SYSTEM FOR THE PERCUTANEOUS APPLICATION OF A FLUID TO SKIN AREAS

Abstract

A system for the percutaneous application of a fluid to one or more surface areas of a skin. The system may include at least one of at least one compressor and at least one fan for providing compressed air. The system may also include an applicator fluidically connectable to the at least one of the at least one compressor and the at least one fan. The applicator may have at least one outlet opening through which a fluidic jet is flowable and directable onto the skin. The at least one of the at least one compressor and the at least one fan is attached to the applicator.

Claims

1. A system for the percutaneous application of a fluid to one or more surface areas of a skin, the system comprising: at least one of at least one compressor and at least one fan for providing compressed air; an applicator fluidically connectable to the at least one of the at least one compressor and the at least one fan, the applicator having at least one outlet opening through which a fluidic jet is flowable and directable onto the skin; and wherein the at least one of the at least one compressor and the at least one fan is attached to the applicator.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the applicator is structured as a face mask for attaching in front of a face; the face mask includes at least one of a plurality of outlet openings and a plurality of outlet nozzles distributed over an inner side of the face mask configured to face the face, the plurality of outlet openings including the at least one outlet opening; and the at least one of the plurality of outlet openings and the plurality of outlet nozzles are fluidically connected at least to the at least one of the at least one compressor and the at least one fan.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the applicator together with the at least one of the at least one compressor and the at least one fan are structured as a handheld device, which is guidable with one hand to a plurality of locations to be treated on the skin.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein a positive pressure provided by the at least one of the at least one compressor and the at least one fan at the at least one of the plurality of outlet nozzles and the plurality of outlet openings is from 1 to 8 bar.

5. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the face mask has a lower nose region, an opening disposed at the lower nose region for breathing purposes, and an eye region that is kept open.

6. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein: the face mask includes the plurality of outlet nozzles; the plurality of outlet nozzles each have an outlet end of a plurality of outlet ends; and the plurality of outlet nozzles are arranged obliquely in relation to an inner wall of the face mask, are mounted rotatably, and are driven to perform a rotational movement by a pressure medium emerging therefrom via a turbine wheel such that the plurality of outlet ends each execute a circular movement.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein a radius of the circular movement is dimensioned such that an impact surface of an outlet cone of the pressure medium on the skin defines a closed full-surface circle.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one of the at least one compressor and the at least one fan has an electric motor and is fed by at least one of a storage battery, a battery, and a mains power via a cable.

9. The system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an active substance to be applied percutaneously as at least one of a liquid, an aerosol, a cream, a paste, and a gel to an area of the skin to be treated, and wherein the active substance is drivable into a plurality of intracellular intermediate spaces of an epidermis of the skin via a pressure of a pressure medium.

10. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the face mask includes a plurality of interchangeable attachments each having a different configuration of the at least one of the plurality of outlet openings and the plurality of outlet nozzles such that a plurality of individual face regions of the face are individually treatable.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the face mask further includes a plurality of valves that are individually controllable such that the at least one of the plurality of outlet nozzles and the plurality of outlet openings in a plurality of partial regions of at least one of the face mask and the plurality of interchangeable attachments separate from one another are individually controllable.

12. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein: the at least one outlet opening includes a plurality of outlet openings; the handheld device is fittable with a plurality of different interchangeable attachments each having a different configuration of the plurality of outlet openings; and a pressure at an output of the at least one of the at least one compressor and the at least one fan is adjustable via a switch to at least 3 stages including a small stage, a medium stage, and a large stage.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a heating/cooling system configured to at least one of heat and cool the compressed air provided by the at least one of the at least one compressor and the at least one fan.

14. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a filter through which the compressed air is guidable.

15. The system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a vibrator, wherein at least one of an applicator head of the applicator and the plurality of interchangeable attachments are vibratable via the vibrator to provide a massage function.

16. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a hose connecting the applicator and the at least one of the at least one compressor and the at least one fan.

17. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the face mask has an eye region and a plurality of ribs disposed in the eye region, the plurality of ribs protruding towards the face and configured to shield a user's eyes from a treatment region of the face mask.

18. The system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: an elastic headband; a plurality of contact bands configured to rest on the face and set a distance between the face and the face mask; wherein a first contact band of the plurality of contact bands is arranged in an upper forehead region of the face mask; and wherein a second contact band of the plurality of contact bands is arranged in a chin region of the face mask.

19. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the positive pressure is from 2 to 5 bar.

20. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein: the face mask includes an outer shell and an inner shell; the inner shell includes the plurality of interchangeable attachments; and the plurality of interchangeable attachments are arranged in a temple region, a cheek region, and a forehead region of the face mask.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The present invention will be explained in more detail below using the description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing, in which:

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a cross section through human skin;

[0046] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a facemask according to the invention with a holding strap and compressor or fan;

[0047] FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of an application system according to the invention with a face mask and compressor or fan;

[0048] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the application system with a mask and compressor or fan;

[0049] FIG. 5 shows a variant of the application system shown in FIG. 4; and

[0050] FIG. 6 shows a handheld application system according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] As FIG. 1 shows, the human skin is outwardly sealed by an outer horny layer, followed by a keratinizing, multi-layered squamous epithelium layer free from blood vessels. The dermis having a blood supply is located underneath. The subcutaneous fatty tissue is located under the skin. The horny layer and the squamous epithelium form the epidermis. By means of a jet of a pressurized fluid which, in addition to the compressed air, can also contain added active substances, the pressure medium, which can be, for example, compressed air or oxygen-enriched compressed air, pure oxygen or another gaseous substances, is injected, optionally together with particles of a liquid or viscous active substance, into the skin, and this can take place as far as the subcutis, depending on the pressurization. Thus, for example, the skin can be enriched with oxygen as far as deep layers, and active substances which can be added to the propellant, such as, for example, vitamin C and/or edelweiss extract, can also be applied as far as deep layers of the skin in order to deploy their positive effect there for the complexion.

[0052] FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of a system according to the invention for the percutaneous application of a fluid with a facemask 1 and a compressor or a fan 2, which is arranged on the upper edge of the mask 1 and is fluidically connected to the face mask via a pressure regulator 3. The mask 1 is fastened to the head with an elastic headband 4.

[0053] The mask has skin contact bands 5 in the chin region and in the upper forehead region, via the thickness of which the distance of the inner side of the mask from the facial skin is determined. Said distance can expediently be in the range between 5 and 15 mm. The face mask shown in FIG. 2 has an outer shell which is airtight and an inner shell which is perforated with a predetermined pattern of openings through which the pressure medium and/or the fluid emerges from the mask and strikes against the facial skin. Openings are provided in the region of the eyes and the nose, the inner walls of which openings reach from the outer shell as the far as the inner shell in order to avoid pressure medium escaping from the intermediate spaces between the two mask shells.

[0054] In certain regions, the inner shell can have removable interchangeable attachments which are interchangeable and which have a different positioning of outlet openings or outlet nozzles depending on the desired application. Such regions can be, for example, the temple region, the cheeks or the forehead region.

[0055] If it is desired to provide, for example, a more intensive treatment of the temple regions, an interchangeable attachment can be exchanged in the temple region and replaced by an interchangeable attachment with a higher opening density.

[0056] According to one variant embodiment of the present invention, the user of the application system can first of all apply a desired active substance in the form of a cream, a gel, a liquid, an aerosol or the like to the locations of the skin to be treated in the face, and then to attach the face mask and to activate the compressor or the fan 2 together with the pressure regulator 3 by actuation of a switch 9 via which an outlet valve of the compressor or fan 2 is opened. The outlet valve can be an electrically controlled valve which is connected to a control logic which is activated by the switch 9. The control logic can open the compressor valve or fan valve in a continuous or pulsating manner.

[0057] The pressure regulator 3 can furthermore be adjusted via a manual switch at least in the stages small, medium and large.

[0058] The pressure regulator 3 has a pressure regulating chamber in which the pressure medium emerging from the compressor valve or fan valve is reduced to a suitable pressure with which the pressure medium enters the intermediate space between the mask shells. The pressure medium can be compressed in the compressor 2 to a pressure of the order of magnitude of 10 bar, and said pressure is reduced via the pressure regulator 3 until the pressure of the pressure medium/fluid emerging from the openings 8 is reduced from 1 to 5 bar.

[0059] In addition, to the compressor or fan, the applicator can also have a cartridge from which gases or aerosols under high pressure can be added. For example, compressed mountain air can be involved.

[0060] In one specific embodiment, the compressor 2 is operated by battery or storage battery. One such compressor is sold, for example, by TOPTREK®. This compressor is substantially cylindrical, with a length of approx. 15 cm and a diameter of 2.5 cm. It supplies a maximum pressure of 6-7 bar and one storage battery charge is sufficient for a treatment duration of approx. 10 minutes. Without the storage battery, the compressor has a weight of approximately 80 grams.

[0061] In order to be able to increase the operating duration of a treatment, instead of a storage battery, the compressor or the fan can be fed with mains power via a power cable.

[0062] A fan which is suitable for the use descried here is sold by Guédon. It is likewise substantially cylindrical and weighs approx. 70 g. With this fan, a pressure of 3 bar can be generated on the output side. This fan is also fed by a storage battery with a nominal voltage of 12 V.

[0063] FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the components of the application system shown in FIG. 2. The elastic headband 4 has touch and close strips 10 in each case in the temple region, via which the mask 1 can be fastened on the head.

[0064] FIG. 4 shows a variant of the application system schematically, wherein some of the features shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 have been omitted. In this variant, the compressor or the fan and the pressure regulator 3 are arranged in the region below the nose of the mask, which simplifies the handling of the application system. By gripping the compressor housing or fan housing 12, the position of the mask during the use thereof on the face of the user can be additionally stabilized.

[0065] FIG. 4 furthermore shows a variant of the fastening of the mask on the head, which, as shown here, takes place via ear hooks 13. The actuating button for activating the compressor/fan 2/pressure regulator 3 is located at a location of the pressure regulator 3 that can easily be reached by the index finger of the gripping hand.

[0066] Finally, FIG. 5 shows a further variant of the application system according to the invention in which the compressor or the fan 2 and the pressure regulator 3 are arranged on the lower side of the mask 1 in the chin region. As a result, the center of gravity of the application system can be lowered even further and can be displaced in the direction of the user's neck, which further assists the stable seating of the mask 1 on the user's head.

[0067] At the lower end of the compressor or fan 2, a power cable with anti-kink protection can be led out of the housing if the compressor or the fan 2 is fed with mains power.

[0068] In an alternative embodiment, not shown, the compressor or the fan 2 can also be designed as a separate part which is connected to the pressure regulator 3 via a hose and can thus be set down, for example, on a table at which the user of the system sits, as a result of which the mask becomes overall lighter, which is beneficial for the comfort of wearing same.

[0069] The pressure regulator 3 together with the compressor or fan can also form a unit which is separate from the face mask, and the connecting hose then connects the output of the pressure regulator to an inlet nozzle on the face mask.

[0070] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of an application system according to the invention in the form of a handheld device. The compressor or the fan 2 and a pressure regulating chamber 3 are installed there in the handle of the handheld device. The pressure regulating chamber is adjoined by the treatment head which substantially has the form of a showerhead. That is to say, on one side of the treatment head 14 openings or nozzles are provided out of which the pressure medium and/or the fluid emerges and can be directed onto the skin of a location of the body. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, LEDs are furthermore attached between the nozzles or openings for simultaneously illuminating the skin with light of a certain wavelength. The percutaneous application of a fluid can thus be combined simultaneously with light therapy.

[0071] Also in the case of the handheld device, the compressor or the fan 2 can be designed separately and connected to the applicator head via a hose. Similarly, in this case, the pressure regulator can be fastened either to the applicator head or to the compressor or fan 2.

[0072] Furthermore, a vibrator can be arranged in the handheld device at a suitable location, for example at the applicator head or at an interchangeable attachment, in order to provide the handheld device with an additional massage function.