Angled PCB Heating Element for Skin Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for thermal-medical treatment of the skin surface face challenges in efficient heating and manufacturability, with high unit costs due to specialized heating elements and limited energy efficiency, necessitating a cost-effective solution for improved heat transport and reduced hardware expenditure.
Innovation Solution
A device with a heating element arranged on the edge of a circuit board, thermally coupled to an application surface at an angle, allowing for efficient and low-loss heat transfer, combined with a mobile device interface for power supply and control, enabling precise temperature control and simplified manufacturability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If specialized heating elements are used for thermal-medical treatment, then heating effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive specialized heating elements with a cost-effective alternative: a standard circuit board with integrated heating circuitry. The circuit board serves as both the structural support and the heating element, eliminating the need for separate specialized heating components. This approach significantly reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining adequate heating effectiveness for medical treatment applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit board is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, electrical connections, and thermal heating. By integrating the heating function into the existing circuit board structure rather than using a dedicated heating element, the patent achieves multi-functionality that reduces component count and manufacturing complexity.
2Reliability
If heating element is centrally positioned on circuit board, then heat distribution is improved, but heat loss to environment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the heating element at the edge of the circuit board rather than in the center, utilizing the edge dimension to achieve better thermal performance. This edge positioning reduces the surface area exposed to environmental heat loss while maintaining effective heat transfer to the treatment surface through direct contact, thereby improving energy efficiency.
3Ease of manufacture
If standard circuit board with heating element is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but thermal coupling efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a thermal coupling medium or direct contact interface between the circuit board heating element and the treatment surface to enhance heat transfer efficiency. This intermediary mechanism ensures that despite using a standard circuit board instead of a specialized heating element, the thermal coupling efficiency remains sufficient for effective medical treatment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration achieves improved thermal coupling with minimal heat loss, reduced material costs, and enhanced design flexibility, allowing for effective and portable thermal-medical treatment of skin irritations while ensuring user safety and efficient energy utilization.
Implementation Method 1
a circuit board 20 with a heating element 22 arranged on it for heating the application area 18 based on a supply voltage
Implementation Method 2
the heating element 22 in an area of the front side 20a of the circuit board 20 faced with the application area 18 is arranged on the circuit board 20 and is thermally coupled with the application area 18
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a device (12) for the thermal-medical treatment of a human skin surface, comprising: an application surface (18) with a front side for contact with the skin surface; and a printed circuit board (20) with a heating element (22) arranged thereon for heating the application surface based on a supply voltage, wherein the application surface is arranged with its back side against an end face of the printed circuit board at an angle to the printed circuit board; and the heating element is arranged on the printed circuit board in a region of the end face of the printed circuit board facing the application surface and is thermally coupled to the application surface. The present invention further relates to a system (10) and a method for the thermal-medical treatment of a human skin surface.