Apparatus for smoothing contour irregularities of skin surface

• US 6,461,378 B1
• Filed: 03/28/1997
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thermage Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thermage Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Knowlton, Edward W.
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROY DEAN
• Application Number:
  US08/825,445
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 606/32-50, 607/100-104
• US Class Current: 607/104
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/12 by passing a current through the tissue to be heated, e.g. high-frequency current
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• 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 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0047 Upper parts of the skin, e.g. skin peeling or treatment of wrinkles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00488 Esophagus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00523 Treatment of incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0066 without feedback, i.e. open loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/02 Devices for expanding tissue, e.g. skin tissue implements for holding wounds open, surgical tractors A61B17/02; implantable mammary prosthesis A61F2/12; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/12 Mammary prostheses and implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/28 Apparatus for applying thermoelectric currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/403 for thermotherapy, e.g. hyperthermia
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/002 in combination with another treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0645 Applicators worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/04 Radiators for near-field treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9017 using directory or table look-up use of a directory or look-up table in file systems G06F16/13
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/0631 Creating reference templates; Clustering

Abstract

An apparatus to modify a skin surface or a soft tissue structure underlying the skin surface includes a template with a mechanical force application surface and a receiving opening to receive a body structure. The mechanical force application surface is configured to receive the body structure and apply pressure to the soft tissue structure. An energy delivery device is coupled to the template. The energy delivery device is configured to deliver sufficient energy to the template to form a template energy delivery surface.

Claims

1. An apparatus for smoothing contour irregularities of a skin surface overlaying a tissue site, comprising:

a conformer that is thermally conductive, the conformer having a skin-contacting surface that is conformable to the general three-dimensional contour of the tissue site beneath the skin surface and a non-skin-contacting surface that serves as a mechanical force application surface; and

a plurality of energy delivery devices incorporated into the conformer and each of which provides a selective and controlled delivery of energy through the conformer to the tissue site beneath the skin surface to smooth the contour irregularities of the skin surface,

a reverse thermal gradient device for cooling the skin surface when the apparatus is applied to the skin surface;

wherein

the skin-contacting surface conforms to the three dimensional contour of the tissue site beneath the skin when the conformer is placed on the skin surface and an external mechanical force is applied to the conformer through the mechanical application surface of the conformer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of energy delivery devices are configured to deliver energy selected from the group consisting of resistive heating, radio frequency, microwave, frictional heating, and ultrasound.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of energy delivery devices include one or more thermal coils.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of energy delivery devices are configured to deliver radio frequency energy.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conformer is made of material that is capable of transmitting electromagnetic energy.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a handle attached to the mechanical force application surface of the conformer for manual manipulation of the conformer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conformer is made of semi-solid material.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor coupled to the plurality of energy delivery devices for monitoring temperature or impedance.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a feedback control system coupled to the sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the semi-solid material is soft plastics.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reverse thermal gradient device is a closed loop cooling channel positioned in the interior of the conformer.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of energy delivery devices include a plurality of RF electrodes.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of RF electrodes are insulated from each other.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of RF electrodes are not insulated from each other.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of RF electrodes are multiplexed.

16. An apparatus for smoothing contour irregularities of a skin surface overlaying a tissue site, comprising:

a conformer that is thermally conductive, the conformer having a skin-contacting surface that is conformable to the general three-dimensional contour of the tissue site beneath the skin surface and a non-skin-contacting surface that serves as a mechanical force application surface;

a handle attached to the mechanical force application surface of the conformer for manual manipulation of the conformer; and

a plurality of energy delivery devices incorporated into the conformer and each of which provides a selective and controlled delivery of energy through the conformer to the tissue site beneath the skin surface to smooth the contour irregularities of the skin surface,

wherein

the skin-contacting surface conforms to the three dimensional contour of the tissue site beneath the skin when the conformer is placed on the skin surface and an external mechanical force is applied to the conformer through the mechanical application surface of the conformer.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the plurality of energy delivery devices are configured to deliver energy selected from the group consisting of resistive heating, radio frequency, microwave, frictional heating, and ultrasound.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the plurality of energy delivery devices include one or more thermal coils.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the plurality of energy delivery devices are configured to deliver radio frequency energy.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the conformer is made of material that is capable of transmitting electromagnetic energy.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the conformer is made of semi-solid material.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the semi-solid material is soft plastics.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a sensor coupled to the plurality of energy delivery device for monitoring temperature or impedance.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

a feedback control system coupled to the sensor.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

reverse thermal gradient device for cooling the skin surface when the apparatus is applied to the skin surface.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the reverse thermal gradient device is a closed loop cooling channel positioned in the interior of the conformer.

27. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the plurality of energy delivery devices include a plurality of RF electrodes.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the plurality of RF electrodes are insulated from each other.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the plurality of RF electrodes are not insulated from each other.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the plurality of RF electrodes are multiplexed.