Rejuvenating skin by heating tissue for cosmetic treatment of the face and body

• US 10,328,289 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2018
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Original Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Inventors: Barthe, Peter G., Slayton, Michael H., Makin, Inder Raj S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hupczey, Jr., Ronald
• Application Number:
  US15/862,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20180126192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0858 involving measuring tissue layers, e.g. skin, interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4444 related to the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4461 Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/469 for selection of a region of interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0008 Destruction of fat cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0034 Skin treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0052 using the same transducer for therapy and imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0082 Scanning transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/027 with multiple foci created simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

Systems and methods for treating skin and subcutaneous tissue with energy such as ultrasound energy are disclosed. In various embodiments, ultrasound energy is applied at a region of interest to affect tissue by cutting, ablating, micro-ablating, coagulating, or otherwise affecting the subcutaneous tissue to conduct numerous procedures that are traditionally done invasively in a non-invasive manner. Lifting sagging tissue on a face, neck, and/or body are described. Treatment with heat is provided in several embodiments.

Claims

1. A method of rejuvenating an appearance of skin, comprising:

placing an ultrasonic probe on a skin surface, wherein the skin surface is located on an epidermis over a target tissue comprising at least one of the group consisting of;

a dermis, a fascia, superficial muscular aponeurotic system (“

SMAS”

), an adipose tissue, and a muscle;

delivering diffuse ultrasound energy from the ultrasonic probe to the target tissue for a heating effect;

directing focused therapeutic ultrasound energy from the ultrasonic probe to the target tissue,

thereby treating the target tissue at a depth under the skin surface to rejuvenate the skin.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic probe further comprises an imaging element to image the target tissue at the depth under the skin surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating effect is a pretreatment heating effect.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein delivering the focused therapeutic ultrasound energy comprises delivering ultrasound energy from a single piezoelectrically active transduction element,

wherein the single piezoelectrically active transduction element is selected from the group consisting of:

a piezoelectric ceramic, lithium niobate, lead titanate, barium titanate, and lead metaniobate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the focused therapeutic ultrasound energy has a frequency in a range of 2 MHz to 12 MHz.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the focused therapeutic ultrasound energy thermally treats the target tissue to change the appearance of a wrinkle on the skin surface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the focused therapeutic ultrasound energy is configured for producing a tissue effect, wherein the tissue effect is any one or more of the group consisting of:

ablative and diathermic tissue effects.

8. A method of non-invasive skin rejuvenation, comprising:

acoustically coupling an ultrasound probe on a skin surface proximate a region comprising a target tissue;

delivering ultrasound energy to the target tissue for a pretreatment heating effect;

delivering focused ultrasound energy to treat the target tissue at at least one depth under the skin surface to rejuvenate skin.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising imaging the tissue under the skin surface with a piezoelectric imaging transduction element in the probe electrically connected to a display.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the depth is up to 15 mm under the skin surface.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the tissue comprises one or more of the group consisting:

collagen, fat, and skin.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the pretreatment heating effect comprises a diffused heating effect.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the focused ultrasound energy thermally treats a wrinkle on the skin surface.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the focused ultrasound energy has a frequency in a range of 2 MHz to 12 MHz.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the focused ultrasound energy has a frequency of 7 MHz.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the focused ultrasound energy has a frequency of 10 MHz.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the focused ultrasound energy is configured for a tissue effect, wherein the tissue effect is one or more of the group consisting of:

thermal and non-thermal streaming, cavitational, ablative, and diathermic tissue effects.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the focused ultrasound energy has an ablative tissue effect.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein delivering the focused ultrasound energy comprises delivering ultrasound energy from a transduction element in the ultrasound probe, wherein the transduction element comprises a piezoelectrically active material.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the piezoelectrically active material is selected from the group consisting of:

a piezoelectric ceramic, lithium niobate, lead titanate, barium titanate, and lead metaniobate.