Apparatus and method having a cooling material and reduced pressure to treat biological external tissue

• US 20050251118A1
• Filed: 12/27/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aesthera
• Original Assignee: Aesthera
• Inventors: Young, Steve, Maor, Alon, Anderson, Robert S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,842,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00057 Light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00005 Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0047 Upper parts of the skin, e.g. skin peeling or treatment of wrinkles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00476 Hair follicles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00994 combining two or more different kinds of non-mechanical energy or combining one or more non-mechanical energies with ultrasound

Abstract

Devices and methods having a cooling material and reduced pressures to treat biological external tissue using at least one energy source are disclosed. The cooling material may be water, ethyl alcohol, and/or any other material having a vapor pressure below atmospheric pressure. The energy source may be incoherent light, coherent light, a radio frequency, ultrasound, a laser, and/or any other type of energy that can be applied through the device. The features of various embodiments of the device include the generation of positive pressure and/or negative pressure through one or more pressure conduits, the application of an object within a recess of the device, and measurements through various sensors on the device. These sensors may be monitored and/or controlled through a display element having rows and columns of pixels on the device. The device may be a handheld device or an add-on to existing devices in some embodiments, and may include skin color sensors, temperature sensors, motion sensors, vapor pressure sensors, material sensors, and/or capacitance sensors.

Claims

1. A method to treat a target, comprising:

furnishing a liquid to a biological external tissue inside an inner chamber;

applying an energy to the biological external tissue inside the inner chamber; and

causing the liquid to evaporate.

2. The method claim 1, further comprising applying a device having an outer portion and the inner chamber to the biological external tissue such that the outer portion contacts the biological external tissue and the inner chamber occupies a space above a portion of the biological external tissue having the target.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying at least one measurement of a sensor on the device;

providing power to the device; and

generating a positive pressure and a negative pressure inside the inner chamber through a pressure source connected to the device through a cable element.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising reducing pressure of the inner chamber to a first pressure that is below atmospheric pressure to bring at least some of the biological external tissue into the inner chamber.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising preventing the biological external tissue that is outside the device from stretching.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising forming a vacuum seal between the outer portion and the biological external tissue.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising releasing the vacuum seal to allow the device to be removed before the biological external tissue is damaged.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing the liquid to evaporate is performed through vaporization during application of the energy to treat the target.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the energy originates from a source that is not exposed to any pressure inside the inner chamber.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the energy is at least one of an incoherent light, a coherent light, a radio frequency, or an ultrasound.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising automatically regulating a power level of the energy.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying an electrical current to the target before a blood concentration in the biological external tissue returns to at least a normal state or higher concentration than normal.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring a color of the biological external tissue.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring a temperature of the biological external tissue.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

pushing away blood inside the biological external tissue.

16. A device that applies energy to a biological external tissue, the device comprising:

an outer portion to form a vacuum seal of the outer portion and the biological external tissue;

a chamber encompassed by the outer portion having a pressure below atmospheric pressure to bring at least a portion of the biological external tissue into the chamber; and

a material in the chamber to vaporize at the pressure below atmospheric pressure without damaging the biological external tissue.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising an object on the device above the chamber, to contact the biological external tissue and to push blood within the portion of the biological external tissue outside the chamber.

18. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

at least one energy panel on the device, the at least one energy panel being used to deliver energy to the biological external tissue; and

at least one port on the device to deliver positive and negative pressure to the chamber.

19. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a pair of electrodes connected to opposite sides of the device to apply an electrical current through the biological external tissue; and

a pressure conduit coupled to the device to generate a pressure in an area that includes the biological external tissue, and a protruding object of the device that is above the biological external tissue to contact the biological external tissue.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the biological external tissue is brought into the chamber through the pressure generated by the pressure conduit.

21. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a display element on the device to display at least one parameter with respect to a treatment of the biological external tissue, the display element having rows and columns of pixels controlled by a display controller; and

an energy source coupled to the device to deliver an energy to the biological external tissue.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the energy source is not exposed to any pressure inside the chamber.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the energy is at least one of an incoherent light, a coherent light, a radio frequency, or an ultrasound.

24. The device of claim 23, further comprising automatically regulating a power level of the energy.

25. The device of claim 16, further comprising at least one sensor connected to the device chosen from a group comprising a skin color sensor, a temperature sensor, a motion sensor, a vapor pressure sensor, a material sensor, and a capacitance sensor.

26. The device of claim 16, wherein the material is at least one of water and ethyl alcohol.

27. A method of treating an area of biological external tissue having a target using a device, comprising:

coating a liquid on the area;

applying a first positive pressure on the area;

applying a negative pressure on the area to bring the biological external tissue closer to the device that is above the area;

forming a pressure equal to or lower than a vapor pressure of the liquid;

applying an energy to the target before the blood concentration in the area returns to at least a normal state; and

applying a second positive pressure on the area to allow the device to be released from the area before the biological external tissue is damaged.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising displaying at least one measurement of a sensor on the device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the device is a handheld device.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the at least one sensor is chosen from a group comprising a skin color sensor, a temperature sensor, a motion sensor, a vapor pressure sensor, a material sensor, and a capacitance sensor.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising causing the liquid to evaporate.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the energy originates from a source that is not exposed to any pressure applied by the device.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

pushing away blood inside the biological external tissue.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the liquid is one of water and ethyl alcohol.

35. A method for treating a target with a device, the method comprising:

depositing a material on an area of a biological external tissue having the target;

applying the device to the area;

applying a negative pressure on the area to bring the biological external tissue into contact with a protruding object of the device that is above the area; and

applying an energy to the area before the blood concentration in the area returns to at least a normal state, and causing the material to evaporate.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising applying a positive pressure on the area and then removing the device from the area.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the material is applied during application of the energy and wherein the material provides evaporative cooling.

38. A system to treat biological external tissue using a device, comprising:

means for reducing temperature of an area of biological external tissue having a target by depositing a material on the area;

means for applying a negative pressure on the area to bring the biological external tissue into contact with the device; and

means for applying an energy to the target before the blood concentration in the area returns to at least a normal state.

39. The system of claim 38, further comprising means for applying a positive pressure on the area to allow the device to be released from the area before the biological external tissue is damaged.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein the material has a vapor pressure below atmospheric pressure.