FLUID-JET DISSECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REDUCING THE APPEARANCE OF CELLULITE

• US 20100228207A1
• Filed: 05/25/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ulthera Inc. (Merz Pharma GmbH & Company Kgaa)
• Original Assignee: Cabochon Aesthetics, Inc. (Merz Pharma GmbH & Company Kgaa)
• Inventors: Ballakur, Sowmya, Brian, Ben F. III, Clark, Robert L. III, Chomas, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,358,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/319
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3203 Fluid jet cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00747 Dermatology
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32035 with gas or air
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/005 with suction drainage system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/28 Syringe ampoules or carpules, i.e. ampoules or carpules provided with a needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3007 with specially designed jet passages at the injector's distal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0008 Destruction of fat cells

Abstract

A minimally invasive skin treatment system includes a platform having a recessed area on its bottom and one or more injection ports orthogonal to its top, each injection port including a through-hole to the recessed area. The system includes an injection device including a needle slidably disposed in a selective port such that the needle passes into the recessed area and percutaneously through a dermis disposed within the recessed area. A nozzle is configured to discharge a fluid at a high pressure in a direction orthogonal to an axis of the needle and parallel to the top of the platform to cut create a plane of dissection within the subcutaneous tissue.

Claims

1. A system for minimally invasive skin treatment, comprising:

a platform having a perimeter elevation and a top which cooperatively define a recessed area, an inner side of the perimeter elevation and top defining an apposition surface facing into the recessed area;

an injection port provided on the platform, the injection port positioned about an entry hole through the top of the platform; and

an injection device having a needle, the injection device being configured to be slidably disposed in the injection port such that a distal end of the needle passes through the entry hole into the recessed area and the injection device is removably secured perpendicular to the platform, and

wherein the distal end of the needle has a nozzle configured to discharge a fluid in a direction orthogonal to an axis of the needle and parallel to the top of the platform.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is flush with a side of the needle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the injection device has a base and an upper body, and wherein an outer perimeter of the base snuggly fits within an inner perimeter of the selected injection port.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the outer perimeter of the base of the injection device is smaller than an outer perimeter of the upper body of the injection device, and

wherein the injection port is raised above the top of the platform such that a bottom rim of the upper body rests flush upon a top rim of the injection port when the injection device is fully inserted into the injection port.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the top rim of the injection port has a notch and the injection device has a keyed protrusion located proximal an interface between the base and the upper body of the injection device, and

wherein the keyed protrusion fits within the notch when the bottom rim of the upper body is flush upon the top rim of the injection port, such that the injection device is prevented from rotating relative to the platform.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the injection port is a recessed bore in the top of the platform about the entry hole, the injection device comprising:

a disk having a shallow boss on a bottom of the disk,

wherein the boss is configured to snuggly fit within the recessed bore such that a bottom of an outer perimeter of the disk rests upon the top surface about the injection port when the injection device is disposed in to the injection port.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for automatically rotating the needle.

8. A system of claim 1, further comprising:

a vacuum fitting operably connected to one of the top of the platform and the perimeter elevation of the platform and in fluid communication with the recessed area; and

a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the vacuum fitting,

wherein the vacuum pump is configured to supply a suction force to the recessed area to pull a tissue snugly and securely against the apposition surface when the recessed area is placed over the tissue.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a rigid pressure canister including a source of a solution and a supply exit port,

wherein the canister is filled with a pressurized gas and the source of the solution is in fluid communication with the injection device and the needle.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the source of the solution is a flexible bag inside the rigid pressure canister, the flexible bag being at least partially filled with a solution, and wherein the solution is in fluid isolation from the pressurized gas.

11. The system of claim 1, the injection device comprising:

a high pressure syringe having a syringe pump,

wherein the syringe is in fluid connection with the needle, and wherein the syringe is configured to inject a solution through the needle when the syringe pump is actuated.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is configured to increase a kinetic energy of a solution injected by the injection device through the needle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the nozzle is a convergent nozzle, and wherein a throat of the nozzle converges toward the side of the needle.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein an interior of the needle narrows near the distal end of the needle and downstream of the throat of the nozzle.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the needle has a hollow channel interfacing with the nozzle but terminating above a hardened and sharpened tip for piercing the skin.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the injection device comprises a handpiece, and wherein the injection device is configured to be rotated relative to the platform and moved vertically along an axis of the injection port to control a depth of the nozzle relative to the apposition surface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the injection device comprises a swivel fitting for rotatably and fluidically coupling a tubing to the injection device such that the injection device can be rotated relative to the tubing.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the injection port is a cylinder.

19. A system of claim 1, further comprising:

multiple injection ports provided on the platform, each of the injection ports positioned about a corresponding entry hole through the top of the platform.

20. A system of claim 19, further comprising:

a vacuum fitting operably connected to one of the top of the platform and the perimeter elevation of the platform and in fluid communication with the recessed area; and

a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the vacuum fitting, wherein the vacuum pump is configured to supply a suction force to the recessed area to pull a tissue snugly and securely against the apposition surface when the recessed area is placed over the tissue,

wherein each of the multiple injection ports is covered by an elastomeric septum, the elastomeric septum being configured to be pierced by the needle and to substantially self-seal when the needle is removed such as to substantially prevent a vacuum leakage from the recessed area when the suction force is supplied.

21. A method of treating cellulite, comprising:

positioning a platform having a recessed area over a dermis, the platform having an injection port and an entry hole through a top of the platform;

applying a force to the platform to move a portion of the dermis into the recessed area to substantially fill the recessed area, such that the portion of the dermis is in contact with an inner surface of the platform and a first and second subcutaneous tissue are disposed in the recessed area;

providing an injection device having a needle;

inserting a distal end of the needle through the injection port and through the entry hole such that the injection device is perpendicular to the platform and the distal end of the needle is percutaneously inserted through the dermis and into the first subcutaneous tissue; and

discharging at a pressure between 20 and 150 Bar a fluid through a nozzle in a side of the distal end of the needle and inside the first subcutaneous tissue, the discharge being substantially parallel to the top of the platform.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

piercing an elastomeric septum covering the entry hole with the distal end of the needle.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the distal end of the needle is positioned such that the nozzle is maintained in the first subcutaneous tissue at a selected depth, the depth selected from between 1 mm and 15 mm below the portion of the dermis in contact with the inner surface of the platform.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

rotating the injection device to rotate the distal end of the needle while maintaining the depth of the nozzle in the first subcutaneous tissue and an orthogonal positioning of the injection device relative to the platform.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the pressure is between 50 and 150 Bar.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

removing the distal end of the needle from the injection port and the first subcutaneous tissue;

inserting a distal end of the needle through a second proximal injection port such that the injection device is secured perpendicular to the platform and the distal end of the needle is percutaneously inserted through the dermis and into the second subcutaneous tissue; and

discharging at a pressure between 20 and 150 Bar a fluid through a nozzle in a side of the distal end of the needle and inside the second subcutaneous tissue, the discharge being substantially parallel to the top of the platform.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein discharging the fluid includes rotating the nozzle to cut fibrous septae in a substantially circular direction in the first and second subcutaneous tissue.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the first and second subcutaneous tissue are cut at different depths below the dermis.

29. A system for minimally invasive skin treatment, comprising:

a recessed platform having a perimeter elevation and a top which cooperatively define a recessed area, an inner side of the perimeter elevation and the top defining an apposition surface facing into the recessed area;

a vacuum fitting operably connected to one of the top of the platform and the perimeter elevation of the platform and in fluid communication with the recessed area;

a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the vacuum fitting, the vacuum pump being configured to supply a suction force to the recessed area to pull a tissue snugly and securely against the apposition surface when the recessed area is placed over the tissue,

multiple injection ports provided on and raised above the top of the platform, each injection port positioned about an entry hole through the top of the platform; and

an injection device having a needle and a needle housing, the housing including an upper body and a base, the upper body including a handpiece and having a larger diameter than the base, the base being configured to be slidably disposed in a selected injection port such that a portion of the needle passes through a corresponding entry hole and the injection device is removably secured perpendicular to the platform in a manner such that a bottom rim of the upper body rests flush upon a top rim of the selected injection port when the injection device is fully inserted into the injection port,

wherein a distal end of the needle has a nozzle flush with a side of the needle and is configured to discharge a fluid at a pressure between 20 and 150 Bar in a direction orthogonal to an axis of the needle and parallel to the top of the platform, and

wherein each of the multiple injection ports is covered by an elastomeric septum, the elastomeric septum being configured to be pierced by the needle and to substantially self-seal when the needle is removed such as to substantially prevent a vacuum leakage from the recessed area when the suction force is supplied.