7a to 7d illustrate the operation of a treatment head of the type shown in Figures 5a and 5b. The treatment head 39 shown in Figure 7a has a contact surface 41 and a point-mass 40 m(p) at a distance r from the centre of the treatment head to the centre of the contact surface that is equivalent to the volume V and mass density of the hyper elastic material behind and comprising the contact surface. In this and other examples the point-mass 40 has a mass of at least 0.10 grams. Values of point-mass between 0.2 and 3g are effective in many examples. The distance r can be between 15 to 50mm where there is a contact pad and where there isn’t the lateral extensions can extend between 15 to 55 mm from the centre of rotation of the treatment head. A range of between 20 to 35mm is particularly suitable in both cases. In Figures 7a position “a” shows the initial position of the treatment head before oscillation. Position “b” shows the treatment head when driven to one end of the range of oscillation of the drive shaft. Position “c” shows the treatment head when driven to the other end of the range of oscillation of the drive shaft. The three dashed lines indicate the positions of the drive shaft of the drive unit in the three different positions over its angular drive range θ. In Figure 7a the treatment head oscillates very slowly between either end of its range of oscillation so that there is negligible change in shape of the treatment head between positions. In this case the ends of the lateral extensions 39 rotate over the same range θ as the drive shaft. Figures 7b and 7c show the treatment head when oscillating more rapidly between either end of its range of oscillation. Figure 7b shows the treatment head in its initial position d, at the end of its range of movement anti-clockwise f and an intermediate position e. It will be seen that compared to Figure 7a there is additional hyperextension Ω of the treatment head between positions. This over-rotation stores torsional energy in the intermediate section and lateral extensions and releases it in a whip like action when the lateral extension rotates clockwise from position f and accelerates the point-mass 40 over this much greater arc resulting in the contact pad striking a user’s skin with a much higher velocity and significantly greater kinetic energy. Figure 7c illustrates rotation in the clockwise direction from the mid position g through to the other end of the range of rotation at i and an intermediate position h. Figures 7b and 7c illustrate the hyperextension of the ends of the lateral extensions when they freely oscillate with no skin contact. Figure 7d illustrates contact pad 41 of the treatment head contacting soft tissue of a user. Due to the hyperextension of the lateral extension the release of the stored torsional energy produces a whip effect at the end of the lateral extension to produce an impact that is beneficial for beauty and therapeutic therapies. Figure 7e illustrates an example where the lateral extension 42 does not have a contact pad. The lateral extension preferably rotates at least 5 degrees (i.e. angle Ω in Figure 7b) further than the drive shaft to produce an effective whip effect. A greater whip effect may be achieved where the lateral extension rotates at least 10 degrees further than the drive shaft. The angle Ω preferably lies in the range of 10 and 40 degrees. When used under normal operating conditions and the treatment head makes contact with a user’s skin the normal operating arc Δα is shown in Figure 7d. Where in this specification reference is made to ‘soft tissue’ reference is made to the different thicknesses of soft tissue which cover the face, neck and upper chest. The three principal layers of soft tissue are skin (comprising the thin outer epidermis layer and the thicker dermis layer), the hypodermis (i.e. subcutaneous tissue) and muscle. On the face and neck the skin thickness may typically vary between 1.7mm to 2.4mm thick and subcutaneous tissue may typically be between 2.0mm to 4.5mm thick. This is normally followed by muscle of varying thickness and in many areas then followed by bone. A feature of a number of examples disclosed is the use of a “whip action” and where, in this specification reference is made to a “whip action”, reference is made to a situation where the total oscillating torque which is oscillating through a defined arc is applied as a rotational force to a treatment head with flexible arms which are generally tapering towards the tip and the arms flex such that the tips of the arms oscillate along a greater arc than that of the internal head (as illustrated in Fig.7 (a)). This oscillating torque creates a kinetic wave which moves radially outwardly along the generally tapering arm, which is also generally decreasing in mass as the cross-sectional area generally decreases. The physics of a whip action are extremely complicated (“Whip Waves” Alain Goriely and Tyler McMillen 2003) but a key factor is conservation of energy. As kinetic energy (KE) must be conserved and KE = ½·m·v2the velocity will increase towards the tip of the arm generally exponentially as mass reduces as the wave moves along the arm. The effect may still be present where there are discontinuities provided there is a sufficient general trend of diminishing cross-sectional area and mass towards the tip. In the example illustrated in Figures 7b and 7c the total combined oscillating torque reaches a maximum positive value at one end of its oscillation arc to a maximum negative value at the other end of this arc. Over the oscillation arc the tips of these arms achieve maximum velocity shortly past the middle of each arc and zero velocity at the end of each arc. The benefit of this feature is that the greater arc described by the tip of the treatment head the greater the maximum velocity of the tip of the treatment head which exponentially increases the maximum kinetic energy of the small point-mass of the flexible arm which is delivered by the contact surface at the tip of the treatment head as it makes contact with the skin. The combined benefit of the increased kinetic energy and the flexible sleeve is a treatment device that can deliver an optimal and comfortable range of energy to the skin at the point of impact and deliver a more effective therapeutic mechanical stimulation than a device without these features. The rotational and linear kinetic energy delivered by the treatment device (as illustrated in Figure 7 (d) and (e)) as the contact surface strikes the soft tissue are equivalent at the point of contact. This kinetic energy is delivered by the point-mass via the contact surface which is the surface area near the tip of the arm that makes contact with the skin and imparts energy to the soft tissue. The force F of the point-mass as the contact surface of the treatment head strikes the skin is F = m(p)·a where a = deceleration of the point-mass from the moment the contact surface strikes the skin to the point of maximum displacement of the skin when velocity reaches zero. The point-mass begins with zero velocity and maximum acceleration at the beginning of each oscillation arc Δα and reaches maximum velocity just past the centre or each arc as illustrated in the Chart of Figure 12 (with Figures 13a to 13d illustrating the four positions A to D of a complete oscillation of the conversion mechanism used in common oscillating electric toothbrushes where the bar linkage dimensions are: AB=2.2mm; BC=9mm; CD=5.4mm; and AD=10mm). The full extent of the oscillation arc Δα is illustrated in Figure 7d as the point-mass accelerates to the point of impact when its velocity is at or near its maximum velocity v(Max) as is illustrated in Figure 7 (d) and (e)). The kinetic energy KE, which is the energy delivered by the treatment head and absorbed by the skin tissue where KE = ½·m(p)·v(Max)2. This equation demonstrates how the combined torque acting on a flexible tapering arm which hyperextends over each oscillation creates a whip effect that delivers a higher v(Max) where the benefit of the whip effect delivers more energy and a more powerful force from a smaller point-mass than would be achieved without this effect. This maximum velocity is directly related to the operating frequency of the treatment head under normal operation making contact with the skin. The example treatment heads illustrated in Figures 8a, 8c, 8e and 8g have an operating frequency of around 50 Hz which deliver a reasonable level of mechanical stimulation but is less than the optimal frequency of between 65 to 85 Hz referred to above. The operating frequency of a treatment head can be increased by changing the dimensions of the flexible intermediate cylindrical sleeve (in Figure 2e) and / or the dimensions of the lateral arms to achieve the optimal frequency range. In addition to kinetic energy and force there are a number of physics equations and measurements that can illustrate the creation and delivery of force, energy and pressure that are transferred to the soft tissue by the treatment device. These are illustrated by way of the first three examples in Figure 8a, 8c and 8e which utilise flexible tapering arms and the principal physics equations and measurements are discussed further in this description section below. There are several principal therapeutic benefits delivered by the different treatment heads of this treatment device: (i) The mechanical stimulation across a frequency range of 65-85Hz of the fibroblasts within soft tissue of the face has been proven in clinical trials to result in the cellular production of anti-aging proteins and nutrients; (ii) The transfer of energy to the soft tissue is converted into heat where heat is a well-known therapy that stimulates blood flow in the soft tissue of the face and neck area which leads to an increase of nutrients and oxygen to the area; (iii) The rapid oscillating impact force that acts on the soft tissue replicates a well-known percussive massage therapy which leads to increased blood flow and toning of the underlying muscle tissue; (iv) Slapping or patting the skin is a well-known technique to firm up the skin, increase blood flow; (v) Slapping or patting the skin after the application of lotions and creams increases their absorption; (vi) Delivering microcurrent to the skin as a form of cosmetic electrotherapy are well known and believed to rejuvenate skin; (vii) Delivering LED therapy to the skin is an established treatment for the effects of aging and for acne. Three different treatment heads of the treatment device can be used as an example to illustrate the different types of therapeutic benefits above. How the user experiences these three different treatment heads can be referred to as a slap, a pat or a thump. Examples of three different treatment heads to illustrate the differences between a slap, pat and thump with measurements of their performance are illustrated in Figures 8a to 8f . Also in Figure 8g and 8h is an example of a treatment head made of a relatively inflexible polycarbonate in the exact same shape as the pat treatment head. Each of these four examples have been user tested over the different treatment areas of the face, neck and upper chest as detailed further below in Table 1. Most of the treatment heads are pleasant to use however an important consideration is that on some of the very sensitive areas of the face the treatment intensity of some of these particular example treatment heads is painful. The intensity of the treatment and whether it meets the pain threshold of the user depends on a few key factors discussed further below. The physics and the resultant form of therapeutic stimulation experienced by a user is different across the above four example attachment heads and depends on a wide range of factors: (i) the thickness of the soft tissue of the face, neck and upper chest (see Table 1 Skin Thickness and Sensitivity); (ii) the sensitivity of the area of skin and soft tissue being struck (see Table 1 Skin Thickness and Sensitivity); (iii) The shape, mass, area, volume and material composition of the arms and contact surfaces; (iv) The underlying physics of the contact surface striking the skin and transferring force, energy and pressure to the soft tissue; and (v) How the user manipulates the handle of the drive unit to adjust the angle of attack of the treatment head to follow the contours of the face and neck while also adjusting the intensity of the treatment by bringing the treatment head closer or further away to the different areas of the face and neck and their associated sensitivity. Where in this specification reference is made to “pressure intensity” reference is made to the change in pressure P over time (dP / dt) which we have discovered is a useful measure of the pain a user may feel on the skin because of a slap, pat or thump. Pressure is the measure of force / area (N / m2) and in the treatment device, peak pressure P(Peak) is the peak force F(Peak) / area of the contact surface that makes contact with the skin. The peak pressure intensity PI(Peak) is the peak pressure divided by the time over which the force acts on the skin t(Peak) and is defined herein by the formula PI(Peak) = P(Peak) / t(Peak) and is measured in MPascals / s. This measurement does not appear to have been used before in physics and dP / dt is only used as blood pressure measurement. An important input into the design of the treatment device and the different attachments is to calculate and measure the peak pressure intensity to ensure it is not painful for the user. This is important given the different attachments can have very different physical and material characteristics. This measure is one of the three important measures to assess the intensity and pain threshold, the other two are peak pressure and depth of penetration and are discussed in more detail below. To calculate peak pressure intensity, the peak force and impulse energy has been measured by Flexiforce™ high-speed force sensors operating at 5000Hz and the peak pressure intensity calculated based on the area of the contact surface and the time period over which this peak pressure has impacted the skin. To ensure a reasonable degree of accuracy numerous different attachment heads have been used to strike artificial soft tissue of 5mm and 12mm thicknesses with a force sensor placed between the contact surface and the soft tissue and measurements made. These artificial tissues are based on a design recommended by Smooth-On™ and utilise Ecoflex 00-30 plus powermesh for the skin layer, Ecoflex Gel for the subcutaneous layer and Ecoflex 00-30 for the muscle layer with relative dimensions reflecting the average thicknesses of these three different layers. These four different attachments have also been tested on different parts of the face, neck and upper chest and the intensity has been noted with particular focus on when the strike is painful. Comparing these three important measures has allowed a peak pain intensity threshold across these measures to be identified which underpins the final design of the various range of attachments that will allow them to be comfortably used over the different parts of the face and neck each with their own thickness and sensitivity. In the four example calculations the key differences are that for the inflexible arm all the measures are far larger than the three example treatment heads with flexible arms and are too painful for use on any part of the face, neck and upper chest. For a slap the peak pressure intensity is much higher than for a pat which is higher than that for a thump and in this example the slap is useful and effective for all parts of the treatment area except for the very highly sensitive skin directly under the eyes which is painful for all the example treatment heads. This difference in peak pressure intensity is reflected in their different surface areas illustrated in Figure 8 and provided in Table 1 which show some of the important measurements of the four example attachments. In our examples of the three different treatment heads the three peak forces F(Peak) of a slap, pat and thump are 4.0 N, 6.4 N and 9.0 N respectively (as in Figure 12). Given their contact surfaces have different areas their respective peak pressures P(Peak) are fairly similar at 65, 70, and 42 kPascals. However, these peak forces and peak pressures are delivered over very different timeframes when the skin tissue is being struck. FlexiForce measurements show 0.0002 s for a slap, 0.0004 s for a pat and 0.0008 s for the thump of the three heads. The slap delivered by this example head is at the threshold of being painful whereas the pat is comfortable and thump is the least intense. In our three examples, the PI(Peak) is 327, 186 and 40 MPascals / s for the slap, pat and thump. This measurement allows a designer to estimate the pain intensity of a strike and design the attachment head accordingly. For the fourth example of the solid treatment head of Figure 8d the key measures of F(Peak) 16.3N, P(Peak) 189 kPascals and PI(Peak) 946 MPascals / s are significantly greater and considerably more painful than for the three example treatment heads with flexible lateral arms. To effectively deliver therapeutic benefits while not being too painful for the user, the treatment device must be able to accommodate the different thicknesses of the soft tissue and the sensitivities of the skin over the face and neck. Sensitivity is also related to how thin the soft tissue is when it is close to the underlying skull or jawbone. Pain threshold depends on how thick the skin tissue is, particularly when it is over bone, and the depth of penetration of the contact surface, which will be painful if penetration depth compresses the skin tissue against the underlying bone. If this is too close then it may be painful, and bruising may occur. In this case Peak Pressure is important as a measure of intensity and pain threshold in order to design an effective treatment head to accommodate the many different contact surfaces of the different treatment heads and the different areas of the face, neck and upper chest. Where skin tissue is thicker than the depth of penetration and where a slap is used (noting that with a slap penetration is at a minimum) then Peak Pressure Intensity is important as an additional measure of intensity and pain threshold. There are several commonly referred to anatomical areas on the face and neck. The principal areas and their respective thickness and sensitivity to pain are tabled below. Note that these measures are averages and can vary considerably from individual to individual. Also note that on average a man’s skin over these areas is approximately 1mm thicker than for a woman. User testing of the pain thresholds of the different areas of the face and neck has identified different pain thresholds for different areas of the face. The sensitivity and pain thresholds across the different treatment areas across the three example treatment heads of a slap, pat and thump which are all soft and flexible. Also included as a comparison are the results of pat treatment head made of a solid inflexible material. The table below includes the depth of penetration Δd the contact surface of the treatment head makes on the 12mm thick artificial skin tissue referred to elsewhere and compares this with the average and minimum thickness of the different treatment areas to demonstrate where the treatment head is effective and where it could be painful to use. These relationships are important to set maximum pain thresholds to design treatment heads which are either effective over all treatment areas or design treatment heads for a specific treatment area (e.g. directly under the eyes). Table 1 below also includes the key measures across the different treatment heads that are related to intensity which are Peak Impact Force, Peak Pressure and Peak Pressure Intensity. Lastly the table below then provides a measure of the Intensity Experienced by Users of the different treatment heads using a measure from 1 to 5. Table 1 Skin Thickness, Skin Sensitivity, Depth of Penetration Δd (of the example treatment heads impacting 12mm artificial skin tissue) and Intensity Experienced by Users Measure Slap Pat Thump Inflexible Pat Δd (mm)1.5 2.5 6.0 8.0Peak Impact 4.0 6.4 9.0 16.4 Force (N) Kinetic / Impact 0.0071 0.0173 0.0517 0.0400 Energy (J) Peak Pressure (kPascals) 65 74 32 189 Peak Pressure Intensity 327 186 40 946 (MPascals) General Average Skin Intensity Experienced by Users Treatment Skin Sensitivity Thickness 1 gentle, 2 stimulating & effective, 3 powerful & Area (mm) effective, 4 too painful, 5 bruising likely Directly under the Very High 3-8 4 5 5 5 eyes Cheek (over High 10-12 3 4 3 4 jaw bone) Forehead Medium 4–6 3 4 3 5 Temple Medium 11–13 3 2 2 4 Lower Cheek Medium 17-23 3 3 3 4 (no bone) Neck and under the Low 6-23 2 2 & 3* 2 & 3* 5 Jaw Upper chest or Low 4-30 2 2 & 3* 2 & 3* 5 Décolletage Note * Intensity depends on the skin thickness given the large range of these two areas As shown in Table 1 the use of an inflexible treatment head is far too painful as a form of treatment whereas soft flexible treatment heads deliver a more effective and comfortable treatment. The solid treatment head is far greater across all the Measures and is too painful across all treatment areas. In addition, the solid arm coupled to the conversion mechanism of a common electric toothbrush makes the toothbrush handle difficult to hold when it aggressively strikes any surface. As shown in Table 1 although Peak Force is important what is more important is the surface area of the contact surface that penetrates the skin and the depth of the skin tissue it is striking. This is clearly demonstrated by the thump which has a large surface area and where there is a reasonable level of skin depth even though the Peak Force is higher than the slap or pat its two pressure measures are much lower. As shown in Table 1 where Δd is close to or exceeds the skin depth the treatment head is too painful, and the present design of the pat and thump examples are only suitable for certain treatment areas. Whereas the slap is suitable for all treatment areas given its shallow depth of penetration. In the case of the slap, the contact surface is small, the peak velocity is high and the two key measures are Peak Pressure and Peak Pressure Intensity. These are useful as they are based on the area of the skin being impacted and in the case of Peak Pressure Intensity this also reflects the very short time over which the Peak Pressure acts. The above information is useful for designing the shape of treatment heads and also useful to determine the pain thresholds to ensure treatment heads are effective and not painful. The pain thresholds across the three example treatment heads across the three key measures are shown in the two tables below depending on whether the skin tissue thickness is <5mm or >5mm. For treatment areas where the skin is thinner as shown in Table 2, the key measure which determines the Pain Threshold is the Depth of Penetration Δd which needs to be less than 2mm to deliver an acceptable and effective treatment. Once this is met then the other two measures must also be met.

[0002] Table 2 Pain Thresholds for areas where skin is thinner < 5mm General Average Skin Depth of Peak Peak Treatment Skin Pressure Sensitivity Thickness Penetration Pressure Intensity Area (mm) Δd (mm) (kPascals) (MPascals) Directly under the eyes Very High 3-8 <2 40 200 Forehead Medium 4–6 <2 60 400 Upper chest or Décolletage Low 4-30 <2 80 400 For treatment areas where the skin is thicker as shown in Table 3, the depth of penetration is much less relevant and the key measure which determines the Pain Threshold is the Peak Pressure. Once this is met then the last measure Peak Pressure Intensity must also be met. Table 3 Pain Thresholds for areas where skin is thicker > 5mm General Average Skin Depth of Peak Peak Treatment Skin Thickness Penetration Pressure Sensitivity Pressure Intensity Area (mm) Δd (kPascals) (MPascals) Cheek (over jaw bone) High 10-12 <8 60 400 Temple Medium 11–13 <8 100 400 Lower Cheek Medium 17-23 <8 80 400 (no bone) Neck and under the Jaw Low 6-23 <4 100 400 In addition to the important measurement of Peak Pressure and Peak Pressure Intensity there are several other important measures which underpin the design of the treatment head and are important to ensure it delivers sufficient mechanical stimulation to provide useful therapeutic benefits. With reference to Figure 8 tests were conducted for: a) a “slap” type treatment head of the type shown in Figure 5a with a low point-mass. b) a “pat” type treatment head of the type shown in Figure 5c with a moderate point-mass. c) a “thump” type treatment head of the type shown in Figure 5e with a high point-mass in the form of a ball. d) a “solid pat” type treatment head of the type shown in Figure 5c formed of a relatively inflexible material for comparative purposes. In the following Table 4 of tests results for these four designs the following measures were used: (i) I = Total Moment of Inertia (kg⋅m²) of the attachment arm as measured & calculated where I = ∑(m(i) · r(i)) which is most relevant for the treatment head made of a relatively inflexible material. (ii) m(p) = point-mass (kg) situated at the centre of the contact surface at the end of the arm that is equivalent to the mass of the volume and the specific mass density of the material. (iii) Δα = total angle of the normal operating arc (degrees) traversed by m(p) as the arm hyperextends over its whipping motion arm from the beginning of the arc to the point of contact. (iv) v(Max) = maximum velocity (m / s) of the m(p) as it strikes the skin and increasing v(Max) will exponentially increase the kinetic energy. (v) KE = kinetic energy (J or N·m) of the m(p) which is the energy that is transferred to the soft tissue upon each impact where KE = 1 / 2 · m(p) · v(Max)². (vi) p = momentum (kg⋅m / s) of the m(p) upon contact where p = m(p) · v(Max). (vii) a(d) = average deceleration (m / s²) of the m(p) post initial contact with the skin where a(d) = v(Max) / Δt and Δt= total time over which the force acts on the skin as measured by the FlexiForce system. (viii) IF(Avg) = average Impact Force (N or kg⋅m / s²) of m(p) acting on the skin based on measurements of the Exilim EX-F1 “Slomo” video camera operating at 1200 frames per second where IF(Avg) = m(p) · v(Max) / Δt. (ix) F(Peak) = peak force (N or kg⋅m / s²) impacting the skin as measured by the high- speed FlexiForce impulse force sensor system operating at 5000Hz and the time between each force measurement of the FlexiForce system is 0.0002s.T(Peak) = time at which F(Peak) occurs. (x) J(Peak) = peak impulse (N⋅s or kg⋅m / s) impacting the skin where J(Peak) = F(Peak) ⋅ t(Peak). (xi) J(Total) = total impulse (N⋅s or kg⋅m / s) which is the area under the force / time curve measured by the FlexiForce system. (xii) P(Peak) = peak pressure (kPascals or N / m2) felt by the skin where P(Peak) = F(Peak) / Area of the contact surface (xiii) PI(Peak) = peak pressure intensity (MPascals / s) experienced by the user where PI(Peak) = P(Peak) / t(Peak). (xiv) W = Work energy (Joules J or kg·m² / s² or Wh) which is converted to heat in the soft tissue from impulse force of each strike of the contact surface where W = F(Peak) · d (displacement of the skin) or W = 1 / 2 · m(p) · v(max)2(xv) P = power (Watts or Joules / s) absorbed by the soft tissue as work energy is delivered over a period of time.

[0003] Table 4 Results of the three example treatment heads and the inflexible treatment head Row Attribute Unit Slap Pat Thump Solid Pat Various Physical Measurements of Treatment Head 1 radius r = length of whip mm 32 25 22 25 arm to m(p) in middle of CS 2 as above in m m 0.032 0.025 0.022 0.025 3 Total Moment of Inertia of kg⋅m² 6.0E-07 3.9E-07 2.3E-06 3.9E-07 single arm (I = ∑(m(i) · r(i))) 4 Equivalent point-mass of I g 0.58 0.63 3.29 0.63 at radius r (m(p) = I / (r²)) 5 Calculated point-mass m(p) g 0.19 0.60 1.87 1.26 of Contact Surface 6 as above in kg kg 0.00019 0.00060 0.00187 0.00126 Measurements by FlexiForce force sensor (as seen in Fig 8) 7 Peak Force impacting the N 4.03 6.43 8.96 16.35 skin (F(Peak) = average of ~100 FlexiForce force measurements) 8 Average Force impacting N 2.02 3.21 4.48 8.18 the skin (F(Avg) = F(Peak) / 2) 9 Time between each s 0.0002 0.0002 0.0002 0.0002 FlexiForce force measurement 10 Time t(Peak) to F(Peak) (see s 0.0002 0.0004 0.0008 0.0002 Figure 8) 11 Time Δt over which Impact s 0.0008 0.001 0.0024 0.0008 Force acts on skin (Accurately measured by FlexiForce) 12 Peak Impulse from N⋅s 0.00080 0.00127 0.00179 0.00340 Flexiforce at t(Peak) 13 Total Impulse from N⋅s 0.00161 0.00350 0.01076 0.00654 Flexiforce (J(FF) = average of ~100 FlexiForce force measurements) Measurements by EX-F1 Slomo camera @ 1200 Frame / s 14 Head oscillation running Hz 29 39 28 43 free with no skin contact Total arc angle traversed by degrees 170 140 110 90 m(p) running free with no skin contact Head Oscillation observed Hz 48 46 43 41 by Slomo under normal load with skin contact Angle of whip arc Δα degrees 45 33 75 50 traversed by m(p) under normal operating conditions from beginning of each arc to point of contact with skin as above in radians radians 0.79 0.58 1.31 0.87 Hyperextension Ω beyond degrees 20 8 50 25 the normal operating arc of the head Time t to complete above s 0.0050 0.0033 0.0075 0.0075 normal whip arc Δα Arc Length traversed by mm 25.1 14.4 28.8 21.8 m(p) (ArcL = Arc / 360° · 2 · π · r) as above in m m 0.0251 0.0144 0.0288 0.0218 Average angular velocity of rad / s 157 173 175 116 m(p) over arc (ω(Avg) = Δα / t) Average radial velocity of rad / s 157 173 175 116 m(p) over arc (v(Avg ω) = ω · r) Maximum linear velocity at m / s 10.05 8.64 7.68 5.82 point of contact based on ω (v(Max ω) = 2 · v(Avg)) Average distance D mm 12 11 12 10 travelled in last two frames of Slomo before striking skin (2nd estimate of maximum velocity) as above in m m 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.010 Maximum linear velocity m / s 7.20 6.60 7.20 6.00 based on D above (v(Max D) = D / 2 / 1200s = 2nd estimate of v(Max)) v(Max) = average of v(Max m / s 8.63 7.62 7.44 5.91 ω) and v(Max D) as above in km / hr km / hr 31 27 27 21 Kinetic Energy of m(p) at J or N⋅m 0.0071 0.0173 0.0517 0.0220 point of contact (KE = Impact Energy = 1 / 2 · m(p) · v(Max)²) Change in momentum Δp N⋅s 0.0016 0.0045 0.0139 0.0075 upon contact (Δp = m(p) · Δv = m(p) · v(Max)) Time Δt over which Impact s 0.0008 0.001 0.0024 0.0008 Force acts on skin (Accurately measured by FlexiForce) Average Impact Force N 1.91 2.97 4.51 6.56 based on time of impact (IF(Avg) = m(p) · v(Max) / Δt(IF)) Maximum Impact Force N 3.82 5.93 9.02 13.12 IF(Max) = 2 · IF(Δt) (based on EX-F1 slomo video) Deceleration of m(p) post- m / s² -10800 -7600 -3100 -7400 contact based (a(d) = v(Max) / Δt(Force)) Impulse (J(Slomo) = Δp / N⋅s 0.00153 0.00297 0.01082 0.00525 t(Total)) Average torque of N⋅m 0.066 0.114 0.127 0.233 oscillating head (τ(Avg) = r · F(Avg)) Observed depth Δd of tip of mm 1.5 2.5 6.0 8.0 CS 'penetrates' skin tissue (without FlexiForce sensor) Comparison of Key measures (Note the FlexiForce is far more accurate for force and impulse measures) F(Peak) from above N 4.03 6.43 8.96 16.35 IF(Max) from above N 3.82 5.93 9.02 13.12 Difference between N 0.21 0.50 -0.05 3.24 FlexiForce and Slomo maximum impact force measures Above difference as a % 5% 8% -1% 20% percentage Impulse J(FF) from above N⋅s 0.00161 0.00350 0.01076 0.00654 Impulse J(Slomo) from N⋅s 0.00153 0.00297 0.01082 0.00525 above Difference between N.s 0.00008 0.00053 -0.00006 0.00129 FlexiForce and Slomo Impulse measures Above difference as a % 5% 15% -1% 20% percentage Theoretical Pressure Calculations 48 Calculated area of CS mm² 62 86 279 86 displacing the skin tissue 49 Average Pressure P(Avg) = kPascals 32.7 37.2 16.1 94.6 IF(Avg) / Area 50 Peak Pressure (P(Peak) = kPascals 65.4 74.4 32.1 189.3 F(Peak) / Area) 51 Peak Pressure Intensity MPascal 327.2 186.0 40.2 946.3 (PI(Peak) = P(Peak) / s / s t(Peak)) Theoretical Power Calculations 52 Work energy done on the J 0.0071 0.0173 0.0517 0.0220 soft tissue each impact 53 Work energy done / second J 0.34 0.78 2.20 0.88 for 1 arm 54 Work energy done / minute J 40 93 264 106 for 2 arms 55 Power absorbed by each Watts 0.00012 0.00029 0.00086 0.00037 impact 56 Power absorbed by soft Watts 0.7 1.6 4.4 1.8 tissue from both arms over one minute From this table it can be seen that the following performance metrics are desirable: • maximum linear velocity of the contact surface at the moment it strikes the skin is greater than 4 m / s, preferably greater than 6 m / s and preferably between 6 and 10 m / s. • kinetic energy of the point-mass of the arm at the contact surface of the treatment head at the moment it strikes the skin of a user is greater than 0.002 Joules, preferably greater than 0.004 Joules and preferably between 0.005 and 0.08 Joules. • momentum of the point-mass of the arm at the contact surface of the treatment head at the moment it strikes the skin of a user is greater than 0.001 N⋅s. • the peak force of the point-mass of the contact surface of the treatment over the time of its impact with the skin of a user is greater than 2 N, and preferably between than 2 and 10 N. • peak impulse of each impact is greater than 0.0005 N⋅s, preferably greater than 0.0004 N⋅s and preferably between 0.0005 and 0.002 N⋅s. • total impulse of each impact is greater than 0.0006 N⋅s, preferably greater than 0.0008 N⋅s and preferably between 0.0008 and 0.02 N⋅s. • peak pressure of each impact is greater than 10 kPascals, preferably greater than 20 kPascals, preferably less than 100 kPascals, preferably between 20 and 100 kPascals. • peak pressure intensity of each impact is less than 300 MPascals / s, preferably between 20 and 300 MPascals / s. • work energy of each impact is greater than 0.003 J and preferably less than 0.08. • power of each impact is greater than 0.00005 Watt and preferably less than .001 Watts. • power of total impacts delivered over 1 minute is greater than 0.25 Watts. • the total moment of inertia of each arm of the treatment head is at least 300 grams·mm2, preferably between 400 and 2,500 g·mm2. The hyperelastic materials used in the lateral extensions and intermediate sections need to be selected to deliver the above performance. The hyperelastic material used in these parts is preferably a soft elastomeric material. Siloxane or reactive siloxane materials are one option. These will preferably have a Shore A hardness of between 10 and 30. Thermoplastic polyurethane is another option. This material will preferably have a Shore A hardness of between 30 and 90. The material desirably has a stiffness (modulus), as measured by ASTM D790, of between 27MPa and 512Mpa. The material preferably has a stiffness (modulus), as measured by ASTM D412, of between 5Mpa and 20Mpa. The material preferably has an energy absorbing ability (tan delta), as measured by ASTM D 4065 (DMTA trace), of between 0.2 and 0.5. From the above it will be apparent that the intermediate section can be formed of a material selected from a thermoset polysiloxane; a thermoset polysiloxane; a thermoplastic polyurethane; a thermoplastic polyurethane and a thermoplastic siloxane copolymer. As illustrated in Figures 4a to 4h the treatment head can be formed of different materials having different properties. The outer layer(s) may be formed of a softer material than the inner layer. An outer layer of a hyperelastic material as described above may be overmolded over an inner material. The materials in 23 and 25 of Figure 4b may be of different hyperelastic materials. The Materials Table below gives details of preferred materials and properties for the example shown in Figures 1a and 1b but is applicable to all of the examples. In this table the bracketed numbers refer to the material with that number in the column. Materials Table COMPONENT LATERAL CASING INTERNAL INTERNAL SHAFT EXTENSIONS MATERIAL SHAFT Part 5 Part 5 Fig 1b Part 4 Fig 1b Parts 3&6 Fig 1b Fig 1b MECHANICAL HYPERELASTIC MEDIUM STIFF VERY STIFF NOT REQUIREMENT V.LOW STIFFNESS ENERGY ENERGY ABSORBING STIFFNESS ENERGY ABSORBING ENERGY ABSORBING ABSORBING EXAMPLE 1) SILOXANE 1) TOUGHENED 1) NYLON 6, 66 ** MATERIALS 2) REACTIVE COPOLYESTER** NYLON 66** 2) POLYESTER (PBT) SILOXANE** 2) (DUPONT 3) POLYCARBONATE 3) COPOLYAMIDE** ST801) 4) POLYPROPYLENE THERMOPLASTIC 5) UPVC POLYURETHANE* STANDARD MEASURE CHARACTERISTICS (ASTM) HARDNESS (1), (2) 10 - 30A (1) 35 - 72D ROCKWELL ROCKWELL (SHORE, (3) 30 - 90A (2) 40 - 90D 108R >100 ROCKWELL) SHORE ASTM D2240 S ASTM D 785 R STIFFNESS VERY LOW N / A N / A N / A (MODULUS / 5 – 20 MPa ELASTOMERS) ASTM D412 STIFFNESS (1), (2) N / A (1) 60 -512 MPa 1900 MPa (1) 3000 MPa (MODULUS / (3) 27 – 512 MPa (2) 19 – 462 MPa (2) 2800 MPa PLASTICS) (3) 2400 MPa ASTM D 790 (4) 1100 MPa (5) 2000 MPa ENERGY TAN Δ 0.2 – 0.5 (1) TAN Δ < 0.5 - ABSORBING - (DMTA) FOR ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL ASTM 4065 ENERGY NA (1) NO BREAK 854 J / m (1) 53 J / m ABSORBING (2) NO BREAK PLASTICS, NOTCHED ROD, ASTM D256 ** CAPABLE OF FORMING STRONG CHEMICAL BONDS * BONDS WITH COPOLYAMIDES Figures 9a to 9x show a variety of different possible treatment head geometries with a plan view below and an end view above. Figures 9a and 9b show an asymmetric design where the treatment head 43 has a ball 44 on one lateral extension and a contact pad 45 on the other lateral extension. This design can deliver different treatments from each lateral extension. Figures 9c and 9d show a design similar to Figure 2a with contact pads 47 and 48 provided on the lateral extensions of treatment head 46. Figures 9e and 9f show a treatment head 49 with the lateral extensions 50 and 51 below the centre of rotation. Figures 9g and 9h show the design of Figure 9c with contact pads 52 and 53. Figure 9i and 9j show a treatment head 54 having balls 55 and 56 at the ends of the lateral extensions. This design may be particularly suited to percussion massage. Figures 9k and 9l show a treatment head 57 having a plurality of protuberances 58 extend from the treatment head. Figures 9m and 9n shows a treatment head 59 having a large number of lateral extensions 60. This design is suitable for use with a drive unit producing pure rotation. Figures 9o and 9p show an asymmetric design where one lateral extension 61 has a different shape to the other lateral extension 62. The longitudinal extension of lateral extension 61 beyond the central region of the treatment head can be configured to propagate longitudinal waves along the longitudinal extension. This design can deliver different therapeutic treatments from each lateral extension. Figures 9q and 9r show a treatment head 63 having a heart shape where the longitudinal extension of both lateral extensions beyond the central region of the treatment head can be configured to propagate longitudinal waves along the longitudinal extensions (as illustrated in more detail in Figure 10). Figures 9s and 9t show a treatment head 64 of a generally oval shape. Figures 9u and 9v show a treatment head 65 having a quadrature arrangement of balls 66 to 69 attached to the ends of the lateral extensions. This design may also be suited to a drive unit producing pure rotation. Figures 9w and 9x show another design with a plurality of protuberances 70 extending from treatment head 71. This design can deliver a gentler form of mechanical stimulation. Figure 10 shows a heart shaped treatment head 63 of the type shown in Figure 9i when driven in different modes. Figure 10a shows the treatment head in plan view at rest and Figure 10b shows an end view of the treatment head at rest. Figure 10c shows an end view of the treatment head in oscillation with the solid lines showing the treatment head at one end of its range of oscillation and the dashed lines showing the other. Figure 10d is a side view of treatment head 63 in oscillation striking the skin of a user and Figure 10e is an end view of the same thing. Figure 10f illustrates how at a higher speed of oscillation two maxima 72 and 73 may be generated in the peripheral edges of treatment head 63 oscillating about a single node 74. This result can also be generated by adjusting the shape and cross-sectional area of the treatment head. Thus a treatment head can be designed and driven so that the peripheral edges of the lateral extensions oscillate to produce a wave along the peripheral edge having first number of maxima at the first frequency and a different number of maxima at the second frequency. A benefit of this is a slight increase in oscillation speed and a doubling of the number of mechanical stimulations per oscillation where the stimulations are gentler. Figure 10g illustrates how three maxima 75, 76 and 77 may be generated oscillating around two nodes 78 and 79 with similar benefits as mentioned above. Figures 11a and 11b illustrate different modes of operation when the treatment head is driven at different frequencies of oscillation. In Figure 11a the middle view (ii) shows the middle position of the treatment head when the drive shaft is half way through its driving range and the upper (i) and lower (iii) views show the shape of the treatment head 80 at either extreme end of the driving range of the drive shaft 81. The dashed lines indicate the shaft angle of the drive shaft at the extreme ends of rotation and the intermediate position. It will be seen that there is considerable hyperextension of the ends of the treatment head 80 at both extreme ends of rotation. Figure 11b shows the same views but in this case the treatment head 80 is driven at a higher frequency. In this case the treatment head operates in a different mode and it will be seen that the lateral extensions oscillate about intermediate nodes 82 and 83. The devices described above may be used for a range of beauty, massage and therapeutic purposes. By repeatedly applying a peak force of between 2.0 and 10.0 N over a skin contact area of between 20 and 300 mm2effective treatments may be provided across a range of different treatment heads. The peak impulse in a treatment is preferably between 0.0008 and 0.002 N⋅s. The peak pressure is preferably between 10 and 100 kPascals, preferably 20 to 100 kPascals. The peak pressure intensity is preferably between 20 and 300 MPascals / s. The skin contact area is between preferably between 20 and 300 mm2. The frequency of repetition of impacts is preferably between 50 and 105 Hz. A substance may also be applied by the treatment head during treatment. Electric current may also be delivered by the treatment head of Figure 3a during treatment. LED therapy may also be delivered by the treatment head of Figure 3a during treatment. Examples above increase the energy efficiency of a treatment motion by utilising a whipping motion in the delivery of some of the treatments. This effectively delivers energy to the soft tissue that deliver the several principal therapeutic benefits referred to above. Treatment heads can consistently and repeatedly deliver an effective slap, pat or percussive mechanical stimulation which can also be extended to include the application of lotions or creams and / or microcurrent treatment and / or LED treatment. Example devices can deliver different treatment characteristics for different parts of the face and neck penetrating to different depths within the soft tissue; a lower power form for beauty therapies and a more powerful version to provide therapeutic massage to the rest of the body. Example devices allow the user to adjust the treatment characteristics by adjusting the distance of the device from the face and neck and also adjusting the grip to reduce the angle of the arc of the contact surface to reduce the force delivered to the skin. Example devices provide mechanical stimulation at a frequency that stimulates the production of collagen etc in the fibroblast cells. This can be achieved by delivering a high frequency of mechanical stimulation with a recommended twice daily treatment of around 3 minutes twice a day in the morning and evening totalling 2 minutes on each side of the face and 2 minutes on the neck. Example treatment devices can operate under load between 65Hz to 80Hz and deliver mechanical stimulation at an optimal frequency range to the soft tissue of the face and neck, which has been shown in a recent study to reduce the various signs associated with skin aging. A range of inexpensive interchangeable treatment heads can be attached to a standard oscillating electric toothbrush, thereby utilising a commonly available power source and increasing the utility of an electric toothbrush. This allows the user to choose different treatments by using different interchangeable heads. The drive unit need not be restricted to using an electric toothbrush and the use of an application specific drive unit enhances the user’s ability to adjust the nature and intensity of treatment with example treatment heads. Variable speed of oscillation allows a user to adjust the intensity of treatment. Adjusting the arc of oscillation would also give the user another method to adjust the intensity of the treatment. Beyond facial massage treatment applications example treatment devices may be used in other potential medical applications such as providing therapeutic treatment of skin diseases, skin damage or muscle repair. A range of compositions may be applied where a fluid reservoir is provided and / or electro therapy delivered and / or LED therapy is delivered. For treatment heads which have a fluid reservoir these are likely to be filled by means of a syringe or applicator device with an appropriately shaped nozzle and the user can inject their preferred lotion, cream, or oil. Under normal operating the fluid will be released in nominal quantities upon each impact of the contact surface assisted by the centrifugal force the fluid in the reservoir will experience under oscillation. For treatment heads which incorporate the additional benefit of microcurrent stimulation the preferred approach is based on common characteristics of numerous other microcurrent devices where the voltage is in the range 2.5 – 12 volts DC and the current is less than 1 milliampere. A range wide range of wave forms (e.g., Sine, Square, Biphasic, Monophasic, Pulsed, Galvanic, etc.) can be provided and delivered across a frequency range of between 0.5 to 300Hz. The preferred frequency is the frequency of oscillation of the treatment head which has the benefit of delivering mechanical stimulation simultaneously with the microcurrent treatment. Where a treatment head has a fluid reservoir and microcurrent stimulation the reservoir may be filled with a suitable conductive fluid to assist in the delivery of microcurrents. For treatment heads which incorporate the additional benefit of LED therapy the preferred approach is based on common characteristics of numerous other LED therapy devices. A range wide range of wavelengths can be provided where the preferred wavelengths are in the red and blue spectrums depending on the form of treatment desired. For anti-aging treatment the preferred wavelengths are between 605nm to 855nm. For treatment of acne the preferred wavelengths are between 400 to 470 nm. Another benefit of the treatment head is the manner in which the energy is delivered to the soft tissue. For a slap the mechanical stimulation and associated energy is absorbed primarily in the skin and upper level of subcutaneous tissue whereas for a thump the mechanical stimulation and associated energy is absorbed deeper into the soft tissue through to the muscle. For a pat the energy delivered falls between these two other heads. All these three treatment heads have similar therapeutic benefits. When the above treatment heads are combined with one of more of the additional three treatments (i.e. fluid application, microcurrent treatment and / or LED therapy) the following additional benefits are provided to a user.

[0004] Standalone Benefits Benefits when combined with mechanical stimulation Fluid application Allows the slow delivery and Increases the speed and depth of application of fluid to the fluid absorption treatment area Microcurrents Toning the facial skin and Delivering mechanical stimulation muscles to further tone the skin and also introduce anti-aging benefits LED therapy Counter the effects of aging and Delivering mechanical stimulation also a treatment for acne to further tone the skin and also introduce anti-aging benefits Another example of a treatment head is where all the above treatments are available in a single treatment head which provides these multiple benefits simultaneously. A feature of the treatment device is that various attachments can be designed to deliver effective therapeutic treatment to different depths of the skin tissue in non-painful way to these different areas which can also be combined with one or more of these above additional treatments. When the treatment head is combined with one of more of the additional treatments of fluid application, microcurrent treatment and / or LED light therapy the effectiveness and usefulness of the treatment device is greatly increased where one of more of these treatments can be delivered simultaneously significantly reducing the amount of treatment time. A user is expected to become quickly experienced at utilising the treatment device in applying the different treatment heads to different parts of the face and neck. During product trials users quickly became adept at manipulating the handle of the drive unit to adjust the intensity of treatment. This manipulation is very similar to a user manipulating the handle of an electric toothbrush to ensure the toothbrush head is able to access all the teeth from different angles. Product trials have shown that it is easy for a user to adjust the intensity of treatment by changing the vertical, horizontal and lateral angle of the treatment head relative to the skin surface. The intensity of the treatment is strongest when the treatment head and its lateral arms are parallel to the skin surface and decrease as this angle is changed. Also drawing the handle of the drive unit away from the skin surface reduces the intensity. This feature is very useful allowing the user to adjust the intensity of the treatment to accommodate the different sensitivities of the different areas of the face and neck. While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of the embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in detail, it is not the intention of the Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departure from the spirit or scope of the Applicant’s general inventive concept.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A treatment device comprising: i. a drive unit having a body and a drive shaft extending therefrom; and ii. a treatment head driven by the drive shaft having one or more flexible lateral extensions, each configured to produce a whip action at its end when the massage head is driven by the drive unit.

2. A treatment device comprising: i. a drive unit having a body and a drive shaft extending therefrom; and ii. a treatment head comprising: a. a proximal end engaged with the body; b. a distal end driven by the drive shaft; c. an intermediate section between proximal and distal ends configured to store and release torsional energy generated between the proximal end and distal end; and d. one or more flexible lateral extensions, each configured to produce a whip action at its end when the massage head is driven by the drive unit.

3. A treatment device comprising: i. a drive unit having a body and a drive shaft extending therefrom configured to oscillate when driven; and ii. a treatment head comprising: a. a proximal end engaged with the body; b. a distal end driven by the drive shaft; c. an intermediate section between proximal and distal ends configured to store and release torsional energy generated between the proximal end and distal end; and d. one or more flexible lateral extensions, each configured to produce a whip action at its end when the massage head is driven by the drive unit.

4. A treatment device comprising: i. a drive unit having a body and a drive shaft extending therefrom configured to oscillate over a first angular range when driven; andii. a treatment head driven by the drive shaft having one or more flexible lateral extensions, the tips of which are configured to oscillate over a range of 5 degrees greater than the first angular range when the treatment head is driven in free space by the drive unit.

5. A treatment device comprising: i. a drive unit having a body and a drive shaft extending therefrom; ii. a treatment head comprising: a. a proximal end engaged with the body; b. a distal end driven by the drive shaft; c. an intermediate section between proximal and distal ends configured to store and release torsional energy generated between the proximal end and distal end; and d. one or more flexible lateral extensions.

6. A treatment device comprising: i. a drive unit having a body and a drive shaft extending therefrom configured to oscillate the drive shaft at first and second selectable frequencies; and ii. a treatment head driven by the drive shaft having one or more flexible lateral extensions extending from a central region having peripheral edges which are configured to oscillate to produce a wave along each peripheral edge wherein the wave has a first number of maxima at the first frequency and a different number of maxima at the second frequency.

7. A treatment device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the treatment head includes longitudinal extensions beyond the central region of the treatment head configured to propagate longitudinal waves along the longitudinal extensions.

8. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 2, 3 or 5 wherein the intermediate section stores and releases torque of greater than 5N·mm during each oscillation, preferably between 10 and 35 N.mm.

9. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the equivalent point-mass of each arm at the contact surface at the tip of each arm of the treatment head has a point-mass of at least 0.10 grams, preferably between 0.2 and 3g.

10. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the maximum linear velocity of the contact surface at the moment it strikes the skin is greater than 4 m / s.

11. A treatment device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the maximum linear velocity of the contact surface at the moment it strikes the skin is greater than 6 m / s.

12. A treatment device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the maximum linear velocity of the contact surface at the moment it strikes the skin is between 6 and 10 m / s.

13. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the kinetic energy of the point-mass of the arm at the contact surface of the treatment head at the moment it strikes the skin of a user is greater than 0.002 Joules.

14. A treatment device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the kinetic energy of the point-mass of the arm at the contact surface of the treatment head at the moment it strikes the skin of a user is greater than 0.004 Joules.

15. A treatment device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the kinetic energy of the point-mass of the arm at the contact surface of the treatment head at the moment it strikes the skin of a user is between 0.005 and 0.08 Joules.

16. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the momentum of the point-mass of the arm at the contact surface of the treatment head at the moment it strikes the skin of a user is greater than 0.001 N⋅s.

17. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the peak force of the point-mass of the contact surface of the treatment over the time of its impact with the skin of a user is greater than 0.5N.

18. A treatment device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the peak force of the point-mass of the contact surface of the treatment over the time of its impact with the skin of a user is greater than 1N.

19. A treatment device as claimed in claim 18 wherein the peak force of the point-mass of the contact surface of the treatment over the time of its impact with the skin of a user is greater than 2 N.

20. A treatment device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the peak force of the point-mass of the contact surface of the treatment over the time of its impact with the skin of a user is between than 2 and 10 N.

21. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the peak impulse of each impact is greater than 0.0002 N⋅s.

22. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the total impulse of each impact is greater than 0.0006 N⋅s.

23. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the peak pressure of each impact is greater than 10 kPascals.

24. A treatment device as claimed in claim 23 wherein the peak pressure of each impact is greater than 20 kPascals.

25. A treatment device as claimed in claim 23 wherein the peak pressure of each impact is less than 100 kPascals.

26. A treatment device as claimed in claim 23 wherein the peak pressure of each impact is between 20 and 100 kPascals.

27. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the peak pressure intensity of each impact is less than 300 MPascals / s.

28. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the peak pressure intensity of each impact is between 20 and 300 MPascals / s.

29. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the work energy of each impact is between 0.003 and 0.08 J.

30. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the power of each impact is between 0.00005 and 0.001 Watts.

31. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the power of total impacts delivered over 1 minute is greater than 0.25 Watts.

32. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the drive unit rotates the drive shaft.

33. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 31 wherein the drive unit oscillates the drive shaft.

34. A treatment device as claimed in claim 33 wherein the drive unit oscillates the drive shaft at a frequency greater than 30 Hz.

35. A treatment device as claimed in claim 33 wherein the drive unit oscillates the drive shaft at a frequency greater than 50 Hz.

36. A treatment device as claimed in claim 33 wherein the drive unit oscillates the drive shaft at a frequency between 50 and 105 Hz.

37. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 36 wherein the drive unit oscillates the drive shaft at a plurality of different frequencies.

38. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 37 wherein the drive shaft oscillates through an angular range of less than 180 degrees, preferably between 30 to 90 degrees.

39. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 38 wherein the drive motor includes a motor configured to be driven at a plurality of power levels.

40. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 39 including a four-point linkage which transforms rotary movement to oscillating movement.

41. A treatment device as claimed in claim 40 wherein the position of one or more fixed points of the four-point linkage may be adjusted to change the oscillatory movement.

42. A treatment device as claimed in claim 41 allowing adjustment of the range of oscillatory movement of the drive shaft by at least 30o.

43. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 39 wherein the drive unit includes a Coulisse mechanism which transforms rotary movement to oscillating movement.

44. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 39 wherein the drive unit includes a cam mechanism which transforms rotary movement to oscillating movement.

45. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 39 including a linear oscillator producing oscillation along the axis of the drive shaft.

46. A treatment device as claimed in claim 45 wherein the linear oscillator includes a ramp varying the longitudinal displacement of the drive shaft.

47. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 46 wherein, in use, the end of at least one lateral extension rotates at least 5 degrees further than the drive shaft.

48. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 46 wherein, in use, the end of at least one lateral extension rotates at least 10 degrees further than the drive shaft.

49. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 46 wherein, in use, the end of at least one lateral extension rotates between 10 and 40 degrees further than the drive shaft.

50. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein one or more flexible lateral extensions extends between 15 to 50 mm from the centre of rotation of the treatment head.

51. A treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein one or more flexible lateral extensions extends between 20 to 35 mm from the centre of rotation of the treatment head.

52. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims wherein the intermediate section is formed of a hyper elastic material.

53. A treatment device as claimed in claim 52 wherein the intermediate section is formed of a soft elastomeric material.

54. A treatment device as claimed in claim 52 wherein the intermediate section is formed of a material selected from a thermoset polysiloxane; a thermoset polysiloxane; a thermoplastic polyurethane; a thermoplastic polyurethane and a thermoplastic siloxane copolymer.

55. A treatment device including a treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 101.

56. A treatment head having a central body configured to receive a drive shaft of a drive unit and one or more flexible lateral extensions extending from the central body configured to produce a whip action at the end of each flexible lateral extensions when the massage head is driven by the drive unit.

57. A treatment head as claimed in claim 56 wherein the flexible lateral extensions taper towards their distal edges.

58. A treatment head as claimed in claim 56 or 57 wherein the flexible lateral extensions decrease in mass towards their distal edges.

59. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 358 wherein one or more flexible lateral extension has a flat contact surface.

60. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 58 wherein one or more flexible lateral extension has a concave contact surface.

61. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 60 wherein the treatment head has a generally oval shape.

62. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 60 wherein the treatment head has a generally heart shape.

63. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 60 wherein the treatment head has a generally dolphin shape.

64. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 60 wherein the treatment head has a generally finger shape.

65. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 60 wherein the treatment head has a generally rectangular shape.

66. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 60 wherein the treatment head has an asymmetric shape.

67. A treatment head as claimed in claim 66 wherein the treatment head has an asymmetric heart shape.

68. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 67 wherein a plurality of protuberances extend from the treatment head.

69. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 68 wherein the centre of the massage head's rotational inertia is at the centre of the central body.

70. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 69 wherein one or more flexible lateral extensions extends between 15 to 50 mm from the centre of rotation of the treatment head.

71. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 69 wherein one or more flexible lateral extensions extends between 20 to 35 mm from the centre of rotation of the treatment head.

72. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 71 including an intermediate section configured to store and release torsional energy generated between the one or more flexible extensions and a coupling configured to engage with a drive unit.

73. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 72 wherein the one or more flexible lateral extensions are formed of a hyper-elastic material.

74. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 72 wherein the one or more flexible lateral extensions are formed of a soft elastomeric material.

75. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 74 wherein the one or more flexible lateral extensions are formed of a siloxane or a reactive siloxane.

76. A treatment head as claimed in claim 75 wherein the material has a Shore A hardness of between 10 and 30.

77. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 74 wherein the one or more flexible lateral extensions are formed of a thermoplastic polyurethane.

78. A treatment head as claimed in claim 77 wherein the material has a Shore A hardness of between 30 and 90.

79. A treatment head as claimed in claim 77 or claim 78 wherein the material has a Shore A hardness of between 30 and 90.

80. A material as claimed in any one of claims 77 to 79 wherein the material has a stiffness (modulus), as measured by ASTM D790, between 27MPa and 512MPa.

81. A material as claimed in any one of claims 75 to 80 wherein the material has a stiffness (modulus), as measured by ASTM D412, between 5MPa and 20MPa.

82. A material as claimed in any one of claims 75 to 81 wherein the material has an energy absorbing ability (tan delta), as measured by ASTM D 4065 (DMTA trace), between 0.2 and 0.

5.

83. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 56 to 82 wherein the treatment head is formed of different materials having different properties.

84. A treatment head as claimed in claim 83 wherein an outer layer of material is overmolded over an inner material.

85. A treatment head as claimed in claim 84 wherein the outer layer is formed of a softer material than the inner layer.

86. A treatment head having a central body configured to receive a drive shaft of a drive unit and one or more flexible lateral extensions extending from the central body in a T configuration with an equivalent point-mass greater than 0.1 gram provided at or near the distal end of each flexible lateral extension.

87. A treatment head as claimed in claim 86 wherein each point-mass is less than 3 grams, preferably between 0.2 to 3 grams.

88. A treatment head as claimed in claim 86 or 87 wherein the center of each point-mass is less than 55mm from centre of the T, preferably between 20 to 35mm.

89. A treatment head as claimed in claim any one of claims 86 to 88 wherein the flexible lateral extensions taper from the central body to their distal ends.

90. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 86 to 89 having a hyper elastic material overmolded over a base material.

91. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 86 to 90 wherein a torsional energy storage section extends from the flexible lateral extensions and is formed of a hyper elastic material.

92. A treatment head as claimed in claim 90 or claim 91 wherein distal ends of the one or more flexible lateral extensions are formed of a hyper elastic material.

93. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 90 to 92 wherein the hyper elastic material is softer than the base material.

94. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 86 to 93 wherein the hyper elastic material has a Shore A hardness of between 10 and 30.

95. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 86 to 94 having a flat contact surface at the distal end of each lateral extension.

96. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 86 to 94 having a convex contact surface at the distal end of each lateral extension.

97. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 86 to 94 having a concave contact surface at the distal end of each lateral extension.

98. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 86 to 97 including a plurality of protuberances extending from each contact surface.

99. A treatment head as claimed in any one of claims 86 to 98 wherein each contact surface is provided on a pad affixed to the lateral extension.

100. A treatment head configured to receive a drive shaft of a drive unit having one or more flexible lateral extensions having contact surfaces or contact pads secured to outer regions of the lateral extensions configured to impact a user during a treatment.

101. A treatment head having a central body configured to receive a drive shaft of a drive unit and one or more flexible lateral extensions extending from the central body having a contact surface configured to engage the skin of a user in use, each flexible lateral extensions wherein one or more of the flexible lateral extensions includes an internal reservoir having an outlet at or near the contact surface.

102. A method of treatment of the skin of a subject comprising repeatedly applying a peak force of between 2.0 and 10.0 N over a skin contact area of between 20 and 300 mm2.

103. A method of treatment as claimed in claim 101 wherein the peak impulse is between 0.0008 and 0.0.002 N⋅s.

104. A method of treatment as claimed in claim 101 or 102 wherein the peak pressure is between 10 and 100 kPascals, preferably 20 to 100 kPascals.

105. A method of treatment as claimed in any one of claims 101 to 103 wherein the peak pressure intensity is between 20 and 300 MPascals / s.

106. A method of treatment as claimed in any one of claims 101 to 104 wherein the skin contact area is between 10 and 300 mm2.

107. A method of treatment as claimed in any one of claims 101 to 105 wherein the frequency of repetition is between 50 and 105 Hz.

108. A method of treatment as claimed in any one of claims 101 to 106 using the device of any one of claims 1 to 55 or the treatment head of any one of claims 56 to 101.

109. A method of treatment as claimed in any one of claims 101 to 107 wherein a substance is applied during treatment.

110. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the total moment of inertia of each arm of the treatment head is at least 300 grams·mm2, preferably between 400 and 2,500 g·mm2.

111. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 72 including one or more electrodes in one or more lateral extension configured to provide electrical stimulation to skin in use.

112. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 72 or claim 111 including one or more light emitting devices in one or more lateral extension configured to provide light treatment in use.

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