Skin treatment device

Abstract

Provided is a skin treatment device in which cooling efficiency is improved by supplying a coolant having a uniform temperature to a light emission surface and a light source. The skin treatment device comprises a light source that generates light to be emitted from a light emission surface, and a cooling system that cools the light emission surface and the light source by means of a coolant, wherein: the cooling system includes a pump that discharges the coolant and a circulatory flow path that allows circulation of the discharged coolant from the discharge side of the pump to the suction side of the pump; and the circulatory flow path includes, in parallel between the discharge side and the suction side of the pump, a first flow path for cooling the light source and a second flow path for cooling the light emission surface.

Description

Skin treatment device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a skin treatment device.

[0002] There are known skin treatment devices that irradiate light onto skin (biological tissue) for the purpose of hair removal treatment, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a skin treatment device (tissue treatment system) that includes a light source that generates light that is emitted from a light emitting surface, and a cooling system that cools the light emitting surface and the light source via a fluid medium.

[0003] Special Publication No. 2022-549589

[0004] However, in the skin treatment device of Patent Document 1, a single cooling fluid circulation loop is formed, and the light source is cooled with the cooling fluid after cooling the light emitting surface, making it difficult to control the temperature of the cooling fluid supplied to the light source, which may lead to a decrease in cooling efficiency.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a skin treatment device that can supply a cooling medium of uniform temperature to the light exit surface and the light source, thereby improving cooling efficiency.

[0006] In one aspect, the present invention provides the following solution: a skin treatment device including a light source that generates light to be emitted from a light emitting surface, and a cooling system that cools the light emitting surface and the light source via a fluid medium, the cooling system including a pump that discharges the medium, and a circulation flow path that circulates the medium discharged from the discharge side of the pump to the suction side of the pump, the circulation flow path including a first flow path that cools the light source and a second flow path that cools the light emitting surface, arranged in parallel between the discharge side and the suction side of the pump.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a cooling medium at a uniform temperature can be supplied to the light exit surface and the light source, thereby improving cooling efficiency.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a skin treatment device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the configuration inside a base unit of a cooling system; Fig. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the configuration inside an applicator of a cooling system; Fig. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a skin treatment device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0009] Each embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] [Skin Processing Device] Fig. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a skin processing device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The skin processing device 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a device that irradiates light onto skin S for purposes such as hair removal treatment. Note that the treatment of skin S that the skin processing device 1 aims to perform is not limited to hair removal treatment, and can include various treatments that provide beauty-related effects.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1 , the skin treatment device 1 includes a base unit 2 and an applicator 3. The applicator 3 has a shape that allows it to be held and operated by a user. A light source 4 that outputs light to be irradiated onto the skin S is provided inside the applicator 3. The light source 4 is, for example, a xenon tube. Note that the light source 4 is not limited to a xenon tube, and may be, for example, a halogen lamp, a light-emitting diode, or a laser generator. The light source 4 may also be a combination of these.

[0012] The applicator 3 also includes a light-emitting member 5 that emits light output from the light source 4 toward the skin S. The light-emitting member 5 has a light-emitting surface 5a that comes into contact with or is close to the skin S, and emits the light output from the light source 4 from the light-emitting surface 5a toward the skin S. The light-emitting member 5 also functions as a skin-cooling element that cools the skin S that it is in contact with or close to. For this reason, the light-emitting member 5 is made of a material such as sapphire glass, which has high optical transparency and thermal conductivity. The light-emitting member 5 is housed in the housing of the applicator 3 with the light-emitting surface 5a exposed to the outside.

[0013] The base unit 2 includes a power supply 6, a controller (not shown), and part of a cooling system 10 (described later). The power supply 6 supplies power to electrical devices in the base unit 2, and also supplies power to electrical devices in the applicator 3 via a cable 7. The controller controls, for example, the operation of the cooling system 10 in response to the operation of a main switch (not shown) provided in the base unit 2, and the operation of the light source 4 in response to the operation of an operation switch (not shown) provided in the applicator 3.

[0014] [Cooling System] Fig. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the internal configuration of the base unit 2 of the cooling system 10, and Fig. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the internal configuration of the applicator 3 of the cooling system 10. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the skin treatment device 1 includes a cooling system 10 that cools the light emitting surface 5a (light emitting member 5) and the light source 4 via a fluid medium (hereinafter referred to as a cooling medium).

[0015] The cooling system 10 includes a pump 11 that discharges a cooling medium, and a circulation flow path 12 that circulates the cooling medium discharged from the discharge side of the pump 11 to the suction side of the pump 11. The circulation flow path 12 includes a first flow path 12a that cools the light source 4 and a second flow path 12b that cools the light emission surface 5a, which are arranged in parallel between the discharge side and the suction side of the pump 11.

[0016] According to such a cooling system 10, a cooling medium of a uniform temperature can be supplied to the light emitting surface 5a and the light source 4, which not only makes it easier to control the temperature of the cooling medium but also improves the cooling efficiency compared to when the cooling medium is supplied to the light source 4 after cooling the light emitting surface 5a.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2 , the configuration within the base unit 2 of the cooling system 10 includes a reservoir 13, a pump 11, and a cooler 14. The reservoir 13 is interposed in the circulation flow path 12 and temporarily stores the cooling medium. The cooling medium is a fluid containing water, to which antifreeze, anti-rust agents, antiseptics, etc. are added as needed. For example, the suction side of the pump 11 is connected to the reservoir 13, and the discharge side is connected to the cooler 14. When the pump 11 is driven, the cooling medium in the reservoir 13 is sucked into the pump 11, and the sucked cooling medium is sent to the circulation flow path 12 via the cooler 14.

[0018] The cooler 14 cools the cooling medium. The cooler 14 may be, for example, a heat exchange cooling system using a radiator or the like, a thermoelectric cooling system using a Peltier element or the like, or a compressor cooling system (chiller or the like) using a compressor or the like.

[0019] The cooling medium cooled by the cooler 14 is sent to the applicator 3 via a feed pipe 15. The cooling medium that has cooled the light emitting surface 5 a and the light source 4 in the applicator 3 is returned to the reservoir 13 of the base unit 2 via a return pipe 16.

[0020] 1 and 3 , the configuration inside the applicator 3 of the cooling system 10 includes a flow path forming member 17 that forms the first flow path 12a and the second flow path 12b. The flow path forming member 17 is an integrated housing that houses all or part of the light source 4 and the light output member 5 (including a bracket that supports the light output member body), and forms the first flow path 12a, the second flow path 12b, the inlet flow path 12c, and the outlet flow path 12d, which are components of the circulation flow path 12.

[0021] The inlet flow path 12c branches off from a single inlet 12e and connects to the starting ends of the first flow path 12a and the second flow path 12b, while the outlet flow path 12d joins the terminal ends of the first flow path 12a and the second flow path 12b and connects to a single outlet 12f.

[0022] Such a flow path forming member 17 is an integrated housing that accommodates all or part of the light source 4 and the light output member 5 and forms the cooling flow paths (first flow path 12a, second flow path 12b, etc.) for the light source 4 and the light output member 5, thereby enabling the light source 4 and the light output member 5 to be accommodated compactly while efficiently cooling the light source 4 and the light output member 5. Note that in this embodiment, the first flow path 12a and the second flow path 12b are formed in one flow path forming member 17, but a first flow path forming member that forms the first flow path 12a and a second flow path forming member that forms the second flow path 12b may be provided separately.

[0023] The flow path forming member 17 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as a metal (aluminum, etc.), ceramics, a carbon-based material, or a polymer composite material.

[0024] The positions at which the first flow paths 12a and the second flow paths 12b are formed in the flow path forming member 17 are set according to the positions at which the light source 4 and the light emitting surface 5a (light emitting member 5) are accommodated in the flow path forming member 17. For example, the positions at which the first portion of the flow path forming member 17 that forms the first flow path 12a is formed are set so that the thermal resistance (distance) between the first portion and the light source 4 is smaller than that between the second portion of the flow path forming member 17 that forms the second flow path 12b, and so that the thermal resistance between the second portion and the light emitting surface 5a is smaller than that between the first portion and the light emitting surface 5a. In a modified example, the flow path forming member 17 may be formed such that the member that forms the first flow path 12a and the member that forms the second flow path 12b are formed separately.

[0025] 3, the applicator 3 desirably further includes heat absorption means 18 that absorbs heat from the light emitting surface 5a. The heat absorption means 18 is, for example, a Peltier element, and can absorb heat from the light emitting surface 5a by arranging the heat absorption side thereof in contact with or in close proximity to the light emitting member 5. The cooling system 10 can efficiently cool the light emitting surface 5a by cooling the heat dissipation side of the heat absorption means 18 with the cooling medium (second flow path 12b). Note that the heat absorption means 18 is not limited to a Peltier element, and may be a member with high thermal conductivity.

[0026] Although each embodiment has been described in detail above, it is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims. It is also possible to combine all or some of the components of the above-described embodiments.

[0027] For example, as in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the terminal ends of the first flow path 12a and the second flow path 12b may not be joined together, but may be connected to the reservoir 13 via separate return pipes 16A and 16B.

[0028] In the above-described embodiment, the reservoir 13, pump 11, and cooler 14, which are components within the base unit 2 of the cooling system 10, are arranged on the circulation flow path 12 in the order of reservoir 13, pump 11, cooler 14. However, the order of the reservoir 13, pump 11, and cooler 14 on the circulation flow path 12 may be cooler 14, reservoir 13, pump 11. Furthermore, two coolers 14 may be provided, and the order may be cooler 14, reservoir 13, pump 11, cooler 14.

[0029] In the above-described embodiment, the light source 4 and the light emitting member 5 are housed in the flow path forming member 17, but if the light emitting member 5 is configured by a light emitting member main body and a bracket that supports the light emitting member main body, a part of the bracket may be housed in the flow path forming member 17. In addition, the bracket may support the light emitting member main body via the heat absorption means 18.

Claims

1. A skin treatment device comprising: a light source that generates light that is emitted from a light emitting surface; and a cooling system that cools the light emitting surface and the light source via a fluid medium, wherein the cooling system includes a pump that discharges the medium; and a circulation flow path that circulates the medium discharged from the discharge side of the pump to the suction side of the pump, wherein the circulation flow path has a first flow path that cools the light source and a second flow path that cools the light emitting surface, arranged in parallel between the discharge side and the suction side of the pump.

2. The skin treatment device according to claim 1, further comprising a heat absorption means for removing heat from the light emitting surface, and the cooling system cools the light emitting surface by cooling the heat absorption means via the medium.

3. The skin treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the circulation flow path further includes an inlet flow path that branches off and connects to the first flow path and the second flow path, and an outlet flow path that connects the first flow path and the second flow path to a reservoir, and further comprises a flow path forming member that forms the inlet flow path, the first flow path, the second flow path, and the outlet flow path.

4. A skin treatment device as described in claim 3, wherein a first portion of the flow path forming member that forms the first flow path has a smaller thermal resistance between it and the light source than a second portion of the flow path forming member that forms the second flow path, and wherein the second portion has a smaller thermal resistance between it and the light emitting surface than the first portion.

5. The skin treatment device of claim 1, wherein the light source includes a xenon tube and the medium includes water.

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