Methods and systems for removing hair using focused acoustic energy

• US 20050154332A1
• Filed: 01/12/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Claudio I. Zanelli
• Original Assignee: ONDA
• Inventors: Howard, Samuel M., Zanelli, Claudio I.
• Application Number:
  US10/756,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20050154332A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00752 Hair removal or transplantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

Hair is permanently removed from a patient'"'"'s skin by transcutaneously focusing high intensity acoustic energy at a hair follicle. Usually, a region of a patient'"'"'s skin is first ultrasonically imaged to locate individual hair follicles. The imaged hair follicles are then treated using a system which automatically directs the high intensity acoustic energy at the follicles.

Claims

1. A method for removing hair from a patient'"'"'s skin, said method comprising:

transcutaneously focusing high intensity acoustic energy at hair follicles beneath the skin.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the acoustic energy is focused at predetermined follicle locations.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein said follicle locations are determined by acoustic imaging.

11. A method as in claim 1, 4, or 8, wherein transcutaneously focusing comprises adjusting the depth of focus.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein adjusting the depth of focus comprises translating a transducer along a vertical line.

13. A method as in claim 11, wherein adjusting the depth of focus comprises adjusting the curvature of a transducer surface.

14. A method as in claim 11, wherein adjusting the depth of focus comprises controlling the operation of a phased array transducer.

15. A method as in claim 1, 4, or 8, wherein the high intensity acoustic energy is focused at a depth beneath the skin in the range from 1 mm to 6 mm and at a width in the range from 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein the high intensity acoustic energy is delivered under conditions selected to raise the temperature at the hair follicle to at least 50°

C. for a time of at least 0.1 sec.

17. A method as in claim 16, wherein the ablative energy is delivered in an amount from 0.1 J to 10 J to each hair follicle.

24. A system as in claim 1, 4, or 8, wherein the high intensity acoustic energy is focused at a depth beneath the skin in the range from 1 mm to 6 mm and at a width in the range from 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

25. A system as in claim 24, wherein the high intensity acoustic energy is delivered under conditions selected to raise the temperature at the hair follicle to at least 50°

C. for a time of at least 0.1 sec.

26. A system as in claim 24, wherein the ablative energy is delivered in an amount from 0.1 J to 10 J to each hair follicle.

4. A method for removing hair from a patient'"'"'s skin, said method comprising:

scanning an acoustic transducer over the skin surface to identify locations of the hair follicles beneath the skin; and

transcutaneously focusing high intensity acoustic energy at at least some of the identified follicle locations.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein the high intensity acoustic energy is transcutaneously focused from an acoustic transducer.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein a single acoustic transducer is used both to scan for the hair follicle locations and to deliver the focused high intensity acoustic energy.

7. A method as in claim 5, wherein different acoustic transducers are used for scanning for the hair follicle locations and for delivering the focused high intensity acoustic energy.

18. A method as in claims 4 or 8, further comprising producing an image of the scanned hair follicle locations.

19. A method as in claim 18, further comprising designating which of the hair follicles for which locations have been scanned and to be ablated.

8. A method for removing hair from a patient'"'"'s skin, said method comprising:

immobilizing a transducer platform over a target area of the patient'"'"'s skin;

scanning an acoustic transducer over the skin to determine the locations beneath the skin of hair follicles relative to the mobilized transducer platform;

positioning an acoustic transducer over the skin at at least some of the determined locations relative to the immobilized platform; and

transcutaneously focusing high intensity acoustic energy at hair follicles from the positioned acoustic transducer.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein scanning comprises mechanically advancing the transducer in X- and Y-directions over an imaging plane to known coordinates.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein positioning comprises mechanically advancing the transducer in X- and Y-directions to the same coordinates.

20. A system for hair removal, said system comprising:

a transducer selectively operable to image hair follicle locations and to acoustically ablate hair follicles at said imaged locations;

means for tracking the location of the transducer over a patient'"'"'s skin surface; and

a controller for acquiring image data from the transducer and directing high intensity acoustic energy to selected ones of the imaged hair follicles.

21. A system as in claim 20, wherein the tracking means comprises:

a transducer platform adapted to be engaged against the patient'"'"'s skin; and

a drive system for advancing the transducer over a planar region defined by the platform, wherein the position of the transducer can be both selected and recorded.

22. A system as in claim 21, wherein the drive system is a X-Y motion positioner.

23. A system as in claim 22, wherein the X-Y motion positioner is repeatable to ±

0.01 mm.

27. A system as in claim 20, further comprising a display which provides a visual depiction of the hair follicle locations.

28. A system as in claim 27, further comprising means for a user to designate which of the hair follicles in the visual depiction are to be ablated.