Method and apparatus for skin absorption enhancement and transdermal drug delivery

• US 7,083,580 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mattioli Engineering Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mattioli Engineering Corporation
• Inventors: Bernabei, Gian Franco
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, JOY
• Application Number:
  US10/784,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20040220622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 604/120, 604/22, 601/15, 601/17, 607/1, 607/3
• US Class Current: 601/15
• 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 2201/105 with means for delivering media, e.g. drugs or cosmetics
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/02 with electric or magnetic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0263 using rotating unbalanced masses
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 39/002 Using electric currents electrotherapy A61N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 7/008 Suction kneading
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/005 Pneumatic massage
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0007 having means for enhancing the permeation of substances through the epidermis, e.g. using suction or depression, electric or magnetic fields, sound waves or chemical agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0424 Shape of the electrode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0428 Specially adapted for iontophoresis, e.g. AC, DC or including drug reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0476 Array electrodes (including any electrode arrangement with more than one electrode for at least one of the polarities)
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/30 Apparatus for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body, or cataphoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/325 for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body electrodes for external use A61N1/0428
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/327 for enhancing the absorption properties of tissue, e.g. by electroporation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0008 Destruction of fat cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092

Abstract

A treatment method and apparatus for providing a substance to be absorbed onto a surface of a patient'"'"'s skin, includes applying the substance onto the surface of the patient'"'"'s skin by way of a probe head that provides, at the same time: i) bursts of electrical pulses to the skin surface, and ii) vibrations to the skin surface. The vibrations are applied to the skin surface at substantially a same frequency rate, a first harmonic of the same frequency rate, and/or a second harmonic of the same frequency rate, as a burst rate of electrical pulses being applied to the skin surface.

Claims

1. A method for reducing cellulite on skin, comprising:

a) applying a dermabrasion treatment to a region of the skin;

b) heating the skin by way of a lamp or a radio frequency signal;

c) applying mechanical vibrations to the region of the skin, by way of the probe; and

d) applying electrical pulses to the region of the skin, by way of the probe, at a same time the mechanical pulses are applied to the region of the skin in step c).

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising;

e) concurrently with steps c) and d), generating a suction at the probe to suck at least a portion of the region of the skin towards the probe while the probe is being moved along the region of the skin.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

between steps b) and c), applying a cellulite-reducing substance to the skin,

wherein the vibrating applying step enhances absorption of the substance within the skin, and

wherein the suction generating step evenly distributes the substance within the skin.

4. A device for reducing cellulite of a patient, comprising:

a dermabrasion unit configured to treat a portion of the patient'"'"'s skin by removing a stratum corneum layer of the portion of the patient'"'"'s skin;

means for heating a region of the patient beneath the portion of the patient'"'"'s skin by way of a lamp or a radio frequency signal;

a probe configured to deliver a substance to the portion of the patient'"'"'s skin to reduce the cellulite beneath the portion of the patient'"'"'s skin;

a vibration unit configured to apply mechanical vibrations to the portion of the patient'"'"'s skin; and

a electrical pulse burst applying unit configured to apply bursts of electrical pulses to the portion of the patient'"'"'s skin,

wherein the burst of electrical pulses are applied to the portion of the patient'"'"'s skin at a same time the mechanical pulses are applied to the portion of the patient'"'"'s skin and at a same time the portion of the patient'"'"'s skin is being heated.

5. The device according to claim 4, further comprising;

a suction unit configured to generate a suction at the probe to suck the portion of the patient'"'"'s skin towards the probe while the probe is being moved along the patient'"'"'s skin.

6. A method for reducing cellulite on skin, comprising:

a) applying a treatment to a region of the skin in order to remove a stratum corneum layer of the skin;

b) heating the skin by way of a lamp or a radio frequency signal;

c) applying mechanical vibrations to the region of the skin by way of a probe; and

d) applying electrical pulses to the region of the skin, by way of the probe, at a same time the mechanical pulses are applied to the region of the skin in step c).

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising;

e) concurrently with steps c) and d), generating a suction at the probe to suck at least a portion of the region of the skin towards the probe while the probe is being moved along the region of the skin.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

between steps b) and c), applying a cellulite-reducing substance to the skin,

wherein the vibrating applying step enhances absorption of the substance within the skin, and

wherein the suction generating step evenly distributes the substance within the skin.

9. An apparatus for reducing cellulite on skin, comprising:

a hand-held probe, the hand-held probe including;

a heating unit configured to heat the skin by way of a lamp or a radio frequency signal;

a mechanical vibration unit configured to apply mechanical vibrations to the region of the skin; and

an electrical pulse application unit configured to apply electrical pulses to the region of the skin, at a same time the mechanical are applied to the region of the skin; and

a suction unit configured to apply a sucking force to the skin in order to suck the skin against the probe.

10. An apparatus for reducing cellulite on skin, comprising:

a hand-held probe, the hand-held probe including;

a heating unit configured to heat the skin by way of a lamp or a radio frequency signal;

a mechanical vibration unit configured to apply mechanical vibrations to the region of skin; and

an electrical pulse application unit configured to apply electrical pulses to the region of the skin, at a same time the mechanical pulses are applied to the region of the skin,

a dermabrasion unit configured to provide a dermabrasion treatment the skin, in order to remove a stratum corneum layer of the skin prior to heating of the skin by the heating unit.