HANDHELD APPARATUS FOR USE BY A NON-PHYSICIAN CONSUMER TO FRACTIONALLY RESURFACE THE SKIN OF THE CONSUMER

• US 20120197357A1
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solta Medical, Inc. (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Solta Medical, Inc. (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Dewey, David A., DeBenedictis, Leonard C., Bradley, David M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,475,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/89
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0047 Upper parts of the skin, e.g. skin peeling or treatment of wrinkles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/20359 by movable mirrors, e.g. galvanometric
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0644 Handheld applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning

Abstract

Apparatus for delivering optical energy and, in particular, to a handheld apparatus for use by a non-physician consumer. The handheld apparatus is configured to conduct fractional resurfacing or other cosmetic treatment of the consumer'"'"'s skin with optical energy.

Claims

1. A handheld apparatus for use by a non-physician consumer for fractionally resurfacing skin of the consumer, comprising:

a housing configured and dimensioned to be manually grasped and manipulated relative to a skin surface of the consumer;

a laser inside the housing, the laser configured to generate an optical beam containing coherent electromagnetic radiation; and

an optical pattern generator inside the housing, the optical pattern generator including a rotatable component configured to continually rotate about a rotation axis in a single direction and to deflect the optical beam during rotation to divide the electromagnetic radiation into pulses that propagate from the housing toward the skin surface and form a fractional pattern at the skin surface for performing a skin resurfacing dermatological treatment.

2. The handheld apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a power source disposed inside the housing, the power source configured to supply electrical power to the laser and the rotatable component to perform the skin resurfacing dermatological treatment without requiring connection to an external power source during the skin resurfacing dermatological treatment.

3. The handheld apparatus of claim 2 wherein the power source is a rechargeable battery.

4. The handheld apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rotatable component of the optical pattern generator includes a plurality of reflective axicon segments, and the rotatable component is positioned relative to the laser so that the reflective axicon segments rotate through the optical beam as the rotatable component rotates about the rotation axis.

5. The handheld apparatus of claim 4 wherein at least two of the reflective axicon segments are configured to deflect the optical beam by different angular deflections.

6. The handheld apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rotatable component of the optical pattern generator includes a spinning wheel with a plurality of deflection sectors arranged around the rotation axis, each of the deflection sectors including at least two reflective surfaces that in combination deflect the optical beam by a substantially constant angular deflection as each of the deflection sectors rotates through the optical beam.

7. The handheld apparatus of claim 6 wherein at least two of the deflection sectors are configured to deflect the optical beam by different angular deflections.

8. The handheld apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a controller inside the housing, the controller operatively coupled with the laser and the optical pattern generator for controlling operation of the laser and the rotatable component to form the pulses of the electromagnetic radiation.

9. The handheld apparatus of claim 1 wherein the laser is configured to generate the coherent electromagnetic radiation in the optical beam at a wavelength between 1.42 μ

m and 1.45 μ

m.

10. The handheld apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of rollers coupled with the housing, the rollers configured to contact the skin surface as the housing is manually manipulated relative to the skin surface and to provide a massaging effect that reduces pain sensations during the skin resurfacing dermatological treatment so as to not require use of an anesthetic during the skin resurfacing dermatological treatment.

11. The handheld apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a converging lens disposed in an optical path for the optical beam after deflection by the rotatable component of the optical pattern generator, the converging lens having a focal point above the skin surface.

12. The handheld apparatus of claim 11 wherein the focal point is inside the housing.

13. The handheld apparatus of claim 11 wherein the converging lens comprises a simple lens.

14. The handheld apparatus of claim 11 wherein the converging lens is an element of a compound lens.

15. The handheld apparatus of claim 1 wherein the laser is a laser diode.

16. The handheld apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an indicator;

a transducer configured to output a signal for each pulse of the electromagnetic radiation generated by the rotatable component; and

a controller inside the housing, the controller operatively coupled to the transducer and to the indicator, and the controller configured to determine an accumulated number of pulses by counting each signal communicated from the transducer, to compare the accumulated number of pulses with a threshold number of pulses, and to cause the indicator to activate if the accumulated number of pulses exceeds the threshold number of pulses.

17. The handheld apparatus of claim 16 wherein, when activated, the indicator is configured to produce either a visual or audible end of dose indication for the consumer.

18. A water soluble optical tracking gel configured for use with the handheld apparatus of claim 1, the water soluble optical tracking gel being applied to the skin surface prior to the skin resurfacing dermatological treatment, and the handheld apparatus including an optical tracking device which illuminates the water soluble optical tracking gel to track motion of the housing.

19. The handheld apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable component includes a plurality of reflective segments which each deflect the optical beam by differing angles, and a number of the reflective segments is a prime number.

20. The handheld apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a rechargeable battery inside the housing; and

a fan inside the housing, the housing and the fan being constructed and configured to cause outside air to be blown through the housing and transfer heat way from the laser so that at least some of the heat is transferred to the rechargeable battery causing the rechargeable battery to be heated.

21-27. -27. (canceled)