HAND-HELD APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REDUCING WRINKLES IN HUMAN SKIN

• US 20130150878A1
• Filed: 12/08/2011
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Susan Church
• Original Assignee: Susan Church
• Inventors: Church, Susan
• Application Number:
  US13/314,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20130150878A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/189
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/205 Vaccinating by means of needles or other puncturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00747 Dermatology
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00761 Removing layer of skin tissue, e.g. wrinkles, scars or cancerous tissue

Abstract

A hand-held apparatus and method by which to reduce the depth of a single wrinkle or a group of wrinkles in the skin of a human subject. The apparatus includes an elongated handle coupled to a removable roller. In one preferred embodiment, the roller is a disk having a plurality of needles projecting outwardly and arranged in a single row around the circumference of the roller. In another preferred embodiment, the roller is a cylinder having a plurality of outwardly-projecting needles arranged in alternating rows and columns. The needles are sized to prick the subject'"'"'s skin when the roller is rolled over and pressed down against the skin area to be treated so as to cause collagen to be produced to fill in the wrinkle and thereby make the subject'"'"'s skin look fuller and smoother.

Claims

1. A hand-held apparatus for treating a depression formed in the skin of a subject, said apparatus including:

a handle to be grasped in the hand of a user;

a roller coupled to said handle, said roller being sized to extend across the depression to be treated; and

a plurality of needles projecting outwardly from said roller and having a length so as to pierce the depression formed in the subject'"'"'s skin when said roller rolls over the depression in response to pushing and pressing forces simultaneously applied to said handle by the user, said roller comprising a disk having a diameter and a width, wherein said width is shorter than said diameter.

2. The hand-held apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of needles are spaced from one another in a single row that runs continuously around the circumference of said roller disk.

3. The hand-held apparatus recited in claim 2, wherein there is a channel formed in said roller disk and extending circumferentially therearound, said single row of needles projecting from said roller disk through said channel.

4. The hand-held apparatus recited in claim 3, wherein the channel extending circumferentially around said roller disk has a width that is sized to receive therewithin the skin depression to be treated.

5. The hand-held apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein there is formed at one end of said handle a pair of opposing roller supports that are separated from one another by a gap, said roller disk located within the gap and coupled to said handle between said roller supports.

6. The hand-held apparatus recited in claim 5, further including a pin running axially through said roller disk and said pair of roller supports between which said roller disk is located such that said pin creates an axle around which said roller disk rotates when said roller disk rolls over the skin depression to be treated.

7. The hand-held apparatus recited in claim 6, further including a fastener connected to one end of said pin to prevent the removal of said pin from said roller disk and said pair of roller supports and thereby prevent a separation of said roller disk from said handle.

8. The hand-held apparatus recited in claim 7, wherein said fastener is detachable from the one end of said pin to enable said pin to be removed from said roller disk and said roller disk to be separated from said handle.

9. A hand-held apparatus for treating a group of depressions formed in the skin of a subject, said apparatus including:

a handle to be grasped in the hand of a user;

a roller coupled to said handle, said roller being sized to extend across at least some of the depressions to be treated; and

a plurality of needles projecting outwardly from said roller and having a length so as to pierce the at least some depressions formed in the subject'"'"'s skin when said roller rolls over the depressions in response to pushing and pressing forces simultaneously applied to said handle by the user,

said roller comprising a cylinder having a diameter and a width, where said width is longer than said diameter.

10. The hand-held apparatus recited in claim 9, wherein said plurality of needles are arranged in an array of rows and columns around said cylindrical roller so that the positions of the needles in one row alternate with the positions of the needles in prior and succeeding rows, and the positions of the needles in one column alternate with the positions of the needles in prior and succeeding columns.

11. The hand-held apparatus recited in claim 9, wherein there is formed at one end of said handle a pair of opposing roller supports that are separated from one another by a gap, said cylindrical roller located within the gap and coupled to said handle between said roller supports.

12. The hand-held apparatus recited in claim 11, further including a pin running axially through said cylindrical roller and said pair of roller supports between which said cylindrical roller is located such that said pin creates an axle around which said cylindrical roller rotates when said cylindrical roller rolls over the depressions to be treated.

13. The hand-held apparatus recited in claim 12, further including a fastener connected to one end of said pin to prevent the removal of said pin from said cylindrical roller and said pair of roller supports and thereby prevent a separation of said cylindrical roller from said handle.

14. The hand-held apparatus recited in claim 13, wherein said fastener is detachable from the one end of said pin to enable said pin to be removed from said cylindrical roller and said cylindrical roller to be separated from said handle.

15. The hand-held apparatus recited in claim 9, wherein each of said plurality of needles comprises a cluster of needles bonded together and lying side-by-side one another, each needle of said cluster having a pointed tip lying atop a shaft.

16. A method for treating at least one depression formed in the skin of a subject, said method comprising the steps of:

locating a roller having a plurality of needles projecting therefrom across the depression to be treated;

pushing the roller over the depression so that at least some of the plurality of needles pierce the subject'"'"'s skin through the depression to cause collagen to flow to and plump up the depression.

17. The method recited in claim 16, comprising the additional step of locating said plurality of needles on said roller so as to lie in a single row that runs continuously around the circumference of said roller.

18. The method recited in claim 16, comprising the additional step of locating said plurality of needles on said roller in an array of rows and columns around said roller so that the positions of the needles in one row alternate with the positions of the needles in prior and succeeding rows, and the positions of the needles in one column alternate with the positions of the needles in prior and succeeding columns.

19. The method recited in claim 16, comprising the additional steps of pushing said roller over the skin depression by applying a force to a handle coupled to said roller;

and locating said roller between a pair of opposing roller supports that are spaced from each other and extend from one end of said handle.

20. The method recited in claim 19, comprising the additional steps of locating a removable pin through said roller and said pair of roller supports so that said roller rotates around said pin when said roller is pushed over the skin depression;

and detachably connecting a fastener to at least one end of said pin to removably retain said removable pin in place through said roller and said roller supports such that said roller is removable from said roller supports when said pin is first removed from said roller and said roller supports.