Light and ultrasonic transducer device for skin therapy

• US 9,561,357 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CareWear Corp.
• Original Assignee: Sonovia Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Hall, Michael R., Castel, John C., Castel, Dawn
• Primary Examiner(s): Akar, Serkan
• Application Number:
  US14/213,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20140276247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0052 for treatment of skin or hair
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0071 using a resistor, e.g. near the spot to be heated
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0261 medicated
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/007 characterised by electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0432 Anode and cathode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0452 Specially adapted for transcutaneous muscle stimulation [TMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/30 Apparatus for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body, or cataphoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/328 for improving the appearance of the skin, e.g. facial toning or wrinkle treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3603 Control systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0653 Organic light emitting diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0034 Skin treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0073 using multiple frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0613 Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• 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: A61P 17/00 Drugs for dermatological disorders
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 17/06 Antipsoriatics
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 17/10 Anti-acne agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 17/18 Antioxidants, e.g. antiradicals preparations for protection against sunlight A61Q17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 3/00 : Drugs for disorders of the metabolism of the blood or the extracellular fluid A61P7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 3/02 : Nutrients, e.g. vitamins, minerals
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/00 : Antineoplastic agents

Abstract

A device for delivering light and ultrasound across a skin surface is provided. The device has a layered structure comprising a light source and an ultrasonic transducer. The light source comprises a flexible light emitter layer electrically coupled to a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, wherein at least one of the first and second conductive layers is transparent. The ultrasonic transducer comprises a flexible ultrasound emitter layer electrically coupled to a third conductive layer and a fourth conductive layer. In one embodiment, the light source comprises an organic light emitting diode or a plurality of printed light emitting diodes and the ultrasonic transducer comprises a piezoelectric coating. The device may be provided with a therapeutic or cosmetic composition to be applied to the skin surface, wherein the light and ultrasound emitted from the device cause transdermal transport of the composition through the skin surface.

Claims

1. A light and ultrasonic transducer device having a layered structure for delivering light and ultrasound to a skin surface, comprising:

a plurality of flexible conductive layers including a transparent conductive layer and at least two other conductive layers;

a flexible light source layer comprising one of an organic light emitting diode or a plurality of printed light emitting diodes, wherein the flexible light source layer is positioned between the transparent conductive layer and one of the other conductive layers, wherein the flexible light source layer emits light when driven by a first power source connected to the transparent conductive layer and the one of the other conductive layers;

a flexible ultrasonic transducer layer comprising a piezoelectric coating, wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer layer is positioned between two of the other conductive layers, wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer layer emits ultrasound when driven by a second power source connected to the two of the other conductive layers; and

a flexible substrate for supporting the flexible light source layer, the flexible ultrasonic transducer layer, and the flexible conductive layers

wherein the light and ultrasound emitted from the device cause transdermal transport of a therapeutic or cosmetic composition through the skin surface.

2. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the device has a thickness of about 0.1 mm to about 3 mm.

3. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the device has a surface configured to face the skin surface, and wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer layer comprising the piezoelectric coating produces ultrasound having a beam non-uniformity ratio of 3 or lower across the surface of the device.

4. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer layer produces one or both of low frequency ultrasound at a frequency in the range of 20 kHz to 500 kHz and high frequency ultrasound at a frequency in the range of 500 kHz to 20 MHz.

5. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 4, wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer layer is a dual frequency ultrasound transducer that produces both low frequency ultrasound and high frequency ultrasound either simultaneously or sequentially.

6. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the flexible light source layer and the flexible ultrasonic transducer layer deliver the light and the ultrasound, respectively, in a pulsed mode or a continuous mode.

7. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the device is electrically coupled to a controller, wherein the controller is electrically coupled to at least one sensor in contact with the skin surface, and wherein the controller is operable to receive sensor data from the sensor and dynamically control the device in response to the received sensor data.

8. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 7, wherein the controller is electrically coupled to a communication module that enables wired or wireless communication with an external control device, wherein the external control device comprises one of a smart phone, a tablet computer, and a laptop computer that is capable of executing a control application for externally controlling the controller.

9. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the therapeutic or cosmetic composition includes one or more of low or high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) or their derivatives or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts and esters.

10. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the device is conformable to the skin surface.

11. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, further comprising a flexible transparent heater layer.

12. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, further comprising a flexible electrical stimulation layer for providing electrical stimulation to the skin surface, wherein the flexible electrical stimulation layer is electrically coupled to a return electrode.

13. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, further comprising a flexible printed circuit board layer that includes one or more of a microcontroller, a communication module, and sensor electronics, wherein the flexible printed circuit board layer is electrically coupled to at least one sensor.

14. A kit, comprising:

the light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1; and

a therapeutic or cosmetic composition configured to be applied to the skin surface, wherein the light and ultrasound emitted from the light and ultrasonic transducer device cause transdermal transport of the composition through the skin surface.

15. The kit of claim 14, wherein the composition is in the form of a gel, cream, ointment, or a pad incorporating a gel, cream or ointment.

16. The kit of claim 14, wherein the therapeutic or cosmetic composition includes one or more of large or small molecular weight hyaluronic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) or their derivatives or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts and esters.

17. The kit of claim 14, wherein the device is electrically coupled to a controller, wherein the controller is electrically coupled to at least one sensor in contact with the skin surface, and wherein the controller is operable to receive sensor data from the sensor and dynamically control the device in response to the received sensor data.

18. The kit of claim 17, wherein the controller is electrically coupled to a communication module that enables wired or wireless communication with an external control device, wherein the external control device comprises one of a smart phone, a tablet computer, and a laptop computer that is capable of executing a control application for externally controlling the controller.

19. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 8, wherein the external control device further communicates with a remote server to modify one or more treatment parameters based on information stored on the remote server.

20. The kit of claim 18, wherein the external control device further communicates with a remote server to modify one or more treatment parameters based on information stored on the remote server.

21. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the therapeutic or cosmetic composition is contained in a hydrogel pad to be applied to the skin surface.

22. The kit of claim 14, wherein the therapeutic or cosmetic composition is contained in a hydrogel pad to be applied to the skin surface.

23. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the flexible conductive layers comprise a first conductive layer comprising the transparent conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and a third conductive layer, wherein the flexible light source layer is positioned between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, and wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer layer is positioned between the second conductive layer and the third conductive layer.

24. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the flexible conductive layers comprise a first conductive layer comprising the transparent conductive layer, a second conductive layer, a third conductive layer, and a fourth conductive layer, wherein the flexible light source layer is positioned between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, and wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer layer is positioned between the third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer.

25. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, further comprising an acoustic matching layer.

26. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the light passes through the transparent conductive layer to the skin surface.

27. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the device is flexible so as to form a non-planar contact surface against the skin surface.

28. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive layer comprises a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) film.

29. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive layer comprises one of a silver grid and a copper grid.

30. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive layer comprises one of a silver fiber and silver nanowires.

31. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive layer comprises one of carbon nanotubes, carbon nanowires, and graphene.

32. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive layer comprises a plurality of plasmonic nanostructures.

33. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 32, wherein the plasmonic nanostructures comprise one of gold nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles, copper nanoparticles, and nickel nanoparticles.

34. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein the other conductive layers each comprise a metal film.

35. The light and ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the other conductive layers is also transparent.