Facial contact electrode

A facial contact electrode assembly for use in electrotherapy. A galvanic current is applied to acupuncture points of a human face by adjustable electrodes. A screw head on the distal end of the electrode comes into contact with the face of a user. The screw head is rotateably adjustable whereby rotation of the screw in a first direction causes advancement of the screw head towards the user's face and counterrotation causes retraction of the screw head. Therefore, when employing an array of electrodes for electrotherapy of the face, each individual electrode can be lengthened or shortened to adjust to the individual characteristics of the user's face. Further adjustment is automatically achieved by each electrode using a resilient conductive spring enclosed within the housing of each electrode. The spring biases the electrode against the face of the user while carrying the galvanic current from an electrical power source to the screw head.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 This invention relates, generally, to an improved electrode design. More
 particularly, it relates to an adjustable electrode for facial
 electrotherapy.
 2. Description of the Prior Art
 The aging process includes loss of tone of facial tissue; such loss of tone
 manifests itself in wrinkles, sagging skin, and the like. Chinese
 acupuncture has some utility as an effective treatment for the condition,
 but many people either fear acupuncture, cannot afford it, or live in
 areas of the country where it is not available. Moreover, if the
 acupuncturist does not treat the user in a comprehensive, systematic
 fashion, the treatment may be unsatisfactory.
 The use of non-penetrating electrodes to establish galvanic currents in the
 facial muscle is well known in efforts to treat the loss of tone in facial
 tissue due to the aging process. U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,480 to Morenings
 describes an apparatus that electrically stimulates a muscle whereby the
 muscle contracts in the hope that stronger muscles beneath the skin will
 reduce sagging of the skin. A pair of hand-held electrodes are positioned
 on opposite sides of the muscle to be contracted so that current flow
 between the electrodes also flows through the muscle.
 U.S. Pat. No. 3,279,468 to Le Vine includes a mask having a plurality of
 paired electrodes disposed throughout. The electrodes of each pair are
 closely spaced to one another and one member of the pair serves as ground
 so that current flows only between the paired electrodes.
 The present inventor's earlier contribution to the art is described in U.S.
 Pat. No. 5,527,357 (1996) which discloses a means and method for applying
 a galvanic current to acupuncture points on a human face by electrodes
 mounted in a predetermined array on a mask-like assembly that overlies the
 face. A low voltage is applied to each electrode and facial tissue is
 stimulated by a galvanic current that flows between the electrode and a
 remote ground. A rubber plug overlies the leading end of each electrode
 and has an enlarged, disc-shaped leading end to ensure treatment of all
 areas of the face that require stimulation.
 Certain limitations became apparent to the present inventor using the
 above-described conductive rubber plugs. To effectively provide the
 optimum therapy, a precise galvanic current must be applied. However, in
 the manufacture of the rubber plugs, variability in the raw materials led
 to uncertain conductive properties. It was expensive and complicated to
 provide the critical specifications for the injection molding process to
 produce a plug with the correct conducting parameters.
 In the assembly and use of the earlier apparatus, the rubber plugs could be
 slightly pulled out of their respective cylinders to extend them to a
 better fit. However, the plugs would not satisfactorily hold their
 respective positions; they would sometimes slide away from the skin and
 fail to make good contact therewith. The plugs could even fall out of
 their respective cylinders and be lost. Moreover, natural facial oils
 secreted by the user diminished the conductivity of the facial plugs, thus
 requiring their replacement.
 The contact points were biased against the face using resilient foam.
 However, inconsistencies in the thickness of foam from manufacturers made
 it difficult to consistently place the electrodes properly. In addition,
 with repeated use, the resiliency of the foam would diminish as the foam
 would compress and breakdown.
 Consequently, there is a need in the art for a facial electrode apparatus
 that delivers a consistent level of conductivity to the face of the
 patient and which may be inexpensively manufactured to the necessary
 specifications.
 There is a further need in the art for a facial electrode apparatus that
 securely stays within the overall assembly and does not fall out after
 substantial use.
 There is a further need in the art for a means to evenly press the
 electrodes against the face of the patient and that will retain a
 consistent resiliency over extended use.
 Another need exists for a facial electrode having a conductivity that is
 not diminished over time by the accumulation of facial oils from the skin
 of the user.
 Yet another need exists for a facial electrode that holds its position
 after a custom adjustment has been made and that will hold its position if
 pressure is applied thereto.
 However, in view of the prior art in at the time the present invention was
 made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art
 how the identified needs could be fulfilled.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention solves significant problems in the art by providing a
 facial contact electrode providing high conductivity, positional
 stability, durability and comfort to the patient. Furthermore, the present
 invention employs a design that significantly reduces the overall cost of
 operation including the manufacture and replacement of electrode parts.
 Generally described, the present invention provides an electrode assembly
 for use with facial electrotherapy which includes a conductive rod rigidly
 mounted to a circuit board. The circuit board provides a galvanic current
 to the conductive rod. A resilient spring surrounds the conductive rod and
 is in contact with the same. A cylindrical housing slides over the spring
 and rod so that the housing is biased away from the circuit board by the
 spring. On the opposite end of the housing from which the spring is
 received, an internally threaded bore receives a conductive screw having
 an enlarged screw head adapted for contact with the face of the user. When
 the screw is rotated in a first direction, the screw head moves towards
 the face of the user. Upon counterrotation, the screw head retracts from
 the user's face. This adjustment allows the electrode assembly to adapt to
 the facial variations that exist from person to person. Furthermore, the
 resilient spring biases the electrode assembly against the user's face to
 ensure that the screw head maintains direct contact with the user's face.
 The screw also will not displace away from the patient's face by the
 application of pressure thereto.
 In a preferred embodiment the circuit board is sandwiched between two
 non-conductive liners which form a mask which overlies the face of the
 user. Within the inner liner, throughbores are provided through which the
 cylindrical housing extends.
 Because the cylindrical housing is pushed by the spring towards the face of
 the user, a retention means is necessary so that the cylindrical housing
 does not fall out of the inner liner. This may be achieved by providing an
 annular shoulder on the end of the cylindrical housing most proximate to
 the circuit board. The cylindrical housing is received through the
 throughbore in the inner liner whereby the diameter of the annular
 shoulder exceeds the diameter of the throughbore and the shoulder
 therefore abuts the peripheral edge of the throughbore. However, the
 cylindrical housing may slide back and forth within the throughbore to
 provide a limited range of motion for the electrode assembly.
 The galvanic current flows from the circuit board to the conductive rod.
 The spring then conducts the galvanic current from the rod to the
 cylindrical housing. The cylindrical housing then conducts the current to
 the screw and screw head which in turn conducts the current to the face of
 the user for therapeutic benefits. Alternatively, should the cylindrical
 housing be non-conductive, the spring may conduct the galvanic current
 directly to the end of the screw engaged in the cylindrical housing and
 thus to the screw head. In any permutation, conductive materials abut each
 other from the circuit board to the tip of the screw head in order for the
 apparatus to function correctly. In a preferred embodiment, the screw head
 is gold plated to ensure a high level of conductivity and resistance to
 corrosion and oxidation, even if facial oils accumulate thereon.
 In other words, the inventive structure provides a mask adapted to be worn
 in overlying relation to a face of a human being. The mask has a facial
 contact electrode assembly that includes an electrically conductive
 electrical circuit board that is sandwiched between a nonconductive outer
 liner of the mask and a nonconductive inner liner of the mask. A
 conductive rod is disposed in electrical communication with the electrical
 circuit board at a substantially perpendicular angle thereto. A conductive
 coil spring has a hollow core that receives the conductive rod and has a
 proximal end in electrical communication with the electrical circuit
 board. A cylindrical housing has an open proximal end that slideably
 receives the conductive coil spring and the conductive rod. The coil
 spring biases the cylindrical housing away from the electrical circuit
 board so that the cylindrical housing is in spaced apart relation to the
 electrical circuit board when the coil spring is in repose.
 The cylindrical housing has internal screw threads formed therein adjacent
 a distal end thereof. An externally threaded screw has a screw head
 adapted for contact with a user's face and is in screw threaded engagement
 with those internal screw threads.
 Galvanic current flowing through the electrical circuit board is conducted
 to the screw head through the conductive rod, the spring, and the screw.
 The coil spring biases the cylindrical housing away from the electrical
 circuit board so that a first range of adjustment for differing facial
 shapes is provided by the coil spring, and the screw threaded engagement
 between the screw and the cylindrical housing provides a second range of
 adjustment.
 The novel assembly further includes an annular shoulder formed in the
 proximal end of the cylindrical housing. A throughbore is formed in the
 inner liner, so that the cylindrical housing extends through the
 throughbore. The annular shoulder has a diameter greater than a diameter
 of the throughbore, thereby preventing the proximal end of the cylindrical
 housing from traveling through the throughbore under the bias provided by
 the coil spring.
 An advantage of the invention is that the tip of the electrode that comes
 into contact with the user's face is not only adjustable in length, but
 also provides a controlled range of motion by virtue of the resilient
 spring. This allows configuration of the apparatus in a manner that
 ensures the electrode will maintain contact with the face of the user, yet
 prevent the electrode from being uncomfortably rigid against the user's
 face.
 These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the
 invention will become clear as this description proceeds.
 The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,
 combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified
 in the description set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention
 will be indicated in the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
 Referring initially to FIG. 1, it will there be seen that an illustrative
 embodiment of the present invention is denoted by the reference number 10
 as a whole. A conductive rod 30 is rigidly fixed to a circuit board 20 at
 a substantially perpendicular angle. A resilient conductive spring 40
 slideably receives the conductive rod 30. The spring 40 is received within
 a conductive cylindrical housing 60. Circuit board 20 is sandwiched
 between a nonconductive outer liner 70 and a nonconductive inner liner 50.
 The inner and outer liners are preferably constructed of a material that
 is inexpensive, non-corrosive, and easily cleaned such as plastic.
 The cylindrical housing 60 is shown in detail in FIG. 2 and comprises an
 upper bore 110, a lower bore 120, and an annular shoulder 100. The
 interior sidewalls of the upper bore 110 are internally threaded to engage
 a corresponding screw 90 shown in FIG. 1. The interior sidewalls of lower
 bore 120 are smooth and dimensioned to receive spring 40. The spring 40 is
 disposed against the end of screw 90 when the screw is threadably engaged
 in upper bore 110 of cylindrical housing 60. Annular shoulder 100 extends
 axially outward at the end of cylindrical housing 60 distal from upper
 bore 110.
 The assembly of the apparatus is illustrated in FIG. 3 whereby the circuit
 board 20 is set against outer liner 70. Conductive rod 30 is rigidly
 secured to circuit board 20 so that galvanic current flowing through the
 circuit board is distributed to the conductive rod. Resilient spring 40 is
 axially coupled to conductive rod 30. Cylindrical housing 60 is slideably
 received within a throughbore 130 in the inner liner 50 whereby the annual
 shoulder 100 of the housing abuts the edges of the throughbore in the
 liner. Inner liner 50 in combination with cylindrical housing 60 is set
 against circuit board 20 whereby spring 40 is received within lower bore
 120 of said cylindrical housing 60. Thus, spring 40 encloses conductive
 rod 30 and is biased between circuit board 20 and screw 90 whereby annular
 shoulder 100 retains cylindrical housing 60 from sliding completely out of
 throughbore 130. Alternatively, spring 40 may be secured to the circuit
 board and again within lower bore 120 of cylindrical housing 60 or to the
 end of screw 90 to prevent the separation of the electrode assembly from
 circuit board 20.
 In the operation of the apparatus, a galvanic current is distributed
 through circuit board 20 which may selectively distribute independently
 variable voltages to a plurality of electrode assemblies 10. Outer liner
 70 and inner liner 50 provide a nonconductive barrier to the flow of
 electricity throughout circuit board 20. At an individual electrode, the
 galvanic current flows from circuit board 20 to conductive rod 30 whereby
 it is conducted from spring 40 to screw 90. An annular screw head 80
 conducts the galvanic current to the face of the patient. Head 80 is
 enlarged so that it covers a large surface area of the user's face when
 the electrode is in use, thereby ensuring that all areas of the face that
 require treatment will be treated. The relative large size of head 80
 provides an error range so that the apparatus may be used with people
 having varying facial sizes and shapes.
 In a preferred embodiment, the screw head is gold-plated for optimum
 conductivity and corrosion resistance. Screw 90 is rotateably mounted to
 cylindrical housing 60. Thus, rotation of screw 90 in a first direction
 causes advancement of screw head 80 towards the face of the user and
 counterrotation causes retraction of the screw head. Furthermore,
 resilient spring 40 allows electrode apparatus 10 some restricted movement
 so that even if screw 90 extends into the facial plane, electrode
 apparatus 10 automatically adjusts to the error and retracts towards inner
 liner 50. This allows the electrode apparatus 10 to be adjusted so that
 facial contact is ensured yet the user does not suffer discomfort from a
 completely rigidly fixed electrode. Moreover, mere facial pressure against
 screw head 80 will not cause it to slip away from the face.
 Advantageously, facial oil accumulation on the electrode does not
 substantially diminish its conductivity.
 It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made
 apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained. Since
 certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing
 from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained
 in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall
 be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
 It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover
 all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein
 described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a
 matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
 Now that the invention has been described,