TREATMENT DEVICE FOR THE SKIN USING RADIO-FREQUENCY ELECTRIC CURRENT
First Claim
1. A non-invasive treatment device for heating an inner region of skin using an r.f. electric current, an outer surface region of the skin adjacent to the inner region being provided with a treatment substance selected to be transportable through the skin under influence of an electric field and further selected to increase the electrical transmission of the inner region, the device comprising:
- a first treatment electrode configured and arranged to allow electric current to pass through an outer surface of the skin and through the inner region;
an r.f. generator configured and arranged such that, in use, an r.f. electric current generated by the r.f. generator is applied through the first treatment electrode to the outer surface of the skin and through the inner region;
a first field electrode configured and arranged to provide, in use, an electric field in skin for transporting the treatment substance towards the inner region; and
an electric field generator configured and arranged such that, in use, a DC electric field generated by the electric field generator is applied through the first field electrode to the treatment substance, whereby at least a portion of the treatment substance is transported from the outer surface region to the inner region;
wherein the non-invasive treatment device further comprises a control unit configured and arranged to control the r.f. generator and the electric field generator such that, in use, in a first treatment phase the control unit activates the electric field generator andmaintains the r.f. generator in a non-active condition so that the DC electric field generated by the electric field generator transports the treatment substance from the outer surface region to the inner region during said first treatment phase, and in a second treatment phase, after the first treatment phase, the control unit activates the r.f. generator to apply the r.f. electric current through the first treatment electrode to the inner region during said second treatment phase.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a non-invasive r.f. current treatment device to be used with an agent or treatment substance (20), such as an ionic salt solution. The substance is transported using an electric field generated by the device, such as in iontophoresis, to move the treatment substance (20) into the skin so that the skin'"'"'s electrical transmission of the r.f-current is increased. The path of any r.f. current is influenced by the distribution of the treatment substance (20) in the skin. Applying r.f. current causes heating in skin tissues coinciding with the path of the r.f. current, allowing skin tissue to be treated that is either coincident with the r.f. current path or immediately adjacent thereto. The region of skin treated with r.f. current may be the upper tissue layers. This renders superfluous the conventional hydration step necessary for r.f. skin preparation, which is poorly controllable and highly variable depending on the anatomic site and the individual being treated. The lowered skin impedance enables well-defined r.f. delivery to skin tissues, and a high degree of control over the r.f. energy delivery depth profile. The invention also makes it possible to treat deeper layers, using the r.f. current, than traditional techniques due to the high penetration of the treatment substance (20) caused by application of the electric field.
27 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A non-invasive treatment device for heating an inner region of skin using an r.f. electric current, an outer surface region of the skin adjacent to the inner region being provided with a treatment substance selected to be transportable through the skin under influence of an electric field and further selected to increase the electrical transmission of the inner region, the device comprising:
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a first treatment electrode configured and arranged to allow electric current to pass through an outer surface of the skin and through the inner region; an r.f. generator configured and arranged such that, in use, an r.f. electric current generated by the r.f. generator is applied through the first treatment electrode to the outer surface of the skin and through the inner region; a first field electrode configured and arranged to provide, in use, an electric field in skin for transporting the treatment substance towards the inner region; and an electric field generator configured and arranged such that, in use, a DC electric field generated by the electric field generator is applied through the first field electrode to the treatment substance, whereby at least a portion of the treatment substance is transported from the outer surface region to the inner region; wherein the non-invasive treatment device further comprises a control unit configured and arranged to control the r.f. generator and the electric field generator such that, in use, in a first treatment phase the control unit activates the electric field generator and maintains the r.f. generator in a non-active condition so that the DC electric field generated by the electric field generator transports the treatment substance from the outer surface region to the inner region during said first treatment phase, and in a second treatment phase, after the first treatment phase, the control unit activates the r.f. generator to apply the r.f. electric current through the first treatment electrode to the inner region during said second treatment phase. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification