Shear-induced dermal infusion

• US 10,194,935 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2013
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Original Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Inventors: Grez, Joseph W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US14/145,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20150182246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/20 Additional enhancing means
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 44/00 Other cosmetic or toiletry articles, e.g. for hairdressers' rooms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3205 Excision instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00747 Dermatology
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00761 Removing layer of skin tissue, e.g. wrinkles, scars or cancerous tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320008 Scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/149 rotation-linear or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1678 Means for angularly oscillating massage elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0254 with rotary motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 7/005 hand-held
• 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 37/00 Other apparatus for introducing media into the body for reproduction or fertilisation A61B17/425; apparatus for iontophoresis or cataphoresis A61N1/30; Percutany, i.e. introducing medicines into the body by diffusion through the skin salt baths A61H33/04

Abstract

Treatment protocols for preparing a subject'"'"'s skin to receive skin formulations having one or more active materials are provided. The devices and/or methods for carrying out the treatment protocols aim to increase the skin'"'"'s ability for skin formulations to penetrate or infuse into the SC layers thereof. The treatment protocol includes the application of shearing forces in order to part, tear, or form fissures only in the Stratum Corneum (SC) of the subject'"'"'s skin without inducing trauma in viable skin layers below the SC. After application of shearing forces to the skin, a skin formulation can be applied to the sheared areas of skin.

Claims

1. A skin treatment apparatus, comprising:

a shear inducing head having a first friction surface adjacent a first edge, and a second friction surface adjacent a second edge, which is spaced a constant distance from the first edge in order to form a gap having a width of between about 0.003 mm and 0.200 mm; and

a drive motor assembly configured to impart an oscillating motion to the shear inducing head such that the first friction surface moves by one of angular motion with an amplitude of less than 3.4 degrees and linear motion with an amplitude of less than 0.200 mm with respect to the second friction surface in an oscillating manner,

wherein the first friction surface is configured to grip a first skin portion with a static friction coefficient of greater than 0.5 and the second friction surface is configured to grip a second skin portion with a static friction coefficient of greater than 0.5 such that during the oscillating motion, the first and second friction surfaces do not slip with respect to the first and second skin portions, respectively, and the shear inducing head is able to induce shear in a Stratum Corneum layer of skin by movement between the respective friction surfaces without inducing trauma in skin layers below the Stratum Corneum layer of skin.

2. The skin treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the oscillating motion has a frequency of about 100-400 hz.

3. The skin treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the oscillating motion is angular and has an amplitude between about 0.1 degrees and 3.4 degrees.

4. The skin treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the oscillating motion is linear and has an amplitude of between about 0.003 mm and 0.200 mm.

5. The skin treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second friction surfaces include a friction enhancement.

6. The skin treatment apparatus of claim 5, wherein the friction enhancement includes one of a knurl, a texture, and a surface treatment.

7. The skin treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the oscillating motion is angular, and wherein the first friction surface is disposed on an outer ring and the second friction surface is disposed on a central disc.

8. The skin treatment apparatus of claim 7, wherein the central disc has a diameter of between about one (1) mm and 20 mm.

9. The skin treatment apparatus of claim 7, wherein the drive motor assembly is coupled to the central disc.

10. The skin treatment apparatus of claim 9, wherein the drive motor assembly is coupled to the central disc and the outer ring in order to impart opposing oscillating motion thereto.

11. The skin treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second surfaces are disposed on first and second parallely extending members.

12. A method for applying shear force to skin, the method comprising:

providing a shear inducing head having a first member and a second member, the first and second members spaced at a constant distance between about 0.003 mm and 0.200 mm apart and defining first and second skin gripping surfaces, respectively, each of the first and second skin gripping surfaces having a static friction coefficient of greater than 0.5;

oscillating the first skin gripping surface by one of angular motion at an amplitude between about 0.1 degrees and 3.4 degrees and linear motion at an amplitude between about 0.003 mm and 0.200 mm, the first skin gripping surface oscillating at a selected frequency with respect to the second skin gripping surface; and

contacting the shear inducing head to a region of the skin to impart relative movement of a first skin portion and a second skin portion such that during the oscillation, the first and second skin gripping surfaces do not slip with respect to the first and second skin portions, respectively, and the shear inducing head is able to induce shear in a Stratum Corneum layer of the skin therebetween without inducing trauma in skin layers below the Stratum Corneum layer of skin.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the selected frequency is about 100-400 hz.

14. A method for infusing a skin formulation into a user'"'"'s epidermis, comprising:

providing a shear inducing head having a first member and a second member, the first and second members spaced at a constant distance between about 0.003 mm and 0.200 mm apart and defining first and second skin gripping surfaces, respectively, each of the first and second skin gripping surfaces having a static friction coefficient of greater than 0.5 such that the first skin gripping surface and the second skin gripping surface do not slip with respect to a first skin portion and a second skin portion, respectively;

oscillating the first skin gripping surface by one of angular motion at an amplitude less than about 3.4 degrees and linear motion at an amplitude less than about 0.200 mm;

contacting the shear inducing head to a region of the skin to impart relative movement of the first skin portion and the second skin portion such that the shear inducing head is able to induce shear in a Stratum Corneum layer of the skin therebetween without inducing trauma in skin layers below the Stratum Corneum layer of skin, thereby defining sheared areas of skin; and

applying a skin formulation to the sheared areas of skin.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising oscillating the first skin gripping surface at a selected frequency between about 100 hz and 400 hz with respect to the second skin gripping surface.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein oscillating the first skin gripping surface is by angular motion and has an amplitude between about 0.1 degrees and 3.4 degrees.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein oscillating the first skin gripping surface is by linear motion and has an amplitude between about 0.003 mm and 0.200 mm.