Systems, Apparatus, Methods and Procedures for the Noninvasive Treatment of Tissue Using Microwave Energy

• US 20100268220A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: miraDry, Inc. (Sientra Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Miramar Labs, Inc. (Sientra Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Peter, Johnson, Jessi Ernest, Saraf, Shailendhar, Hallock, Daniel, Kim, Steven, Francis, Daniel, Su, Ted, Salamini, Alexey, Ben-Haim, Yoav, Deem, Mark E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,688,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/33
• 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 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00291 using suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0075 using a Peltier element, e.g. near the spot to be heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0008 Destruction of fat cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

The present invention is directed to systems, apparatus, methods and procedures for the noninvasive treatment of tissue using microwave energy. In one embodiment of the invention a medical device and associated apparatus and procedures are used to treat dermatological conditions using microwave energy.

Claims

1. A disposable medical apparatus comprising:

a tissue chamber positioned at a distal end of said disposable member;

an applicator chamber positioned at a proximal end of said disposable member;

a tissue bio-barrier separating said tissue chamber and said applicator interface; and

a vacuum circuit connecting said tissue chamber and said applicator chamber.

2-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A method of balancing vacuum pressure in a medical treatment device, wherein said medical treatment device comprises an applicator and a disposable, said disposable comprising a tissue chamber and an applicator chamber separated by a flexible tissue bio-barrier, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning an applicator in said applicator chamber such that said applicator seals an applicator chamber opening;

positioning tissue adjacent said tissue chamber such that said tissue at least partially seals a tissue chamber opening;

drawing air from said tissue chamber; and

drawing air from said applicator chamber.

25-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A method of creating a lesion in a region of skin tissue below a first region of the dermis using a medical treatment device, wherein said medical treatment device comprises an applicator, said applicator comprising a cooling plate, and a disposable, said disposable comprising a tissue chamber and an applicator chamber separated by a flexible tissue bio-barrier, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning said applicator in said applicator chamber such that said applicator seals an applicator chamber opening;

positioning said skin tissue adjacent said tissue chamber such that said tissue at least partially seals a tissue chamber opening;

drawing air from said tissue chamber;

drawing air from said applicator chamber to pull said tissue into said applicator chamber;

transmitting electromagnetic energy through said cooling plate and said tissue bio-barrier

31-35. -35. (canceled)

36. An energy transmission applicator comprising:

a disposable interface at a distal end of said applicator, said disposable interface comprising a disposable engagement mechanism;

an antenna structure including at least one antenna aperture arranged to transmit energy through said distal end of said applicator; and

a cooling circuit including a cooling plate, wherein at least a portion of said cooling circuit is positioned between said antenna and said distal end of said applicator.

37-41. -41. (canceled)

42. An energy transmission applicator comprising:

a disposable interface at a distal end of said applicator, said disposable interface comprising a disposable engagement mechanism;

a waveguide assembly including a plurality of antenna apertures arranged to transmit energy through said distal end of said applicator; and

a cooling circuit including a cooling plate, wherein at least a portion of said cooling circuit is positioned between said antenna and said distal end of said applicator.

43-57. -57. (canceled)

58. A method of cooling tissue using an energy transmission applicator comprising an antenna aperture and a cooling plate, said cooling plate having a proximal surface and a distal surface and being positioned at a distal end of said energy transmission applicator and said antenna aperture being positioned in said energy transmission applicator proximal to said cooling plate, said method comprising the steps of:

engaging tissue in said energy transmission applicator adjacent said cooling plate;

applying energy to said tissue, said energy passing through said cooling plate; and

passing cooling fluid between said antenna aperture and a proximal surface of said cooling plate.

59. A method of distributing electromagnetic energy to tissue, said method comprising radiating energy from an antenna aperture;

radiating energy through cooling fluid wherein said cooling fluid flows through a cooling chamber beneath said aperture;

radiating energy past scattering elements positioned in said cooling chamber;

radiating energy through a cooling plate positioned opposite said aperture;

radiating energy through a tissue bio-barrier on a distal side of said cooling plate.

60. A method of supplying energy to an antenna array, said method comprising the steps of:

supplying electromagnetic energy to a switch positioned in said applicator wherein said switch is connected to one or more waveguide antennas;

supplying said electromagnetic energy through said switch to a first waveguide antenna for a predetermined period of time;

supplying said electromagnetic energy through said switch to a second waveguide antenna for a predetermined period of time without repositioning said applicator.

61. (canceled)

62. A method of supplying energy to an antenna array, said method comprising the steps of:

supplying electromagnetic energy to an applicator including a power splitter wherein said power splitter is connected to one or more waveguide antennas;

continuously connecting said power splitter to at least two of said one or more waveguide antennas;

without repositioning the applicator;

maintaining said energy supply to a single antenna for a predetermined period of time.

63. A microwave chain control circuitry for use in a medical device microwave generator comprising:

a directional coupler coupled to an output of said microwave chain;

power detectors coupled to said directional coupler, said power detectors comprising a forward power detector and a reverse power detector, said power detectors comprising a attenuators and detector diodes;

a forward power lookup table coupled to said forward power detector, said forward lookup table including data correlated to the characteristics of said forward power detector;

a reverse power lookup table coupled to said reverse power detector, said reverse power lookup table including data correlated to the characteristics of said reverse power detector;

a duty cycle circuit coupled to said forward power lookup table wherein said duty cycle circuit is coupled to a switch in said microwave chain, said switch being adapted to control the duty cycle of an input signal to an amplifier in said microwave chain.

64. A method of controlling output power from a microwave chain in a medical device microwave generator, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a forward power signal at an output of said microwave chain;

feeding said forward power signal into a forward power lookup table, said forward power lookup table including correlation data based upon the electrical characteristics of said forward power detector;

modifying said forward power signal according to said correlation data;

feeding said modified forward power signal to a duty cycle circuit wherein said duty cycle circuit is adapted to control the duty cycle of an input signal to an amplifier in said microwave chain.

65. A patient support apparatus comprising:

a center support;

first and second arm supports connected to said center portion at a first predetermined angle of between approximately fifteen degrees an approximately thirty-five degrees.

66. (canceled)

67. A treatment template comprising:

a flexible transparent base, said flexible transparent base comprising;

one or more treatment region outlines printed on said base;

a plurality of anesthesia equally spaced injection sites printed on said base;

a plurality of template positioning marks printed on said base;

a plurality of applicator placement marks printed on said base.

68. (canceled)

69. A method of treating hyperhidrosis in a patient comprising:

positioning said patient on a patient support apparatus

aligning a treatment template to land marks on said patients axilla

marking anesthesia injection sites on said patients axilla

marking applicator positioning sites on said patients axilla

aligning an applicator with said applicator positioning sites

applying cooling to said patients axilla

applying energy to said patients axilla

switching energy through a plurality of antennas in said applicator

removing said applicator and moving said applicator to a second treatment site using said alignment markings.