Release liner and patch for providing electrical-stimulation

Abstract

A patch for providing electrical stimulation includes a patch body and a release layer. The release layer is attached to the patch body. The release layer has an image indicating how to attach the patch body to the release layer.

Description

Release layer and patch for providing electrical stimulation RELEASE LINER AND PATCH FOR PROVIDING ELECTRICAL-STIMULATION Technical Field

[0001] This work is about release layers attached to patches, and more particularly about release layers that can indicate how to attach patches. Prior Technology

[0002] Transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TES) devices require patches to be attached to the patient's skin to deliver electrical stimulation to designated areas. The patches have both attaching and non-attaching sides and must be correctly attached to the patient's skin to provide adequate electrical stimulation. However, in actual use, users need to complete the attachment process quickly, and it may require operation by non-professionals. In low-light environments, while wearing gloves, with distracted attention, or when the attachment area is limited, it is difficult to immediately distinguish between the attaching and non-attaching sides of the patch, leading to incorrect, misplaced, or mixed-use patches, which can affect the stimulation effect and even cause discomfort.

[0003] Therefore, how to clearly and simply indicate the application method of the patch is a problem to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a patch for providing electrical stimulation, including a patch body and a release layer. The release layer is attached to the patch body. The release layer has an image indicating how to attach the patch body to the release layer.

[0005] In some embodiments, the image comprises a plurality of image units. In some embodiments, the image units are identical to each other. In some embodiments, the image covers the entire release layer. In some embodiments, the image includes text and / or trademarks.

[0006] In some embodiments, the release layer has a first side and a second side, the first side having an image printed on it. The release layer is transparent or semi-transparent to allow a user to see the image printed on the first side from the second side. In some embodiments, the image appears different when viewed from the first side than when viewed from the second side.

[0007] In some embodiments, the patch body has an attaching surface and a non-attachment surface, the attaching surface being for attaching to the patient's skin. The image indicates that the attaching surface should be attached to the release layer.

[0008] In some embodiments, the patch body is connected to the host via an electrical connection structure.

[0009] This invention provides a release layer suitable for attachment to a patch body. The release layer includes a first side and a second side. The first side is printed with an image. The image is used to indicate how the patch body is attached to the release layer. The release layer is transparent or semi-transparent to allow a user to see the image printed on the first side from the second side. The image appears different when viewed from the first side compared to when viewed from the second side. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0010] Figures 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of the patches in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the release layer in an embodiment of this invention. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the usage of this invention in an embodiment. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of this invention. Implementation

[0011] To make the purpose, features and advantages of this invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of this invention are provided below, along with accompanying drawings, for detailed explanation.

[0012] It is worth noting that the following disclosure provides multiple embodiments or examples for practicing different features of this invention. The specific component examples and arrangements described below are only for briefly illustrating the spirit of this invention and are not intended to limit its scope. Furthermore, the same component symbols or words may be repeated in multiple examples in the following description. However, the purpose of repetition is only to provide a simplified and clear explanation and is not intended to limit the relationships between the multiple embodiments and / or configurations discussed below. Moreover, descriptions in the following description of a feature being connected to, coupled to, and / or formed on another feature may actually include multiple different embodiments, including direct contact between the features, or additional features formed between the features, such that the features are not in direct contact.

[0013] Referring to Figures 1A and 1B, which are schematic diagrams of the patch 10 according to an embodiment of this invention, the patch 10 includes a patch body 11 and a release liner 12 (also referred to as a release film or release paper). The patch body 11 is used to adhere to the skin of a user (patient). Furthermore, the patch body 11 can be connected to a host device 30 via an electrical connection structure 20. For example, the electrical connection structure 20 can be a wire, a connection terminal, a snap-fit ​​structure, or other components that provide electrical conductivity. The host device 30 is used to output an electrical stimulation signal. The electrical stimulation signal is transmitted to the patch body 11 via the electrical connection structure 20 to provide electrical stimulation to a target area. For example, the patch body 11 may include electrodes and an outer layer covering the electrodes. The host device 30 may include an electrical stimulation signal generation circuit, a controller, and / or a storage device. The patch 10, the electrical connection structure 20, and the host device 30 can be included in a (transcutaneous) electrical stimulation device to provide electrical stimulation to a target area. In use, a pair of patch bodies 11 can be simultaneously attached to the user's skin to provide electrical stimulation to the target area. However, this embodiment is not limited to this. This embodiment also does not limit the arrangement and configuration of the electrodes in the patch body. Furthermore, the patch body 11 can be applied to any target area, such as the abdomen, back, face, head, hands, feet, palms, soles, etc.

[0014] Release layer 12 is attached to and separable from patch body 11. Release layer 12 may have a smooth surface to allow patch body 11 to be repeatedly adhered to and separated from it. In some embodiments, release layer 12 may have a special coating to allow patch body 11 to be repeatedly adhered to and separated from it. Special coatings include, but are not limited to, silicone oil coatings, fluorine coatings, silicone-free / fluorine-free coatings, etc. Release layer 12 is in the shape of a sheet or film. In some embodiments, the material of release layer 12 may include plastic, paper, polyester (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PT), cellophane, and / or kraft paper. In some embodiments, release layer 12 is larger than patch body 11. Multiple patch bodies 11 can be attached to a single release layer 12.

[0015] It should be understood that although the patch body 11 and release layer 12 are depicted as square-like shapes in the illustrations, the body 11 and release layer 12 of this invention can be designed into any suitable shape, such as a circle, a semicircle, a triangle, a polygon, or an irregular shape, depending on actual needs.

[0016] Referring to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of the release layer 12 according to an embodiment of the invention, the release layer 12 has an image 120 indicating how the patch body 11 is attached to the release layer 12. The release layer 12 has a first side 121 and a second side 122. The first side 121 is printed with the image 120. The release layer 12 is transparent or translucent to allow a user to see the image 120 printed on the first side 121 from the second side 122. For example, the release layer 12 can be a transparent plastic sheet. Alternatively, the release layer 12 can be thin enough that a user can see the image 120 printed on the first side 121 from the second side 122. That is, the user can also see the image 120 from the second side 122. The image 120 looks different when viewed from the first side 121 than when viewed from the second side 122.

[0017] The left half of Figure 2 shows image 120 as viewed from the first side 121. The right half of Figure 2 shows image 120 as viewed from the second side 122. Figure 2 shows two different examples of image 120. As shown in Figure 2, compared to the view from the first side 121, image 120 is reversed when viewed from the second side 122. For example, it is flipped horizontally.

[0018] For example, when viewed from the first side 121, image 120 is in a first state, such as facing a first direction, having a first shape, the text in image 120 being correct and readable, and / or image 120 being a first color (for example, image 120 may use special pigments or printing methods (printing two layers of pigment), and / or the release layer 12 may use a special material, so that image 120 has different colors when viewed from the first side 121 and when viewed from the second side 122). When viewed from the second side 122, image 120 is in a second state, different from the first state, such as facing a second direction, having a second shape, the text in image 120 being flipped horizontally, upside down, or unreadable, and / or image 120 being a second color. Therefore, the user can easily determine whether they are currently seeing the first side 121 or the second side 122 of the release layer 12 based on the image 120 they see. The user can also determine how to attach the patch body 11 to the release layer 12 based on the image 120 they see.

[0019] As shown in Figure 3, the patch body 11 may have an adhesive surface 111 and a non-adhesive surface 112. The adhesive surface 111 is used to adhere to the user's skin. The adhesive surface 111 may have slight adhesiveness to adhere to the user's skin and the release layer 12. The non-adhesive surface 112 may not have adhesiveness. For example, when the user observes image 120 in the first state, the user understands that the first surface 121 of the release layer 12 is currently facing upwards, and understands that the patch body 11 can be adhered to the release layer 12. When the user observes image 120 in the second state, the user understands that the second surface 122 of the release layer 12 is currently facing upwards, and understands that the patch body 11 cannot be adhered to the release layer 12. Therefore, the user must adhere the adhesive surface 111 to the first surface 121.

[0020] When the user needs to use patch 10, the user separates patch body 11 from release layer 12. The user clearly understands that the side of patch body 11 originally attached to release layer 12 is the attachment side 111. Therefore, the user clearly understands that the side of patch body 11 originally attached to release layer 12 should be attached to the skin. For example, when the user observes image 120 in the first state, the user understands that the first side 121 of release layer 12 is currently facing upwards. The user understands that after separating patch body 11 from release layer 12, the side of patch body 11 originally attached to release layer 12 should be attached to the skin.

[0021] After use, the user can determine how to reattach the patch body 11 back to the release layer 12 as described above. The user attaches the attachment surface 111 to the first surface 121, thus ensuring that the attachment surface 111 and the non-attachment surface 112 can be correctly distinguished during the next use.

[0022] Therefore, the image 120 on the release layer 12 indicates how to attach the patch body 11 to the release layer 12, and also indicates how to attach the patch body 11 to the patient's skin. This embodiment of the invention uses images to indicate how to use the patch body 11, which allows the user to easily determine how to use the patch body 11 in a short time. Even in less than ideal situations (e.g., in low-light environments, while wearing gloves, with distracted attention, or in situations where the application site is limited), this embodiment of the invention still enables the user to correctly use the patch 10.

[0023] Referring to Figure 4, in some embodiments, image 120 is composed of a plurality of image units 1201. In some embodiments, the plurality of image units 1201 are identical to each other. In other embodiments, image 120 may also be composed of a plurality of different image units. In some embodiments, image 120 covers the entire release layer 12. That is, image units 1201 may appear repeatedly throughout the release layer 12, rather than being concentrated in a portion of the release layer 12.

[0024] Compared to methods such as setting markings at a single location on the patch body 11 or release layer 12, using single-point markings, or local visual cues, this embodiment uses image units distributed throughout the entire release layer 12 to indicate the application method of the patch body 11. This avoids misjudgments of the application status when markings are obscured, worn, contaminated, or when the user does not pay immediate attention. Furthermore, compared to methods relying on textual descriptions or clear semantic markings, this embodiment is not affected by language limitations, differences in understanding, obscured or worn markings, or factors that prevent the user from seeing the markings. Therefore, this embodiment is easier to understand and reduces the likelihood of application errors.

[0025] In some embodiments, the image units 1201 may have a fixed spacing between them and be arranged to form an image 120. However, the spacing between the image units 1201 may not be fixed. In some embodiments, the image 120 includes text and / or trademarks.

[0026] It should be understood that the image units 1201 of this embodiment can be arranged in any way to form the image 120. The image units 1201 can be the same or different. There can be any type of image unit 1201. The arrangement of the image units 1201 can be equidistant, non-equidistant, regular, or irregular. The orientation, size, spacing, or rotation angle of the image units 1201 can be adjusted according to actual product design requirements. Furthermore, this embodiment is not limited to a specific form of image unit 1201. The image unit 1201 can be or may include text, symbols, graphics, or combinations thereof. The image unit 1201 is not limited to a specific language, semantics, or brand identification. The image unit 1201 may also not be for the purpose of brand identification or trademark identification.

[0027] In some embodiments, the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 of the release layer 12 may be printed with different images to indicate how to attach the patch body 11 to the release layer 12. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one of the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 of the release layer 12 may be printed with an image. In these embodiments, the release layer 12 may be opaque.

[0028] For example, a first image is printed on the first surface 121 of the release layer 12, and a second image is printed on the second surface 122 of the release layer 12. The first image and the second image are different. The first image and the second image may differ in at least one of the following aspects: shape, size, arrangement, orientation, and color. For example, the first image and the second image may differ only in shape. The first image and the second image may also differ in both shape and size, and so on.

[0029] When the user observes the first image, the user understands that the first side 121 of the release layer 12 is currently facing upwards, and understands that the patch body 11 can be attached to the release layer 12. When the user observes the second image, the user understands that the second side 122 of the release layer 12 is currently facing upwards, and understands that the patch body 11 cannot be attached to the release layer 12. Therefore, the user must attach the attachment surface 111 to the first side 121.

[0030] When the user needs to use the patch 10, the user separates the patch body 11 from the release layer 12. The user clearly understands that the side of the patch body 11 originally attached to the release layer 12 is the attachment surface 111. Therefore, the user clearly understands that the side of the patch body 11 originally attached to the release layer 12 should be attached to the skin. For example, when the user observes the first image, the user understands that the first surface 121 of the release layer 12 is currently facing upwards. The user understands that after separating the patch body 11 from the release layer 12, the side of the patch body 11 originally attached to the release layer 12 should be attached to the skin. After use, the user can determine, as described above, how to reattach the patch body 11 to the release layer 12 to ensure that the attachment surface 111 and the non-attachment surface 112 can be correctly distinguished during the next use.

[0031] Similarly, the first image and the second image can each be composed of multiple first image units and multiple second image units. The first image and the second image can each cover the entire first surface 121 and the second surface 122, respectively. That is, the first image units and the second image units can appear repeatedly throughout the entire first surface 121 and the second surface 122, rather than being concentrated in only a portion of the first surface 121 and the second surface 122. The first image units and the second image units can be the same or different from each other. The spacing between the first image units and the second image units can be fixed or variable. The first image units and the second image units can include text and / or trademarks.

[0032] The serial numbers in this specification and in the claims, such as "first" and "second", are for convenience only and there is no sequential relationship between them.

[0033] The above description outlines the features of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art should be able to readily utilize this invention as a basis for designing or adapting to achieve the same purpose and / or attain the same advantages of the embodiments described herein. Those skilled in the art should also understand that the same configuration should not depart from the spirit and scope of this invention, and various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Therefore, although this invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the scope of this invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. The scope of protection of this invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

[0034] 10: Patch 11: Patch Body 12: Release layer 20: Electrical connection structure 30: Host 111: Attachment 112: Non-attached surface 120: Image 121: First Page 122: Second page 1201: Image Unit

Claims

1. A patch for providing electrical stimulation, comprising: One patch body; And a release layer, which is attached to the patch body; The release layer has an image that indicates how to attach the patch body to the release layer.

2. The patch as described in claim 1, wherein the image is composed of a plurality of image units.

3. The patch as described in claim 2, wherein the image units are identical to each other.

4. The patch as described in claim 1, wherein the image covers the entire release layer.

5. The patch as described in claim 1, wherein the image includes text and / or trademarks.

6. The patch as described in claim 1, wherein: The release layer has a first side and a second side, the first side being printed with the image; the release layer is transparent or semi-transparent to allow the user to see the image printed on the first side from the second side.

7. The patch as described in claim 6, wherein the image is different when viewed from the first side than when viewed from the second side.

8. The patch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the patch body has an attaching surface and a non-attachment surface, the attaching surface being for attaching to a patient’s skin; wherein the image indicates that the attaching surface should be attached to the release layer.

9. The patch as described in claim 1, wherein the patch body is connected to a host via an electrical connection structure.

10. A release layer suitable for attachment to a patch body, the release layer comprising: On the first side, an image is printed, which indicates how to attach the patch body to the release layer; And a second side; wherein the release layer is transparent or semi-transparent to allow the user to see the image printed on the first side from the second side; wherein the image is different when viewed from the first side than when viewed from the second side.

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