Skin treatment apparatus using fractional plasma

Abstract

The present invention relates to a skin treatment apparatus using plasma. A plasma generator (400) comprises an electrode plate (420), an upper dielectric body (430), independent electrode portions (440) and a lower dielectric body (450). The independent electrode portion is an FPCB or a silver paste positioned a fixed distance away. According to the present invention, the electrode portions each independently work and thus prevent unevenness of plasma and enable the plasma to be generated evenly. According to the present invention, the plasma generator having such configuration is easily formed into a convex shape, and a convex plasma generator is suitable for a curved skin object such as the palm. The convex plasma generator can generate more even plasma and is particularly more effective for a long cylindrical object to be treated, such as the woman's vagina.

Claims

1. A skin treatment apparatus using fractional plasma comprising: a high voltage module and a plasma generator to generate plasma and treats a treatment surface on a skin using plasma generated by the plasma generator, wherein the plasma generator comprises: a power connector connected to the high voltage module; an electrode plate having a concave surface connected to the power connector and a convex surface facing the treatment surface on a skin; an upper dielectric having a semicylindrical shape with an open top and configured to accommodate the electrode plate; a plurality of independent electrode portions configured to surround a convex part of the upper dielectric and having a concave surface facing the upper dielectric and a convex surface facing the treatment surface on a skin, the electrode portions being mechanically and electrically spaced apart by certain distances and not directly connected to any external power source; and a lower dielectric having a semicylindrical shape with an open top and configured to accommodate the independent electrode portions, wherein power is applied to the electrode plate through the power connector and power from the electrode plate is supplied to the upper dielectric, the independent electrode portions, and the lower dielectric such that plasma is generated in a space between the lower dielectric and the treatment surface on a skin, and wherein the treatment surface on a skin acts as a grounded electrode.

2. The skin treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein an upper peripheral part of the lower dielectric protrudes outward by a certain length.

3. The skin treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the independent electrode portions are silver paste or flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs).

4. The skin treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the independent electrode portions act as capacitors.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a conventional skin treatment apparatus using plasma.

(2) FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an entire structure of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is a view illustrating main parts of a plasma generator according to the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is a view illustrating independent electrode portions of the plasma generator according to the present invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is an equivalent circuit of the independent electrode portions of FIG. 4.

(6) FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the plasma generator, which is convex, according to the present invention.

(7) FIG. 7 is a view illustrating the plasma generator according to the present invention, which has a convex cylindrical fragment attached along an outer circumferential surface of a skin treatment apparatus.

(8) FIG. 8 is a view illustrating the plasma generator according to the present invention, which has a convex cylindrical shape and is attached to an entirety of the outer circumferential surface of the skin treatment apparatus.

(9) FIG. 9 is a view illustrating another embodiment of the plasma generator according to the present invention.

MODES OF THE INVENTION

(10) Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

(11) A skin treatment apparatus using plasma according to the present invention includes, as shown in FIG. 2, a power supply portion 100, a high voltage module 300, and a plasma generator 400. The high voltage module 300 includes a controller 310, a signal generator 321, an amplifier 322, and a transformer 323.

(12) The power supply portion 100 may be an external power source or may be a miniaturized battery for being portable.

(13) The controller 310 of the high voltage module 300 controls direct current (DC) power output from the power supply portion 100 to be converted into high-frequency and high-voltage alternating current (AC) power. The signal generator 321 of the high voltage module 300 generates a frequency equal to or higher than 20 kHz, and the amplifier 322 of the high voltage module 300 is matched at an impedance of 5 to 50 W.

(14) The transformer 323 of the high voltage module 300 supplies a frequency output from the amplifier 322 of the high voltage module 300 to the plasma generator 400 to cause generation of plasma.

(15) FIG. 3 illustrates main parts of the plasma generator 400 which generates plasma using the high-voltage and high-frequency power output from the high voltage module 300.

(16) The plasma generator 400 includes a power connector 410, which transfers power from the transformer 323 of the high voltage module 300, an electrode plate 420, which receives high voltage and high frequency through the power connector 410, and an upper dielectric 430 and a lower dielectric 450 below the electrode plate 420. A plurality of independent electrode portions 440 are printed between the upper dielectric 430 and the lower dielectric 450 while being spaced at certain distances apart.

(17) The skin treatment apparatus using plasma, which includes the above components, according to the present invention operates as follows.

(18) First, when the skin treatment apparatus according to the present invention is located on a part to be treated and an operation-start button is pushed, the power supply portion 100 supplies DC power to the high voltage module 300 and the high voltage module 300 converts the DC power into high-voltage and high-frequency AC power using the controller 310, the signal generator 321, the amplifier 322, and the transformer 323 and supplies the AC power to the electrode plate 420 through the power connector 410 of the plasma generator 400.

(19) The power supplied to the electrode plate 420 passes through the upper dielectric 430 and passes through the independent electrode portions 440 printed between the upper dielectric and the lower dielectric.

(20) A shape of the independent electrode portions 440 may be a plurality of pieces of silver paste or flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) spaced at certain distances apart as shown in FIG. 4.

(21) The independent electrode portion 440 is shown as an equivalent circuit as shown in FIG. 5. That is, each of the independent electrode portions 440 functions as a cell capacitor and may be understood as C1, C2, . . . , and Cn. Also, values of C1, C2, . . . , and Cn may be adjusted by adjusting cross-sectional areas of the independent electrode portions. That is, since capacitance is proportional to a cross-sectional area, capacitance of the cell capacitor may be increased by increasing the cross-sectional area of the independent electrode portion or may be decreased by decreasing the cross-sectional area of the independent electrode portion. Also, each of the cell capacitors may have the same capacitance.

(22) As described above, according to the present invention, since the electrode portions including the plurality of pieces of silver paste or FPCBs are not connected directly to the electrode plate 420 and operate independently, a phenomenon of existing inventions, in which plasma is collected on one side, may be prevented such that plasma may be generated evenly in each of the independent electrode portions.

(23) Also, according to the present invention, a convex shape, which will be described below, may be easily formed by including thin independent electrode portions like silver paste or FPCBs. Among objects to be treated, an object having a curved shape such as a palm is present and it is difficult to treat the object using a flat plasma generator. In this case, when the plasma generator 400 according to the present invention has a convex shape, the object to be treated which has a curved shape like a palm may be treated effectively.

(24) Also, the convex-shaped plasma generator may generate a more even amount of plasma and will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

(25) Since components of the plasma generator of FIG. 6, that is, all of an electrode plate, an upper dielectric, and a lower dielectric have convex shapes, all distances d1, d2, . . . , and do from the electrode plate 420 to the independent electrode portions 440 are equal. Since capacitance is influenced by a distance between two electrodes and such distances are equal, capacitances between the electrode plate 420 and the independent electrode portions are uniform such that even plasma may be emitted toward the skin.

(26) When the plasma generator configured as described has a convex shape, for example, in case of a cylindrical fragment or a cylindrical shape, particularly, there is present an effect of treating a long cylindrical skin like a woman's vagina.

(27) As shown in FIG. 7, the plasma generator 400 may have a convex shape (cylindrical fragment) such that the plasma generator 400 may be attached along an outer circumferential surface of an end of the skin treatment apparatus in an arch shape within a range of 30° to 180°. Preferably, the arch shape is formed to be 90°.

(28) Here, the plasma generator may have a size including a width of 8 mm and a length of 20 mm.

(29) Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the plasma generator 400 may have a convex shape (cylindrical shape) so as to be attached to an entirety of the outer circumferential surface of the end of the skin treatment apparatus. Here, also, the plasma generator may have a size including a length of 20 mm.

(30) FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of the plasma generator.

(31) An electrode plate 420′, which receives a high voltage and a high frequency through a power connector 410′, has concave one surface connected to the power connector 410′ and another convex surface which faces skin.

(32) Also, an upper dielectric 430′, which accommodates the electrode plate 420′, has a semicylindrical shape having an open top.

(33) Also, a plurality of independent electrode portions 440′ surround a convex part of the upper dielectric 430′, and have one concave surface facing the upper dielectric 430′ and another convex surface facing the skin S, while electrodes are spaced at certain distances apart.

(34) Also, a lower dielectric 450′ has a semicylindrical shape having an open top and includes an upper circumferential part which protrudes outward by a certain length to accommodate the independent electrode portion 440′.

(35) A case, in which silver paste is printed between two dielectrics while being spaced at certain distances apart and the dielectrics have convex shapes as described above, is more effective to an object to be treated which has a long cylindrical shape.

(36) The above-described skin treatment apparatus using plasma according to the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and may have a range of technical mind of being modified and executed by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the technical concept of the following claims.