Method for fat and cellulite reduction

• US 8,915,854 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2014
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• 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:
  US14/164,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20140142430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 600/439
• 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 tissue that contains a lower part of dermis and proximal protrusions of fat lobuli into the dermis. An embodiment delivers ultrasound energy to the region creating a thermal injury and coagulating the proximal protrusions of fat lobuli, thereby eliminating the fat protrusions into the dermis. An embodiment 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 of non-invasive ultrasound fat and cellulite reduction, comprising:

imaging a region of interest, via an imaging element, wherein the region of interest comprises a plurality of fat lobuli that protrude into a dermis layer to create the appearance of cellulite;

displaying an image of the region of interest on a display;

delivering ultrasound energy, via a therapy element, at a depth below a skin surface to coagulate at least a portion of one of the fat lobuli that protrudes into the dermis layer;

moving the therapy element, with a motion mechanism, to create further coagulation by generating multiple thermal lesions in the plurality of fat lobuli,

wherein the motion mechanism comprises an encoder,

wherein the motion mechanism is controlled by a control system comprising a processor and power supply,

wherein the imaging element and the therapy element are provided within a single ultrasound probe; and

wherein the coagulation of the fat lobuli reduce the protrusion of the fat lobuli into the dermis layer, thereby improving the appearance of cellulite.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising coagulating a portion of the dermis layer.

3. The method according to claim 1, the ultrasound energy is delivered at an energy level sufficient for causing at least one of ablating tissue, stretching fibrous bonds, or stimulating evacuation of fat decay products in the region of interest.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising coagulating a portion of a muscle tissue.

5. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the step of delivering ultrasound energy generates a thermal lesion with a dimension of between 100 microns to 55 mm in the region of interest,

wherein the ultrasound energy is delivered with a treatment power of between 20 W and 200 W, and

wherein the ultrasound energy is delivered in the range of 2 MHz to 10 MHz.

6. A method of non-invasive ultrasound fat and cellulite reduction comprising:

identifying a region of interest, wherein the region of interest comprises a plurality of fat lobuli that protrude into a dermis tissue that create the appearance of cellulite;

delivering ultrasound energy from a transducer element to the region of interest to create a thermal lesion in a portion of the fat lobuli that protrude into the dermis tissue,

wherein the transducer element is positioned within a probe,

wherein the transducer element is attached to a motion mechanism,

wherein the motion mechanism comprises an encoder,

wherein the motion mechanism is controlled by a control system,

moving the motion mechanism to create additional thermal lesions in the fat lobuli,

wherein the thermal lesions cause breakage of the fat lobuli, thereby improving the appearance of cellulite.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising imaging the fat lobuli with an imaging element, wherein the imaging element and the therapy element are combined in the transducer probe.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the thermal lesions coagulate a portion of the fat lobuli at a depth in the region of interest.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of delivering ultrasound energy is at a treatment power of between 20 W and 200 W, wherein the thermal lesion has a dimension of between 100 microns to 55 mm that ablates at least a portion of the fat lobuli.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of delivering ultrasound energy is delivered to the region, of interest is in the range of 2 MHz to 10 MHz.

11. The method according to claim 6, the ultrasound energy is delivered at an energy level sufficient for causing at least one of ablating tissue, stretching fibrous bonds, or stimulating evacuation of fat decay products in the region of interest.

12. A method of non-invasive ultrasound fat and cellulite reduction comprising:

providing an ultrasound system comprising an ultrasound probe, a transducer housed within the probe, and an imaging element, the ultrasound system configured for;

(i) imaging, with the imaging element, a region of interest under a skin surface, wherein the region of interest comprises a fat lobuli that protrudes into a dermis tissue that creates the appearance of cellulite;

(ii) reducing, with the transducer, the fat lobuli and the cellulite,

wherein the transducer is configured for delivery of ultrasound energy to cause coagulation of the fat lobuli in the region of interest, at a depth under the skin surface; and

(iii) moving the transducer, with a motion mechanism, to form a plurality of thermal lesions at the depth to cause the coagulation of the fat lobuli,

wherein the motion mechanism comprises an encoder,

wherein the motion mechanism is controlled by a control system.

13. The method according to claim 12,

wherein the reducing the fat lobuli generates a thermal lesion in at least a portion of a fat cell, and

wherein the ultrasound energy coagulates the portion of the fat cell and at least one of the dermis tissue and a muscle tissue in the region of interest.

14. The method according to claim 12,

wherein the thermal lesion has a dimension of between 100 microns to 55 mm in the region of interest,

wherein the ultrasound energy has a treatment power of between 20 W and 200 W,

wherein the ultrasound energy has a frequency in the range of 2 MHz to 10 MHz, and

wherein the thermal lesion coagulates a portion of the fat lobuli and at least a portion of one of the dermis tissue and a muscle tissue in the region of interest.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the ultrasound energy ablates at least a portion of the fat lobuli.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the ultrasound energy breaks fat cell clusters in the region of interest.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the ultrasound energy stretches a fibrous bond in the region of interest.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the ultrasound energy increases the speed at which fat metabolizes according to the Arrhenius Law:

Y=Ae<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.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the imaging element and the transducer are provided within a single ultrasound probe.

20. The method according to claim 12,

wherein the ultrasound energy has a treatment power of between 20 W and 200 W,

wherein the ultrasound energy has a frequency in the range of 2 MHz to 10 MHz,

wherein the imaging element and the transducer are provided within a single ultrasound probe,

wherein the thermal lesion is formed in at least a portion of the fat lobuli and at least one of the dermis tissue and a muscle tissue, thereby coagulating the portion of the fat lobuli and at least one of the dermis tissue and the muscle tissue in the region of interest.