Methods and devices for selective disruption of fatty tissue by controlled cooling

• US 20070010861A1
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dieter Manstein, Richard Anderson
• Original Assignee: Dieter Manstein, Richard Anderson
• Inventors: Manstein, Dieter, Anderson, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 9,308,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/96
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0237 with a thermoelectric element in the probe for cooling purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0262 using a circulating cryogenic fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0054 with a closed fluid circuit, e.g. hot water
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0056 for cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0075 using a Peltier element, e.g. near the spot to be heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0082 D.C. A61F2007/0078 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0094 using a remote control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0096 with a thermometer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0239 using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/029 Fat cell removal or destruction by non-ablative heat treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/00 Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body heating or cooling means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses A47C21/00 ; massage, therapeutic baths A61H; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields or ultrasound A61N; electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/10 Cooling bags, e.g. ice-bags
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/00 Percussion or vibration massage, e.g. using supersonic vibration; Suction-vibration massage; Massage with moving diaphragms apparatus for passive exercising A61H1/00; generating or transmitting mechanical vibrations in general B06B

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for use in the selective disruption of lipid-rich cells by controlled cooling. The present invention further relates to a device for use in carrying out the methods for selective disruption of lipid-rich cells by controlled cooling.

Claims

1-200. -200. (canceled)

201. A cooling device for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid rich cells of a subject having skin, comprising:

a treatment interface configured to contact the skin of the subject; and

a thermoelectric cooling element having a first side in thermal communication with the treatment interface and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the thermoelectric cooling element is configured to reduce a temperature of the region such that lipid rich cells in the region are selectively reduced while non-lipid rich cells proximate to the treatment interface are not reduced, and wherein the thermoelectric cooling element is configured to withdraw heat from the skin.

202. The cooling device of claim 201, further comprising a fluid-filled vessel having a plurality of passageways, the fluid-filled vessel proximate to the second side of the thermoelectric cooling element for dissipating heat from the thermoelectric cooling element.

203. The cooling device of claim 201, further comprising a fluid chamber proximate to the second side of the thermoelectric cooling element for dissipating heat from the thermoelectric cooling element.

204. The cooling device of claim 201 wherein the treatment interface is a membrane.

205. The cooling device of claim 201, wherein the treatment interface is generally planar, generally concave, generally convex, and/or includes generally concave and generally convex portions.

206. The cooling device of claim 201, wherein the treatment interface further comprises a first part having a first material and a second part having a second material different than the first material.

207. The cooling device of claim 206, wherein the first material has a higher thermal conductivity than the second material.

208. The cooling device of claim 201, further comprising a detector proximate to the treatment interface.

209. The cooling device of claim 208, wherein the detector is a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a transmissivity sensor, a thermocouple, a thermistor, and/or a bio-resistance sensor.

210. The cooling device of claim 201, further comprising a temperature detector proximate to the treatment interface.

211. The cooling device of claim 201, further comprising a temperature detector proximate to the treatment interface for detecting a temperature of a subcutaneous layer of the skin.

212. The cooling device of claim 211, wherein the temperature detector is at least one of a probe.

213. A cooling device for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid rich cells of a subject having skin, comprising:

a housing and a treatment interface carried by the housing, wherein the treatment interface is configured to contact the skin relative to a target region;

a thermoelectric cooling element disposed in the housing, the thermoelectric cooling element being configured to reduce a temperature of a region of the skin such that lipid rich cells in the region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells proximate to the treatment interface are not reduced;

a fluid chamber disposed in the housing and proximate to the thermoelectric cooling element, the fluid chamber being in thermal communication with the thermoelectric cooling element; and

a mounting element at the housing, the mounting element configured to enable mounting the housing to a support.

214. The cooling device of claim 213, wherein the mounting element is configured such that the housing is slidable relative to the support when mounted to the support.

215. The cooling device of claim 213, wherein the housing is configured to be a part of a handheld device.

216. The cooling device of claim 213, wherein the fluid chamber is configured to accept at least one of a liquid and a gaseous coolant.

217. The cooling device of claim 213, wherein the housing further comprises a plurality of fluid passages in fluid communication with the fluid chamber and configured to allow fluid circulation through the fluid chamber.

218. The cooling device of claim 213, wherein the fluid chamber further comprises a flow element configured to promote uniform fluid circulation.

219. The cooling device of claim 213, further comprising a thermal coupling agent in thermal communication with the thermoelectric cooling element and the skin.

220. The cooling device of claim 213, wherein the treatment interface includes a first part having a first material with a first thermal conductivity and a second part having a second material with a second thermal conductivity generally less than the first thermal conductivity.

221. The cooling device of claim 213, wherein the treatment interface is generally planar, generally concave, generally convex, and/or includes generally concave and generally convex portions.

222. A cooling device for removing heat from subcutaneous tissues of a subject having skin, comprising:

a support having a first portion and a second portion;

a first cooling element located at the first portion of the support and having a first thermoelectric cooling element in thermal communication with a first treatment interface; and

a second cooling element located at the second portion of the support and having a second thermoelectric cooling element in thermal communication with a second treatment interface, wherein at least one of the first and second cooling elements is movable along the support relative to each other.

223. The cooling device of claim 222, wherein the first and second treatment interfaces include a first part having a first material with a first thermal conductivity and a second part having a second material with a second thermal conductivity generally less than the first thermal conductivity.

224. The cooling device of claim 222, wherein the support includes a beam and a shaft movably supported by the beam, wherein at least one of the first and second cooling elements is slidably coupled to the shaft.

225. The cooling device of claim 222, wherein the first cooling element further comprises a fluid chamber in thermal communication with the first treatment interface.

226. A method of applying a cooling device having a treatment interface and a thermoelectric cooling element in thermal communication with the treatment interface, comprising:

(i) placing the treatment interface in thermal contact with the skin of a subject at a treatment region;

(ii) activating the thermoelectric cooling element to remove heat from the region; and

(iii) achieving a desired temperature in the region such that lipid rich cells in the region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced.

227. The method of claim 226, wherein the desired temperature is between about −

20°

C. to about 20°

C.

228. The method of claim 226, wherein the desired temperature is between about −

5°

C. to about 10°

C.

229. The method of claim 226, further comprising maintaining the desired temperature in the region by controlling a voltage applied to the thermoelectric cooling element.

230. The method of claim 226, wherein the cooling device includes a detector proximate to the treatment interface, and wherein the method further comprises monitoring an operating parameter via the detector.

231. The method of claim 230, wherein the detector is a temperature detector and the operating parameter is a temperature.

232. The method of claim 226, further comprising:

terminating heat removal from the region by removing the treatment interface from the region of the skin; and

repeating stages (i)-(iii) until a desired reduction in lipid rich cells of the region is achieved.

233. The method of claim 226, further comprising

removing the cooling element from the region after reducing lipid rich cells of the region;

and reducing lipid rich cells of a different region by performing stages (i)-(iii) as applied to the different region.

234. A method of applying a cooling device having a thermoelectric cooling element, a fluid chamber and a treatment interface in thermal communication with the thermoelectric coding element, comprising:

(i) applying a pressure to a region with lipid rich cells, wherein the pressure is greater than or equal to a systolic blood pressure in the region;

(ii) circulating a coolant through the fluid chamber to dissipate heat from the thermoelectric cooling element; and

(iii) applying a voltage to the thermoelectric cooling element to cool the region to a desired temperature such that lipid rich cells in the region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced.

235. The method of claim 234, wherein the coolant is a liquid, and wherein circulating the coolant includes pumping the coolant into passages.

236. The method of claim 234, wherein the cooling element includes a detector, and wherein the method further comprises monitoring an operating parameter via the detector.

237. The method of claim 236, wherein the detector is a temperature detector and the operating parameter is a temperature of the region.

238. The method of claim 234, wherein the cooling element includes a temperature detector and a coolant flow rate detector, and wherein the method further comprises controlling a flow rate of the coolant to achieve the desired temperature of the region.

239. The method of claim 234, further comprising:

terminating heat removal from the region by removing the treatment interface from the region of the skin; and

repeating stages (i)-(iii) until a desired reduction in lipid rich cells of the region is achieved.

240. The method of claim 234, further comprising

removing the cooling element from the region after reducing lipid rich cells of the region;

and

reducing lipid rich cells of a different region by performing stages (i)-(iii) at the different region of the skin.

241. A system for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid rich cells of a region of a subject having skin, comprising:

a cooling device having a thermoelectric cooling element configured for reducing a temperature of the region such that lipid rich cells in the region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced; and

a vacuum coupled to the cooling device to apply pressure to the region.

242. The system of claim 241, further comprising a cooling unit in thermal communication with the cooling device and configured for providing a coolant to the cooling device.

243. The system of claim 242, wherein the coolant source is a thermoelectric cooler.

244. The system of claim 241, further comprising a fluid line between the cooling unit and the cooling device such that the cooling device is in fluid communication with the cooling unit.

245. The system of claim 241, wherein the cooling device further comprises a detector proximate to the thermoelectric cooling element, and wherein the system further comprises:

a processor in electrical communication to the detector and configured to convert electrical signals from the detector into an operating parameter; and

a database electrically connected to the processor to store the operating parameter.

246. The system of claim 245, wherein the processor includes a control module for controlling the temperature of the region based on the operating parameter.

247. The system of claim 241, further comprising a power source in electrical communication with the thermoelectric cooling element, the power source being configured for providing a current source to the thermoelectric cooling element.