Method for rejuvenating and tightening human skin utilizing a cryogenic applicator

• US 7,993,330 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olga Goulko
• Original Assignee: Olga Goulko
• Inventors: Goulko, Olga
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak; Linda C
• Assistant Examiner(s): DELLA, JAYMI E
• Application Number:
  US12/806,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20100318076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 606 20- 26, 607104-105, 607107-109
• US Class Current: 606/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/0218 with open-end cryogenic probe, e.g. for spraying fluid directly on tissue or via a tissue-contacting porous tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1861 with an instrument inserted into a body lumen or cavity, e.g. a catheter

Abstract

A method for tightening and rejuvenating skin utilizing a cryogenic applicator, which includes the steps of holding a handle of a barrel of the cryogenic applicator in a hand, fluidly communicating the barrel with a source of a biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid to supply the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid through a hollow interior of the barrel, out through a plurality of openings in a distal portion of the barrel, and onto a head of the cryogenic applicator, rolling the head quickly, smoothly, and evenly over the skin being treated for a period of time in an order of hundredths or tenths of a second, and sparging the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid onto the skin quickly, evenly, and smoothly when the head is rolled on the skin, and thereby tightening and rejuvenating the skin.

Claims

1. A method for tightening and rejuvenating skin utilizing a cryogenic applicator, comprising the steps of:

holding a handle of a barrel of the cryogenic applicator in a hand;

fluidly communicating the cryogenic applicator with a source of a biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid to supply the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid through the cryogenic applicator;

directing, by a hollow interior of the barrel of the cryogenic applicator, the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic liquid to a head of the cryogenic applicator;

rolling the head of the cryogenic applicator quickly, smoothly, and evenly over the skin;

sparging the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid onto the skin when the cryogenic applicator is being rolled, thereby tightening and rejuvenating the skin,

wherein said fluidly communicating step includes fluidly communicating the barrel of the cryogenic applicator with the source of the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid through the hollow interior of the barrel, out through a plurality of openings in a distal portion of the barrel, the openings extending radially through said distal portion and spaced axially along said distal portion, and onto the head of the cryogenic applicator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said holding step includes holding the handle of the barrel of the cryogenic applicator, which has a circumferential groove extending completely therearound and being located where a proximal portion of the barrel meets the distal portion of the barrel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said holding step includes holding the handle of the barrel of the cryogenic applicator, the distal end of the barrel terminating in an end that is closed and has a tit extending axially outwardly therefrom.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said fluidly communicating step includes fluidly communicating a cryogenic interface of the barrel, the cryogenic interface comprising a flexible tube that fluidly communicates with a proximal portion of the barrel with the source of the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid to supply the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid through the hollow interior of the barrel, out through the plurality of openings in the distal portion of the barrel, and onto the head that sparges the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid onto the skin quickly, evenly, and smoothly when the head is being rolled on the skin.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said fluid communicating step includes supplying the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid onto the head of the cryogenic applicator, the head comprising a drum and a web.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said fluid communicating step includes supplying the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid through a hollow interior of a barrel onto the head of cryogenic applicator, wherein the drum is open surfaced, generally cylindrically shaped, and rotatably mounted to the distal portion of the barrel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said fluid communicating step includes supplying the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid onto the head of the cryogenic applicator, which has a drum that is a mesh.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said fluid communicating step includes supplying the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid onto the head of the cryogenic applicator, the head comprising a web that is a soft porous material that overlies a mesh of a drum of the head, wherein the web is affixed to the mesh of the drum of the head and contacts the skin when the head is being rolled.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said fluid communicating step includes supplying the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid onto the head of the cryogenic applicator, which has a web that is a soft porous material that is selected from the group consisting of cotton, fabric, woven, and non-woven.