Systems and methods for accelerating healing of implanted material and/or native tissue

• US 10,166,411 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Original Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Inventors: Slayton, Michael H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes, Rex R
• Application Number:
  US15/246,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20160361572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0004 Applications of ultrasound therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0017 Wound healing
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0034 Skin treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0039 using microbubbles
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0052 using the same transducer for therapy and imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/006 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0073 using multiple frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/027 with multiple foci created simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

Various embodiments provide methods and systems for ultrasound treatment of tissue are provided. Accordingly, a method can include locating an implant in a site in a body, directing a medicant to at least one of the implant and the site, directing ultrasound energy to the site, and accelerating healing of the implant and/or native tissue at the site.

Claims

1. A method of enhancing a cosmetic implant, the method comprising:

targeting a location of the cosmetic implant in a patient;

determining an enhancement necessary to improve an aesthetic of the cosmetic implant;

delivering ultrasound energy to tissue surrounding the cosmetic implant, the ultrasound energy creating at least one lesion in the tissue surrounding the cosmetic implant;

improving the aesthetic of the cosmetic implant with the ultrasound energy.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cosmetic implant is a breast implant located in a breast of the patient.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the improving the aesthetic of the cosmetic implant with the ultrasound energy is modifying a shape of the breast of the patient.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising creating a conformal region of elevated temperature in at least one of the breast implant and the tissue surrounding the breast implant.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising

applying mechanical ultrasound energy to at least one of the breast implant and the tissue surrounding the breast implant;

moving the breast implant into a space created by the at least one lesion;

and modifying a shape of the breast of the patient.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the cosmetic implant is a cosmetic filler located below a skin surface of the patient.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the improving the aesthetic of the cosmetic implant with the ultrasound energy is smoothing the skin surface proximate to the cosmetic filler.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

heating the cosmetic filler with the ultrasound energy;

changing physical characteristic of the cosmetic filler;

applying mechanical ultrasound enemy to at least one of the cosmetic filler and the tissue surrounding the cosmetic filler and below the skin surface;

moving the cosmetic filler into and/or along the tissue surrounding the cosmetic filler and below the skin surface; and

smoothing the skin surface proximate to the cosmetic filler.

9. A method of enhancing a breast implant located in a breast of a patient, the method comprising:

targeting a location of the breast implant in the patient;

determining an enhancement necessary to improve an aesthetic of the breast implant;

delivering focused ultrasound energy to at least one of the breast implant and tissue surrounding the breast implant;

improving the aesthetic of the breast implant with the ultrasound energy.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the improving the aesthetic of the breast implant with the focused ultrasound energy is modifying a shape of the breast of the patient.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising creating a conformal region of elevated temperature in at least one of the breast implant and the tissue surrounding the breast implant.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising creating at least one lesion in the tissue surrounding the breast implant;

applying mechanical ultrasound energy to at least one of the breast implant and the tissue surrounding the breast implant;

moving the breast implant into a space created by the at least one lesion;

and modifying a shape of the breast of the patient.

13. A method of enhancing a breast implant located in a breast of a patient, the method comprising:

targeting a location of the breast implant in a patient;

determining an enhancement necessary to improve an aesthetic of the breast implant;

delivering ultrasound energy to one of the breast implant and tissue surrounding the breast implant, thereby creating a conformal region of elevated temperature in at least one of the breast implant and the tissue surrounding the breast implant;

improving the aesthetic of the cosmetic implant with the ultrasound energy.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the improving the aesthetic of the cosmetic implant with the ultrasound energy is modifying a shape of the breast of the patient.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising creating at least one lesion in the tissue surrounding the breast implant;

applying mechanical ultrasound energy to at least one of the breast implant and the tissue surrounding the breast implant;

moving the breast implant into a space created by the at least one lesion;

and modifying a shape of the breast of the patient.