Method and apparatus for treatment of cutaneous and subcutaneous conditions

• US 10,500,413 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Palomar Medical Technologies Incorporated (Hologic Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Palomar Medical Technologies Incorporated (Hologic Incorporated)
• Inventors: Altshuler, Gregory B., Prikhodko, Konstantin, Belikov, Andrei V., Yaroslavsky, Ilya
• Primary Examiner(s): Manuel, George
• Application Number:
  US15/402,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20170182335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 606 10- 16, 606 20- 23, 607 88- 91, 607 96, 607108-112
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00005 Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00011 with fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00458 Deeper parts of the skin, e.g. treatment of vascular disorders or port wine stains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00476 Hair follicles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/20 continuous direct currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/32 alternating or intermittent currents applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling A61N1/40; microwave apparatus A61N5/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/328 for improving the appearance of the skin, e.g. facial toning or wrinkle treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0008 Destruction of fat cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0034 Skin treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0613 Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0625 Warming the body, e.g. hyperthermia treatment
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides method and apparatus for treating tissue in a region at depth while protecting non-targeted tissue by cyclically applying cooling to the patients skin, and preferably to the region, and by applying radiation to the patient'"'"'s skin above the region to selectively heat tissue during and/or after cooling is applied. At least one of cooling and radiation may be applied by successively passing a continuous output applicator over the patient'"'"'s skin. Treatment may also be enhanced by applying mechanical, acoustic or electrical stimulation to the region.

Claims

1. A non-invasive method for treating a patient'"'"'s skin at a depth comprising:

providing an applicator;

applying electromagnetic radiation to skin surface, using the applicator, during a heating phase to increase a temperature of a target region at depth below the skin surface to be in a range from 42°

C. to 47°

C., wherein said target region comprises tissue about dermis-hypodermis junction;

cooling patient'"'"'s skin surface below a damage temperature during a cooling phase;

reducing or removing energy applied from the applicator during the cooling phase following the heating phase such that the temperature of the target region decreases to a temperature above a first temperature; and

repeating the heating phase and the cooling phase to cycle the temperature of the target region to non-invasively effect fat reduction during a total treatment time of at least 20 minutes,

wherein the temperature of the target region is maintained above the first temperature during the step of repeating the heating phase and the cooling phase.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a combined duration of the heating phase and cooling phase is less than 11 seconds.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a combined duration of the heating phase and cooling phase is in a range from 5 seconds to 11 seconds.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the target region is at a depth of 2.5 mm below the skin surface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating phase and cooling phase are cycled a sufficient number of times to induce new collagen generation in target region the patient'"'"'s skin.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises optical energy.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the optical energy has at least one wavelength in the range from 800 nm to 1800 nm.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of cooling the patient'"'"'s skin occurs during the heating phase.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating phase and the cooling phase are performed by scanning the applicator over the patient'"'"'s skin surface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating phase and the cooling phase are performed by the applicator, wherein the applicator is a stationary applicator.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the target region is at a depth between 2.5 mm and 7.5 mm.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said cosmetic treatment comprises tightening of the skin.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is 40°

C.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is a discomfort temperature.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is a damage temperature.

16. A non-invasive method for treating a patient'"'"'s skin at a depth comprising:

providing a stationary applicator;

applying electromagnetic radiation to skin surface, using the stationary applicator, during a heating phase to increase a temperature of a target region at depth below the skin surface to be in a range from 42°

C. to 47°

C., wherein said target region comprises tissue about dermis-hypodermis junction;

cooling patient'"'"'s skin surface, using the stationary applicator, below a damage temperature during a cooling phase;

reducing or removing energy applied from the applicator during the cooling phase following the heating phase such that the temperature of the target region decreases to a temperature above a first temperature; and

repeating the heating phase and the cooling phase to cycle the temperature of the target region to non-invasively effect a fat reduction, wherein heating phase and cooling phase are a cycled during a total treatment time of at least 20 minutes,

wherein the temperature of the target region is maintained above the first temperature during the step of repeating the heating phase and the cooling phase.