LEAKAGE-RESISTANT TISSUE TREATMENT APPARATUS AND METHODS OF USING SUCH TISSUE TREATMENT APPARATUS

• US 20090318851A1
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermage Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thermage Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Schenck, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0091 Handpieces of the surgical instrument or device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00916 with means for switching or controlling the main function of the instrument or device

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for treating skin conditions that deliver high frequency energy to a patient'"'"'s tissue. The apparatus has a treatment tip configured to be removably connected with a handpiece, a conduit inside the handpiece, and a flow control valve inside the handpiece. The treatment tip has an electrode configured to deliver the high frequency energy to a region of the tissue. A lumen of the conduit is configured to transfer a heat transfer fluid from the handpiece to a flow passageway in the treatment tip. When the treatment tip is removed from the handpiece, the flow control valve is configured to occlude the lumen of the conduit for reducing leakage of the heat transfer fluid from the handpiece.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating tissue located beneath a skin surface with high frequency energy, the apparatus comprising:

a handpiece;

a treatment tip configured to be removably coupled with the handpiece, the treatment tip including an electrode configured to deliver the high frequency energy to a region of the tissue and a flow passageway;

a first conduit inside the handpiece, the first conduit including a tubular sidewall and a lumen bounded by the tubular sidewall, the lumen of the first conduit configured to transfer a heat transfer fluid from the handpiece to the flow passageway in the treatment tip when the treatment tip is coupled with the handpiece; and

a flow control valve inside the handpiece, the flow control valve coupled with the first conduit, and the flow control valve configured to occlude the lumen of the first conduit, when the treatment tip is removed from the handpiece, for reducing leakage of the heat transfer fluid from the handpiece.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flow control valve includes a first member and a second member configured to move relative to the first member to provide leakage reduction.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first and second members of the flow control valve are configured to apply a compressive force to the tubular sidewall of the first conduit, and the tubular sidewall is composed of a material with sufficient flexibility to deform to at least partially reduce a cross-sectional area of the lumen, when the compressive force is applied, and supply the leakage reduction.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first member is an anvil surface and the second member is a plunger, and the flow control valve further includes an arm mechanically connected with the plunger and a biasing element configured to urge the plunger with a biasing force toward the first relative position when the treatment tip is removed from the handpiece.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the treatment tip includes a contact element that is positioned to contact the arm, when the treatment tip is coupled to the handpiece, so that the plunger is moved away from the first relative position against the biasing force.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a high frequency power supply electrically coupled with said electrode, said radiofrequency energy source adapted to energize said electrode to deliver the high frequency energy to the tissue.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the electrode includes a conductive portion coupled with the high frequency power supply and a dielectric substrate disposed between the electrode and the skin surface such that, during a non-invasive tissue treatment, the high frequency energy is transmitted from the electrode through the dielectric substrate by capacitive coupling with the tissue.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a second conduit inside the handpiece, the second conduit including a lumen configured to transfer the heat transfer fluid away from the first lumen when the treatment tip is coupled with the handpiece, and the flow control valve is configured to occlude the lumen of the second conduit, when the treatment tip is removed from the handpiece, for reducing leakage of the heat transfer fluid from the handpiece.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the treatment tip includes a flow passageway that connects the first conduit of the handpiece in fluid communication with the second conduit of the handpiece so that the heat transfer fluid flows from the first conduit in the handpiece through the passageway in the treatment tip to the second conduit.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first and second conduits are each composed of a material with sufficient flexibility to deform to at least partially reduce a cross-sectional area of the respective lumen, when the compressive force is applied, and supply the leakage reduction.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the handpiece further includes a first rigid tube connecting the first flexible conduit in fluid communication with the inlet passageway and a second rigid tube connecting the second flexible conduit in fluid communication with the outlet passageway.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flow control valve is a pinch valve configured to apply a compressive force to the tubular sidewall of the first conduit to control the flow of heat transfer fluid through the lumen of the first conduit, and the tubular sidewall of the first conduit is composed of a first material with sufficient flexibility to deform to at least partially reduce a cross-sectional area of the lumen, when the compressive force is applied by the pinch valve, and supply the leakage reduction.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

a second conduit inside the handpiece, the second conduit including a tubular sidewall surrounding the lumen and a lumen bounded by the tubular sidewall, the lumen of the second conduit configured to transfer the heat transfer fluid from the flow passageway in the treatment tip back to the handpiece when the treatment tip and handpiece are coupled together.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the tubular sidewall of the second conduit is composed of a second material with sufficient flexibility to deform to at least partially reduce a cross-sectional area of the lumen, when the compressive force is applied by the pinch valve, so as to supply the leakage reduction.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flow control valve prevents leakage of the heat transfer fluid from the lumen of the first conduit.

16. A method of operating a tissue treatment apparatus to treat tissue located beneath a skin surface with high frequency energy delivered from an electrode, the method comprising:

attaching a treatment tip carrying the electrode to a handpiece to connect a lumen of a first conduit in the handpiece with a flow passageway in the treatment tip;

transferring a heat transfer fluid through the lumen of the first conduit from the handpiece to the treatment tip;

delivering the high frequency energy from the electrode to a region of the tissue to perform a tissue treatment;

after delivering the high frequency energy, removing the treatment tip from the handpiece so that the first conduit has an open end; and

when the treatment tip is removed from the handpiece, at least partially occluding the lumen of the first conduit so that a negligible amount of the heat transfer fluid leaks from the handpiece.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein occluding the lumen of the first conduit further comprises:

moving a first member toward a second member for at least partially occluding the lumen of the first conduit when the treatment tip is removed from the handpiece.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein moving the first member relative to the second member in the first direction further comprises:

applying a compressive force to the first conduit with the first and second members that is sufficient to at least partially occlude the lumen of the first conduit.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

when the treatment tip is coupled to the handpiece, removing the compressive force applied by the first and second members so that the at least partial occlusion of the lumen of the first conduit is removed.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

when the treatment tip is coupled to the handpiece, moving the first member away from the second member so that the at least partial occlusion of the lumen of the first conduit is removed.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

urging the first member toward the second member with a spring bias force to apply the compressive force to the first conduit when the treatment tip is removed from the handpiece.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein delivering the high frequency energy further comprises:

transmitting the high frequency energy from the electrode through a dielectric substrate by capacitive coupling with the region of the tissue.

23. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

transferring the heat transfer fluid from the passageway of the treatment tip to a lumen of a second conduit disposed in the handpiece; and

when the treatment tip is removed from the handpiece, at least partially occluding the lumen of the second conduit so that a negligible amount of the heat transfer fluid leaks from the handpiece.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the lumens of the first and second conduits are concurrently occluded.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein at least partially occluding the lumen of the first conduit further comprises:

automatically actuating a fluid control valve, when the treatment tip is removed from the handpiece, to at least partially occlude the lumen of the first conduit.

26. A method of operating a tissue treatment apparatus to treat tissue located beneath a skin surface with high frequency energy delivered from an electrode, the method comprising:

attaching a treatment tip carrying the electrode to a handpiece to connect a lumen of a first conduit in the handpiece with a flow passageway in the treatment tip;

automatically actuating a fluid control valve, when the treatment tip is attached to the handpiece, to establish a fluid connection between the lumen of the first conduit and an inlet passage in the treatment tip;

transferring a heat transfer fluid through the lumen of the first conduit to the flow passageway in the treatment tip; and

delivering the high frequency energy from the electrode to a region of the tissue to perform a tissue treatment.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

after delivering the high frequency energy, removing the treatment tip from the handpiece so that the first conduit has an open end; and

when the treatment tip is removed from the handpiece, at least partially occluding the lumen of the first conduit so that a negligible amount of the heat transfer fluid leaks from the handpiece.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein at least partially occluding the lumen of the first conduit further comprises:

automatically actuating the fluid control valve to provide the at least partial occlusion.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein delivering the high frequency energy further comprises:

transmitting the high frequency energy from the electrode through a dielectric substrate by capacitive coupling with the region of the tissue.

30. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

when the treatment tip is attached to the handpiece, establishing a fluid connection between a lumen of a second conduit and the flow passageway in the treatment tip when the fluid control valve is automatically actuated; and

transferring the heat transfer fluid the flow passageway of the treatment tip to the lumen of the second conduit in the handpiece.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the lumens of the first and second conduits are concurrently occluded.