Skin treatment device, skin treatment method, and output control program

Abstract

To enhance a penetration effect of an active ingredient for skin and an effect related to lift-up of skin.SOLUTION: Disclosed is a skin treatment device, a skin treatment method, and an output control program that simultaneously apply electrical stimulation and warm feeling effect to skin surface in combination of AC current stimulation of 40 kHz to 250 kHz and an inter-electrode distance of 0.5 mm to 60 mm related to a pair of electrodes that apply the AC current stimulation to skin.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a skin treatment device, a skin treatment method, and an output control program.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a technique of activating fibroblasts present in the skin by stimulation with a physical stimulation generation circuit (ultrasonic oscillation circuit, low-frequency generation circuit, heat generation circuit, light wavelength oscillation circuit) to promote the production of collagen and elastin.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional technology as described above, it targets various physical stimulations, and it is difficult to enhance the penetration effect of active ingredients on the skin and the effect related to lifting of the skin.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to enhance the penetration effect of active ingredients on the skin and the effect related to lifting of the skin.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In one aspect, a skin treatment method and the like are provided, which are characterized in that an electrical stimulation and a warming effect are simultaneously applied to the skin surface by a combination of an AC stimulation of 40 kHz to 250 kHz and an electrode distance of 0.5 mm to 60 mm related to a pair of electrodes for applying the AC stimulation to the skin.

[0007] In another aspect, there is provided a skin treatment device characterized in that an electric stimulation and a warming effect are simultaneously applied to the skin surface by a combination of an alternating current stimulation of 40 kHz to 250 kHz and an electrode distance of 0.5 mm to 60 mm related to a pair of electrodes for applying the alternating current stimulation to the skin.

[0008] In another aspect, there is provided an output control method for a skin treatment device, characterized in that control is performed so that an electric stimulation and a warming effect are simultaneously applied to the skin surface by a combination of an alternating current stimulation of 40 kHz to 250 kHz and an electrode distance of 0.5 mm to 60 mm related to a pair of electrodes for applying the alternating current stimulation to the skin.

[0009] In another aspect, there is provided a readable storage medium storing a program for implementing an output control method for a skin treatment device, characterized in that control is performed so that an electric stimulation and a warming effect are simultaneously applied to the skin surface by a combination of an alternating current stimulation of 40 kHz to 250 kHz and an electrode distance of 0.5 mm to 60 mm related to a pair of electrodes for applying the alternating current stimulation to the skin.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to enhance the penetration effect of active ingredients on the skin and the effect related to lifting of the skin.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, each embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] (First Embodiment) (Overall Structure of Skin Treatment Device) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the skin treatment device 1 according to this embodiment as an example of a specific configuration mode of the skin treatment device. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the head portion 3 of the skin treatment device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0014] The skin treatment device 1 of this embodiment is in the form of a beauty device and is configured to impart beauty-related effects to the skin of the user's face. However, in a modified example, the skin treatment device 1 may be configured to impart similar beauty-related effects to parts other than the user's face in addition to or instead of the user's face. Further, the skin treatment device 1 may be used to impart effects different from beauty-related effects (for example, an effect of promoting transdermal absorption of pharmaceuticals).

[0015] The beauty-related effects are arbitrary and may include elimination of sagging, tightening, fat burning, lifting, face slimming, firmness and gloss of the skin, improvement of moisture, or any combination of two or more of the like. Further, the beauty-related effects may be quantifiable effects or non-quantifiable effects.

[0016] The skin treatment device 1 of this embodiment is configured to impart beauty-related effects to the user's skin by applying various outputs through a plurality of electrodes that come into contact with the user's skin.

[0017] The skin treatment device 1 of this embodiment is portable and can be held by the user's hand, but it may also be applied in a movable type that is movably supported by an arm or the like on a fixed device.

[0018] The skin treatment device 1 of this embodiment includes a grip portion 2 and a head portion 3. In this case, the user can hold the grip portion 2 and apply the head portion 3 to a desired site on his / her own face or the face of another person (e.g., a patient), thereby applying various outputs from the skin treatment device 1 to the desired site.

[0019] The grip portion 2 has a form that is easy to be held by the user's hand. The grip portion 2 may include a user interface 20 including various buttons such as a power on / off button, a mode change button, and a strength adjustment button. Note that the various buttons may be mechanical buttons or touch switches. Further, the grip portion 2 may be provided with a display portion (not shown) for displaying the state of the skin treatment device 1 or the like. Further, the grip portion 2 may be provided with an electrode (not shown) that touches the user's hand.

[0020] The head portion 3 is provided at an end of the grip portion 2. Note that the head portion 3 may be fixed to the grip portion 2, may be removable, or may be movable with respect to the grip portion 2.

[0021] The head portion 3 is capable of abutting against the user's skin and has a form suitable for abutting against the user's skin. The head portion 3 may have, for example, a substantially planar contact surface 3a (including a curved surface with a relatively large radius of curvature). The contact surface 3a is a plane in which the extending direction (basic plane) of the contact surface 3a can be approximated by a substantially straight line in a side view. The form of the contact surface 3a in a front view (i.e., the form when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface 3a) can be arbitrary, such as a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, etc. In this embodiment, as an example, the form of the contact surface 3a in a front view is circular as shown in FIG. 2(A). Regarding the contact surface 3a of the head portion 3, the center when the contact surface 3a is viewed in a front view (i.e., the center of gravity position when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface 3a) is referred to as the "center C of the contact surface 3a".

[0022] A plurality of electrode groups are arranged in the head portion 3 for each attribute. Specifically, a first electrode group and a second electrode group are arranged.

[0023] The first electrode group includes a plurality of electrodes 30 arranged in an array on the contact surface 3a. The second electrode group includes a plurality of outer edge electrodes 33 arranged on the contact surface 3a in a form that is rotationally symmetric with respect to each other about the center C (which is also the center of the first electrode group) of the contact surface 3a so as to surround the plurality of electrodes 30. These electrodes 30 and outer edge electrodes 33 are formed so as to be easily in contact with the user's skin, and may be in the same plane as the basic surface of the contact surface 3a of the head portion 3, or may be in a form that slightly protrudes from the basic surface of the contact surface 3a of the head portion 3.

[0024] In this embodiment, the head portion 3 has seven electrodes 30 as the first electrode group. However, the number of electrodes 30 as the first electrode group is not limited to seven, and any number of one or more is acceptable. In this embodiment, the head portion 3 also has three outer edge electrodes 33 as the second electrode group. However, the number of outer edge electrodes 33 as the second electrode group is not limited to three, and any number of two or more is acceptable.

[0025] Each of the plurality of electrodes 30 has an inner electrode 31 and an outer electrode 32 spaced apart from the inner electrode 31 and surrounding the inner electrode 31. The inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 of each of the plurality of electrodes 30 form a pair of electrodes for applying an output waveform of a predetermined frequency having, for example, a beauty-related effect (specifically, effects related to sagging, wrinkles, and lifting described later) to the user's skin.

[0026] That is, in the first electrode group, the inner electrodes 31 and the outer electrodes 32 of each of the plurality of electrodes 30 are paired to generate a desired output waveform. In this case, the output waveform is arbitrary and may be, for example, an alternating current waveform or a pulsed direct current waveform. A preferred example of the frequency band of the output waveform of the alternating current waveform will be described later. Also, some examples of the output waveforms realized by pairing the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 will be described later. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, high frequency refers to a frequency band greater than 10 kHz, and low frequency refers to a frequency band of 10 kHz or less.

[0027] By arranging a plurality of outer edge electrodes 33 constituting the second electrode group so as to surround at least a part of the plurality of electrodes 30 constituting the first electrode group, it is possible to configure the device to exhibit a synergistic effect between the action provided by the first electrode group and the action provided by the second electrode group. Further, by making the shape and arrangement of the plurality of outer edge electrodes 33 constituting the second electrode group conform to the shape and arrangement of the entire aggregate of the plurality of electrodes 30 constituting the first electrode group, the contact surface 3a of the head portion 3 can be used without waste, and an appropriate (in other words, sufficient) area can be secured as the electrodes constituting the second electrode group. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the stimulation felt when a current of a low frequency flows through an electrode with a small area from being so strong as to cause discomfort.

[0028] The plurality of outer edge electrodes 33 form a pair of electrodes for applying an output waveform of a predetermined frequency having, for example, a beauty-related action (specifically, an electromyostimulation action, etc.) to the user's skin.

[0029] That is, in the second electrode group, the outer edge electrodes 33 can be paired to generate a desired output waveform. In this case, the output waveform is arbitrary and may be, for example, an alternating current waveform or a pulsed direct current waveform. In this case, the frequency band of the output waveform is arbitrary, but is, for example, a high frequency or a low frequency having an electromyostimulation action. Some examples of the output waveforms realized by pairing the outer edge electrodes 33 will be described later.

[0030] In this embodiment, for each of the plurality of electrodes 30, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 is formed as a regular hexagon, and the shapes of the inner and outer peripheral edges of the outer electrode 32 are formed as regular hexagons. The outer electrode 32 is formed in a regular hexagonal belt-like shape so as to be spaced apart from the inner electrode 31 and surround the inner electrode 31. That is, the outer electrode 32 is arranged outside the outer periphery of the inner electrode 31 (in other words, radially outside) so that the center of the inner electrode 31 (the center of gravity position in the front view; the same applies hereinafter) coincides with the center of the outer electrode 32 (the center of gravity position in the front view; the same applies hereinafter).

[0031] In this embodiment, for each of the plurality of electrodes 30, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31, the inner and outer peripheral edges of the outer electrode 32 are formed as rounded regular hexagons, so that the dimension d between the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 is constant over the entire electrode region S between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 (see Fig. 2(B)). In this case, due to the symmetry and uniformity of the distance from the inner electrode 31 to the outer electrode 32, a uniform electric application with suppressed electric bias is realized between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32. However, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner and outer peripheral edges of the outer electrode 32 may be formed in a non-rounded shape.

[0032] In this embodiment, all of the plurality of electrodes 30 have the same shape. However, a part of the plurality of electrodes 30 may have different shapes (in other words, a part may have the same shape), or all of the plurality of electrodes 30 may have mutually different shapes. That is, as the plurality of electrodes 30, electrodes of all the same shape may be arranged, or electrodes of two or more mutually different shapes may be arranged.

[0033] One electrode 30 (reference numeral 30c in Fig. 2(A)) is arranged in such a manner that the center of the inner electrode 31 coincides with the center C of the contact surface 3a. Further, six electrodes 30 (reference numeral 30a in Fig. 2(A)) are arranged on the circumference centered on the center C of the contact surface 3a around the electrode 30 (reference numeral 30c in Fig. 2(A)) arranged at the center C of the contact surface 3a at equal intervals from each other.

[0034] Although the dimension Li between opposite sides of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 is not limited to a specific value, it may be set to any value within the range of about 2 to 5 mm as an example only.

[0035] Although the dimension between the centers of the inner electrodes 31 of adjacent electrodes 30 is not limited to a specific value, it may be set to any value within the range of about 4 to 12 mm as an example only.

[0036] In this embodiment, as described above, for each of the plurality of electrodes 30, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 is formed as a regular hexagon (specifically, a rounded regular hexagon; the same applies hereinafter), the shapes of the inner peripheral edge and the outer peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 are formed as regular hexagons, and the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 are combined and configured such that the center of the inner electrode 31 and the center of the outer electrode 32 coincide.

[0037] Moreover, the plurality of electrodes 30 are arranged in an array in such a manner that the plurality of outer electrodes 32 are in a mode where one outer electrode 32 is close to another outer electrode 32 (see FIG. 3(A)), a mode where they are in contact (see FIG. 3(B)), or a mode where they are integrated (see FIG. 3(C); this embodiment). In adjacent electrodes 30, the outer electrodes 32 may be integrated (in other words, overlap or be common), but they are arranged so as not to cross each other.

[0038] In this embodiment, a plurality of electrodes 30 are arranged in such a manner that at least a part of the outer electrodes 32 of adjacent electrodes 30 is common, that is, in the manner shown in FIG. 3(C). In this case, the outer electrode 32 is formed in a mesh shape in a front view, specifically, in a honeycomb shape. Further, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 is formed in a regular hexagon, and a plurality of electrodes 30 are arranged such that at least a part of the outer electrodes 32 of adjacent electrodes 30 is integrated (in other words, overlapped, common). As a result, there is no gap between the electrodes 30 (in other words, there is no wasted space), and the number and arrangement of the electrodes 30 are adjusted according to the size and shape of the contact surface 3a, so that the electrodes 30 can be arranged to cover the entire surface of the contact surface 3a.

[0039] Further, by forming an electrode assembly by aggregating a plurality of electrodes 30 each composed of an inner electrode 31 and an outer electrode 32 surrounding the inner electrode 31, the expandability of the electrode arrangement and the degree of freedom of the arrangement can be increased, and the shape of the entire electrode assembly can be freely adjusted according to the site to which beauty-related effects or the like are to be imparted. Specifically, for example, the shape of the entire electrode assembly may be a shape that fills an approximately circular range as in this embodiment, a shape that fills an approximately elliptical range, a shape that fills an approximately rectangular range, or further, a shape that fills an approximately gourd-shaped range.

[0040] By forming a pair of electrodes with an inner electrode 31 and an outer electrode 32 spaced apart from the inner electrode 31 and surrounding the inner electrode 31, the distance between the pair of electrodes (that is, the dimension d between the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32) can be adjusted to an arbitrary value by changing the size of the inner electrode 31 or the outer electrode 32 or changing the width of the outer electrode 32. The preferable range of the dimension d (also referred to as the "electrode distance") between the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 will be described later.

[0041] As in this embodiment, it is preferable that the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the shape of the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 of the electrode 30 both have straight portions that are parallel to each other. By doing so, a uniform electric application with even better suppression of electric bias is realized.

[0042] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the shape of the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 of the electrode 30 both have a straight and mutually parallel portion SP. In the region between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 in this parallel portion SP (the "linear parallel output region" which is the dark gray shaded portion in FIG. 4), a uniform electric application with even better suppression of electric bias is realized. Further, by forming the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the shape of the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 into a rounded regular hexagon, the dimension d between the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 is constant over the entire electrode region S between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32, and in the region between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 in the rounded portion (the "equidistant output region" which is the portion between the linear parallel output regions in FIG. 4), a uniform electric application with suppressed electric bias is realized.

[0043] It is preferable that the ratio of the area of the outer electrode 32 to the area of the inner electrode 31 of each electrode 30 (referred to as the "ratio of the inner and outer electrode areas") is within a predetermined range. The ratio of the inner and outer electrode areas is preferably 0.8 or more and 1.2 or less, more preferably 0.9 or more and 1.1 or less, still more preferably 0.95 or more and 1.05 or less, and most preferably 1.0. By setting the ratio of the inner and outer electrode areas within an appropriate range, a good electric application between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 is realized.

[0044] It is preferable that the ratio of the area of the electrode region S between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 to the sum of the area of the inner electrode 31 and the area of the outer electrode 32 among the plurality of electrodes 30 (referred to as "the ratio of the inter-electrode area to the electrode area") is within a predetermined range. The ratio of the inter-electrode area to the electrode area is preferably 0.6 or more and 1.6 or less, more preferably 0.6 or more and 1.2 or less, still more preferably 0.7 or more and 1.1 or less, and most preferably 0.9 or more and 1.0 or less. By setting the ratio of the inter-electrode area to the electrode area within an appropriate range, good electric application between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 is realized.

[0045] Note that the electrode configurations shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are merely examples, and the electrode configuration is arbitrary as long as it can apply the output waveform of the AC stimulation of 40 kHz to 250 kHz described below to the user's skin. Therefore, for example, it is applicable to various electrode configurations such as a concentric two-ring electrode configuration as shown in FIG. 5, a concentric three-ring electrode configuration, an electrode configuration arranged linearly, a pair of dot-shaped electrodes, and an electrode configuration including circumferentially separated ring-shaped electrodes.

[0046] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the control device 100 incorporated in the skin treatment device 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 100. In FIG. 7, the peripheral device 160 is schematically illustrated in association with the hardware configuration of the control device 100.

[0047] The control device 100 is electrically connected to the power supply 90 and is also electrically connected to the inner electrode 31, the outer electrode 32, and the outer edge electrode 33. The power supply 90 may be realized by an internal battery that can be mounted on the skin treatment device 1 and / or may be realized by an external power supply that can be connected to the skin treatment device 1. Note that the control device 100 may have a power supply circuit or the like that generates various operating powers based on the power supply 90. Further, the control device 100 may include a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, an integrated circuit, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), or the like.

[0048] In the example shown in FIG. 7, the control device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 112, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 113, an auxiliary storage device 114, a drive device 115, and a communication interface 117, which are connected by a bus 119, and a wired transceiver 125 and a wireless transceiver 126 connected to the communication interface 117.

[0049] The auxiliary storage device 114 is, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and is a storage device that stores data related to application software and the like.

[0050] The wired transceiver 125 includes a transceiver capable of communicating using a wired network. A peripheral device 160 is connected to the wired transceiver 125. However, some or all of the peripheral devices 160 may be connected to the bus 119 or may be connected to the wireless transceiver 126. The peripheral device 160 may include the plurality of electrodes 30 described above and a portable terminal such as, for example, the user's smartphone. When including a portable terminal, the user may be able to perform various settings and the like regarding the skin treatment device 1 via the portable terminal.

[0051] The wireless transceiver 126 is a transceiver capable of communicating using a wireless network. The wireless network may include a wireless communication network of a mobile phone, the Internet, a VPN (Virtual Private Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), and the like. Further, the wireless transceiver 126 may include a near-field communication (NFC) unit, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication unit, a Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity) transceiver, an infrared transceiver, and the like.

[0052] The control device 100 may also be connectable to a recording medium 116. The recording medium 116 is an example of a readable storage medium and stores a predetermined program such as a program for implementing the output control method of the skin treatment device according to the present invention. The program stored in this recording medium 116 is installed in the auxiliary storage device 114 etc. of the control device 100 via the drive device 115. The installed predetermined program can be executed by the CPU 111 of the control device 100. For example, the recording medium 116 may be a recording medium that optically, electrically, or magnetically records information, such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, etc., or a semiconductor memory that electrically records information, such as a ROM, a flash memory, etc. Note that the recording medium 116 does not include a carrier wave.

[0053] The control device 100 generates one or more types of output waveforms that can be applied to the skin via a plurality of electrodes 30 based on the power supply 90. Also, the program for implementing the output control method of the skin treatment device according to the present invention is, for example, a program that operates the processor so as to adjust the frequency and the distance between the electrodes within a predetermined range. That is, the program according to the present invention may be any program that operates the processor so as to adjust the frequency and the distance between the electrodes within a predetermined range so as to simultaneously apply an electrical stimulus and a warming effect to the skin surface. The distance between the electrodes may be the distance between two or more electrodes, and the distances between a plurality of electrodes may be preset. For example, there may be only a pair of electrodes, and it may be a program that adjusts the frequency within a predetermined range according to the distance between the pair of electrodes.

[0054] FIG. 7A shows an example of the operation of the control device 100 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 7A, an example where the control device 100 operates as a processor is shown. That is, FIG. 7A is an example showing the output control method of the skin treatment device of the present invention.

[0055] In step S10 of FIG. 7A, as described above, the control device 100 adjusts the distance between a plurality of electrodes based on a predetermined program recorded on the recording medium 116. Here, the predetermined program is, for example, a program that realizes an output control method for a skin treatment device. The distance between the plurality of electrodes is, for example, the distance between a pair of electrodes. Further, the distance between the pair of electrodes is, for example, within the range of 0.5 mm to 60 mm. When the distance between the electrodes is preset, step S10 is omitted and the process proceeds to step S20.

[0056] In the next step S20, as described above, the control device 100 adjusts the frequency based on a predetermined program recorded on the recording medium 116 so that the skin treatment device gives a predetermined effect to the user's skin. Here, the predetermined effect is, for example, a predetermined alternating current stimulation that simultaneously applies an electrical stimulation and a warming sensation to the skin surface. Further, the frequency range is, for example, 40 kHz to 250 kHz.

[0057] In step S30, when the control device 100 determines that the above adjustment result satisfies the reference range, that is, in the case of "Yes" in FIG. 7A, it determines to end the adjustment and forms a control process for simultaneously applying an electrical stimulation and a warming sensation to the skin surface. On the other hand, in step S30, when the control device 100 determines that the above adjustment result does not satisfy the reference range, that is, in the case of "No" in FIG. 7A, it returns to step S10 and performs the adjustment process again.

[0058] That is, the control device 100 of the present invention controls the skin treatment device so as to simultaneously apply an electrical stimulation and a warming sensation to the skin surface by combining an alternating current stimulation of 40 kHz to 250 kHz and an inter-electrode distance of 0.5 mm to 60 mm related to a pair of electrodes for applying the alternating current stimulation to the skin.

[0059] In this embodiment, the control device 100 generates an alternating current waveform M0 (alternating current stimulation) having a frequency between 40 kHz and 250 kHz. In this case, the control device 100 generates the alternating current waveform M0 so as to be applicable to the user's skin via the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32. That is, the generated alternating current waveform M0 can be applied to the user's skin with the inner electrode 31 as the positive electrode (or negative electrode) and the outer electrode 32 as the negative electrode (or positive electrode).

[0060] Note that, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, the "alternating current waveform" is a concept that includes not only a sine wave but also any waveform having bipolarity.

[0061] In this embodiment, the alternating current waveform M0 may be a rectangular wave, but preferably has a sine wave-like form, that is, a form that gradually changes toward the peak value. In this case, the disadvantages (for example, the discomfort of the user due to a sudden increase in current) that may occur when it is a rectangular wave can be eliminated or reduced.

[0062] For example, the alternating current waveform M0 may have a waveform as shown in two examples in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8, the output waveform (time series waveform) of the alternating current waveform M0 is shown when time is taken on the horizontal axis and the voltage value is taken on the vertical axis. Note that in FIG. 8, ΔT1 and ΔT3 represent intervals (ranges) corresponding to one cycle of the output waveform.

[0063] In the upper example of FIG. 8, the alternating current waveform M0 has a plurality of peak voltage values during a half cycle (ΔT / 2). In this case, the plurality of peak voltage values includes a first peak voltage value Vp1 and one or more second peak voltage values Vp2.

[0064] The first peak voltage value Vp1 is the peak voltage value that appears at the beginning of the half cycle, and the second peak voltage value Vp2 appears after the first peak voltage value Vp1 and has a magnitude smaller than that of the first peak voltage value Vp1. As shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of second peak voltage values Vp2 may occur in a manner of gradually decreasing. The second peak voltage value Vp2 is preferably smaller than half of the magnitude of the first peak voltage value Vp1.

[0065] Here, the inventor of the present application conducted tests by the following test method using the frequency of the alternating current waveform M0 and the electrode distance as parameters, and found that when the values of these parameters are within a predetermined range respectively, the thermal sensation effect and the muscle stimulation effect can be effectively achieved simultaneously.

[0066] Here, the test method is a sensory test, the number of subjects is 11 (N = 11), and each parameter is as follows.

[0067] The multiple frequencies were set as 1 kHz, 10 kHz, 40 kHz, 70 kHz, 100 kHz, 165 kHz, 190 kHz, 250 kHz, and 300 kHz as follows.

[0068] The multiple electrode distances were set as 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.8 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm, 40 mm, 50 mm, and 60 mm as follows.

[0069] The subjects gave evaluation values regarding the thermal sensation and evaluation values regarding the muscle stimulation according to the following evaluation criteria. Regarding the thermal sensation, evaluation value = 1 means "feeling nothing", evaluation value = 2 means "slightly warm", evaluation value = 3 means "warm firmly", and evaluation value = 4 means "quite warm". Also, regarding the muscle stimulation, evaluation value = 1 means "feeling nothing", evaluation value = 2 means "slightly having muscle stimulation", evaluation value = 3 means "having muscle stimulation firmly", and evaluation value = 4 means "quite having muscle stimulation".

[0070] Figure 9 is a tabular diagram showing the test results (evaluation results). In Figure 9, the "circle mark" indicates that the evaluation values of the subjects for both the thermal sensation and the muscle stimulation are "2" or more. The "cross mark" indicates that the evaluation values of the subjects for both the thermal sensation and the muscle stimulation are less than "2". Also, the "diagonal line" indicates that the temperature rise is relatively large and unmeasurable.

[0071] Here, the results of the sensory evaluation regarding the temperature sensation were consistent with the temperature measurement results obtained by separately conducted thermography. Figure 10 shows the temperature measurement (actual measurement) results by thermography, and Figure 11 shows the results of the sensory evaluation regarding the temperature sensation. As can be seen from Figures 10 and 11, when the evaluation value for the temperature sensation is 2 or more, a temperature increase of 1 degree or more is shown by thermography, and results have been obtained that support the reliability of the evaluation value for the temperature sensation. Note that the measurement using thermography was performed on the skin portion to which an AC stimulus of the corresponding frequency was applied for 10 seconds.

[0072] In this way, by making the actions by muscle stimulation and the action by heat compatible, the advantages of both actions can be exhibited. Therefore, an action such as applying a high frequency of 1 MHz or more and a low frequency of 1 kHz or less can be realized by applying one frequency.

[0073] Figures 12A to 12F are tabular diagrams showing other classifications of the test results (evaluation results).

[0074] In Figure 12A, when the evaluation value of each of the temperature sensation and the muscle stimulation is "2" or "3", it is marked with a "circle", and in other cases (that is, when the evaluation value of each of the temperature sensation and the muscle stimulation is not "2" or "3"), it is marked with a "cross". Note that "diagonal lines" indicate that the temperature increase is relatively large and cannot be measured.

[0075] In Figure 12B, when the evaluation value of each of the temperature sensation and the muscle stimulation is 2 or more, it is marked with a "circle", when the evaluation value of each of the temperature sensation and the muscle stimulation is 3 or more, it is marked with a "double circle", and when the evaluation value does not correspond to these, it is marked with a "cross". Note that "diagonal lines" indicate that the temperature increase is relatively large and cannot be measured.

[0076] In Figure 12C, when the evaluation value of each of the temperature sensation and the muscle stimulation is 2 or more, it is marked with a "circle", when the evaluation value of at least one of the temperature sensation and the muscle stimulation is 3 or more, it is marked with a "double circle", and when it does not correspond to these, it is marked with a "cross". Note that "diagonal lines" indicate that the temperature increase is relatively large and cannot be measured.

[0077] In FIG. 12D, when the evaluation value of the thermal sensation is 3 or more and the evaluation value of the muscle stimulation is 2 or more, it is marked as a "circle", and when the evaluation value does not correspond to this, it is marked as a "cross". Note that the "diagonal line" indicates that the temperature rise is relatively large and cannot be measured.

[0078] In FIG. 12E, when the evaluation value of the thermal sensation is 2 or more and the evaluation value of the muscle stimulation is 3 or more, it is marked as a "circle", and when the evaluation value does not correspond to this, it is marked as a "cross". Note that the "diagonal line" indicates that the temperature rise is relatively large and cannot be measured.

[0079] In FIG. 12F, when the evaluation value of each of the thermal sensation and the muscle stimulation is 2 or more and the evaluation value of at least one of the thermal sensation and the muscle stimulation is 3 or more, it is marked as a "circle", and when the evaluation value does not correspond to this, it is marked as a "cross". Note that the "diagonal line" indicates that the temperature rise is relatively large and cannot be measured.

[0080] FIGS. 12G to 12J are tabular diagrams showing classifications based on the combination of the evaluation results shown in FIG. 9 and the temperature measurement results by thermography.

[0081] In FIG. 12G, when the evaluation value of the subject for both the thermal sensation and the muscle stimulation is "2" or more and the temperature rise measured by thermography is 2 degrees or more, it is marked as a "double circle", and when the evaluation value or the measurement result does not correspond to this, it is marked as a "cross". Note that the "diagonal line" indicates that the temperature rise is relatively large and cannot be measured.

[0082] In FIG. 12H, when the evaluation value of the subject for both the thermal sensation and the muscle stimulation is "2" or more and the temperature rise measured by thermography is 3 degrees or more, it is marked as a "double circle", and when the evaluation value or the measurement result does not correspond to this, it is marked as a "cross". Note that the "diagonal line" indicates that the temperature rise is relatively large and cannot be measured.

[0083] In Fig. 12H, when the evaluation value of the subject for both temperature sensation and muscle stimulation is "2" or more and the temperature rise measured by thermography is 4 degrees or more, it is marked as "double circle", and when the evaluation value or measurement result does not correspond to this, it is marked as "cross". Note that "slant line" indicates that the temperature rise is relatively large and unmeasurable.

[0084] Fig. 13 shows the voltage used in this test. As shown in the column of "with filter" in Fig. 13, at less than 100 kHz, a relatively low voltage between 40 V and 51 V is used, and at 100 kHz or more, an even lower voltage between 10 V and 34 V is used. Generally, the higher the voltage, the easier it is to obtain temperature sensation and muscle stimulation. In this embodiment, even with a relatively low voltage as shown in Fig. 13, it is possible to achieve both good temperature sensation and muscle stimulation. Without using high power consumption, it can be an effective and safe option.

[0085] Fig. 13A shows the lower limit value of voltage for achieving both temperature sensation and muscle stimulation. (a) in Fig. 13A shows the lower limit value of voltage for achieving both temperature sensation and muscle stimulation when the electrode distance is 0.5 mm. (b) in Fig. 13A shows the lower limit value of voltage for achieving both temperature sensation and muscle stimulation when the electrode distance is 5 mm. (c) in Fig. 13A shows the lower limit value of voltage for achieving both temperature sensation and muscle stimulation when the electrode distance is 10 mm. When the electrode distance is 0.5 mm, a low voltage between 10 V and 32 V is used. When the electrode distance is 5 mm or 10 mm, a low voltage between 10 V and 44 V is used. From the results of the experimental data shown in Fig. 13A, it is suggested that when the electrode distance in the present invention is 0.5 mm to 10 mm, it is possible to achieve both good temperature sensation and muscle stimulation even with a relatively low voltage. Generally, the higher the voltage, the easier it is to obtain temperature sensation and muscle stimulation, but it has been confirmed that when the voltage is equal to or higher than the lower limit value shown in Fig. 13A, it is possible to achieve both good temperature sensation and muscle stimulation.

[0086] Electrical muscle stimulation induces muscle contraction with percutaneous current, improves muscle thickness, and is effective in improving wrinkles, firmness, and sagging, such as skin elasticity, skin sagging, and double chin lifting. In addition, electrothermal stimulation is effective in promoting blood flow and improving collagen production in skin fibroblast proliferation by heating the inside of the skin with percutaneous current. Rather than excessive heating, heat the inside of the skin to an appropriate temperature (a temperature increase of 1°C or more compared to before use and a heating state of 50°C or less), and give appropriate electrical muscle stimulation with less pain so that the user can continue to use it for a long period of time and at a high frequency (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 times a week).

[0087] The active ingredient for the skin is optional, but may be, for example, as follows.

[0088] At a pH in the weakly acidic to near-neutral range <Compounds that are positively charged, or tend to be positively charged, or amphoteric electrolytes in an aqueous solution> Examples of compounds that are positively charged or tend to be positively charged include tranexamic acid, tranexamic acid cetyl hydrochloride and other tranexamic acid derivatives and niacinamide, which are ingredients known for their whitening effects, but are not limited to these. In addition, pyridoxine hydrochloride and its derivatives, which are effective against acne and rough skin, benzalkonium chloride used for sterilization and disinfection, and peptides with an isoelectric point on the alkaline side, such as palmitoyl tripeptide-5, acetyl hexapeptide-8, and dipeptide diamino butyroyl benzyl amide diacetate, which are said to be effective in improving wrinkles, are also included. Furthermore, allantoin, aldioxa, carnitine HCl, basic amino acids such as lysine, arginine, histidine, tryptophan, ornithine, etc., and ergothioneine, urea as a humectant, etc. are also mentioned as examples, but any substance with a functional group that is positively charged or polarized at a pH near weakly acidic to weakly alkaline (even a minute charge amount is acceptable as long as it is cationic) is acceptable, and it is not limited to these compound groups.

[0089] In addition, examples of amphoteric electrolytes having a functional group that is acidic to weakly alkaline and is positively charged or polarized include tranexamic acid, which is said to exhibit a whitening effect, neutral amino acids such as glycine, proline, alanine, serine, acetylhydroxyproline, ε-aminocaproic acid, γ-aminobutyric acid, and their derivatives, and trimethylglycine.

[0090] <Compounds that are negatively charged or tend to be negatively charged in an aqueous solution> In addition to potassium 4-methoxysalicylate and disodium adenosine monophosphate, which are recognized as effective as whitening agents, ascorbic acid, L-ascorbic acid 2-glucoside, sodium L-ascorbyl phosphate, magnesium L-ascorbyl phosphate, sodium L-ascorbic acid sulfate diester, ascorbic acid and its derivatives such as ascorbyl palmitate phosphate 3Na, and sodium dl-α-tocopheryl phosphate can be mentioned. Further, zinc paraphenolsulfonate, salicylic acid and its sodium salt, and acidic amino acids such as sodium lactate, L- or DL-pyrrolidonecarboxylic acid sodium solution, sodium L-glutamate, and sodium L-aspartate can be mentioned. In addition, glycyrrhizic acid and its salts such as glycyrrhizic acid, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, and ammonium glycyrrhizate, which are said to have an anti-inflammatory effect, sodium guaiazulene sulfonate, lysine Na dilauroyl glutamate, etc., substances having a functional group that is negatively charged or polarized at a pH near weakly acidic to weakly alkaline (even if the charge amount is minute as long as it is anionic), are not limited to the above.

[0091] <Compounds that are hardly charged in an aqueous solution> Kojic acid, arbutin, hydroquinone, 4-(1-phenylethyl)-1,3-benzenediol, 4-n-butylresorcinol, 5,5'-dipropyl-biphenyl-2,2'-diol, ellagic acid, 3-O-ethylascorbic acid, 3-glycerylascorbic acid, bisglycerylascorbic acid, hexyl 3-glycerylascorbic acid, myristyl 3-glycerylascorbic acid, 3-laurylglycerylascorbic acid and other ascorbic acid derivatives, D-pantothenyl alcohol, cholecalciferol, 3-o-cymen-5-ol (isopropylmethylphenol), sugars such as xylose, sorbitol, mannitol, and polyols such as butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, pentylene glycol, glycerin, and terpenes such as hinokitiol, etc. are mentioned. In addition, fullerenes, oryzanols, ceramide EOP, ceramide EOS, ceramide NG, caprooyl sphingosine, ceramide NP, N-stearoyl phytosphingosine, N-stearoyl dihydrosphingosine, ceramide AG, ceramide AP, hydroxystearyl phytosphingosine, ceramide 6II, phytosphingosine, which are poorly soluble substances, are also included in liposomes, and are listed as useful ingredients regardless of whether they are encapsulated or not. Furthermore, extracts obtained from plants and animals that exhibit usefulness, culture solutions of stem cells, culture supernatants, etc. are also mentioned.

[0092] In addition, as other cosmetic ingredients that are water-soluble or dissolve in the coexistence with water-soluble solvents, and furthermore, as cosmetic ingredients that dissolve as micelles in the aqueous phase, examples of flavonoids include isoflavones, licorice root extract, licorice flavonoids, glycyrrhizin flavonoids, etc., but this is not an exhaustive list. Examples of extracts include camomile ET, clara root extract, assembly extract, carrot and its root extract, soybean extract and soybean seed extract, tea leaf extract, galactomyces culture solution, rice power No.11 (rice extract No.11), astaxanthin solution and red algae extract, placenta extract and placenta extract (1)-(5), water-soluble and hydrolyzed placenta extract, etc.

[0093] <Lipids and Oil-Soluble Substances> Squalane, linoleic acid, tetra-2-hexyldecanoic acid ascorbyl, ascorbyl dipalmitate, retinol, retinol acetate, retinol palmitate, hydrogenated retinol, retinol linoleate and other retinol and its derivatives, nicotinic acid tocopherol, dl-α-tocopherol, d-δ-tocopherol, natural vitamin E, DL-α-tocopherol acetate and other tocopherol and its derivatives, stearyl glycyrrhetinate, estradiol, ethinyl estradiol, astaxanthin, rice germ oil, phospholipids such as sphingomyelin, squalane including synthetic and vegetable, guaiazulene and guaiazulene sulfonic acid ester, ascorbyl stearate, ascorbyl palmitate and other fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid, di(phytosteryl / octyldodecyl) lauroyl glutamate, oil-soluble placenta, etc.

[0094] <Compounds with Relatively High Molecular Weight and High Molecular Compounds> Human gene recombinant oligopeptide-1, palmitoyl hexapeptides including palmitoyl hexapeptide-4, palmitoyl pentapeptides, hydrolyzed collagen and its derivatives, hyaluronic acid, sodium hyaluronate, sodium acetylated hyaluronate and other hyaluronic acid and its derivatives, jellyfish polysaccharide, polysaccharide produced by Alcaligenes, polyquaternium compounds.

[0095] (Other Examples) Figures 14 to 18 are explanatory diagrams of electrodes according to other examples. Figure 14 shows a plurality of electrodes 30A arranged in an annular shape around the center C of the contact surface 3a of the head portion 3A. In Figure 14, five electrodes 30A are shown, but the number of electrodes 30A is arbitrary as long as the output waveform of the AC stimulation in the range of 40 kHz to 250 kHz described above can be applied to the user's skin. The distance between each electrode 30A may be the same in the radial direction or significantly different. Note that the distance between each electrode 30A corresponds to the difference between the outer diameter of the inner electrode and the inner diameter of the outer electrode adjacent to the said electrode with respect to the center C when the plurality of electrodes 30A are arranged in order from the center C to the outside.

[0096] FIG. 15 shows the arrangement of the electrodes 30B in the head portion 3A, and FIGS. 16 to 18 show variations (modes) of the pair of electrode relationships when electrical stimulation is applied. The electrode distance may be set to increase the variations. In the example shown in FIG. 15, a detachable lid 1400 that covers the terminal for USB connection is shown on the head portion 3A.

[0097] With such an electrode structure, various electrode distances can be achieved with combinations of electrode pairs. FIGS. 16 to 18 show variations of the electrode pair combinations by the lines R15 to R17 in the figures. As shown in FIGS. 14 to 18, the present invention can preferably achieve both electrothermal stimulation and electromyostimulation by appropriately controlling the frequency depending on the electrode distance, even when implemented with a structure that applies electrical stimulation at various electrode distances.

[0098] It should also be noted that the applicant of the present application only knows the publicly known inventions described in the documents in the "Prior Art Documents" column of this specification, and the present invention is not necessarily intended to solve the problems in the publicly known inventions of the same documents. The problems to be solved by the present invention should be determined in consideration of the entire specification. For example, in this specification, when there is a description that a predetermined effect is achieved by a specific configuration, it can also be said that the problems that are the reverse of the predetermined effect are solved. However, it is not necessarily the case that such a specific configuration is an essential requirement.

[0099] As described in detail above for each embodiment, the present invention is not limited to a specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope described in the claims. It is also possible to combine all or a plurality of the components of the above-described embodiments.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0100] 1 Skin treatment device 2 Gripping portion 3 Head portion 3a Contact surface 20 User Interface 30 Electrodes 31 Inner Electrode 32 Outer Electrode 33 Outer Edge Electrode 90 Power Supply 100 Control Device 111 CPU 112 RAM 113 ROM 114 Auxiliary Storage Device 115 Drive Device 116 Recording Medium 117 Communication Interface 119 Bus 125 Wired Transceiver 126 Wireless Transceiver 160 Peripheral Devices

Claims

1. A skin treatment method characterized by simultaneously applying an electrical stimulation and a warming effect to the skin surface by combining an AC stimulation of 40 kHz to 250 kHz and an electrode distance of 0.5 mm to 60 mm for a pair of electrodes for applying the AC stimulation to the skin.

2. The skin treatment method according to Claim 1, wherein an electrical stimulation and a warming effect are simultaneously applied to the skin surface by combining the AC stimulation of 40 kHz to 190 kHz and an electrode distance of 1.8 mm to 10 mm for a pair of electrodes for applying the AC stimulation to the skin.

3. The skin treatment method according to Claim 1, wherein an electrical stimulation and a warming effect are simultaneously applied to the skin surface by combining the AC stimulation of 40 kHz to 100 kHz and an electrode distance of 0.5 mm to 10 mm for a pair of electrodes for applying the AC stimulation to the skin.

4. A skin treatment device characterized by simultaneously applying an electrical stimulation and a warming effect to the skin surface by combining an AC stimulation of 40 kHz to 250 kHz and an electrode distance of 0.5 mm to 60 mm for a pair of electrodes for applying the AC stimulation to the skin.

5. An output control method for a skin treatment device, characterized by controlling to simultaneously apply an electrical stimulation and a warming effect to the skin surface by combining an AC stimulation of 40 kHz to 250 kHz and an electrode distance of 0.5 mm to 60 mm for a pair of electrodes for applying the AC stimulation to the skin.

6. A readable storage medium storing a program for implementing an output control method for a skin treatment device, the method controlling to simultaneously apply an electrical stimulation and a warming effect to the skin surface by combining an AC stimulation of 40 kHz to 250 kHz and an electrode distance of 0.5 mm to 60 mm for a pair of electrodes for applying the AC stimulation to the skin.

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