Methods and devices for selective disruption of fatty tissue by controlled cooling

• US 9,308,120 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Richard R., Manstein, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Kaitlyn
• Application Number:
  US11/434,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20070010861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,620 Days
• Field of Search: 606 20- 22, 607/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0237 with a thermoelectric element in the probe for cooling purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0262 using a circulating cryogenic fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0054 with a closed fluid circuit, e.g. hot water
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0056 for cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0075 using a Peltier element, e.g. near the spot to be heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0082 D.C. A61F2007/0078 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0094 using a remote control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0096 with a thermometer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0239 using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/029 Fat cell removal or destruction by non-ablative heat treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/00 Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body heating or cooling means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses A47C21/00 ; massage, therapeutic baths A61H; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields or ultrasound A61N; electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/10 Cooling bags, e.g. ice-bags
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/00 Percussion or vibration massage, e.g. using supersonic vibration; Suction-vibration massage; Massage with moving diaphragms apparatus for passive exercising A61H1/00; generating or transmitting mechanical vibrations in general B06B

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for use in the selective disruption of lipid-rich cells by controlled cooling. The present invention further relates to a device for use in carrying out the methods for selective disruption of lipid-rich cells by controlled cooling.

Claims

1. A system for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid rich cells of a subject, the system comprising:

a cooling device having a cooling element programmed to reduce a temperature of a local region containing the lipid rich cells to between about −

10°

C. and about 20°

C. such that lipid rich cells in the local region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced; and

a suction unit coupled to the cooling device to apply vacuum to the local region.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cooling device further comprises a detector proximate to the cooling element, and wherein the system further comprises:

a processor in electrical communication with the detector and configured to convert electrical signals from the detector into an operating parameter; and

a database electrically connected to the processor to store the operating parameter.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor includes a control module for controlling the temperature of the local region based on the operating parameter.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the detector is selected from the group consisting of:

a temperature sensor, a thermocouple, and a thermistor.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a treatment interface in thermal communication with the cooling element.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a temperature sensor proximate to the treatment interface.

7. A system for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid rich cells of a subject, the system comprising:

a cooling device having a cooling element for reducing a temperature of a local region containing the lipid rich cells such that lipid rich cells in the local region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced;

a suction unit coupled to the cooling device to apply vacuum to the local region; and

a control unit programmed to control the operation of the cooling device to reduce the temperature within the local region to between about −

10°

C. and about 20°

C. such that lipid rich cells in the local region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the control unit includes:

storage means for storing instructions for controlling the operation of the cooling device to decrease the temperature within the local region to between about −

10°

C. and about 20°

C., such that lipid rich cells in the local region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced; and

a processor device programmed to read and execute the instructions stored on the storage means.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the storage means is selected from the group consisting of:

a memory device, random access memory (“

RAM”

), read-only memory (“

ROM”

), flash memory, Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (“

EEPROM”

), a storage device, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-RW, a DVD-ROM, and a DVD-RW.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising a detector proximate to the cooling element.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the detector is selected from the group consisting of:

a temperature sensor, a thermocouple, and a thermistor.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising a treatment interface in thermal communication with the cooling element.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a temperature sensor proximate to the treatment interface.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the control unit is programmed to control the operation of the cooling device to reduce the temperature within the local region to between about −

10°

C. and about 15°

C.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the control unit is programmed to control the operation of the cooling device to reduce the temperature within the local region to between about −

10°

C. and about 10°

C.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein the control unit is programmed to control the operation of the cooling device to reduce the temperature within the local region to between about −

10°

C. and about 4°

C.

17. A system for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid rich cells of a region of skin of a subject, comprising:

a cooling device having a cooling element programmed to maintain itself at an average temperature between about −

15°

C. and about 15°

C. in order to reduce a temperature of the region such that lipid rich cells in the region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced; and

a suction unit coupled to the cooling device to apply vacuum to the region.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the cooling device further comprises a detector proximate to the cooling element, and wherein the system further comprises:

a processor in electrical communication with the detector and configured to convert electrical signals from the detector into an operating parameter; and

a database electrically connected to the processor to store the operating parameter.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor includes a control module for controlling the temperature of the region based on the operating parameter.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the detector is selected from the group consisting of:

a temperature sensor, a thermocouple, and a thermistor.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising a treatment interface in thermal communication with the cooling element.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a temperature sensor proximate to the treatment interface.

23. A system for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid rich cells of a region of skin of a subject, the system comprising:

a cooling device having a cooling element for reducing a temperature of the region such that lipid rich cells in the region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced;

a suction unit coupled to the cooling device to apply vacuum to the region; and

a control unit programmed to control the operation of the cooling device to maintain the cooling device at an average temperature between about −

15°

C. and about 15°

C. such that lipid rich cells in the region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the control unit includes:

storage means for storing instructions for controlling the operation of the cooling device to maintain the cooling device at an average temperature between about −

15°

C. and about 15°

C., such that lipid rich cells in the region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced; and

a processor device programmed to read and execute the instructions stored on the storage means.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the storage means is selected from the group consisting of:

a memory device, random access memory (“

RAM”

), read-only memory (“

ROM”

), flash memory, Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (“

EEPROM”

), a storage device, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-RW, a DVD-ROM, and a DVD-RW.

26. The system of claim 23, further comprising a detector proximate to the cooling element.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the detector is selected from the group consisting of:

a temperature sensor, a thermocouple, and a thermistor.

28. The system of claim 23, further comprising a treatment interface in thermal communication with the cooling element.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising a temperature sensor proximate to the treatment interface.

30. A system for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid rich cells of a subject, the system comprising:

a cooling device having a cooling element for reducing a temperature of a local region containing the lipid rich cells such that lipid rich cells in the local region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced; and

a control unit programmed to control the operation of the cooling device to reduce the temperature within the local region to between about −

10°

C. and about 10°

C. such that lipid rich cells in the local region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the control unit includes:

storage means for storing instructions for controlling the operation of the cooling device to decrease the temperature within the local region to between about −

10°

C. and about 10°

C., such that lipid rich cells in the local region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced; and

a processor device programmed to read and execute the instructions stored on the storage means.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the control unit is programmed to control the operation of the cooling device to reduce the temperature within the local region to between about −

10°

C. and about 4°

C.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the control unit includes:

storage means for storing instructions for controlling the operation of the cooling device to decrease the temperature within the local region to between about −

10°

C. and about 4°

C., such that lipid rich cells in the local region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced; and

a processor device programmed to read and execute the instructions stored on the storage means.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the control unit is further programmed to control the operation of the cooling device such that non-lipid rich cells in the dermis are generally not reduced.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein the cooling element has a substantially flat surface.

36. A system for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid rich cells of a region of skin of a subject, the system comprising:

a cooling device having a cooling element for reducing a temperature of the region such that lipid rich cells in the region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced; and

a control unit programmed to control the operation of the cooling device to maintain the cooling device at an average temperature between about −

15°

C. and about 10°

C. such that lipid rich cells in the region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the control unit includes:

storage means for storing instructions for controlling the operation of the cooling device to maintain the cooling device at an average temperature between about −

15°

C. and about 10°

C., such that lipid rich cells in the region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced; and

a processor device programmed to read and execute the instructions stored on the storage means.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the storage means is selected from the group consisting of:

a memory device, random access memory (“

RAM”

), read-only memory (“

ROM”

), flash memory, Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (“

EEPROM”

), a storage device, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-RW, a DVD-ROM, and a DVD-RW.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the control unit is programmed to maintain the cooling device at an average temperature between about −

15°

C. and about 5°

C.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein the control unit includes:

storage means for storing instructions for controlling the operation of the cooling device to maintain the cooling device at an average temperature between about −

15°

C. and about 5°

C., such that lipid rich cells in the region are reduced while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis are generally not reduced; and

a processor device programmed to read and execute the instructions stored on the storage means.

41. The system of claim 36, wherein the control unit is further programmed to control the operation of the cooling device such that non-lipid rich cells in the dermis are generally not reduced.

42. The system of claim 36, wherein the cooling element has a substantially flat surface.