Method and device for removing hair

• US 20070173746A1
• Filed: 02/20/2005
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applisonix Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Applisonix Ltd.
• Inventors: Guterman, Assaf, Barzilay, Amir, Furman, Vladimir, Niv, Yehuda, Dayan, Abraham, Green, Alon
• Granted Patent: US 7,993,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2026/008 Details of apparatus for removing superfluous hair
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/207 Vibration, e.g. ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 26/00 Hair-singeing apparatus; Apparatus for removing superfluous hair, e.g. tweezers removing hair using electrosurgical instruments A61B18/04, A61B18/18
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 26/0009 by singeing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00752 Hair removal or transplantation
• 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

Abstract

A method of treating unwanted hair is disclosed. The method comprises: transmitting acoustic waves through the hair so as to generate heat at a follicle, a dermal papilla, a hair bulge and/or a germinal matrix of the hair. The heat itself is sufficient to damage or destroy the follicle, the dermal papilla, the hair bulge and/or the germinal matrix.

Claims

1. A method of treating unwanted hair, comprising transmitting acoustic waves through the hair so as to generate heat at a follicle, a dermal papilla, a hair bulge and/or a germinal matrix of the hair, said heat being in itself sufficient to damage or destroy said follicle, said dermal papilla, said hair bulge and/or said germinal matrix.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a wave condenser for condensing said acoustic waves, prior to said transmitting of said acoustic waves through the hair.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising gripping the hair prior to transmitting of said acoustic waves so as to enhance acoustic coupling between the hair and said acoustic waves.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said gripping comprises positioning the hair and/or said wave condenser such that a propagation direction of said acoustic waves while entering said wave condenser is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the hair.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said gripping comprises positioning the hair and/or said wave condenser such that a propagation direction of said acoustic waves while entering said wave condenser is generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the hair.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said gripping comprises positioning the hair and/or said wave condenser such that a propagation direction of said acoustic waves while entering said wave condenser is generally inclined to a longitudinal axis of the hair.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising pulling the hair so as to effect a detachment of the hair.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein said acoustic coupling is characterized by a coupling length selected such that said heat at said follicle, said dermal papilla, said hair bulge and/or said germinal matrix results in a temperature increment of at least 20 degrees centigrade.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

a frequency, a power density and duration of transmission of said acoustic waves is selected so as to minimize vibrations of the hair.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

a frequency, a power density and duration of transmission of said acoustic waves is selected such that said generation of said heat is such that said heat at said follicle, said dermal papilla, said hair bulge and/or said germinal matrix results in a temperature increment of at least 20 degrees centigrade.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said frequency is an off-resonance frequency.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said acoustic waves comprise ultrasound waves.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said ultrasound waves are at a frequency of at least 150 kHz.

9-11. -11. (canceled)

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20-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A device for treating unwanted hair protruding from a skin, the device comprising:

a transducer for generating acoustic waves;

characterized in that the device further comprises a wave condenser, for griping the hair to establish acoustic coupling between said acoustic waves and the hair in a manner such that said acoustic waves are condensed, transmitted through the hair past the skin and generate heat at a follicle, a dermal papilla, a hair bulge and/or a germinal matrix of the hair;

said heat being in itself sufficient to damage or destroy said follicle, said dermal papilla, said hair bulge and/or said germinal matrix.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein said wave condenser is designed and constructed such that a propagation direction of said acoustic waves while entering said wave condenser is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the hair.

27. The device of claim 25, wherein said wave condenser is designed and constructed such that a propagation direction of said acoustic waves while entering said wave condenser is generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the hair.

28. The device of claim 25, wherein said wave condenser is designed and constructed such that a propagation direction of said acoustic waves while entering said wave condenser is generally inclined to a longitudinal axis of the hair.

33. The device of claim 25, wherein at least one of:

a frequency, a power density and duration of transmission of said acoustic waves is selected so as to minimize vibrations of the hair.

37. The device of claim 25, wherein at least one of:

a frequency, a power density and a duration of transmission of said acoustic waves is selected such that said heat at said follicle, said dermal papilla, said hair bulge and/or said germinal matrix results in a temperature increment of at least 20 degrees centigrade.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein said frequency is an off-resonance frequency.

39. The device of claim 37, wherein said transducer is an ultrasound transducer generating ultrasound waves.

48. The device of claim 25, further comprising a focusing element coupling said transducer and said wave condenser, said focusing element being designed and constructed to focus said acoustic waves into said wave condenser.

54. The device of claim 39, wherein said wave condenser comprises a chamber configured to receive the hair such that energy of said acoustic waves is transferred to the hair from a plurality of directions.

70. The device of claim 39, wherein said ultrasound waves are at a frequency of at least 150 kHz.

29-32. -32. (canceled)

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40-47. -47. (canceled)

49-53. -53. (canceled)

55-69. -69. (canceled)

71-300. -300. (canceled)