Skin-gripper

• US 20020082668A1
• Filed: 11/07/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wizcare, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Wizcare, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ingman, Dov
• Application Number:
  US10/053,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082668A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/98
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 15/00 Other forms of jewellery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/00 Bandages or dressings radioactive dressings A61N5/1029; Absorbent pads
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/01008 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/01034 characterised by a property
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/023 wound covering film layers without a fluid retention layer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/0246 characterised by the skin-adhering layer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/126 specially adapted for the nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 15/006 Bandage fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/0028 applying of mechanical pressure; passive massage
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00442 using electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00536 for draining or irrigating wounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00646 Medication patches, e.g. transcutaneous
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00919 for physical therapy, e.g. cold or magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/20 continuous direct currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/26 Electromedical brushes; Electromedical massage devices massage devices in general A61H; Combs
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 13/00 Clutches or holding devices using electrostatic attraction, e.g. using Johnson-Rahbek effect

Abstract

A method for treating blemishes having furrows on a region of a person'"'"'s skin comprising: positioning a surface of a bracing body so that the surface contacts or is proximate to the region skin; and attracting the region of skin to the surface so that blemishes in the region of skin are flattened to the surface.

Claims

1. A method for treating blemishes having furrows on a region of a person'"'"'s skin comprising:

positioning a surface of a bracing body so that the surface contacts or is proximate to the region skin; and

attracting the region of skin to the surface so that blemishes in the region of skin are flattened to the surface.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein attracting the region of skin comprises adhering a thin foil to the skin and attracting the thin foil to the surface of the bracing body.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein adhering comprises kneading the foil so that it contacts and sticks to skin in furrows of blemishes in the region of skin.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein adhering comprises forcing air between the surface of the bracing body and the foil so as to increase pressure between the bracing body surface and the foil and press thereby the foil into furrows of the blemishes.

5. A method according to claim 3 wherein adhering to the skin comprises adhering with an adhesive.

6. A method according to claim 3 wherein adhering to the skin comprises electrically charging the foil with respect to the skin so that electrostatic forces between the charged foil and induced charge in the skin adhere the foil to the skin.

7. A method according to claim 2 wherein the foil is a magnetized foil.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein attracting comprises positioning a magnetized element in proximity to the magnetized foil so that magnetic forces between the element and the foil attract the foil to the surface of the bracing body.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the bracing body comprises the magnetized element.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the bracing body surface is a surface of a thin layer of dielectric material bonded to a conductor and attracting the skin comprises applying a voltage between the conductor and the skin.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein attracting the region of skin comprises pressing the dielectric surface to the region of skin so that furrows of blemishes in the skin are flattened to and contact the dielectric surface.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein attracting the region of skin comprises aspirating air from between the region of skin and the surface of the bracing body.

13. A method according to claim 1 and comprising shaping the surface of the bracing body so that the contour of the surface is substantially a negative of the contour of the region of skin exclusive of contour features resulting from the blemishes in the skin.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein adhering comprises using an adhesive.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein adhering comprises electrically charging the foil with respect to the skin so that electrostatic forces between the charged foil and induced charge in the skin adhere the foil to the skin.

17. A method according to claim 14 and comprising heating the region of skin.

18. A method according to claim 14 and comprising cooling the region of skin.

19. A method according to claim 1 and comprising:

heating the skin to soften collagen fibers in the skin; and

subsequently cooling the skin while the blemishes remain flattened to the surface so that the collagen fibers retain a memory of their flattened configuration.

20. A method according to claim 1 and comprising mechanically stimulating the region of skin using ultrasound waves.

21. A method according to claim 20 wherein mechanically stimulating comprises stimulating the skin at a resonant frequency of vibration of the skin.

22. A method according to claim 21 and comprising determining a resonant frequency of vibration of the skin using ultrasound.

23. A method according to claim 1 and comprising stimulating the region of skin at a frequency of peristaltic waves of pores in the skin.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein stimulating the region of skin at the peristaltic frequency of the pores comprises stimulating the skin electrically.

25. A method according to claim 23 wherein stimulating the region of skin at the peristaltic frequency comprises stimulating the skin mechanically.

26. A method according to claim 1 and comprising perfusing a substance beneficial for treating the blemish transdermally.

27. A method according to claim 26 wherein perfusing comprises:

sandwiching the substance between a region of skin and a surface of a conductor coated with a thin dielectric layer; and

applying a voltage between the conductor and the skin.

28. A method according to claim 27 and comprising controlling the voltage to control the rate at which the substance is perfused.

29. A method according to claim 28 and comprising modulating the voltage at a frequency of peristaltic waves of pores in the region of skin.

30. A method according to claim 1 wherein a blemish comprises a wrinkle.

14. A method for treating blemishes having furrows on a region of a person'"'"'s skin comprising:

placing on the region of skin a thin pliable foil that at least partially recovers its shape after being deformed when forces responsible for the deformation are removed;

applying forces that deform the foil so that it contacts skin in furrows of the blemish;

adhering the deformed foil to the blemish; and

removing the applied forces so that the foil at least partially recovers its undeformed shape.

31. Apparatus for treating a blemish having a furrow in a region of skin comprising:

a bracing body having a surface that is placed contiguous with or in proximity to the region of skin, said bracing body having at least one air passage through which air between the skin region and the surface can be aspirated; and

a vacuum pump coupled to the bracing body for aspirating air through the air passage so as to flatten the blemish to the bracing body surface.

32. Apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the bracing body comprises:

a thin dielectric layer bonded to a conductor, wherein the bracing body surface is a surface of the dielectric layer not bonded to the conductor; and

a power supply that applies a voltage difference between the conductor and the skin.

33. Apparatus according to claim 31 and comprising a deformable foil having an adhesive layer for bonding the foil to the region of skin and wherein when air is aspirated through the bracing body, the foil is flattened to the bracing body surface.

34. Apparatus according to claim 31 and comprising:

a foil having a dielectric layer bonded to a conducting layer, which foil is deformable so that the dielectric layer contacts skin in the furrow; and

a power supply that generates a potential difference between the conducting layer and the skin so that electrostatic forces adhere the foil to the skin in the furrow and wherein when air is aspirated through the bracing body, the foil is flattened to the bracing body surface.

35. Apparatus according to claim 33 wherein the bracing body and the foil are formed from a magnetized material and wherein once the foil is flattened to the bracing body surface, magnetic forces maintain the foil in contact with the bracing body surface.

36. Apparatus according to claim 31 wherein the bracing body is formed from a porous material and wherein the at least one air passage comprises air passages formed by pores in the material.

37. Apparatus according to claim 31 wherein the at least one air passage of the bracing body has particles on surfaces thereof that absorb a gas released through the skin.

39. Apparatus according to claim 38 wherein the bracing comprises the magnetic element.

43. Apparatus according to claim 31 wherein the bracing body surface is formed so that the contour of the surface substantially matches the contour of the region of skin exclusive of contour features resulting from the blemishes in the skin.

45. Apparatus according to claim 31 wherein a blemish comprises a wrinkle.

38. Apparatus for treating a blemish having a farrow in a region of skin comprising:

a foil comprising magnetic material deformable so as to contact skin in the furrow, which foil, when in contact with skin, adheres to the skin through the agency of an adhesive or electrostatic forces;

a bracing body positioned in proximity to the foil; and

a magnetic element that attracts the foil and flattens the foil to the bracing body surface.

40. Apparatus for treating a skin blemish having a furrow comprising:

a bracing body having a surface;

an elastic foil having edges attached to the bracing body surface and a surface covered with an adhesive that faces away from the bracing body surface; and

an air passage that communicates with a space between the foil and the bracing body surface, wherein when air is forced through the air passage, the foil distends away from the surface and adheres to skin in the furrow and when air is subsequently aspirated through the passage the foil substantially recovers its shape flattening to the bracing body surface and flattening thereby the blemish.

41. Apparatus according to claim 40 and comprising a pump that forces air through the air passage.

42. Apparatus according to claim 40 wherein the bracing body is a thin rectangular ribbon shaped body.

44. A method for treating blemishes having furrows on a region of a person'"'"'s skin comprising:

heating the skin so that bent collagen fibers in the furrows become plastic;

applying forces to the heated collagen fibers that tend to straighten the fibers; and

cooling the collagen fibers while the forces are applied so that the collagen fibers retain a memory of their straightened configuration.

47. A method according to claim 44 wherein a blemish comprises a wrinkle.

46. A method for treating blemishes on a region of person'"'"'s skin comprising:

placing on the region of skin an elastically stretchable, multi-layered body comprising a conducting layer coated with a thin dielectric layer so that the surface of the dielectric layer is contiguous with the skin; and

repeatedly stretching and relaxing the layered body while the surface of the dielectric layer is in contact with the region of skin.