Treatment of Cellulite and Adipose Tissue with Mid-Infrared Radiation

• US 20120316547A1
• Filed: 08/23/2012
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New Star Lasers Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cooltouch Incorporated
• Inventors: Hennings, David R., Fullmer, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,685,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/22 the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; Couplings or hand-pieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00747 Dermatology
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00005 Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00464 Subcutaneous fat, e.g. liposuction, lipolysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2005 with beam delivery through an interstitially insertable device, e.g. needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared

Abstract

A method and apparatus that will alter the fibrous strands in the fatty layers of the skin to reduce the appearance of cellulite and adipose tissue. Electromagnetic energy is used to selectively shrink or alternatively photoacoustically ablate the collagen in the constricting bands of connective tissue that causes the dimpled appearance of cellulite and adipose tissue while avoiding damage to the surrounding fatty cells.

Claims

1. A device for the percutaneous treatment of cellulite and adipose tissue with laser energy, the device comprising:

a hollow cannula with a blunt tip at a distal end for placement underneath the skin of a patient, said hollow cannula having an opening at the distal end;

a variable pulselength laser source having emitting characteristics for generating a laser beam that causes the ablation of undesirable connective tissue; and

a coated optical fiber connected to said variable pulselength laser source and disposed within the hollow cannula to convey the laser beam from said source to a point substantially beyond the distal end of the cannula.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said variable pulselength laser source emits at a wavelength between about 1.3 um and about 1.6 um.

3. The device of claim 1 that includes combining injections of a compound into the sub dermal area with the variable pulselength percutaneous laser energy delivery.

4. The device of claim 3 in which the compound includes one or more of the following ingredients:

phosphatidyl choline, sodium deoxycholate, multivitamins, alpha lipid acid, enzymes, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, antibiotics and hormones, other mesotherapy, lipotherapy or lipodissolve drugs.

5. The device of claim 3 in which cannula used for introducing the laser fiber is also used for delivery of the compounds therethrough.

6. The device of claim 3 in which delivery of the compounds is concentrated in areas of cellulite that have excessive fat.

7. A device for the percutaneous treatment of cellulite and adipose tissue with laser energy, the device comprising:

a hollow cannula with a blunt tip at a distal end for placement underneath the skin of a patient, said hollow cannula having an opening at the distal end;

a laser source having emitting characteristics for generating a laser beam that causes the ablation of undesirable connective tissue;

a coated optical fiber connected to said laser source and disposed within the hollow cannula to convey the laser beam from said source to a point substantially beyond the distal end of the cannula; and

an injector mechanism for delivery of compounds such as for wound healing compounds meseotherapy and lipotherapy or lipodissolve drugs to the treatment site through the hollow cannula.