Cooling device for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid-rich cells

• US 8,337,539 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZELTIQ Aesthetics, Inc. (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ZELTIQ Aesthetics, Inc. (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ting, Joseph, Tolkoff, Samuel W., Robinson, Timothy, Wisdom, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, KAITLYN ELIZABETH
• Application Number:
  US12/942,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20110066216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 607/96, 607/104
• US Class Current: 607/96
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0056 for cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0075 using a Peltier element, e.g. near the spot to be heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0076 remote from the spot to be heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0086 with a thermostat
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0087 Hand-held applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/029 Fat cell removal or destruction by non-ablative heat treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/00 Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body heating or cooling means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses A47C21/00 ; massage, therapeutic baths A61H; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields or ultrasound A61N; electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/007 characterised by electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/10 Cooling bags, e.g. ice-bags

Abstract

A cooling device for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid-rich cells of a subject having skin is provided. The cooling device includes a support having a first portion and a second portion. A first cooling element having a first heat exchanging surface is located at the first portion of the support. A second cooling element having a second heat exchanging surface is located at the second portion of the support. At least one of the first and second cooling elements is movable along the support and is configured to rotate for adjusting an angle between the first and second heat exchanging surfaces.

Claims

1. A method of applying a cooling device having two cooling elements rotatable relative to each other, the cooling elements having opposing spaced apart heat exchanging surfaces for removing heat from a subject having skin, wherein at least one of the heat exchanging surfaces is convex or concave, the method comprising:

(i) rotating at least one of the cooling elements to achieve a desired orientation between the two heat exchanging surfaces;

(ii) cooling the heat exchanging surfaces of the two cooling elements to a desired temperature;

(iii) placing the cooled heat exchanging surfaces in the desired orientation relative to the skin of the subject; and

(iv) reducing a temperature of a region under the epidermis of the patient such that lipid-rich cells in the region are affected while non-lipid-rich cells in the epidermis are not affected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired temperature is between about −

20°

C. to about 10°

C.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining the heat exchanging surfaces of the two cooling elements at the desired temperature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the cooled surfaces of the two cooling elements relative to the skin of the subject comprises clamping the skin between the two cooling elements.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the cooled surfaces of the two cooling elements relative to the skin of the subject comprises pressing a region of the skin with the two cooling elements to apply a pressure greater than or equal to a systolic blood pressure in the skin.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one the cooling elements includes a sensing element, and wherein the method further comprises monitoring an operating parameter via the sensing element.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sensing element is a temperature sensing element and the operating parameter is a temperature, and wherein the method further comprises adjusting a heat removal rate from at least one of the two cooling elements based on the monitored temperature.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the cooling elements includes a thermoelectric cooling element in thermal communication with a corresponding heat exchanging surface, and wherein cooling the heat exchanging surfaces comprises applying a voltage to the thermoelectric cooling element to remove heat from the corresponding heat exchanging surface.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

terminating temperature reduction of the region by removing the cooling elements from the region; and

repeating stages (i)-(iv) until a desired reduction in lipid-rich cells of the region is achieved.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

affecting lipid-rich cells of a first region of the subject by performing stages (i)-(iv) at the first region; and

affecting lipid-rich cells of a second region of the subject by performing stages (i)-(iv) at the second region.

11. A method of applying a handheld cooling device configured to be grasped by a hand of an operator, the cooling device having two opposing spaced apart cooling elements configured for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid-rich cells, each cooling element having a heat exchanging surface, wherein one or both of the heat exchanging surfaces are concave or convex, the method comprising:

(i) rotating the two cooling elements relative to each other;

(ii) cooling the heat exchanging surfaces of the two cooling elements to a desired temperature;

(iii) holding the cooling device by a hand;

(iv) placing the cooling device such that the cooled heat exchanging surfaces are proximate to the skin of a subject; and

(v) reducing a temperature of a region under the epidermis of the subject such that lipid-rich cells in the region of the skin are affected while non-lipid-rich cells in the epidermis are not affected.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein placing the cooled surfaces of the two cooling elements comprises clamping the skin between the two cooling elements.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the handheld cooling device further comprises an actuator for adjusting a clamping pressure between the two cooling elements, and wherein clamping the subject'"'"'s skin further comprises adjusting the clamping pressure between the two cooling elements with the actuator.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein placing the cooled surfaces of the two cooling elements comprises pressing the two cooling elements against the skin to apply a pressure greater than or equal to a systolic blood pressure in skin.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein positioning the two cooling elements comprises moving the two cooling elements in at least one of (a) a direction linearly relative to each other and (b) rotatable relative to each other, and wherein placing the cooling device further comprises adjusting at least one of the two cooling elements to generally conform to a body contour of the subject.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein one of the cooling elements includes a thermoelectric cooling element in thermal communication with a corresponding heat exchanging surface, and wherein cooling the heat exchanging surfaces comprises applying a voltage to the thermoelectric cooling element to remove heat from a corresponding heat exchanging surface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the cooling elements further comprises a fluid chamber in thermal communication with the thermoelectric cooling element, wherein the method further comprises circulating a coolant through the fluid chamber.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

terminating temperature reduction of the region by removing the cooling device from the region; and

repeating stages (i)-(v) until a desired reduction in lipid-rich cells of the region is achieved.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

affecting lipid-rich cells of a first region of the subject by performing stages (i)-(v) at the first region; and

affecting lipid-rich cells of a second region of the subject by performing stages (i)-(v) at the second region.

20. A method of applying a cooling device to a subject having skin, the method comprising:

positioning a first cooling element of the cooling device to be spaced apart from a second cooling element of the cooling device, each of the first and second cooling elements having a heat exchanging surface for removing heat from the subject, wherein at least one of the heat exchanging surfaces is convex or concave;

cooling the heat exchanging surfaces of the first and second cooling elements to a predetermined temperature;

positioning a fold of the subject'"'"'s skin between the heat exchanging surfaces;

rotating at least one of the first and second cooling elements relative to the other cooling element with the fold of the subject'"'"'s skin between the heat exchanging surfaces; and

reducing a temperature of a region within the fold of the subject'"'"'s skin such that lipid-rich cells in the region are affected while non-lipid-rich cells in the skin are not affected.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein rotating at least one of the first and second cooling elements comprises applying pressure to the fold of the subject'"'"'s skin that is generally equal to or greater than a systolic blood pressure in the fold of the subject'"'"'s skin.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

monitoring a pressure in the fold of the subject'"'"'s skin; and

wherein rotating at least one of the first and second cooling elements further comprises rotating at least one of the first and second cooling elements relative to the other cooling element in response to the pressure in the fold of the subject'"'"'s skin.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein rotating at least one of the first and second cooling elements comprises adjusting a relative position between the heat exchanging surfaces to accommodate a contour of the fold of the subject'"'"'s skin.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein rotating at least one of the first and second cooling elements comprises adjusting the heat exchanging surface of the first cooling element to be oriented at a non-zero angle relative to the heat exchanging surface of the second cooling element.