Treatment apparatus and methods for delivering energy at multiple selectable depths in tissue
First Claim
1. A treatment method for delivering energy at a selectable variable depth into tissue of a patient, the energy being delivered with an electrode array including a sheet electrode with a plurality of voids and a plurality of secondary electrodes each positioned in a corresponding one of the voids, the sheet electrode and the secondary electrodes separated from a surface of the tissue by a first dielectric layer, and the voids and the secondary electrodes are arranged in a matrix of rows and columns within the sheet electrode, the treatment method comprising:
- electrically connecting the sheet electrode and the secondary electrodes with a high frequency power supply to form a first circuit in which the sheet electrode and the secondary electrodes emulate a solid sheet of a conductive material;
non-invasively delivering energy from the sheet electrode and the secondary electrodes in the first circuit and through the first dielectric layer into the tissue at a first average depth relative to the surface of the tissue, wherein the energy from the secondary electrodes is delivered in a pattern determined by the matrix of rows and columns;
reconfiguring the electrical connections of the sheet electrode and the secondary electrodes to disconnect the secondary electrodes from the high frequency power supply and form a second circuit in which the sheet electrode emulates a perforated sheet of the conductive material; and
non-invasively delivering energy from the sheet electrode in the second circuit and through the first dielectric layer into the tissue at a second average depth relative to the skin surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Treatment apparatus and methods for delivering energy at multiple selectable tissue depths as selected by a clinician. The treatment apparatus includes at least two electrodes that are electrically isolated from each other, which permits each electrode to be independently energized for selecting different treatment depths. The electrodes may be concurrently energized with high frequency energy of the same polarity in a monopolar mode to deliver energy at a relatively deep depth into a patient'"'"'s tissue, or with high frequency energy of a different polarity in a bipolar mode to provide a shallower penetration depth. Alternatively, the depth of energy delivery may be modified by energizing less than all of the electrodes. The electrodes may be energized with high frequency energy of different phase relationships to deliver energy concurrently in both monopolar and bipolar modes with the phase difference determining a depth of energy delivery.
124 Citations
6 Claims
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1. A treatment method for delivering energy at a selectable variable depth into tissue of a patient, the energy being delivered with an electrode array including a sheet electrode with a plurality of voids and a plurality of secondary electrodes each positioned in a corresponding one of the voids, the sheet electrode and the secondary electrodes separated from a surface of the tissue by a first dielectric layer, and the voids and the secondary electrodes are arranged in a matrix of rows and columns within the sheet electrode, the treatment method comprising:
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electrically connecting the sheet electrode and the secondary electrodes with a high frequency power supply to form a first circuit in which the sheet electrode and the secondary electrodes emulate a solid sheet of a conductive material; non-invasively delivering energy from the sheet electrode and the secondary electrodes in the first circuit and through the first dielectric layer into the tissue at a first average depth relative to the surface of the tissue, wherein the energy from the secondary electrodes is delivered in a pattern determined by the matrix of rows and columns; reconfiguring the electrical connections of the sheet electrode and the secondary electrodes to disconnect the secondary electrodes from the high frequency power supply and form a second circuit in which the sheet electrode emulates a perforated sheet of the conductive material; and non-invasively delivering energy from the sheet electrode in the second circuit and through the first dielectric layer into the tissue at a second average depth relative to the skin surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification