Devices and methods for treatment of skin conditions

• US 20060142750A1
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Choi, George, Da Silva, Luiz B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,749,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/082 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00761 Removing layer of skin tissue, e.g. wrinkles, scars or cancerous tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00005 Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0047 Upper parts of the skin, e.g. skin peeling or treatment of wrinkles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00714 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00761 Duration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature

Abstract

Devices and methods for the treatment of skin conditions and lesions are disclosed herein. One aspect of the invention is a compact hand held device that can be safely used by those suffering from skin conditions, such as acne, warts, cold blisters, blemished skin, or fine wrinkles. The devices described herein employ the application of heat for the treatment of skin conditions and lesions. Typically, the peak temperatures employed are about 70° C. to about 400° C. by the devices, are achieved in less than about 1 second, and maintained for less than about 1 second. In some embodiments, the skin surface is heated with heat pulses. Thermal conduction transfers heat from the device to the skin and causes a biological response that accelerates acne clearing, treats blemished skin, itching, or fine wrinkles. The total heat transferred is low enough to prevent burns.

Claims

1. A device for treatment of skin conditions comprising:

a heating element adapted and configured to contact a skin surface; and

a controller adapted and configured to automatically heat the heating element to a temperature of at least about 70°

C. in a period of less than about one second and to maintain the heating element at a temperature of at least about 70°

C. for a period of less than one second in response to a user input.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller is further adapted to cease heating the heating element and to reheat the heating element without a further user input.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said heating element and controller are located in a housing, said housing being capable of being held in a hand of a user.

9. The device of claim 1, 4, or 6 wherein said heating element comprises a resistive heater.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said resistive heater is a thin metal resistor.

11. The device of claim 1, 4, or 6 wherein said heating element comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of nichrome, tungsten, aluminum, gold, copper and/or steel.

12. The device of claim 1, 4, or 6 wherein said heating element comprises a backing layer, an electrically insulating protective layer, and/or a high conductivity layer.

13. The device of claim 1, 4, or 6 wherein a skin contact surface of said heating element has a surface area of about 1 cm².

14. The device of claim 1, 4, or 6 wherein said temperature is about 75°

C.—

about 100°

C.

15. The device of claim 1, 4, or 6 wherein said temperature is about 100°

C.—

about 200°

C.

16. The device of claim 1, 4, or 6 wherein said temperature is achieved in a period of less than about 0.5 seconds.

17. The device of claim 1, 4, or 6 wherein said temperature limits total energy transferred to the skin to less than about 50 J/cm².

18. The device of claim 1, 4, or 6 wherein said temperature limits total energy transferred to the skin to less than about 5 J/cm².

19. The device of claim 1, 4, or 6 further comprising a temperature sensor, said sensor being adapted and configured to sense the temperature of said heating element and to control said temperature of said heating element.

20. The device of claim 1, 4, or 6 further comprising a cooling element, said cooling element adapted and configured to cool said heating element and/or a skin surface to a temperature of less than about 60°

C.

21. The device of claim 1, 4, or 6 further comprising a light emitting diode.

4. A device for treatment of skin conditions comprising a housing adapted and configured to be held in a hand of a user, said housing comprising a heating element adapted to contact a skin surface;

a controller adapted and configured to automatically heat the heating element to a temperature of at least about 70°

C. in a period of less than about one second and to maintain a temperature of at least about 70°

C. for a period of less than one second in response to a user input; and

a user interface adapted and configured to be activated by a user to provide said user input.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the controller is further adapted to cease heating the heating element and to reheat the heating element without a further user input.

23. The device of claim 4 wherein activation of said user interface by a user heats said heating element to a peak temperature of about 250°

C. in about 1 millisecond and said peak temperature decays to about 100°

C. in less than about 0.5 seconds.

6. A device for treatment of skin conditions comprising:

a heating element adapted and configured to be placed against a skin surface to be treated;

a handle area adapted and configured to be held by a user and to support the heating element when placed against the skin surface; and

a heating circuit adapted and configured to heat the heating element to a temperature of at least about 67°

C. for less than about 0.1 second.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the heating circuit comprises a controller adapted and configured to control the heat generated by said heating element in response to a user input.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the controller is further adapted to cease heating the heating element and to reheat the heating element without a further user input.

22. The device of claim 6 wherein the heating circuit is further adapted to heat the heating element to a temperature of at least 67°

C. for less than about 0.1 second, lower the temperature of the heating element for a period of about 0.5 seconds, and reheat the heating element to a temperature of at least 67°

C. for less than about 0.1 second.

24. A method of treating a skin condition comprising heating a skin surface of a subject to a temperature of at least about 70°

C. in less than about 1 second for a time duration of less than about 1 second.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising ceasing the heating step for about ten milliseconds to about five seconds, then reheating the skin surface to a temperature of at least about 70°

C. for a time duration of less than about 1 second.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising repeating the ceasing and reheating steps.

29. The method of claim 24 or 27 further comprising applying a topical substance to the surface of said skin prior to, during, and/or after the application of peak temperature.

30. The method of claim 24 or 27 wherein the skin condition treated is selected from the group consisting of an acne, a wart, a cold sore, and/or a skin wrinkle.

31. The method of claim 24 or 27 wherein the temperature is maintained above about 70°

C. for a period of less than about 1 second.

27. A method of treating a skin condition comprising applying to a skin surface of a subject at least two pulses of heat to raise the skin surface to a peak temperature of at least about 70°

C., said peak temperature being achieved by each pulse in a time period of less than about one second.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising providing a delay between the pulses of heat to allow the skin surface to reach a temperature of less than about 50°

C.

32. A method of treating a skin condition comprising applying a heat source to a skin surface and heating the heat source to a peak temperature greater than about 67°

C. for less than about 0.1 second.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising ceasing the heating step for about ten milliseconds to about five seconds, then reheating the skin surface to a temperature of at least about 70°

C. for a time duration of less than about 1 second.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising repeating the ceasing and reheating steps.