Skin treatment apparatus using plasma

Abstract

The present invention relates to a skin treatment apparatus using plasma, the apparatus comprising: a skin contact unit that comes in contact with the skin so as to form a space therein; a plasma output unit for generating plasma in the inner space of the skin contact unit; a suction unit for suctioning air in the inner space; and an ozone treatment unit for removing ozone contained in the air suctioned by the suction unit. When the skin contact unit comes in contact with the skin, an air passage is formed to enable air to flow between the outside of the skin contact unit and the inner space.

Description

Skin treatment device using plasma

[0001] The present invention relates to a skin treatment device using plasma, and more particularly, to a device for treating acne or skin troubles.

[0002] Acne is an inflammatory disease that occurs after adolescence, when excessive sebum secretion builds up in pores, allowing bacteria to thrive there. It's reported that up to 80% of acne cases occur in adolescence. Treatment options include medication, laser therapy, extrusion, and dermabrasion, but these come with a high risk of side effects, including scarring, hyperpigmentation, and redness. Recently, plasma-based acne treatments have been gaining popularity to minimize these side effects.

[0003] Plasma is known to activate nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2) in the air, inducing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrogen species (RNS), which kill bacteria that cause acne on the skin. While plasma therapy is known to have relatively fewer side effects compared to other treatments, the ozone generated during the treatment process can affect the patient's health, making ozone control an important factor in plasma therapy. Currently, most devices on the market do not handle ozone or do not properly process it beyond simple external exhaust using a blower. Patents suggesting methods for removing ozone include a method of applying high-frequency high voltage to the generator (Patent No. 10-2557265) and a method of exhausting it to the outside using general ventilation (Patent No. 10-2018180), but their ozone suppression efficiency is low.

[0004] Meanwhile, there is a plasma skin care device (Patent Registration No. 10-2506417) that forms a negative pressure area in the space formed inside the head when the head comes into contact with the skin and generates plasma in the negative pressure area to care for the skin, but the device of this patented invention has the following problems.

[0005] Because the head is in close contact with the skin and creates negative pressure between the skin and the plasma generator, it cannot be used by pushing the head over large areas, such as the face, which can be uncomfortable. Typically, plasma devices require a handle to be held in hand and the head to be moved around various areas. However, the negative pressure keeps the device in close contact with the skin, making it difficult to move in different directions. Furthermore, the negative pressure can cause skin bruising and irritation, which can be uncomfortable for the user.

[0006] When negative pressure is created between the skin and the plasma device and plasma discharge occurs, a large amount of ozone is generated and accumulated in the negative pressure space. Although the negative pressure may have the effect of reducing the absolute amount of ozone generated by reducing the amount of oxygen in the negative pressure space, since negative pressure only lowers pressure and does not allow gas flow, the ozone generated throughout the plasma oscillation remains highly concentrated in the negative pressure space, and this high concentration of ozone affects the skin throughout the contact time. Furthermore, when the user removes the head from the skin to move it to another area after use, some of the concentrated ozone is sucked into the device, but most of the ozone diffuses into the air next to the skin and can enter the user's respiratory tract. Repeated use of this device can continuously accumulate ozone in the air around the user, creating a harmful environment.

[0007] Because the user must continuously apply force to remove the head that is in contact with the skin due to negative pressure, the user's usability is low, which can be inconvenient for women and teenagers who frequently use the product for long periods of time. Furthermore, liquid cosmetics, which are often used in conjunction with plasma devices, can flow into the device due to negative pressure, ultimately contaminating the device and causing it to malfunction. The negative pressure can also cause the skin to come into contact with the ceramic plate for plasma generation, which can cause plasma not to be generated properly in the areas of the skin where it should be affected.

[0008] [Prior Art Literature]

[0009] Republic of Korea Patent No. 10-2557265 (July 14, 2023)

[0010] Republic of Korea Patent No. 10-2018180 (August 29, 2019)

[0011] Republic of Korea Patent No. 10-2506417 (February 28, 2023)

[0012] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a skin treatment device using plasma that effectively removes generated ozone and improves convenience of use.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention for solving such a problem, a skin treatment device using plasma includes a skin contact portion that forms a space inside by contacting the skin, a plasma output portion that generates plasma in the space inside the skin contact portion, a suction portion that sucks in air in the space inside, and an ozone treatment portion that purifies ozone contained in the air sucked in by the suction portion, and an air passage is formed so that air can flow between the outside of the skin contact portion and the space inside when the skin contact portion touches the skin.

[0014] The above skin contact portion may have a curved surface so that the air passage can be formed.

[0015] The skin contact portion has at least one groove on the upper surface, through which the air passage can be formed.

[0016] The above skin contact portion has a plurality of protrusions on the upper surface, and the air passage can be formed through a space between the plurality of protrusions.

[0017] The above skin contact portion may have at least one hole in the side wall to form the air passage.

[0018] It may further include a main body case formed with synthetic resin and formed by adding powder of a conductive material during injection.

[0019] It may further include a main body case formed of synthetic resin and formed by spray coating a metallic film on the inside.

[0020] The above ozone treatment unit may include a cylindrical carbon filter having a sealed structure.

[0021] The plasma output unit includes a ceramic plate, the skin contact unit has a structure blocked by the ceramic plate, and at least one intake hole may be provided on the inner surface where the ceramic plate is in contact.

[0022] It may further include a lid having at least one ventilation hole and covering and protecting the skin contact portion.

[0023] In this way, according to the skin treatment device using plasma according to an embodiment of the present invention, ozone is immediately sucked into the inside of the device based on a skin contact structure having an air passage, and the ozone is purified and discharged through an ozone treatment unit, thereby preventing the release of ozone into the air and minimizing the time that ozone remains around the skin.

[0024] Therefore, the skin treatment device according to the embodiment of the present invention can have high plasma efficiency even when using higher plasma oscillation energy because the actual ozone emitted is extremely small.

[0025] In addition, by using the suction part, a one-way sealed structure can be created from the skin contact part to the ozone treatment part to minimize external leakage of ozone and filtering can be performed, and by using a sealed cylindrical carbon filter, ozone filtering can be maximized.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of a skin treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 is a front view showing the appearance of a skin treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic drawing of the interior of the device illustrated in Figure 2.

[0029] Figure 4 is a block diagram of a skin treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating a skin contact portion of a skin treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Fig. 6 is a drawing showing a cross-section of the skin contact portion shown in Fig. 5.

[0032] Fig. 7 is a side view of the skin contact portion illustrated in Fig. 5 in contact with the skin.

[0033] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an ozone treatment unit of a skin treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 9 is a perspective view and a plan view of an ozone filter of a skin treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 10 is a drawing illustrating a skin contact portion of a skin treatment device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 11 is a drawing illustrating a skin contact portion of a skin treatment device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 12 is a drawing illustrating a skin contact portion of a skin treatment device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 13 is a drawing illustrating a skin contact portion of a skin treatment device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as limited to their usual or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as meanings and concepts that conform to the technical idea of ​​the present invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term to explain his or her own invention in the best way.

[0040] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention, and that there may be various equivalents and modified examples that can replace them at the time of filing this application.

[0041] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, a portable plasma-using skin treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail so that a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement it.

[0042] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are a perspective view and a front view, respectively, showing the exterior of a skin treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the interior of the skin treatment device of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a skin treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a skin treatment device (100) using plasma according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body (110), a lid (120), and a ring (130).

[0044] The main body (110) serves as a handle of the skin treatment device (100), and is formed with a convex shape at the edge and a concave shape at the center to make it easy to hold in the hand. The main body (110) is provided with a switch (112) at the top, an exhaust port (114) at the bottom, and a connector (116) for charging or communication at the lower left corner, and houses a power supply unit (150), a plasma generation unit (152), a control unit (154), an interface unit (156), a plasma output unit (158), an ozone treatment unit (160), and a suction unit (170) as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and these are surrounded by a case.

[0045] The lid (120) is intended to cover and protect the skin contact portion (140) of the main body (110), and is opened and used when the skin treatment device (100) is in operation. The lid (120) is provided with a plurality of ventilation holes (122), so that the lid (120) can be easily inserted into or removed from the main body (110).

[0046] The ring (130) can be used to hang the skin treatment device (100) on a protruding part, such as a hanger, and when using the skin treatment device (100), the main body (110) can be held by inserting a finger into the ring (130), thereby providing a sense of stability during use.

[0047] Typical handheld plasma devices are handheld and use the user's body as a ground to generate plasma. To achieve this grounding, a metallic object is mounted on the exterior of the device and connected to the ground of the control unit, ensuring the user always holds the metallic object in their hand. This method increases the risk of high-voltage arcs occurring randomly in the user's hand or other locations when the device is used without holding the metallic object, often surprising the user. Preventing this by cladding the device's exterior entirely with metal is costly, imposes design constraints, and increases product weight.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a skin treatment device (100) comprises a main body (110) case formed from synthetic resin, and a conductive material powder, such as copper or carbon, is added during the case injection molding process. This prevents plasma from being generated on the user's hand or other parts, reduces weight, eliminates design restrictions, and reduces costs. Alternatively, a metallic coating may be spray-coated on the inside of the case made of synthetic resin and grounded. This method achieves the same effect as the aforementioned method.

[0049] The power supply unit (150) supplies power to the skin treatment device (100) to enable the skin treatment device (100) to operate. The power supply unit (150) may be formed of a rechargeable battery, or alternatively, may receive power from an external source, convert it into voltage and current required by the skin treatment device (100), and provide the same to the skin treatment device (100).

[0050] The high voltage generation unit (152) receives power from the power supply unit (150) and generates the high voltage required for plasma generation.

[0051] The plasma output unit (158) includes an electrode unit (146) including at least two electrodes, a ceramic plate (144), and a skin contact unit (140). When the plasma output unit (158) applies a high voltage from a high voltage generating unit (152) between two adjacent electrodes, plasma is generated outside the ceramic plate (144) by an arc discharge.

[0052] Then, the skin contact portion (140) of the skin treatment device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating a skin contact part of a skin treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating a cross-section of the skin contact part illustrated in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating the skin contact part illustrated in FIG. 5 from the side in a state in which it is in contact with the skin.

[0054] The skin contact portion (140) is formed in a short cylindrical shape with a certain thickness, has an interior that is hollow, and has a structure blocked by a ceramic plate (144), and has a plurality of intake holes (142) provided on the inner surface that is in contact with the ceramic plate (144). Since the ceramic plate (144) is positioned lower than the upper surface of the skin contact portion (140), a space (S) is formed inside the skin contact portion (140), and neutral atoms such as oxygen or nitrogen in the air are ionized by plasma in and around the internal space (S), thereby generating nitric oxide and negative ions, and when these nitric oxide and negative ions come into contact with the skin, acne or skin troubles are treated.

[0055] The upper surface of the skin contact portion (140) that touches the skin is formed in a curved shape in which protrusions (P) and ridges (R) alternate. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 7, when the skin contact portion (140) touches the skin (F) for the operation of the skin treatment device (100), the protrusions (P) touch the skin (F), and an air passage (A) through which air can flow is formed between the ridges (R) and the skin (F).

[0056] While the user holds the main body (110) in his / her hand and moves the skin contact portion (140) in contact with the skin (F), skin treatment is performed using plasma generated from the plasma output portion (158). At this time, negative pressure is not formed in the internal space (S) of the skin contact portion (140) due to the air passage (A), so the user can easily move the main body (110) while holding the main body (110) and performing skin treatment.

[0057] In addition, the uneven structure of the skin contact portion (140) naturally massages the skin when the device is used, which can increase blood flow and allow cosmetics to be applied well.

[0058] The suction unit (170) may be formed by a pump, and sucks air near the skin contact unit (140) into the skin treatment device (100) and sends it to the ozone treatment unit (160). When the suction unit (170) operates, air containing ozone generated by plasma is sucked into the device through the suction hole (142) of the skin contact unit (140). In addition, air outside the skin contact unit (140) also enters the skin contact unit (140) through the air passage (A) and is similarly sucked into the inside through the suction hole (142). The sucked-in air enters the suction unit (170) through the hose (171) connected between the lower end of the skin contact unit (140) and the suction unit (170), and then enters the ozone treatment unit (160) through the hose (172) connected between the suction unit (170) and the ozone treatment unit (160).

[0059] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an ozone treatment unit of a skin treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view and a plan view of an ozone filter of a skin treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the ozone treatment unit (150) includes an inlet (161), a gasket (163), and a carbon filter (165), and filters ozone contained in air sucked in from an inlet (170) and discharges purified air through an exhaust port (114) formed of a plurality of holes.

[0061] The carbon filter (165) is formed in a cylindrical shape with all parts except the inlet blocked and has micropores. The inlet (161) is connected to the suction unit (170) through a hose (172), and the air sucked in by the suction unit (170) is forcibly passed through the ozone treatment unit (160) and discharged to the outside through the exhaust port (114).

[0062] Ozone contained in the air introduced into the ozone treatment unit (160) is adsorbed onto the carbon filter (165), thereby purifying the air. At this time, since the carbon filter (165) is formed in a cylindrical shape, the introduced air passes through all surfaces of the carbon filter (165). A sealing gasket (163) is applied to the upper portion of the carbon filter (165) to seal the inside of the carbon filter (165), so that only completely filtered air can be discharged to the outside.

[0063] In this way, by using the suction unit (170), a one-way sealed structure can be created from the skin contact unit (140) to the ozone treatment unit (160) to minimize external leakage of ozone and filter it, and by using a sealed cylindrical carbon filter (165), ozone filtering can be maximized.

[0064] Since the suction unit (170) continues to operate while the skin treatment device (100) is in operation, air outside the skin contact portion (140) is continuously sucked into the skin treatment device (100) through the air passage (A). Accordingly, ozone generated in the internal space (S) is also immediately sucked into the skin treatment device (100) and purified and discharged through the ozone treatment unit (160), thereby preventing ozone from spreading around the skin contact portion (140) and minimizing the time that ozone remains around the skin.

[0065] To enhance therapeutic efficacy, it is desirable to generate a large volume of plasma. This can be achieved by using high pulse energy. However, the higher the pulse energy, the more ozone is generated, limiting its use.

[0066] However, in the embodiment of the present invention, based on the structure of the skin contact part (140) having an air passage (A), the generated ozone is immediately sucked into the inside of the device, purified and discharged through the ozone treatment part (160), thereby preventing the emission of ozone into the air and minimizing the time that ozone remains around the skin. Therefore, through this, the skin treatment device (100) according to the embodiment of the present invention can have high plasma efficiency even when using higher plasma oscillation energy, as the actual emitted ozone is extremely small.

[0067] In addition, since the skin treatment device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention has a structure in which air is sucked into the device through the intake hole (142) without negative pressure, liquid cosmetics, etc., which are mainly used in parallel when using plasma, can remain on the skin and be absorbed into the skin by the plasma.

[0068] The interface unit (156) is an input / output device of the skin treatment device (100), and includes, for example, a switch (112), a communication module (not shown), and a communication connector (116). A user can operate the switch (112) to start or end the operation of the skin treatment device (100), and can also control the operation of the skin treatment device (100) through the switch (112).

[0069] The communication module can communicate with an external device through a communication connector (116) or can be equipped with a communication means such as Bluetooth, so that it can communicate with an external device to exchange treatment-related data with the skin treatment device (100), and can download or upgrade treatment patterns or operation programs from the external device.

[0070] The control unit (154) controls the operation of each component of the skin treatment device (100). Meanwhile, although not separately illustrated, a skin contact sensor may be provided in the skin contact unit (140). In this case, the control unit (154) operates the skin treatment device (100) when the skin contact sensor detects that the skin has been touched, and stops the operation when it detects that the skin has not been touched.

[0071] Then, the skin contact portion of the skin treatment device according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13.

[0072] FIGS. 10 to 13 are drawings each showing a skin contact portion of a skin treatment device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] First, referring to FIG. 10, a skin contact portion (140a) according to another embodiment of the present invention has a generally flat upper surface (H) that contacts the skin and has a plurality of concave portions (145). When the skin contact portion (140a) touches the skin (F), an air passage (A) is formed through the plurality of concave portions (145).

[0074] Referring to FIG. 11, a skin contact portion (140b) according to another embodiment of the present invention has a generally flat upper surface (H) that contacts the skin and has a plurality of protrusions (146). When the skin contact portion (140b) touches the skin (F), an air passage (A) is formed through the space between the plurality of protrusions (146).

[0075] Referring to Fig. 12, a skin contact portion (140c) according to another embodiment of the present invention has a generally flat upper surface (H) that contacts the skin and a plurality of holes (147) formed in the side wall. Accordingly, the internal space of the skin contact portion (140c) is in communication with the outside, and an air passage (A) is formed through the plurality of holes (147).

[0076] Referring to FIG. 13, a skin-contacting portion (140d) according to another embodiment of the present invention has a generally flat upper surface (H) that contacts the skin and has a plurality of patterned ridges (148). When the skin-contacting portion (140d) touches the skin (F), an air passage (A) is formed through the plurality of patterned ridges (148).

[0077] The skin treatment device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention can perform not only the skin treatment described above, but also skin care such as skin stimulation or collagen production within the skin.

[0078] The detailed description above is illustrative of the present invention. In addition, the above description merely illustrates and describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments. That is, changes or modifications are possible within the scope of the inventive concept disclosed in this specification, the scope equivalent to the written disclosure, and / or the scope of technology or knowledge in the art. The above-described embodiments are intended to explain the best mode for carrying out the present invention, and various modifications required for specific applications and uses of the invention are also possible in other modes known in the art for utilizing other inventions such as the present invention. Therefore, the detailed description of the invention above is not intended to limit the present invention to the disclosed embodiments. Furthermore, the appended claims should be construed to include other embodiments.

Claims

1. Skin contact part that forms a space inside by coming into contact with the skin; A plasma output unit that generates plasma in the internal space of the above skin contact portion, A suction part that sucks in air from the above internal space, and It includes an ozone treatment unit that purifies ozone contained in the air sucked in by the above suction unit, A skin treatment device in which an air passage is formed between the outside of the skin contact portion and the inside space to allow air flow when the skin contact portion touches the skin.

2. In paragraph 1, A skin treatment device in which the skin contact portion has a curved surface to form the air passage.

3. In paragraph 1, A skin treatment device having at least one concave portion on the upper surface thereof, wherein the air passage is formed through the concave portion.

4. In paragraph 1, A skin treatment device in which the skin contact portion has a plurality of protrusions on the upper surface, and the air passage is formed through a space between the plurality of protrusions.

5. In paragraph 1, A skin treatment device in which the skin contact portion has at least one hole formed in the side wall to form the air passage.

6. In paragraph 1, A skin treatment device further comprising a main body case formed of synthetic resin and formed by adding powder of a conductive material during injection.

7. In paragraph 1, A skin treatment device further comprising a main body case formed of synthetic resin and formed by spray coating a metallic film on the inside.

8. In paragraph 1, The above ozone treatment unit is a skin treatment device including a cylindrical carbon filter with a sealed structure.

9. In paragraph 1, The above plasma output unit includes a ceramic plate, A skin treatment device in which the skin contact portion is structured to be blocked by the ceramic plate and at least one intake hole is provided on the inner surface where the ceramic plate is in contact.

10. In paragraph 1, A skin treatment device further comprising a lid having at least one ventilation hole and covering and protecting the skin contact portion.

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