Method and system for treating cellulite

• US 8,672,848 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Original Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Inventors: Slayton, Michael H., Barthe, Peter G., Makin, Inder Raj S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Long V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENG, BO JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US13/356,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20120143098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 600/439, 604/3, 606/33
• US Class Current: 600/439
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/429 characterised by determining or monitoring the contact between the transducer and the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4455 Features of the external shape of the probe, e.g. ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8906 Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8936 using transducers mounted for mechanical movement in three dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

A method and system for providing ultrasound treatment to a deep tissue that contains a lower part of dermis and proximal protrusions of fat lobuli into the dermis. The invention delivers ultrasound energy to the region creating a thermal injury and coagulating the proximal protrusions of fat lobuli, whereby eliminating the fat protrusions into the dermis. The invention can also include ultrasound imaging configurations using the same or a separate probe before, after or during the treatment. In addition various therapeutic levels of ultrasound can be used to increase the speed at which fat metabolizes. Additionally the mechanical action of ultrasound physically breaks fat cell clusters and stretches the fibrous bonds. Mechanical action will also enhance lymphatic drainage, stimulating the evacuation of fat decay products.

Claims

1. A method for cellulite treatment, the method comprising:

determining a region of interest having cellulite on an extracorporeal surface of a subject;

identifying a plurality of fat lobuli in the region of interest; and

delivering targeted ablative ultrasound energy to the plurality of fat lobuli, to ablate a portion of the plurality of fat lobuli and at least one of a dermis layer, and a muscle layer in the region of interest, thereby smoothing the extracorporeal surface of the subject.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein delivering targeted ablative ultrasound energy to the plurality of fat lobuli is in the range of about 750 kHz to about 20 MHz.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the delivering targeted ablative ultrasound energy to the plurality of fat lobuli is in the range of about 2 MHz to about 10 MHz.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising imaging the region of interest below the extracorporeal surface.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising coagulating at least a portion of the plurality of fat lobuli.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising delivering mechanical ultrasound energy into the region of interest, thereby breaking fat cell clusters and stretching the fibrous bonds in the region of interest.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising delivering mechanical ultrasound energy into the region of interest, thereby enhancing lymphatic drainage and stimulating the evacuation of fat decay products in the region of interest.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising increasing a metabolic reaction yield for fat in the region of interest.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising moving the targeted ablative ultrasound energy and ablating a second plurality of fat lobuli and a second at least one of a dermis layer and a muscle layer in the region of interest.

10. A method for providing non-invasive treatment of cellulite, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of fat lobuli in a region of interest;

delivering ablative ultrasound energy from a transducer probe to the region of interest comprising a proximal protrusion of fat lobuli into a dermis layer to ablate at least a portion of the plurality of fat lobuli and at least one of a dermis and a muscle layer, thereby eliminating a portion of the proximal protrusion of fat lobuli into the dermis layer, thereby reducing an appearance of the cellulite on a surface above the region of interest.

11. The method according, to claim 10, further comprising delivering mechanical ultrasound energy into the region of interest, thereby breaking fat cell clusters and stretching the fibrous bonds in the region of interest.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising delivering mechanical ultrasound energy into the region of interest, thereby enhancing lymphatic drainage and stimulating the evacuation of fat decay products in the region of interest.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the delivering targeted ablative ultrasound energy from the transducer probe to the region of interest is in the range of about 2 MHz to about 10 MHz.

14. The method according to claim 10, increasing a metabolic reaction yield for fat in the region of interest.

15. A method for providing non-invasive treatment of cellulite, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of fat lobuli in a region of interest;

delivering ablative ultrasound energy from a transducer probe to the region of interest to ablate at least a portion of fat lobuli and at least one of a dermis and a muscle layer, thereby coagulating at least a portion of the fat lobuli; and

monitoring the region of interest for a reduction of cellulite.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising delivering ultrasound energy from the probe to the region of interest and imaging the at least one fat lobuli.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising delivering mechanical ultrasound energy into the region of interest, thereby breaking fat cell clusters and stretching the fibrous bonds in the region of interest.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising delivering mechanical ultrasound energy into the region of interest, thereby enhancing lymphatic drainage and stimulating the evacuation of fat decay products in the region of interest.

19. The method according to claim 15, increasing the speed at which fat in the at least one fat lobuli, metabolizes, according to the Arrhenius Law:

Y=A·

e<sup>−

B/T</sup>, where Y is the yield of metabolic reaction, A and B are constants, and T is the temperature in degrees Kelvin.

20. The method according to claim 15, further comprising generating a conformal thermal lesion in at least a portion of the proximal protrusion of each of the at least one fat lobuli.