CN115397502B - Liquid injection device and system and cartridge unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid injection device (1) for injecting a liquid into the skin through a microneedle (10) is provided, comprising a cartridge unit (20) having a microneedle, a discharge hole (11) for discharging the liquid, a syringe portion (21) for containing the liquid, and a washer portion (23) for extruding the liquid from the syringe portion toward the discharge hole, and a main body (30) having at least a cartridge mounting portion for detachably mounting the cartridge unit and sliding portions (37, 38) for axially moving the washer portion of the mounted cartridge unit, and being used in a replaceable cartridge unit.

Description

Liquid injection device and system and cartridge unit

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a liquid injection device for injecting liquid such as lotion or liquid medicine into skin through microneedles, a system thereof and a cartridge unit.

Background Art

Microneedles are used as transdermal absorption devices in the medical and cosmetic fields.

The skin is composed of the epidermis and dermis. The epidermis is a hard protein composed of the stratum corneum, stratum basale, stratum spinosum, etc. The stratum corneum forms a barrier to prevent bacteria and dust from entering and prevent water from evaporating from the body; the stratum basale produces keratinocytes and protects the skin from ultraviolet damage with melanin.

On the other hand, the dermis is composed of fibrous collagen, gel-like hyaluronic acid, etc., and is filled with nerves, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, etc., making it a highly elastic protein layer.

Compared to the amount that enters the subcutaneous tissue, the amount of liquid that can be injected into the skin is extremely small, less than 0.2 ml in the highly elastic dermis and about 1/100 of that in the hard protein epidermis. In addition, the thickness of the skin is about 1.5-2 mm for the epidermis and dermis combined, so microneedles are an effective device that can control the amount and depth of transdermal absorption.

In the beauty field in particular, the goal is to inject beauty serum into the low-permeability epidermis. To this end, the beauty field uses sealed microneedles, which are hardened into needle-like collagen or hyaluronic acid and laid into a needle-like shape, and are fixed with adhesive for a long time in the areas where the skin needs to be repaired, such as the eyes and nasolabial folds, to allow it to penetrate.

As a related prior art, patent document 1 discloses a structure including a housing, a microneedle array holder for holding a microneedle array, and a shuttle for holding a cartridge, wherein the microneedle array holder can move between a retracted position and an extended position. In this structure, only the cartridge containing the liquid medicine can be replaced, and the microneedle array and its microneedle array holder configured separately from the cartridge are moved from the retracted position to the extended position through an energy storage device. The energy storage device is specifically a coil spring that contacts the skin at a certain impact speed.

In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses an operating device that can easily and reliably inject a desired amount of fluid into skin tissue in a short time when performing intradermal injection using a fluid injector of a multi-microneedle device. The device is characterized by being simple and low-cost, and having a mechanism for sequentially moving the needle in the device body from an initial position in the opening to a first position protruding from the opening to the outside to a first distance, and a second position protruding to the outside to a second distance shorter than the first distance. After the fluid flows out at the second position, the injector is pushed to the initial position by magnetic force.

Since the device returns to the initial position each time, it is impossible to repeatedly inject a predetermined amount of fluid, and a structure is disclosed as a device for injecting the entire required amount of fluid in the fluid injector into the skin tissue at the required position.

Patent document 3 discloses a drug delivery component having a delivery component including a plurality of microneedles configured to deliver a drug to a patient transdermally, and including a sensing unit configured to measure at least one physical parameter determined based on the volume of the drug in the device. The device discloses a structure that forms a capacitor having two electrodes, between which the drug flows, and by measuring the capacitance of the capacitor, the volume is measured. In addition, a structure for measuring by a photodetector is disclosed. In this case, these measuring devices are required between the microneedles and the container for the drug, and in addition to the inability to easily replace the container and the microneedles, there is also a problem that the structure and control of the device become complicated.

Prior art literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-523115

Patent Document 2: International Publication No. 2014/017561

Patent document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-504650.

Summary of the invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

As a problem of the above-mentioned prior art, since the sealed microneedle is in contact with the skin for a long time, the adhesive may cause rash and swelling, etc. In addition, many seals are required to penetrate the beauty essence over a large area, which is inefficient.

On the other hand, when the microneedle is attached to the tip of the syringe and injected from the needle, most of the liquid may leak out without entering the skin due to the low skin permeability. Especially when injecting liquid into the epidermis, the injection amount needs to be controlled in units of several μl, and the operation itself is difficult due to the small amount. In addition, the injected beauty liquid is expensive, and if it overflows from the skin, the cost performance will be much worse.

The present invention is invented in view of the problems of the above-mentioned prior art, and is a liquid injection device that injects liquid into low-permeability skin from a microneedle, providing a technology for accurately and easily injecting a trace amount of liquid. At the same time, the purpose is to provide a technology that can inject liquid into the epidermis in a short time without waste by cooperating with the user's operation when the skin and the device are in contact, and can inject beauty liquid into a large area.

Technical means of solving problems

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following liquid injection device.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, a liquid injection device is provided, which injects liquid into the skin through a microneedle, and is composed of a cartridge unit and a main body, wherein the cartridge unit has a microneedle, a discharge hole for discharging liquid, and a container portion for containing liquid. In addition, the main body has a cartridge mounting portion for freely detachably mounting the cartridge unit and a force generating mechanism for generating a liquid discharge effect on the mounted cartridge unit. Thus, a liquid injection device that can replace the cartridge unit and can be used can be provided.

According to a second embodiment of the present invention, in the cartridge unit, the tip portion includes a microneedle and a discharge hole, and the tip portion can be attached to the container portion for use.

According to a third embodiment of the present invention, the liquid injection device may include a discharge volume setting device for setting a discharge volume when the liquid is discharged from the cartridge unit.

According to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, the discharge amount setting device may be configured to set the discharge amount per unit time by changing the state of the discharge hole according to the characteristics of the liquid.

According to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the container part of the above-mentioned cartridge unit has at least a syringe part and a gasket part for squeezing liquid from the syringe part to the discharge hole, and the force generating mechanism can be constructed to include a sliding part for axially moving the gasket part of the installed cartridge unit.

According to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, the liquid injection device may include a discharge frequency setting device for setting the number of times the liquid is discharged from the cartridge unit.

According to a seventh embodiment of the present invention, the liquid injection device may further include a driving device for axially driving a sliding portion of the liquid injection device.

According to an eighth embodiment of the present invention, the discharge amount setting device may include a first control unit configured to set the discharge amount per unit time by controlling a driving speed of a driving device.

According to a ninth embodiment of the present invention, the discharge amount setting device may include a second control unit configured to adjust an extrusion amount of the washer portion by the driving device.

According to a tenth embodiment of the present invention, the driving device may be a motor having a driving shaft for axially driving the sliding portion.

According to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention, the liquid injection device may further include an operating portion for manually operating the sliding portion.

According to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a liquid injection device, wherein the force generating mechanism includes a vibrating portion that causes the cartridge unit to vibrate in the axial direction.

According to a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention, a third control unit may be further provided for setting a vibration frequency of the vibration unit in the biasing force generating mechanism.

According to a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention, the liquid injection device may include a fourth control unit configured to control the force applied to the cartridge unit from the force generating mechanism.

According to the fifteenth embodiment of the present invention, a liquid injection device can be provided, wherein the main body of the liquid injection device is composed of a gripping portion for a user to hold and an action portion having at least a cartridge mounting portion, and the angles between the gripping portion and the action portion in the length direction are 50 to 80 degrees respectively.

According to a sixteenth embodiment of the present invention, the liquid injection device may include a fifth control unit that detects the tilt angle of the main body and controls the device to be activated or notifies the user when the tilt angle is within a predetermined angle range.

According to a seventeenth embodiment of the present invention, the fifth control unit may further set the discharge amount per unit time according to the detected tilt angle of the main body.

According to an eighteenth embodiment of the present invention, the device may include: a skin sensor for detecting proximity or contact between the vicinity of the microneedle and the skin; and a sixth control unit for controlling the force generating mechanism based on the detection result.

According to a nineteenth embodiment of the present invention, in a structure in which the force generating mechanism includes a vibrating portion, the cartridge unit may include a plurality of discharge holes, and the discharge holes may be arranged at intervals ranging from 2 mm to 20 mm.

According to the twentieth embodiment of the present invention, a system is provided, which uses the liquid injection device described above, and is composed of a plurality of cartridge units each containing two or more liquids with different functions and a main body. By replacing and using the cartridge units, multiple functions can be provided.

According to the twenty-first embodiment of the present invention, a system is provided. The above-mentioned system is composed of a plurality of cartridge units and a main body each having at least one different microneedle with different length, configuration density and distribution area. By replacing the cartridge units and using them, multiple functions can be provided.

According to the twenty-second embodiment of the present invention, a system can be provided, in which the front end portion has a microneedle and a discharge hole, and in a structure in which the front end portion is installed in the above-mentioned container portion for use, the front end portion is replaced instead of replacing the cartridge unit and used, thereby providing multiple functions.

Effects of the Invention

The present invention achieves the following effects through the above structure.

By providing the cartridge unit with a microneedle and a syringe portion for containing a beauty liquid, a medicinal liquid, etc., a microneedle in an optimal state for the liquid can be selected and provided, and the user can perform various required operations when replacing the cartridge unit without worrying about advanced knowledge or selection.

The liquid injection device of the present invention comprises two components, namely a cartridge unit and a sliding portion driven by a motor or the like, with a small number of components and a simple structure, and therefore has high cost performance and stable quality.

In addition, in the structure with the front end, since the microneedle and the syringe part can be provided separately, it is easy to provide a cartridge unit that can correspond to the liquid injection device of the present invention even if there are differences due to certification systems, etc. In addition, the syringe part is a common component that helps mass production.

In the structure of the present invention equipped with a motor, the discharge of the liquid can be controlled. That is, the discharge speed of the liquid can be adjusted by the discharge speed adjustment device, or the extrusion amount of the gasket portion can be adjusted by using an origin sensor.

Furthermore, by controlling the motor with a skin sensor that detects contact between the vicinity of the microneedle and the skin, liquid can be discharged at an appropriate time according to the distance from the skin.

By providing an elastic support member that elastically supports a predetermined portion of the syringe portion toward the gasket portion, the cartridge unit can be supported with appropriate elasticity and pressure, while contributing to waterproofing of the main body side.

In the structure provided with the vibration part of the present invention, it is possible to realize easy discharge of liquid. In particular, by controlling the vibration frequency and intensity, the discharge amount can be adjusted to an appropriate level.

Furthermore, by controlling the motor with a skin sensor that detects contact between the vicinity of the microneedle and the skin, liquid can be discharged at an appropriate time according to the distance from the skin.

By providing an elastic support member that elastically supports a predetermined portion of the syringe portion toward the gasket portion, the cartridge unit can be supported with appropriate elasticity and pressure, while contributing to waterproofing of the main body side.

The present invention provides the cartridge unit and the front end thereof as a replaceable system, so that various types of liquids and microneedle combinations can be selected at will, which helps to provide multiple effects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

1 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the internal mechanism of a liquid injection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the head.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the cartridge unit is assembled.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the cartridge unit is separated.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a control circuit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an implementation state of a counter portion of a linear motor.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the appearance of the liquid injection device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a liquid injection device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating its internal mechanism.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the vibration mechanism thereof.

FIG12 is a perspective view of the front end portion.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the shape of a microneedle.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing another state of the front end portion.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of a control circuit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a swinging state of the head.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the angle between the grip portion and the action portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the examples shown in the drawings. In addition, the embodiments are not limited to the following.

(First embodiment)

1 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the internal mechanism of a liquid injection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof with a circuit board removed.

The present invention is a liquid injection device 1 for injecting liquid into skin through a microneedle 10 , which is composed of a cartridge unit 20 and a main body 30 .

The microneedle 10 having the discharge hole 11 is disposed at the front end, and a syringe part 21 for storing liquid and a gasket part 22 for pushing the liquid from the syringe part 21 to the discharge hole 11 are provided at the rear, and these constitute the cartridge unit 20 .

The present invention is particularly characterized in that a cartridge unit is used, and a cartridge mounting portion is arranged on the main body of the liquid injection device, so that the cartridge unit can be mounted in a freely detachable manner. In addition, as a force generating mechanism according to the present invention, a sliding portion is provided for moving the gasket portion of the cartridge unit in the axial direction, so that the liquid in the cartridge is discharged from the discharge hole.

The sliding part can slide manually or automatically. For example, in the case of manual operation, an operating part such as a slide bar or a button can be provided on the main body, and the liquid is discharged from the discharge hole by the axial movement of the gasket part following the movement of the operating part.

In this embodiment, a structure in which the sliding part is moved by a driving device is disclosed. As the driving device, in addition to the linear motor described later, a known driving device that moves in the axial direction, such as a hydraulic cylinder or an air cylinder, can also be used. These driving devices can be controlled by the following control device.

The main body 30 is composed of a head 31 covering the periphery of the microneedle 10 at the front end, a shell portion 32 that accommodates the cartridge unit 20 and other internal components, a linear motor 33 that drives the driving shaft in the shell portion 32, a battery 34 that provides power, a control substrate 35 with a control circuit, an operating switch 36 for operation, etc.

When in use, with the head 31 removed, the cartridge unit 20 is inserted into the cylindrical cartridge mounting portion 320 at the front end of the shell 32 , and the head 31 is then sleeved onto the head receiving portion 321 at the front end of the shell 32 .

Fig. 3 shows the state of the inner side of the head 31. As shown in Fig. 2, two cams 3210 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the head receiving portion 321, and since a cam groove 311 engaging with the cams 3210 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the head 31, the head 31 can be easily assembled and disassembled by pressing the head receiving portion 321 and rotating it.

At this time, the cartridge unit 20 is stably supported by an elastic supporting member provided inside the head portion 31 , ie, a cartridge pressing rubber 310 made of rubber in this embodiment and elastically supported toward the gasket portion 22 .

The cartridge pressing rubber 310 suppresses the shaking of the cartridge unit 20 and also has a waterproof effect of preventing liquid and the like from entering the interior from the periphery of the cartridge unit.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an assembled state of the cartridge unit 20 , and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a separated state of the cartridge unit.

In this embodiment, the cartridge unit 20 is composed of a tip 23 having a microneedle 10 and a discharge hole 11, a cylindrical syringe part 21 containing liquid, and a gasket part 22. The liquid in the syringe part 21 is discharged from the discharge hole 11 through a flow hole (not shown) in the tip 23.

More specifically, the gasket portion 22 is composed of a sealing member 220 that seals the liquid in the syringe portion 21 and a rear end member 221 that receives the driving force from the linear motor 33 .

Regarding the rear end component 221, the manual operation portion may also have a structure for pushing and sliding the rear end component 221 like other driving devices.

As is known to all, the microneedles at the front end 23 have a large number of extremely fine needles with a diameter and length less than 1 mm, which can penetrate the stratum corneum that is impermeable to substances and can penetrate drugs more shallowly than the dermis layer with many pain points. In addition to medical uses such as injecting drugs such as insulin and vaccines, it can also be used for beauty purposes such as injecting beauty serums.

In addition to PLA (polylactic acid), collagen, hyaluronic acid, etc. are preferably used as materials for microneedles. When used for beauty purposes, solid needles are generally used, and beauty liquid is discharged from the discharge hole 11 of the flat part around the needle, and the beauty liquid can penetrate the skin micropores opened by the microneedles.

In the present invention, a discharge amount setting device is provided for setting the discharge amount when the liquid is discharged from the cartridge unit 20. As the discharge amount setting device, the frictional resistance of the fluid can be changed by adjusting the state of the discharge hole such as the diameter of the discharge hole, the length of the passing portion, and the material, thereby setting the discharge amount per unit time. According to this structure, even if the driving device is manual, if it is operated with a certain strength, it is possible to maintain an appropriate discharge amount suitable for the liquid to be used.

By changing the state of the microneedle and the discharge hole adapted to the cartridge unit 20 in this way, the size of the discharge hole can be changed and adjusted according to the amount, momentum, viscosity, etc. of the liquid. If too much force is applied or too much is applied, the liquid will drip or cannot be properly applied, resulting in a large amount of loss of the beauty liquid, so it is important to appropriately adjust the discharge speed.

Alternatively, a pressurizing chamber (not shown) may be provided in the cartridge unit 20 without changing the state of the discharge hole, and the discharge amount may be set by adjusting the speed of the liquid flowing out of the pressurizing chamber to the discharge hole.

In the present embodiment, the liquid in the syringe part 21 is pushed out by the linear motor 33 , but even in this case, the discharge amount can be set by changing the hole diameter of the discharge hole 11 .

The state of the discharge hole 11 is preferably selected according to the liquid inside. For example, when the viscosity of the liquid is 30 Pa·S, the hole diameter is preferably about 0.2-1 mm, and when the viscosity is 30000 Pa·S, it is preferably 1 mm-2 mm. In this way, changing the discharge hole according to the viscosity of the liquid can achieve more effective application and help prevent clogging.

The diameter of the circular portion of the microneedle 10 is 5 to 25 mm, preferably about 12 mm. This structure of pushing out liquid through the gasket portion 22 can be applied to cosmetic liquids with high viscosity, such as 5000 Pa·S or more, and the diameter of the discharge hole can also be selected from a wide range of 30 μm to 2 mm.

In the structure including a plurality of discharge holes 11, it is preferred that the discharge holes for liquid are arranged at intervals of at least 100 μm to 500 μm. By ensuring such intervals, the microneedles and the discharge holes can be alternately and efficiently dispersedly arranged.

The present invention is not limited to solid microneedles, and hollow microneedles may also be used. In this case, the discharge hole 11 becomes a structure for discharge from the hole of the microneedle. In particular, hollow microneedles are commonly used for medical purposes, but solid microneedles for cosmetic purposes are not excluded.

One end of the syringe part 21 can be threadedly connected to the front end part 23 or a cap not shown, and the other end can be sealed with the gasket part 22 to provide a cartridge unit 20 for various liquids. The syringe part 21 can be made of a transparent member so that the amount of liquid inside can be easily confirmed.

Since the microneedle 10 acts on the human body, the manufacturer may be restricted by the licensing system and laws and regulations, but the detachability of the front end portion 23 helps to apply the licensed microneedle 10 to the cartridge unit 20 of the present invention.

In addition, in the implementation of the present invention, the microneedle 10 and the syringe part 21 of the cartridge unit 20 may be formed integrally.

As the liquid contained in the syringe part 21, cosmetic liquids such as collagen, hyaluronic acid, placental stock solution, hydroquinone, tranexamic acid, vitamin derivatives, etc. can be used. In addition, as the hair growth liquid, minoxidil, finasteride, Swertia japonica extract, vitamin derivatives, etc. can be used.

In the present invention, the use of the target liquid is not limited to cosmetic use, medical use, etc., and liquids with various functions can be freely used by replacing the cartridge unit 20, which has a great advantage.

It is also preferable to have a structure as follows: the gasket portion 22 of the cartridge unit 20 can only move forward and cannot return backward. If the gasket portion 22 returns, there is a possibility that foreign matter will be mixed into the internal liquid or the optimal combination with the microneedle may be destroyed, so the gasket portion 22 may have a ratchet-like and irreversible action, for example.

The rear end of the washer portion 22 abuts against a plunger 37 that slides back and forth in the housing portion 32 , and the plunger 37 is connected to a drive shaft 38 to form a sliding portion.

In the present invention, when a driving device, particularly a linear motor 33, is used, the following control can be performed. That is, the linear motor 33 is controlled by a control circuit 40 provided on a control substrate 35, and slides forward by a predetermined amount of movement, and by controlling the extrusion of the gasket portion 23 of the cartridge unit 20, optimal liquid discharge can be achieved.

Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the control circuit 40. In this embodiment, in addition to the linear motor 33 and the operation switch 36 connected to the control substrate 35 having an IC with a motor driver, an origin sensor 44 and a skin sensor 45 are also provided.

In the present invention, it is preferable to control the linear motor 33 as follows.

First, the control circuit 40 includes a discharge speed adjustment unit 41 as a first control unit.

In the liquid injection device, when the optimum discharge amount per unit time is determined by the viscosity and characteristics of the liquid, the discharge speed adjustment unit 41 can adjust the discharge speed only by adjusting the operating speed of the linear motor 33 .

According to the discharge speed adjustment unit 41, the liquid is decelerated or its momentum is increased by the application site and the liquid, so that dripping of the liquid can be prevented, thereby enabling necessary and sufficient application.

Next, the control circuit 40 has an extrusion amount control unit 42 as a second control unit. The liquid discharge amount can be accurately adjusted by controlling the extrusion amount of the plunger 37. If the plunger 37 moves only by an amount corresponding to a few microliters so that the liquid does not drip from the skin, an appropriate amount of liquid is discharged from the discharge hole 11 of the cartridge unit 20.

In order to more accurately detect the movement amount of the drive shaft 38, an origin sensor 44 may be provided. The origin sensor 44 is composed of, for example, a sensor stopper 440 and a sensor 441 mounted on the housing portion 32, and detects the origin position of the drive shaft 38. Then, as shown in FIG. 7 , a C-shaped light shielding plate 380 is provided at the connection position between the drive shaft 38 and the plunger 37, and the number of times the light shielding plate 380 shields light is counted by the counter portion 46, so that the extrusion amount based on the number of revolutions can be detected.

The cartridge unit 20 is subjected to sliding resistance from the gasket portion 22 during operation, and the head portion 31 makes the movement amount of the drive shaft 38 consistent with the movement amount of the gasket portion 22 through the engagement of the cam 3210 with the cam groove 311 and sufficient strength to resist the sliding resistance of the cartridge pressing rubber 310.

Even when the power is turned off, the number of revolutions of the counter section 46 is stored, and therefore, at the next use, the extrusion amount control section 42 can continuously control the extrusion amount because the number of revolutions is added to the stored number of revolutions.

In addition, the method of controlling the extrusion amount is not limited to the above-mentioned structure, and the position of the gasket portion 22 may be detected by a known position sensor and the control may be performed based on the position.

The liquid injection device of the present invention is not a general disposable type, but can reuse the liquid of the cartridge unit 20 several dozen times, and therefore, it is important to detect the origin position of the plunger 37 at the start of use and the position after use by the position sensor 44. As a result, when the next use starts, the extrusion amount of a predetermined amount from the current position can be controlled again.

Furthermore, the counter section 46 can be used to detect the end of use of the cartridge unit 20. When the liquid inside becomes empty, even if the linear motor 33 is operated, the washer section 22 hits the front end surface of the syringe section 22 and cannot move further, so the number of rotations detected by the counter section 46 becomes 0, and the error detection 47 is performed. At the time of the error detection 47, it is detected that the syringe section 22 is empty.

If the syringe part 22 becomes empty, replace it with a new one.

When an error is detected 47 , the linear motor 33 is rotated to make the plunger 37 return to the origin position and stop, and the user can be prompted to replace the cartridge.

If a position sensor is provided, the remaining amount of the liquid can be detected based on the current position of the gasket portion 22, thereby avoiding such erroneous detection.

As shown in the figure, the linear motor includes a type in which the drive shaft protrudes from one side and a type in which the drive shaft protrudes from the back to extend the stroke. In the latter case, the visor 380 can be set at the rear end position of the drive shaft, rather than at the connection position between the drive shaft 38 and the plunger 37 as described above. In addition, the drive shaft itself can be detected by a sensor.

In the present invention, a discharge frequency setting device for setting the number of times the liquid is discharged from the cartridge unit may be provided. In the past, microneedle discharge was usually performed only once, and when injected into the epidermis, due to the low permeability of the epidermis, it may be more efficient to perform two injections and the amount applied to the skin for transdermal absorption.

Therefore, the control circuit 40 may further include a discharge control unit 43 to perform discharge a plurality of times. In this case, the linear motor 33 may be driven and controlled only a predetermined number of times.

In this configuration, the discharge control unit 43 can also control the discharge time. The discharge time can be arbitrarily set by the user's switch operation, or a skin sensor 45 can be provided to discharge according to the input information.

A skin sensor 45 is provided on the head 31. As shown in FIG3, a terminal 312 of the skin sensor for detecting approaching or contacting the skin is provided, and a small current flows through the circuit board 36 when the terminal 312 contacts the connecting shaft 39 provided on the upper surface of the housing 32, and the approaching or contacting skin can be detected by a known electrostatic sensor.

By activating the linear motor 33 in response to contact with the skin, etc., each time the user touches the skin with the injection device, the liquid is continuously discharged from the discharge hole 11, and even if a large area of the skin is injected, it can be completed in a short time.

At this time, the time when the skin sensor 45 leaves the skin is detected, and the discharge of the liquid is controlled by using this as a trigger. The discharged liquid stays in the head 31 due to the surface tension between the microneedle and the microneedle. When the microneedle is brought into contact with the skin again, the amount absorbed by the skin is the sum of the amount injected from the needle and the amount remaining in the head, so more liquid can be absorbed percutaneously. This structure is particularly suitable when using solid microneedles.

The above structure controls the number of discharges, but the number of injections of the microneedles other than the number of discharges can also be changed. In this embodiment, the microneedles are injected by pressing the body against the skin, but the microneedles can also be connected to a vibration motor and the injections can be performed at a predetermined number of times by the vibration of the vibration motor. In this case, the discharge combination in the above-mentioned discharge control unit 43 can also be controlled.

8 shows the appearance of the liquid injection device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The user can hold the rod-shaped housing 2 and operate the switch 36 to turn the power on/off, select a mode, discharge, etc.

The diameter of the shell 2 is 3 cm to 5 cm, and the total length is 20 cm to 30 cm. The thickness and length are suitable for the user's palm to grasp, and the main body 30 can be stably supported.

As described above, the cartridge unit 20 can be easily attached and detached by removing the head 31. By combining the main body and a plurality of cartridges, a system that can provide various effects by replacing the cartridge unit is realized.

By making multiple cartridge units different in at least one of the length, configuration density, and distribution area of the microneedle 10, various effects can be achieved, for example, depending on differences in parts such as the face and scalp, the type of liquid, and the difference between cosmetic and medical uses.

In the case of a structure with the front end portion 23, the front end portion 23 can be replaced instead of replacing the cartridge unit and used, thereby providing various functions.

In addition, the present invention may also provide only the cartridge unit 20 alone.

(Second embodiment)

Next, a second embodiment with a different force generating mechanism will be shown. In this embodiment, the shape of the main body is also different from that of the first embodiment, and its effect will also be described.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a liquid injection device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the internal mechanism thereof.

The liquid injection device 100 of this embodiment is composed of a cartridge unit 120 and a main body 130. The cartridge unit 120 in this embodiment does not have a syringe part or a gasket part, but has a container part 121 and a needle cap 122 screwed into the container part as a front end part and a protective cap to protect the microneedle 10 when not in use.

The needle cap 122 has a plurality of microneedles 10 and three discharge holes 124 (as shown in FIG. 12 ).

In this embodiment, by applying vibration to the cartridge unit 120 , the liquid in the container portion 121 is discharged from the discharge hole and penetrates the skin through the microneedles 10 .

The main body 130 is composed of a grip portion 140 gripped by a user and an action portion 150 having a mounting portion 151 for the cartridge unit 120 therein. As shown in the figure, the grip portion 140 and the action portion 150 are curved at an angle of 55 degrees in the longitudinal direction.

The housing 141 of the gripping part 140 is integrally formed with the housing 152 of the action part. In this embodiment, the housing 152 of the action part contains the vibrating part in the same manner as the mounting part 151. The vibrating part is composed of a solenoid 160, a joint 161 connected to the shaft of the solenoid 160, a slider 162 that vibrates back and forth through the joint 161, and an outer cylinder that holds the vibrating slider 162 at the outer circumference.

The solenoid 160 is fixed to the housing 152 via the elastic members 164 and 165 so that the vibration of the solenoid 160 is not directly transmitted to the housing 152. This improves the usability and reduces noise.

In this embodiment, as a force generating mechanism, there is a vibrating part that makes the cartridge unit 120 vibrate in the axial direction, that is, in the same direction as the protruding direction of the microneedle. FIG. 11 illustrates this structure in detail. As shown in FIG. 11 (A), the solenoid 160 has a spring 1602 on the outer periphery of the electromagnet 1601, and vibrates in the axial direction by the switch of the electromagnet and the action of the spring. The vibration is transmitted to the slider 162 through the joint 161 connected to the shaft 1603 of the solenoid 160.

The slider 162 is configured to have a plurality of slits 1621 in the axial direction and to have elasticity in the radial direction. As shown in FIG. 11B , an engaging protrusion 1622 is provided on the inner periphery thereof to engage with an engaging recess 1211 on the outer periphery of the container portion 121 .

Therefore, when the cartridge unit 120 is inserted into the mounting portion 151 formed in the slider 162 , the cartridge unit 120 can be detachably mounted by the engagement of the engagement protrusion 1622 and the engagement recess 1211 .

The grip portion 140 and the curved portion of the action portion 150 are provided with an operation switch 131 for operation. In addition, a battery 142 for power supply and a control substrate 143 having a control circuit are housed in the housing 141 of the grip portion 140.

The components respectively accommodated in the gripping portion 140 and the acting portion 150 are preferably provided because the weight balance of the structure of this embodiment is good, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

By controlling and vibrating the solenoid 160 as described above while pointing the needle cap 122 downward, the beauty liquid or the like in the container portion 121 is discharged from the discharge hole 124 by the own weight of the liquid.

At this time, as the beauty serum penetrates into the skin surface through vibration, you can get a patting effect where the skin is gently tapped.

However, in order to achieve smooth discharge and optimal application amount, it is necessary to adjust the viscosity of the liquid, the aperture of the discharge hole, the vibration frequency, the stroke, etc. Therefore, the structure of the needle cap 122 and the control method of the solenoid 160 will be described in detail below.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a needle cap 122 as a front end portion, and FIG. 13 shows the shape of a microneedle.

As shown in the figure, the needle cap 122 has a circular front end that abuts against the skin surface, and is provided with discharge holes 124 at three points on the circumference, while a large number of microneedles 10 are evenly implanted within the circle.

The diameter of the circular portion is about 12 mm, and the suitable range for implementation is 5 to 25 mm. At the preferred viscosity of the beauty liquid (200-1000 mPa·S), the diameter of the discharge hole is preferably in the range of 0.8 mm to 1.6 mm. Although one discharge hole can also be provided in the center, by providing multiple discharge holes, the beauty liquid can be appropriately distributed to the microneedles 10 within the circle.

In the present embodiment using the vibration part as the force generating mechanism, the diameter of the discharge hole needs to be relatively larger than that of the first embodiment. For this purpose, the large-diameter discharge holes are arranged at appropriate intervals, and the centers of the discharge holes are arranged at the vertices of a virtual equilateral triangle with a side length of 6.6 mm. When the diameter of the discharge hole is within the above range, the preferred interval distance is 4 mm to 12 mm.

In the present invention, another preferred state of the front end is shown in Fig. 14. In addition to Fig. 14 (a) in which the discharge holes 124 are provided at three points in the above embodiment, Fig. 14 (b) has discharge holes 124' at the vertex positions of the virtual square of the circular front end, and a large number of microneedles 10 are implanted around them.

In addition, FIG. 14( c ) includes discharge holes 124 ′ at two opposing points on the circumference of the circular tip.

Furthermore, FIG. 14( d ) has a discharge hole 124 ′ at one point on the circumference of the circular front end.

In addition, FIG. 14( e ) has a discharge hole 124 ′ at the center of the circular front end.

The diameter of the circular portion in the present invention is preferably in the range of about 5 mm to 25 mm. In particular, in the case of a large diameter close to 25 mm, as shown in (b) of Figure 14, more than four discharge holes are suitable. On the other hand, in the case of a small diameter close to 5 mm, as shown in (d) and (e) of Figure 14, one point is sufficient.

In this embodiment, it is preferred that the discharge holes of the front end be arranged at intervals ranging from 2 mm to 20 mm. That is, these are determined according to the size of the front end. For example, when the diameter of the front end is 5 mm, when four points are arranged as shown in FIG. 14 (b), the interval is about 2 mm. In addition, when the diameter is 25 mm, when two points are arranged as shown in FIG. 14 (c), the interval is about 20 mm.

According to the inventor's opinion, it has been confirmed that within the above numerical range, an appropriate amount of liquid is discharged from the discharge hole by vibration, and when there is no vibration, the liquid will not leak immediately even if the needle cap (122) is facing downward, and the use effect is particularly good.

The microneedle in this embodiment is roughly a quadrangular pyramid with a flat portion on the upper surface, as shown in FIG13 , with a height (H) of about 200 μm, a bottom side length (L1) of about 100 μm, and a top side length (L2) of about 40 μm. Compared with the general microneedles with pointed tips, the flat top surface allows for better penetration of the beauty serum and is less likely to cause pain. In terms of the relationship between the penetration effect and the strength of the microneedle, the ratio of L1:L2:H is preferably about 1:2-3:5-7.

In the first embodiment, various structures are disclosed in which the discharge amount setting device is used to adjust the discharge amount when the liquid is discharged from the cartridge unit 20. The present embodiment may also be provided with a similar discharge amount setting device.

At the same time, in the present embodiment including the vibration unit, it is particularly preferable to perform the following control.

15 is an explanatory diagram of the control circuit 400. In this embodiment, the control substrate 143 including an IC etc. is connected to the solenoid 160 and the operation switch 131 and includes a notification unit 410 for notifying the user by light emission, display, sound etc., a tilt sensor 411 and a skin sensor 412.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the solenoid 160 is controlled as follows.

First, the control circuit 40 has a vibration frequency control unit 401 as a third control unit. The vibration frequency control unit 401 can adjust the discharge amount by adjusting the on/off and polarity reversal frequency of the current to the solenoid 160. Generally speaking, the lower the frequency, the smaller the discharge amount, and the higher the frequency, the larger the discharge amount.

In the present invention, the preferred range of the vibration frequency is 5 to 30 Hz. If it is lower than 5 Hz, stable discharge cannot be obtained, and if it is higher than 30 Hz, it will be discharged continuously like a general beauty serum, and the discharge amount is too large.

The vibration frequency control unit 401 can also change the vibration frequency within an appropriate range by operating the operation switch 131 .

As another structure for adjusting the discharge amount, the strength control unit 402 as the fourth control unit may also adjust the stroke (amplitude) and the strength of the solenoid 160. When the voltage applied to the solenoid 160 increases, the stroke of the solenoid 160 increases within the maximum stroke range, and the pushing force (thrust) also increases. Therefore, the strength control unit 402 can adjust the stroke and strength by adjusting the voltage.

For example, the stroke is preferably in the range of 1 mm to 3 mm, which can not only adjust the amount of beauty liquid discharged, but also adjust the user's touch feeling on the skin surface. If you want to get a strong tapping feeling, set the stroke to large or the thrust to strong, and if you want to apply it to sensitive parts such as eyes, set it to weak. Preferably, when the thrust range is 100% at most, it can be adjusted in the range of 30% to 100%.

In the structure of this embodiment with a vibrating part, the angle of the needle cap 122 is also important. As described above, if it is directed too downward, the discharge amount becomes too large due to gravity, and when it is directed upward relative to the horizontal plane, the liquid is not discharged. Therefore, the depression angle of the axial direction (the protruding direction of the microneedle) relative to the horizontal is preferably in the range of 0 to 25 degrees.

Since this angle is important for the liquid injection device 100, the following structure is adopted.

That is, the grip portion 140 and the action portion 150 are bent at an angle of 55 degrees in the longitudinal direction, so that the front end is slightly downward when the grip portion 140 is gripped. As an angle tending to be the above-mentioned depression angle, the angle between the grip portion 140 and the action portion 150 is preferably set to 50 to 80 degrees.

Furthermore, the liquid injection device 100 may include a tilt angle sensor 411 to obtain the angle of the device. The control circuit 400 includes a tilt linkage control unit 403 as a fifth control unit to control the operation of the solenoid 160 when the tilt angle of the tilt angle sensor 411 is good or bad.

For example, it can be controlled to operate only when the tilt angle is good, or to stop when the tilt angle is not appropriate. In addition, if the tilt angle is good, the notification unit 410 can emit a blue light, and if the tilt angle is not appropriate, it can emit a red light to notify the user of the appropriate angle. In addition, when the tilt angle is not appropriate, the notification unit 410 can emit a warning sound for notification.

Whether to perform control based on the inclination angle sensor 411 can be switched by the operation switch 131. Depending on the angle of the skin surface to be applied, it may be desirable to operate even if the inclination is not appropriate, so the operation of the solenoid 160 may be set not to stop.

Furthermore, the tilt linkage control unit 403 can also set the discharge volume per unit time according to the tilt angle. That is, the discharge volume can be set in the same manner as the discharge volume setting device in the first embodiment, and the discharge volume can be set by instructing the vibration frequency control unit 401 or the intensity control unit 402 to control, or by adjusting the vibration frequency, stroke, intensity, etc. through the tilt linkage control unit 403.

The front end of the action part 150 has a head 153. The head 153 is connected to the housing 152 through a plunger 154. The plunger 154 holds a rubber O-ring, and even if liquid drips from the needle cap 122, it is sealed so that the liquid does not flow into the inside of the housing 152 due to vibration.

As with the head 31 of the first embodiment, the head 153 is provided with a skin sensor 412, and the discharge control unit 404 can also control the discharge time. That is, the solenoid 160 is triggered by contact with the skin, etc., and the liquid can be discharged from the discharge hole 243 every time the user touches the injection device to the skin.

The control time and the like by the discharge control unit 404 are arbitrary as in the first embodiment.

The head 153 is provided with a skin surface side electrode 155 of a conductive material, and the grip portion 140 is provided with a hand electrode 144, which can achieve various electric beauty effects. For example, a weak current can be applied to the skin surface from the skin surface side electrode 155 to achieve an effect called ion introduction that improves the permeability of the beauty liquid. At this time, by tapping with the vibration portion, the permeation effect can be further enhanced.

In addition, electrical muscle stimulation called EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) in which a current with a frequency of several Hz to several kHz is applied from electrodes on the skin surface, and RF current, for example, a high frequency of about 1 MHz, can also be applied.

If a high hardness material such as metal is used as the conductive material of the head 153, it may feel painful when the skin is gently tapped. Therefore, the head 153 can also be made into a shaking head type to alleviate the impact.

As shown in FIG. 16 , the skin-side electrode 155 is configured to be able to swing within a range of approximately +-10 degrees on the head 153 to avoid excessive interference with the skin.

In this embodiment, a solenoid structure is disclosed to realize the vibration part, but the mechanism for generating vibration is arbitrary. For example, a vibration motor, ultrasonic vibration, vibration speaker, pneumatic vibrator, etc. can be used as appropriate.

In addition, the shapes of the force generating mechanism and the main body are not necessarily limited to the above combination. In the structure using the vibration part, the housing may be rod-shaped, and in the structure with the sliding part, a curved main body may be used.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG17 , a substantially T-shaped body may also be used. Also in these embodiments, when the vibration part is used, as shown in FIG17 (A), preferably, the angle between the action part 170 and the gripping part 171 is 70 degrees. However, it is not limited to the structure using the sliding part, and in the structure using the vibration part or other force generating mechanism, as shown in FIG17 (B) and (C), it may be any angle such as 90 degrees or 110 degrees.

Description of Reference Numerals

1Liquid injection device

10 Microneedles

11 discharge hole

20 Cartridge Units

21 Syringe Department

22 Washer

23 front end

30 Body

31Head

32 Shell

33 Motor

34 Batteries

35 Control board

36 Operation switch

37 Plunger

38 Drive shaft

39 Connecting shaft

40 control circuit

41 discharge speed adjustment unit

42Extrusion volume control unit

43 discharge control unit

44 origin sensor

45 Skin Sensor

100 Liquid injection device

120 Cartridge Units

121 Container Department

122 needle cap

124 discharge hole

130 Body

131 Operation switch

140 grip

141 Shell

142 Batteries

143 control substrate

144 Hand Electrode

150 Action Department

151 Installation Department

152 Shell

153 Head

154 plunger

155Skin surface side electrode

160 Solenoid

161 connector

162 Sliders

163 outer tube

400 control circuit

401 vibration frequency control unit

402 Strength Control Department

403 tilt linkage control unit

404 discharge control unit

410 Notification Department

411 Tilt Angle Sensor

412 Skin Sensor

Claims (21)

1. A liquid injection device, which injects liquid into the skin through a microneedle, characterized in that it consists of a cartridge unit and a main body, The cartridge unit includes the microneedle, a discharge hole for discharging the liquid, and a container portion for accommodating the liquid; The subject has: The cartridge mounting portion can be freely and detachably mounted on the cartridge unit. A force generating mechanism, for generating a discharge effect of the liquid for the installed cartridge unit; The cartridge unit can be replaced and used; The main body of the liquid injection device is composed of a gripping portion for a user to hold and an action portion having at least the cartridge mounting portion, and the angle between the gripping portion and the action portion in the length direction is 50 degrees to 80 degrees. 2. The liquid injection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the cartridge unit, the tip portion includes the microneedle and the discharge hole, and the tip portion is attached to the container portion for use. 3. The liquid injection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The liquid injection device includes a discharge amount setting device for setting a discharge amount when the liquid is discharged from the cartridge unit. 4. The liquid injection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The discharge amount setting device sets the discharge amount per unit time by changing the state of the discharge hole according to the characteristics of the liquid. 5. The liquid injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The container portion of the cartridge unit includes at least a syringe portion and a gasket portion for squeezing the liquid from the syringe portion to the discharge hole. The urging force generating mechanism is configured to include a sliding portion for axially moving the washer portion of the mounted cartridge unit. 6. The liquid injection device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The liquid injection device is provided with a discharge frequency setting device for setting the number of times the liquid is discharged from the cartridge unit. 7. The liquid injection device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The liquid injection device includes a drive device for axially driving the sliding portion of the liquid injection device. 8. The liquid injection device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The discharge amount setting device includes a first control unit that sets the discharge amount per unit time by controlling a driving speed of the driving device. 9. The liquid injection device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The discharge amount setting device includes a second control unit configured to adjust an extrusion amount of the washer portion by the driving device. 10. The liquid injection device according to any one of claims 7, characterized in that: The driving device is a motor including a driving shaft for axially driving the sliding portion. 11. The liquid injection device according to any one of claims 5, characterized in that: The liquid injection device includes an operation portion for manually operating the sliding portion. 12. The liquid injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The force generating mechanism is configured to include a vibrating portion that vibrates the cartridge unit in the axial direction. 13. The liquid injection device according to claim 12, characterized in that: A third control unit is provided for setting a vibration frequency of the vibration unit in the biasing force generating mechanism. 14. The liquid injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The liquid injection device includes a fourth control unit that controls the force applied to the cartridge unit from the biasing force generating mechanism. 15. The liquid injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The liquid injection device is provided with a fifth control unit that detects the tilt angle of the main body and controls to be activated or to notify a user when the tilt angle is within a predetermined angle range. 16. The liquid injection device according to claim 15, characterized in that: The fifth control part sets the discharge amount per unit time according to the detected tilt angle of the main body. 17. The liquid injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that it comprises: A skin sensor detects the proximity or contact between the microneedle and the skin. The sixth control unit controls the force generating mechanism according to the detection result. 18. The liquid injection device according to claim 12, characterized in that: The cartridge unit includes a plurality of discharge holes, and the discharge holes are arranged at intervals ranging from 2 mm to 20 mm. 19. A system, which uses the liquid injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that: The device is composed of a plurality of cartridge units respectively containing two or more liquids with different effects and the main body. Various functions are provided by replacing the cartridge unit and using it. 20. A system, which uses the liquid injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that: The cartridge unit is composed of a plurality of microneedles each having at least one different length, configuration density and distribution area and the main body, Various functions are provided by replacing the cartridge unit and using it. 21. The system according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that In the system, the tip portion includes the microneedle and the discharge hole, and in a structure in which the tip portion is attached to the container portion for use, multiple functions can be provided by replacing and using the tip portion instead of replacing the cartridge unit.