METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SKIN STIMULATION AND SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE THERAPY

• US 20090005801A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stephen Bartell Eastman
• Original Assignee: Stephen Bartell Eastman
• Inventors: Eastman, Stephen Bartell
• Granted Patent: US 8,172,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/186
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/205 Vaccinating by means of needles or other puncturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00747 Dermatology

Abstract

A device for providing stimulation to the skin and treatment of subcutaneous tissue and methods for using the same. The skin stimulation device comprises a handle affixed to a U-shaped housing having side walls, a cylindrical member inserted into the housing and being rotatable relative to the side walls, a plurality of pins extending in rows outward and a rotatable cover affixed over the housing having slits for the needles such that the rotation of the cover varies the length of the needles extending through the slits. The skin stimulation device can be used to apply therapeutic agents to or below a human skin surface. The rotating cover allows for therapeutic agents to be delivered at a precise depth specified by the user.

Claims

1. A skin stimulation device comprising:

a handle;

a U-shaped housing having a plurality of side walls, said U-shaped housing being in physical communication with said handle;

a cylindrical member having a plurality of needles configured to extend radially outward from the surface of said cylindrical member, said cylindrical member being in physical communication with said U-shaped housing and being configured such that said cylindrical member may rotate about its axis relative to said plurality of side walls; and

a rotatable cover having a plurality of parallel slits in physical communication with the U-shaped housing such that said plurality of needles extend through said plurality of slits, said rotatable cover being configured such that movement of said rotatable cover varies the length of the plurality of needles extending through said plurality of slits.

2. The skin stimulation device of claim 1, further comprising an adjustment pin being in physical communication with said rotatable cover and said U-shaped housing, said adjustment pin being configured to move the position of said rotatable cover relative to said U-shaped housing.

3. A skin stimulation device comprising:

a handle;

a U-shaped housing having two oppositely disposed side walls, each having an aligned aperture 18;

a cylindrical member having coaxial terminal protrusions 13 adapted to be inserted into said aligned apertures and having a plurality of undulations about its outer surface, said cylindrical member being configured to rotate about its axis relative to said side walls;

a plurality of needles configured to extend radially outward from the surface of said undulations;

a rotatable cover having a plurality of parallel slits in physical communication with said U-shaped housing such that said plurality of needles extend through said plurality of slits, said rotatable cover being configured such that movement of said rotatable cover varies the length of the plurality of needles extending through said plurality of slits; and

an adjustment pin being in physical communication with said rotatable cover and said U-shaped housing, said adjustment pin being configured to move the position of said rotatable cover relative to said U-shaped housing.

4. A method of using a skin stimulation device comprising the steps of:

applying a therapeutic agent to a plurality of needles affixed to a skin stimulation device;

adjusting said skin stimulation device so that the desired effective length of said plurality of needles is achieved;

placing said skin stimulation device in physical communication with a skin surface; and

rolling the plurality of needles across said skin surface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the effective length of said plurality of needles is configured such that said plurality of needles will not penetrate said skin surface.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the effective length of said plurality of needles is configured such that said plurality of needles will penetrate said skin surface.