Skin care device

• US 20040010222A1
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company and Matsushlta Electric Works Limited
• Inventors: Oba, Takafumi, Nonaka, Gen, Tanaka, Hidekazu, Nunomura, Mahito, Matsumura, Yuko
• Granted Patent: US 7,001,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/54 Chiropodists' instruments , e.g. pedicure chiropractic devices A61H1/008
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00747 Dermatology
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00765 Decreasing the barrier function of skin tissue by radiated energy, e.g. using ultrasound, using laser for skin perforation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0007 having means for enhancing the permeation of substances through the epidermis, e.g. using suction or depression, electric or magnetic fields, sound waves or chemical agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 35/003 Portable hand-held applicators having means for dispensing or spreading integral media hand-held massage devices with liquid delivery A61H7/003
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis

Abstract

Disclosed is a device for penetrating a skin active agent to the human body via the skin by the use of an ultrasound applying apparatus which applies ultrasound to the human body via the skin, comprising: (1) composition comprising: (a) safe and effective amount of the skin active agent; (b) a viscosifying agent that provides the composition a viscosity of from about 1,000 mPas to about 1,000,000 mPas; (c) from about 0.1% to about 30% of a water-soluble humectant; and (d) an aqueous carrier; wherein the composition is substantially free of surfactants; and (2) the ultrasound applying apparatus comprising: (e) an application element for applying to the skin ultrasound at a frequency of from about 3 MHz to about 10 MHz and an intensity of from about 0.1 W/cm² to about 2 W/cm²; and (f) a control element for controlling application conditions of the application element.

Claims

1. A device for penetrating a skin active agent to the human body via the skin by the use of an ultrasound applying apparatus which applies ultrasound to the human body via the skin, comprising:

(1) a composition comprising;

(a) a safe and effective amount of the skin active agent;

(b) a viscosifying agent that provides the composition a viscosity of from about 1,000 mPas to about 1,000,000 mPas;

(c) from about 0.1% to about 30% of a water-soluble humectant; and

(d) an aqueous carrier;

wherein the composition is substantially free of surfactants; and

(2) the ultrasound applying apparatus comprising;

(e) an application element for applying to the skin ultrasound at a frequency of from about 3 MHz to about 10 MHz and an intensity of from about 0.1 W/cm² to about 2 W/cm² and

(f) a control element for controlling application conditions of the application element.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the skin active agent is selected from ascorbic acid compounds, vitamin B3 compounds, and mixtures thereof.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the viscosifying agent comprises a carboxylic acid/carboxylate copolymer;

and a cellulose derivative polymer.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the viscosifying agent provides a viscosity of from about 3,000 mPas to about 100,000 mPas.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the water-soluble humectant is selected from the group consisting of butylenes glycol, pentylene glycol, and mixtures thereof.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the composition comprises at least about 70% water.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the composition further comprises from about 0.1% to about 15% of an oily component.

9. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said ultrasonic applying apparatus comprising:

a housing provided with an applicator head which applies ultrasound to a user'"'"'s skin; and

a driver circuit which gives an electric pulse for actuating said applicator head to generate the ultrasound;

said applicator head comprising;

a vibrator element generating the ultrasound, and

a horn having a mounting face and a skin opposing face which is adapted in use to come into contact with the skin, said horn carrying said vibrator on said mounting face to transmit said ultrasound to the skin through said skin opposing face, said vibrator element and said horn being integrated into a combined vibration mass which resonates with the electric pulse of a resonant frequency from said driver circuit to generate the ultrasound, said combination vibration mass defining said application element that gives a first electrically equivalent impedance when it is normally loaded by contact with the skin, and gives a second electrically equivalent impedance when it is unloaded,

a load detecting circuit which is connected to monitor whether said combined vibration mass gives the first or second electrically equivalent impedance and provides a load detection signal only upon seeing said first electrically equivalent impedance,

a control circuit which limits or stops the electric pulse when the load detection signal is not received within a predetermined time period,

said combined vibration mass having a structure that restrains vibrations at a center portion of said combined vibration mass to reduce a parasitic resonance, thereby differentiating said first electrically equivalent impedance from said second electrically equivalent impedance for discrimination therebetween,

said control circuit constituting said control element that receives said first electrically equivalent impedance in order to vary the intensity of the ultrasound generated at said vibrator element in accordance with the magnitude of said first electrically equivalent impedance.

10. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein

said vibrator element comprises a piezoelectric element in the form of a circular disc having flat upper and lower end faces, and upper and lower electrodes respectively deposited on said upper and lower end faces, said electric pulse being applied across said upper and lower electrodes.

11. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein

at least one of said upper electrode, said lower electrode, and said piezoelectric element has a center opening to restrain the vibrations at the center of said combined vibration mass.

12. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein each of said upper electrode, said lower electrode, and said piezoelectric element has a center opening to restrain the vibrations at the center of said combined vibration mass.

13. The device as set forth in claim 11, wherein

at least one of said upper electrode and said electrode has a diameter smaller than that of said piezoelectric element to leave the peripheral portions of the corresponding end face of said piezoelectric element uncovered.

14. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein

at least one of said upper and lower electrodes is divided by at least one slit into a plurality of identical segments, said at least one slit extending diametrically to leave the center and the diametrically extending band portion of said piezoelectric element uncovered.

15. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein

at least one of said upper and lower electrodes has at least one slit that uncovers the center portion of said piezoelectric element.

16. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein

said horn has a center hole for restraining the vibrations at the center of said combined vibration mass.

17. The device as set forth in claim 11, wherein

said horn has a center hole for restraining the vibrations at the center of said combined vibration mass.

18. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein

said upper electrode is covered on its center with an elastic member absorbing the vibrations at the center of said combined vibration mass.

19. The device as set forth in claim 18, wherein

said elastic member is a silicone rubber.

20. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein

said upper electrode of said piezoelectric element is covered on its center with a solder bulk for electrical connection of the upper electrode to a lead wire leading from said driver circuit, the solder bulk adding a weight to the center of the piezoelectric element.

21. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein

said horn is formed as an integral part thereof with a rim which surrounds said horn and is connected to said housing,

said horn and said rim defines therebetween a restrictor which restricts the ultrasound vibrations from propagating towards said rim.

22. The ultrasound applying skin care device as set forth in claim 21 wherein

said restrictor is defined by a cavity formed at the boundary between said horn and said rim.

23. The ultrasound applying skin care device as set forth in claim 9, further including:

a motion detecting circuit which monitors whether said combined vibration mass is moving and provides a motion detection signal when said vibration mass is so moving;

said control circuit controlling said driver circuit to stop or limit said electric pulse when said load detection signal is not received within said predetermined time period or when said motion detection signal is not continuous over a critical time duration even in the presence of said load detection signal being detected within said time period.

8. The device of claim 8 wherein the oily component is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbon oils, fatty acid esters, silicone oils, and mixtures thereof.

24. A method of treating the skin comprising the steps of:

(1) applying to the skin a composition comprising;

(a) a safe and effective amount of a skin active agent;

(b) a viscosifying agent that provides the composition a viscosity of from about 1,000 mPas to about 1,000,000 mPas;

(c) from about 0.1% to about 30% of a water-soluble humectant; and

(d) an aqueous carrier;

wherein the composition is substantially free of surfactants; and

(2) applying ultrasound to the surface of the skin by an ultrasound applying apparatus comprising;

(e) an application element for applying to the skin ultrasound at a frequency of from about 3 MHz to about 10 MHz and an intensity of from about 0.1 W/cm² to about 2 W/cm²; and

(f) a control element for controlling application conditions of the application element;

wherein the composition is used as a medium for applying ultrasound to the skin by the ultrasound applying apparatus.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the treatment is for enhancing the appearance of the skin.