SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FRACTIONAL TREATMENT OF SKIN

• US 20120253416A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viora Limited
• Original Assignee: Viora Limited
• Inventors: EREZ, Danny, Tal, Gerard
• Granted Patent: US 9,038,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00047 using Peltier effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0016 Energy applicators arranged in a two- or three dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00291 using suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0207 heated
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0214 cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0285 with Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/10 with further special therapeutic means, e.g. electrotherapy, magneto therapy or radiation therapy, chromo therapy, infrared or ultraviolet therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1695 Enhanced pressure effect, e.g. substantially sharp projections, needles or pyramids
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5005 for controlling frequency distribution, modulation or interference of a driving signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2207/00 Anti-cellulite devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0057 Suction suction kneading A61H7/008
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0472 Structure-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/18 Applying electric currents by contact electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/403 for thermotherapy, e.g. hyperthermia

Abstract

A system and method for treatment of skin including a treatment surface having numerous small energy emitting points for fractional skin treatment as well as negative pressure outlets. During a treatment, negative pressure from the outlets may exert a pulling force on an opposing tissue surface to bring the tissue into contact with the energy points.

Claims

1. An apparatus for skin treatment comprising:

a treatment surface, said surface comprising;

a plurality of outlets for exerting negative pressure from said surface,

a plurality of energy emission points to transmit energy into a tissue opposing said surface,

said plurality of outlets interspersed among said plurality of energy emission points wherein negative pressure from a first of said plurality of outlets exerts a force to pull a first portion of an opposing tissue surface into contact with a first of said plurality of energy points, and negative pressure from a second of said plurality of outlets exerts a force to pull a second portion of an opposing tissue surface into contact with a second of said plurality of energy points.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of energy points transmit energy into said tissue during a period wherein said plurality of outlets exert said force.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, comprising a receptacle distal from said treatment surface to collect materials released from said skin by said negative pressure.

4. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said energy points are positioned on said surface at a density of from 10 to 100 points per square centimeter of said surface.

5. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein a first of said energy emission points is to transmit approximately 10 to 100 milliJoules per point into said tissue.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said energy is to be transmitted from said points in pulses, said pulses having a duration of from 0.05 seconds to 0.5 seconds.

7. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said energy is to be emitted with a frequency of between 0.2 MHz and 20 Mhz.

8. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said energy emission points are arranged in a first array on said surface, and wherein said outlets are arranged in a second array on said surface, and wherein said first array overlaps said second array.

9. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said energy points are from 100 microns to 1000 microns in diameter.

10. The apparatus as in claim 1, comprising a thermo-electric cooling unit.

11. The apparatus as in claim 1, comprising

a pressure sensor to sense a pressure from a closing of a first of plurality of negative pressure outlets through a contact of said treatment surface with said tissue opposing said surface, and

a controller to issue a signal to a first of said plurality of energy emission points in response to said sensing of said pressure.

12. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein a first of said plurality of energy emission points is to transmit energy into a tissue opposing said surface, said transmitted energy at multiple frequencies within a pre-defined time period.

13. The apparatus as in claim 1, comprising a controller to vary a level of energy emitted by a first group of said plurality of energy emission points.

14. A method of treating human tissue, comprising:

applying a treatment surface to said tissue, said surface including a plurality of energy emission points and a plurality of negative pressure outlets,

exerting a pulling force from said negative pressure outlets against a tissue opposing said treatment surface, and

wherein said pulling force from a first of said plurality of outlets pulls a first area of said tissue into contact with a first of said energy points, and said pulling force from a second of said plurality of outlets pulls a second area of said tissue into contact with a second of said energy points.

15. The method as in claim 14, comprising exerting said pulling force from said plurality of outlets, said pulling concurrently with emission of energy from said points.

16. The method as in claim 14, comprising capturing in a storage cavity behind said surface, debris released from said tissue by said negative pressure.

17. The method as in claim 14, wherein said applying said treatment surface to said tissue, comprises applying said treatment surface having said plurality of energy emission points interspersed among said plurality of negative pressure outlets.

18. The method as in claim 17, wherein said plurality of energy emission points are arranged in a first array on said surface and said plurality of said outlets are arranged in a second array on said surface, said first array overlapping said second array.

19. The method as in claim 18, comprising energizing a first group of said plurality of energy emission points before an energizing of a second group of said plurality of energy emission points.

20. The method as in claim 14, comprising varying in a pulse, a level of energy emitted by a first group of said plurality of energy emission points.

21. A device comprising:

a hardened surface, said surface comprising

an array of electrodes and an array of negative pressure outlets, wherein when negative pressure is released from said outlets, an opposing surface is pulled into contact with said electrodes, and upon such contact between an electrode of said array of electrodes, said electrode emits energy into said opposing surface.

22. The device as in claim 21, where said array of electrodes overlaps said array of negative pressure outlets.