Dissection handpiece with aspiration means for reducing the appearance of cellulite

• US 9,039,722 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ulthera Inc. (Merz Pharma GmbH & Company Kgaa)
• Original Assignee: Ulthera Inc. (Merz Pharma GmbH & Company Kgaa)
• Inventors: Clark, Robert L. III, Chomas, James E., Merchant, Adnan I., Brian, Ben F. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Severson, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Papeika, Rachel S
• Application Number:
  US13/778,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20130197429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 606/167, 606/108, 606/131, 606/159, 606/169, 606/170, 606/171, 606/39, 606/45, 606/185, 604/22, 60416401-16409, 604174-180, 604/239, 604/272, 604/506
• US Class Current: 606/172
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/30 Surgical pincettes without pivotal connectionsfor holding suture needles or materials A61B17/0483; wound clamps A61B17/08 ; hand-held gripping tools without pivotal connections in general B25B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320016 Endoscopic cutting instruments, e.g. arthroscopes, resectoscopes A61B10/0233, A61B17/29, A61B17/3207 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3203 Fluid jet cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3205 Excision instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320725 with radially expandable cutting or abrading elements A61B17/32075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32075 Pullback cutting; combined forward and pullback cutting, e.g. with cutters at both sides of the plaque
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00747 Dermatology
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/308 with suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0022 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00464 Subcutaneous fat, e.g. liposuction, lipolysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00589 Coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1425 Needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/005 with suction drainage system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/002 Irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/007 Aspiration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/76 Handpieces specially for suction-irrigation A61M1/774, aspiration tips A61M1/84
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/84 : Drainage tubes; Aspiration tips for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/90; for surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32

Abstract

A dermatological skin treatment device is provided. The device comprises a handpiece and a cutting tool, wherein the tool is inserted through the conduit and percutaneously inserted into a tissue disposed within a recessed area of the handpiece. The device and method cut the fibrous structures under the skin that cause cellulite at an angle substantially parallel to the surface of the skin and replace these structures with a non-cellulite forming structure by deploying a highly fibrous mesh through a single needle hole to create a highly fibrous layer directly or through wound healing processes. A tool is provided to aspirate excess fluid and tissue from the treatment area.

Claims

1. A minimally invasive skin treatment system, comprising:

a handpiece having a recessed area and a conduit extending through a side of the handpiece and into the recessed area, the recessed area defining a dissection area;

a tool configured to at least partially extend through the conduit and into the recessed area;

wherein the tool comprises a cannula and a suction fitting in fluid connection with an interior of the cannula, the suction fitting being configured for fluid removal, and a cutting blade comprising a cutting shaft, wherein a portion of the cutting shaft is partially housed within the interior of the cannula,

wherein the portion of the cutting shaft housed within the interior of the cannula is shaped to create a gap between an outer surface of the cutting shaft and the interior of the cannula,

wherein application of negative pressure to the interior of the cannula via the suction fitting allows aspiration from the dissection area via the gap; and

a guidance track operably connected to the handpiece, wherein the guidance track is configured to constrain movement of the tool in contact with the guidance track to longitudinal and transverse movement defined by a predetermined path of the guidance track which results in both longitudinal and transverse movement of a distal end of the tool within the recessed area.

2. The treatment system of claim 1, wherein the cutting blade comprises one or more retractable blade members.

3. The treatment system of claim 1, wherein the cutting blade moves axially within the cannula.

4. The treatment system of claim 1, wherein material aspirated from the dissection area passes through the gap and into a waste reservoir.

5. The treatment system of claim 1, wherein fluid enters the gap through a gap entry port at a distal end of the cannula.

6. The treatment system of claim 5, wherein the distal end of the cannula aspirates fluid in the recessed area in a pattern coincident with the predetermined path of the guidance track.

7. The treatment system of claim 6, wherein the cannula has a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to a plane formed by the guidance track.

8. The treatment system of claim 7, wherein the cannula is configured to aspirate fluid from the recessed area at a first depth below a dermis and in a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of the guidance track.

9. The treatment system of claim 8, wherein the cutting shaft and cutting blade are removed from the cannula so that fluid from the recessed area is drawn into an inner lumen of the cannula and to a fluid waste reservoir.

10. The treatment system of claim 1, further comprising:

a fluid source, wherein the fluid source is operably connected to an infusion fitting by a tubing, the fluid source being configured to inject a fluid through the tubing and into the cannula through the infusion fitting.

11. The treatment system of claim 10, wherein fluid injected into the cannula travels through a gap and exits the cannula at a gap exit port and into the recessed area.

12. The treatment system of claim 1, wherein the recessed area comprises a top having a surface facing into the recessed area, wherein the side of the handpiece comprises a raised perimeter wall comprising the conduit, wherein the conduit is positioned to allow the distal end of the tool to enter the recessed area at a predefined depth from the surface of the top facing into the recessed area, the predefined depth corresponding to between 4 mm and 20 mm below a surface of skin that is configured to be contacted with the surface of the top facing into the recessed area.

13. The treatment system of claim 12, wherein the predefined depth between 4 mm and 20 mm below the surface of skin that is configured to be contacted with the surface of the top facing into the recessed area corresponds to a subcutaneous region of tissue underlying the skin.

14. A minimally invasive skin treatment system, comprising:

a handpiece having a recessed area comprising a top, the recessed area disposed on a bottom portion of the handpiece;

a conduit extending through a side of the handpiece and into the recessed area, the recessed area defining a dissection area;

a cutting tool comprising a proximal end and a distal end and configured to at least partially extend through the conduit and into the recessed area;

a cannula, wherein the cutting tool is at least partially disposed within an interior of the cannula,

wherein the cannula is configured infuse fluid to, or aspirate fluid from, the dissection area,

wherein the cutting tool comprises a shaft, the shaft being shaped to create a gap between an outer surface of the tool and the interior of the cannula,

wherein the application of negative pressure to the interior of the cannula allows aspiration of fluid from the dissection area via the gap,

wherein application of positive pressure to the interior of the cannula allows infusion of a fluid into the dissection area via the gap; and

a guidance track operably connected to the handpiece, wherein the guidance track is configured to constrain movement of the tool in contact with the guidance track to longitudinal and transverse movement defined by a predetermined path of the guidance track,

wherein the distal end of the cutting tool moves both longitudinally and transversely within the dissection area and in a plane that is substantially parallel to the top of the recessed area.

15. The treatment system of claim 14, wherein the top of the recessed area comprises an adjustable top that allows for adjustment of the volume of the recessed area.

16. The treatment system of claim 15, wherein the adjustable top comprises a threaded top, wherein adjustment of the volume of the recessed area is achieved via rotation of the top.

17. The treatment system of claim 15, wherein the adjustable top comprises a reversible top.

18. The treatment system of claim 14 wherein the recessed area is configured to receive vacuum pressure to pull a portion of a tissue on which the handpiece is positioned into the recessed area, and wherein the dissection area comprises a subcutaneous area of the tissue.

19. A minimally invasive skin treatment system, comprising:

a handpiece having a recessed area disposed on a bottom portion of the handpiece and a conduit extending through a side of the handpiece and into the recessed area, the recessed area defining a dissection area;

a cannula configured to have negative pressure applied to an interior of the cannula; and

a tool configured to at least partially extend through the conduit and into the recessed area, wherein the tool is partially housed within the interior of the cannula,

wherein the tool comprises a cutting blade and a blade shaft, the blade shaft comprising a hollow interior,

wherein the hollow interior of the blade shaft is in fluid connection with the interior of the cannula, and

wherein the application of negative pressure to the interior of the cannula allows aspiration from the dissection area; and

a guidance track operably connected to the handpiece, wherein the guidance track constrains a portion of the tool in contact with the guidance track to both longitudinal and transverse movements along a predetermined path causing the cutting blade to move within the recessed area and within a region of a predetermined shape defined by the predefined path.

20. The treatment system of claim 19, further comprising a vacuum port on the handpiece that allows application of negative pressure to the interior of the cannula.