Current monitoring apparatus and electrical stimulation apparatus comprising same

An electrical stimulation apparatus comprising:

• an anode electrode module having a T-shape, and configured to receive current for applying electrical stimulation to a skin of a user from a current providing part;
• a cathode electrode module having a T-shape, and spaced apart from the anode electrode;
• a plurality of monitoring electrodes, positioned only on the anode electrode module and positioned spaced apart from each other, wherein the current flows from the anode electrode module to the plurality of monitoring electrodes, and wherein the cathode electrode module does not have any monitoring electrode;
• a current monitoring part configured to monitor the current flowing to each of the plurality of monitoring electrodes;
• a processor configured to receive monitoring results from the current monitoring part;
• and
• an interface part configured to
• receive information from the user and the processor, and
• output information via at least one of a display module, a speaker module, an optical module, a vibration module and a haptic module,
• wherein the processor is further configured to generate, in response to a detection that the monitoring results received by the processor indicate that an amount of current flowing to at least one monitoring electrode of the plurality of monitoring electrodes is less or greater than a predetermined current amount, an alarm signal indicating an operational error of the electrical stimulation apparatus, and transmits the generated alarm signal to the interface part, and
• wherein the plurality of monitoring electrodes are nonuniformly distributed on the anode electrode module such that a first density of first monitoring electrodes, which are positioned at a center portion of the anode electrode module, is smaller than a second density of second monitoring electrodes, which are positioned at a periphery portion of the anode electrode module.