RF electrode assembly for handpiece

• US 7,452,358 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thermage Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thermage Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Weber, Bryan, Stern, Roger A., Levinson, Mitchell
• Primary Examiner(s): PEFFLEY, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US10/397,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20030216728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,065 Days
• Field of Search: 606/31, 606/41, 606/42, 606 45- 50, 607101-105
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 44/22 Face shaping devices, e.g. chin straps; Wrinkle removers, e.g. stretching the skin skin stretchers for shaving A45D27/38
• 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 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/148 having a short, rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously, e.g. for neurosurgery or arthroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/003 Steerable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00011 with fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00488 Esophagus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0066 without feedback, i.e. open loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00779 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1495 Electrodes being detachable from a support structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• 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 2007/0021 : Female breast
• 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 7/001 : without substantial movement between the skin and the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/005 : Pneumatic massage
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0071 : by localized pressure, e.g. air streams or jets
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3606 : cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0452 : Specially adapted for transcutaneous muscle stimulation [TMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0468 : Specially adapted for promoting wound healing
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0472 : Structure-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/06 : for high-frequency therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/28 : Apparatus for applying thermoelectric currents
• 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 1/32 : alternating or intermittent currents applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling A61N1/40; microwave apparatus A61N5/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/403 : for thermotherapy, e.g. hyperthermia
• 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

Abstract

An RF device has a support structure. An RF electrode, coupled to the support structure, includes conductive and dielectric portions. A cooling member, coupled to the support structure, is configured to cool a back surface of the RF electrode. The cooling member is distanced from the back surface of the RF electrode.

Claims

1. An RF device for non-invasively treating tissue using RF energy, comprising:

a support structure; and

an RF electrode coupled to the support structure, the RF electrode including a conductive portion and a dielectric portion, the dielectric portion adapted to be disposed between the conductive portion and the tissue when the RF device is non-invasively treating the tissue, the conductive portion including a plurality of voids and solid conductive material surrounding the voids, and the conductive portion and the dielectric portion being arranged such that the RF energy is capacitively coupled from the conductive portion through the dielectric portion to the tissue.

2. The RF device of claim 1, wherein an interior of the RF electrode has a larger amount of capacitive coupling to a skin surface of the tissue than an outer edge of the RF electrode has to the skin surface.

3. The RF device of claim 1, wherein the outer edge has a geometry that is selected to reduce an amount of the conductive portion at the outer edge so as to reduce an amount of capacitively coupled area at the outer edge.

4. The RF device of claim 1, further comprising:

a flex circuit coupled to the RF electrode.

5. The RF device of claim 1, further comprising:

a back plate coupled to the support structure; and

a plurality of electrical contact pads coupled to the back plate.

6. The RF device of claim 1, wherein the support structure includes first and second engagement members that provide engagement and disengagement with a handpiece.

7. The RF device of claim 1, further comprising:

at least a first sensor coupled to the RF electrode.

8. The RF device of claim 7, wherein the RF electrode has a front surface adapted to be positioned near a skin surface of the tissue and an opposing back surface, and the at least first sensor is positioned at the back surface.

9. The RF device of claim 8, wherein the at least first sensor detects a temperature of the back surface.

10. The RF device of claim 1, further comprising:

a non-volatile memory coupled to the RF electrode.

11. An RF device for non-invasively treating tissue using RF energy, comprising:

a support structure; and

an RF electrode coupled to the support structure, the RF electrode including a flex circuit with a conductive portion and a dielectric portion adapted to be disposed between the conductive portion and the tissue when the RF electrode is positioned at a skin surface of the tissue to provide for passage of RF energy by capacitive coupling through the dielectric portion to the tissue.

12. An RF device for non-invasively treating tissue using RF energy, comprising:

an RF electrode including a conductive portion and a dielectric portion disposed between the conductive portion and the tissue when the RF device is non-invasively treating the tissue, the conductive portion and the dielectric portion being arranged such that the RF energy is capacitively coupled from the conductive portion through the dielectric portion to the tissue, the RF electrode having a front surface and an opposing back surface;

a support structure coupled to the RF electrode, the support structure and the RF electrode forming a seal where the support structure is coupled to the RF electrode that is sufficient to minimize flow of a cooling fluidic medium between the front and back surfaces of the RF electrode; and

a cooling member coupled to the support structure and configured to cool the back surface of the RF electrode.

13. The RF device of claim 12, wherein the seal is a fluid tight seal.

14. The RF device of claim 12, wherein the back surface is positioned to be cooled and the front surface is positioned to deliver energy to the tissue.

15. The RF device of claim 12, wherein the back surface is positioned to be cooled by a fluid.

16. The RF device of claim 14, wherein the fluid is a gas.

17. The RF device of claim 14, wherein the fluid is a liquid.

18. The RF device of claim 14, further comprising:

a sensor coupled to the RF electrode.

19. The RF device of claim 18, wherein the sensor is positioned at the back surface of the RF electrode.

20. The RF device of claim 19, wherein the sensor detects a temperature of the back surface of the RF electrode.

21. The RF device of claim 18, wherein the sensor is positioned at the front surface of the RF electrode.

22. The RF device of claim 18, wherein the sensor detects a temperature of the front surface of the RF electrode.

23. The RF device of claim 12, wherein the cooling member is distanced from the back surface of the RF electrode.

24. The RF device of claim 12, wherein the cooling member comprises a thermo-electric cooler.

25. An RF device for non-invasively treating tissue using RF energy, comprising:

a support structure; and

an RF electrode coupled to the support structure, the RF electrode including a flex circuit with a conductive portion and a dielectric portion, the dielectric portion adapted to be positioned between the conductive portion and the tissue when the RF electrode is positioned at a skin surface to provide for passage of energy through the dielectric portion to the tissue, the conductive portion having a back surface, the flex circuit configured to create a reservoir for a cooling fluidic medium that gathers at the back surface of the conductive portion.