Method and apparatus for treatment of skin using RF and ultrasound energies
First Claim
1. A system for generating a guided current path in a skin volume, said system comprising:
- (a) at least one transducer configured to focus ultrasound energy at least one focal volume in the skin and heat said volume so as to raise the volume electrical conductivity;
(b) at least a pair of RF electrodes configured to deliver RF energy to the same focal volume; and
(c) a control unit configured to enable an RF current generated by the RF energy to flow between the pair of RF electrodes through a central part of the heated focal volume,wherein the parameters of the RF energy are selected from the group consisting of a frequency of an RF voltage between 100 KHz and 100 MHz, an intensity of the RF voltage, and a duration of the RF energy, andwherein the ultrasound energy has a frequency between 500 KHz and 50 MHz.
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Abstract
A system and method for treating skin. The System comprises one or more ultrasound transducers and one or more pairs of RF electrodes. The ultrasound transducers are adapted to focus ultrasound energy at one or more focal volumes in the skin. The RF electrodes are adapted to deliver RF energy to the one or more focal volumes. The method comprises heating the skin to a first temperature at one or more focal volumes in the skin by focusing ultrasound energy at the one or more focal volumes. The focal regions are then heated to a second temperature, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature, by generating an RF current in a region of the skin containing the focal regions.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A system for generating a guided current path in a skin volume, said system comprising:
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(a) at least one transducer configured to focus ultrasound energy at least one focal volume in the skin and heat said volume so as to raise the volume electrical conductivity; (b) at least a pair of RF electrodes configured to deliver RF energy to the same focal volume; and (c) a control unit configured to enable an RF current generated by the RF energy to flow between the pair of RF electrodes through a central part of the heated focal volume, wherein the parameters of the RF energy are selected from the group consisting of a frequency of an RF voltage between 100 KHz and 100 MHz, an intensity of the RF voltage, and a duration of the RF energy, and wherein the ultrasound energy has a frequency between 500 KHz and 50 MHz. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for treating skin, said method comprising:
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(a) heating at least one focal volume of the skin by focusing ultrasound energy at said focal volume to a first temperature, said temperature being sufficient to raise an electrical conductivity of said focal volume; and
,(b) increasing further the temperature of the same focal volume to a second temperature, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature, by guiding an RF current through said focal volumes with raised temperature; wherein the RF current is generated by an RF energy frequency between 100 KHz and 100 MHz, wherein the ultrasound energy has a frequency between 500 KHz and 50 MHz, and wherein the RF current flows through a central part of the heated focal volume. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A system for skin treatment, said system comprising:
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(a) at least one ultrasound transducer configured to focus ultrasound energy into at least one focal volume in the skin operative to raise the electrical conductivity of said volume and generate at least one guided RF current path; (b) at least one pair of RF electrodes configured to deliver RF energy to pass along a longitudinal direction into the same volumes forming said guided RF current paths; and (c) a control unit configured to enable an RF current generated by the RF energy to flow between the pair of RF electrodes through a central part of the focal volume, wherein the RF energy has a frequency between 100 KHz and 100 MHz, and wherein the ultrasound energy has a frequency between 500 KHz and 50 MHz.
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32. A method for treating skin, said method comprising:
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(a) heating the skin to a first temperature at one or more focal volumes in the skin by focusing ultrasound energy at the one or more focal volumes; (b) heating the one or more focal volumes to a second temperature, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature, by generating an RF current passing along the longitudinal direction of the same focal volumes; and (c) controlling the RF current to flow through a central part of the heated focal volume, wherein the RF current is generated by an RF energy frequency between 100 KHz and 100 MHz, and wherein the ultrasound energy has a frequency between 500 KHz and 50 MHz.
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33. A method for generating a guided current path in the skin, said method comprising:
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(a) applying to the skin surface at least one ultrasound energy focused into the skin and operating to heat a focal volume to a first temperature sufficient to raise the temperature of said focal volume; (b) increasing the temperature of the same focal volume by applying to said skin surface RF energy and guiding an induced RF current into the same focal volumes with raised temperature by the ultrasound energy; and (c) controlling the RF current to flow through a central part of the heated focal volume, wherein the RF energy frequency is between 100 KHz and 100 MHz, and wherein the ultrasound energy has a frequency between 500 KHz and 50 MHz.
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34. A method for skin treatment, said method comprising:
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a) applying to the skin to be treated a system including; (i) at least one ultrasound transducer adapted to focus ultrasound energy at one or more focal volumes in the skin and heat said volumes such that their electrical conductivity is increased in said at one or more focal volumes in the skin; and (ii) at least one pair of RF electrodes adapted to deliver RF energy to the same focal volume; b) generating at least one guided RF current path in said volume; and c) conducting RF induced current through the guided RF current path; wherein the RF current flows through a central part of the heated focal volume, wherein the RF energy frequency is between 100 KHz and 100 MHz, and wherein the ultrasound energy frequency is between 500 KHz and 50 MHz.
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35. A system for skin treatment, said system comprising:
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a) at least one pair of RF electrodes configured to induce RF current in a guiding channel produced in the skin; and b) at least one focused ultrasound source applied between the RF electrodes, wherein the ultrasound source, by heating the skin to a temperature higher than the surrounding skin, creates in the skin a single guiding channel for the RF current, said channel extending between the RF electrodes, wherein the RF current is generated by an RF energy frequency between 100 KHz and 100 MHz, and wherein the ultrasound source generates an ultrasound energy frequency between 500 KHz and 50 MHz, said system further comprising; c) a control unit configured to enable the RF current to flow between the pair of RF electrodes through a central part of the single guiding channel.
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36. A system for skin treatment, said system comprising:
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a) at least one ultrasound transducer configured to generate a single elongated focal zone in a volume of the skin and raise the temperature of the focal zone to a first temperature higher than the temperature of the surrounding skin; and b) a single pair of RF electrodes extending along the elongated focal zone and driven by a single RF power supply, said RF electrodes being configured to be applied to the skin and generate, in the elongated focal zone, a time and spatially matching the ultrasound generated elongated focal zone electric field and heat the same elongated focal zone to a second temperature higher than the first temperature, wherein application of the ultrasound energy heats the elongated focal zone and generates a guided channel further heated by RF energy applied to the elongated focal zone, wherein the RF energy has a frequency between 100 KHz and 100 MHz, and wherein the ultrasound energy has a frequency between 500 KHz and 50 MHz, said system further comprising; c) a control unit configured to enable an RF current generated by the RF energy to flow between the pair of RF electrodes through a central part of the elongated focal zone.
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37. A system for skin treatment, said system comprising:
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a) one or more cylindrical ultrasound transducers configured to produce in the skin one or more cylindrical focal volumes with each transducer heating a respective focal volume; b) a plurality of RF electrodes with a 1-dimensional or 2-dimensional structure interlacing with the ultrasound transducers and configured to be applied to the skin to heat further the same cylindrical focal volumes heated by the ultrasound transducer; and c) a control unit configured to enable an RF current generated by an RF energy to flow between the plurality of RF electrodes through a central part of the heated cylindrical focal volume, wherein the RF electrodes produce the RF energy having a frequency between 100 KHz and 100 MHz, and wherein the ultrasound transducer produces an ultrasound energy having a frequency between 500 KHz and 50 MHz.
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Specification