System and method for reducing lipid content of adipocytes in a body

• US 9,044,595 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Water Innovations, Llc
• Original Assignee: Terry Ward
• Inventors: Araya, Heidi, Ward, Terry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, VICTOR
• Application Number:
  US13/784,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20130268035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 607/88, 607/89, 607/92, 606/9, 606/2, 340/573.1, 600/340, 600/483
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00464 Subcutaneous fat, e.g. liposuction, lipolysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0642 Irradiating part of the body at a certain distance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0613 Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment

Abstract

A system is provided for reducing lipid content of adipocytes in a body. The system includes an optical device configured to illuminate a region of the body at a selective peak wavelength and at a selective power density for a selective time period. The system also includes a controller connected to the optical device to determine the selective wavelength, the selective power density and the selective time period to stimulate lipolysis in the adipocytes. A system is also provided for reducing pain in the body. A method is also provided for reducing lipid content of adipocytes in the body.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an optical device configured to illuminate a region of a body at a selective peak wavelength in a range between 630-660 nm and at a selective power density for a selective time period to reduce lipid content of adipocytes in the body; and

a controller connected to the optical device to determine the selective wavelength, the selective power density and the selective time period to stimulate lipolysis in the adipocytes,

wherein said optical device is further configured to be located at a distance away and separate from the region of the body.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical device is an array of LEDs, wherein the selective peak wavelength is approximately 635 nm, and wherein the controller is further configured to modulate an output of the LEDs at a selective frequency to stimulate the lipolysis in the adipocytes and wherein the selective frequency is one of 2.28 Hz, 4.56 Hz and 73 Hz.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller includes:

a switch to select between an internal modulation signal or an external modulation signal to modulate the LEDs; and

a relay to transmit an input signal to the LEDs at the selective frequency based on one of the internal modulation signal or the external modulation signal.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein upon said switch being used to select the external modulation signal, said controller includes:

an inlet for receiving the external modulation signal at the selective frequency;

a half-wave rectifier to convert positive portions of the external modulation signal into a direct current signal and to block negative portions of the external modulation signal; and

the relay is a solid state relay to receive the external modulation signal and to output the input signal to the LEDs during the positive portions of the direct current signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said selective wavelength, said selective power density and said selective time period are determined to stimulate lipolysis in the adipocytes in the body with a body mass index in excess of 30.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said selective wavelength, said selective power density and said selective time period are determined to penetrate an epidermis, a dermis and an underlying adipose tissue of the region of the body to a depth range of 8-10 mm.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said selective power density on the region of the body is in a range between 75-1500 mW/cm²;

wherein said selective time period is in a range between 6-120 minutes;

wherein said optical device is configured to illuminate the region of the body at a selective energy density in a range between 4-82.5 J/cm²; and

wherein the distance away and separate from the region of the body of the optical device is in a range of 2.5-45.7 cm.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to vary a selective distance between the optical device and the region of the body, wherein the optical device is an array of LEDs, wherein the selective peak wavelength is approximately 635 nm, wherein the selective time period is approximately 8 minutes, and wherein the selective distance is approximately 20.3 cm.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to vary a selective distance between the optical device and the region of the body and wherein said selective distance is in a range of 2.5-45.7 cm.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said system further comprising:

a support configured to hold the region of the body in a stationary position; and

an adjustable stand configured to hold the optical device at the selective distance above and separate from the region of the body, wherein the controller is connected to the adjustable stand and is configured to transmit a signal to the adjustable stand to vary the selective distance.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller includes:

a timer to adjust the selective time period during which the relay is configured to transmit the input signal to the LEDs;

a start button to start the timer and start the transmission of the input signal from the solid state relay to the LEDs for the selective time period; and

a stop button to stop the timer and stop the transmission of the input signal from the solid state relay to the LEDs.

12. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller includes:

a speaker to output a sound of the external modulation signal received through the inlet;

a monitor to control a volume of the sound of the external modulation signal through the speaker;

an LED indicator to show that the input signal is being transmitted to the LEDs; and

a modulation indicator to show a signal strength of the external modulation signal received through the inlet.

13. The system of claim 4, further comprising an audio recorder connected to the inlet, said audio recorder to transmit the external modulation signal to the inlet, wherein said external modulation signal is one of an analog or digital audio signal.

14. A system for reducing pain in a body, said system comprising:

a support to hold a region of the body in a stationary position;

an array of LEDs configured to output a peak wavelength with a selective power density at the region of the body for a selective time period sufficient to reduce pain in the region of the body;

a stand to hold the array of LEDs at a selective distance in a range of 2.5-45.7 cm away and separate from the region of the body; and

a controller connected to the LEDs and the adjustable stand, said controller configured to transmit a signal to one of the stand or the support to vary the selective distance, and said controller configured to modulate an output of the LEDs at a selective frequency based on a transmission of an input signal to the LEDs at the selective frequency, wherein the selective frequency is based on one of an internal modulation signal or an external modulation signal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the support is a table, wherein the stand is adjustable based on the controller being configured to transmit the signal to the stand and wherein said controller includes:

a switch to select between one of the internal modulation signal or the external modulation signal to modulate the input signal to the LEDs;

a relay to transmit the input signal to the LEDs at the selective frequency based on one of the internal modulation signal or the external modulation signal.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said switch being used to select the external modulation signal, said controller further includes:

an inlet for receiving the external modulation signal at the selective frequency;

a half-wave rectifier to convert positive portions of the external modulation signal into a direct current signal and to block negative portions of the external modulation signal; and

the relay is a solid state relay to receive the external modulation signal and to output the input signal to the LEDs during the positive portions of the direct current signal.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein upon said controller varying the selective distance, the controller is configured to vary the selective time period to reduce pain in the region of the body;

wherein upon increasing the selective distance, the controller is configured to increase the selective time period; and

wherein upon decreasing the selective distance, the controller is configured to decrease the selective time period.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the selective peak wavelength is in a range between 630-660 nm;

wherein said selective power density on the region of the body is in a range between 75-1500 mW/cm²;

wherein said selective time period is in a range between 6-120 minutes;

wherein said selective frequency is one of 36.5 Hz and 146 Hz and wherein said optical device is configured to illuminate the region of the body at a selective energy density in a range between 4-82.5 J/cm².

18. A method for reducing lipid content of adipocytes in a body, said method comprising:

positioning a region of the body in a stationary position with a support;

determining a selective peak wavelength of radiation in a range of 630-660 nm from an optical device to the region of the body to stimulate lipolysis in the adipocytes in the region of the body;

determining a selective power density of radiation at the region of the body in a range between 75-1500 mW/cm² to stimulate lipolysis in the adipocytes, including varying a selective distance in a range of 2.5-45.7 cm between the optical device and the region of the body;

determining a selective time period in a range of 6-120 minutes to transmit the radiation from the optical device to the region of the body, based on the varying of the selective distance; and

illuminating the region of the body with radiation from the optical device at the selective peak wavelength and with the selective power density at the region of the body for the selective time period to stimulate lipolysis in the adipocytes in the region of the body, including modulating the radiation at a selective frequency.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said modulating the radiation at selective frequency includes:

receiving an external modulation signal at the selective frequency;

converting positive portions of the external modulation signal into a direct current signal;

blocking negative portions of the external modulation signal; and

outputting an input signal to the optical device to illuminate the region of the body during the positive portions of the external modulation signal.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the illuminating step is to further reduce cellular levels of triglycerides and reduce blood triglycerides, as a side effect of the lipolysis in the region of the body.