Treatment systems for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid-rich cells

• US 9,649,220 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Richard Rox, Manstein, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Kaitlyn
• Application Number:
  US13/896,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20130253496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 607 96, 606 9
• 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 treatment system for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid-rich cells in a target region of a subject, comprising:

a treatment unit configured to produce an energy field in the subject'"'"'s tissue and including a cooling/heating element configured to reduce a temperature of the target region such that the subcutaneous lipid-rich cells are damaged while nonlipid-rich cells of the subject are generally not injured; and

a feedback mechanism configured to monitor crystal formation in the subcutaneous lipid-rich cells.

2. The treatment system of claim 1 wherein the feedback mechanism is operable to provide at least one of ultrasound imaging, acoustical measurements, optical measurements, and mechanical measurements.

3. The treatment system of claim 1, further

a control unit programmed to control operation of the treatment unit to output energy localized to at least one of the subject'"'"'s dermis and epidermis and to reduce a temperature of the target region such that the subcutaneous lipid-rich cells are disrupted while non-lipid-rich cells of the subject are generally not injured.

4. The treatment system of claim 3 wherein the control unit is further programmed to control operation of the treatment unit to produce at least one of a substantially constant electric field or a substantially constant acoustic field.

5. The treatment system of claim 3 wherein the control unit is further programmed to control operation of the treatment unit to produce at least one of an oscillating electric field or an oscillating acoustic field.

6. The treatment system of claim 3, further comprising:

a detector in communication with the control unit, wherein the control unit is further programmed to control operation of the treatment system based on temperature information from the detector.

7. The treatment system of claim 3 wherein the treatment unit includes an energy output element configured to output the energy.

8. The treatment system of claim 7 wherein the control unit is further programmed to control operation of the treatment unit to output the energy to tissue that has been cooled by the cooling/heating element.

9. The treatment system of claim 3 wherein the treatment unit outputs electrical energy.

10. The treatment system of claim 3 wherein the treatment unit outputs acoustic energy.

11. The treatment system of claim 3, wherein the feedback mechanism monitors optical properties, electrical properties, and/or acoustic properties of the subject'"'"'s tissue.

12. The treatment system of claim 3, wherein the feedback mechanism is configured to output temperature information used to control operation of the treatment unit.

13. The treatment system of claim 3 wherein the control unit is further programmed to control operation of the treatment unit to perform a combination of cooling cycles and heating cycles.

14. The treatment system of claim 3 wherein the control unit is further programmed to control operation of the treatment unit to heat the target region after reducing the temperature of the subcutaneous lipid-rich cells.