Skin treatment using a multi-discharge applicator

• US 20080183167A1
• Filed: 11/19/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alma Lasers
• Original Assignee: Alma Lasers
• Inventors: Dverin, Alexander, Britva, Alexander, Karni, Ziv
• Granted Patent: US 9,283,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/042 using additional gas becoming plasma
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1213 creating an arc
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1861 with an instrument inserted into a body lumen or cavity, e.g. a catheter

Abstract

A method for medical treatment includes bringing an applicator, having an array of protrusions disposed thereon, into proximity with a skin surface of a patient so as to maintain a space between a plurality of the protrusions and the skin surface. Radio-frequency (RF) electrical power is applied to the applicator so as to cause electrical discharges to be generated, in response to the RF electrical power, between the plurality of the protrusions and respective points on the skin surface via a fluid medium in the space.

Claims

1. A medical device, comprising:

an applicator body, comprising a terminal for receiving radio-frequency (RF) electrical power; and

an array of protrusions disposed on a front side of the applicator body and configured to maintain a space between at least a majority of the protrusions and a skin surface of a patient when the applicator body is brought into proximity with the skin surface so as to cause electrical discharges to be generated, in response to the RF electrical power, between the majority of the protrusions and respective points on the skin surface via a fluid medium in the space.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the front side of the applicator body is convex.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the applicator body comprises a spacer for engaging the skin surface so as to maintain the space between the protrusions and the skin surface.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the spacer is configured to seal the space against ambient air.

5. The device according to claim 4, and comprising a fluid port communicating with the space for at least one of evacuating the space and introducing a fluid into the space.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the array of protrusions is configured to generate the discharges via ambient air.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the protrusions are pointed.

8. Apparatus for medical treatment, comprising:

a radio-frequency (RF) power source, which is configured to generate RF electrical power; and

a skin treatment device, which is coupled to receive the RF electrical power and comprises an applicator, which comprises an applicator body and an array of protrusions disposed on a front side of the applicator body,

wherein the skin treatment device is configured to maintain a space between at least a majority of the protrusions and a skin surface of a patient when the applicator is brought into proximity with the skin surface, so as to cause electrical discharges to be generated, in response to the RF electrical power, between the majority of the protrusions and respective points on the skin surface via a fluid medium in the space.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the skin treatment device is configured to be held by an operator and moved by the operator over the skin surface, and wherein the apparatus comprises a cable, which connects the RF power source to the skin treatment device.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the RF power source is configured to generate the RF electrical power at a predetermined frequency, and wherein the cable has a length equal to an integer number of half-waves at the predetermined frequency.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the skin treatment device comprises a resonant circuit, which is tuned to the predetermined frequency.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the RF power source has a predetermined impedance, which is different from a discharge impedance of the electrical discharges between the protrusions and the respective points on the skin, and wherein the apparatus comprises an impedance matching circuit, for matching the predetermined impedance to the discharge impedance.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the RF power source comprises a RF generator, which is configured to generate the RF electrical power at a constant amplitude, and a pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller, which is coupled to switch the RF generator with a variable duty cycle so as to adjust a power level of the RF electrical power that is supplied to the skin treatment device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the RF power source comprises a phase controller, which is operative to adjust a phase of the RF electrical power at the front side of the applicator.

15. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the RF power source and the skin treatment device are configured to generate the electrical discharges while operating in a unipolar mode.

16. A method for medical treatment, comprising:

bringing an applicator, having an array of protrusions disposed thereon, into proximity with a skin surface of a patient so as to maintain a space between a plurality of the protrusions and the skin surface; and

applying radio-frequency (RF) electrical power to the applicator so as to cause electrical discharges to be generated, in response to the RF electrical power, between the plurality of the protrusions and respective points on the skin surface via a fluid medium in the space.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein bringing the applicator comprises bringing a front side of the applicator, on which the array of protrusions is disposed, into proximity with the skin surface so as to maintain the space between at least a majority of the protrusions and the skin surface.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the front side of the applicator is convex.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the applicator comprises a roller having a radial surface on which the array of protrusions is disposed, and wherein bringing the applicator into proximity with the skin surface comprises rolling the roller over the skin surface.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the protrusions are pointed.

21. The method according to claim 16, and comprising sealing the space against ambient air, and performing at least one of evacuating the space and introducing a fluid into the space.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein introducing the fluid comprises filling the space with a gas selected from a group of gases consisting of inert gases and reactive gases.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein applying the RF electrical power comprises generating the electrical discharges via ambient air.

24. The method according to claim 16, wherein applying the RF electrical power comprises creating multiple perforations in skin tissue of the patient at the respective points.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein creating the multiple perforations causes a tightening of the skin tissue upon healing of the perforations.

26. The method according to claim 16, wherein the RF electrical power has a predetermined frequency, and wherein applying the RF electrical power comprises providing the RF electrical power from a RF power source to the applicator via a cable having a length equal to an integer number of half-waves at the predetermined frequency.

27. The method according to claim 16, wherein the RF power source has a predetermined impedance, which is different from a discharge impedance of the electrical discharges between the protrusions and the respective points on the skin, and wherein providing the RF electrical power comprises matching the predetermined impedance to the discharge impedance using an impedance-matching circuit between the RF power source and the applicator.

28. The method according to claim 16, wherein applying the RF electrical power comprises switching a RF generator with a variable duty cycle so as to adjust a power level of the RF electrical power that is supplied to the applicator.

29. The method according to claim 16, wherein applying the RF electrical power comprises adjusting a phase of the RF electrical power at the front side of the applicator.

30. A medical device, comprising:

an applicator body, comprising a terminal for receiving radio-frequency (RF) electrical power;

a roller, which has an axis coupled to the applicator body and has a radial surface for contacting a skin surface of a patient, and which is configured to rotate about the axis as the roller is advanced over the skin surface; and

an array of protrusions disposed on the radial surface of the roller and configured to cause multiple electrical discharges to be generated, in response to the RF electrical power, in a space between the protrusions and respective points on the skin as the roller is advanced over the skin surface.

31. The device according to claim 30, wherein the roller has a shape that is selected from a group of shapes consisting of cylindrical, spherical, ellipsoidal and barrel shapes.

32. The device according to claim 30, wherein the array of protrusions is configured to generate the discharges via ambient air.

33. The device according to claim 30, wherein the protrusions are pointed.

34. Apparatus for medical treatment, comprising:

a radio-frequency (RF) power source, which is configured to generate RF electrical power; and

a skin treatment device, which is coupled to receive the RF electrical power and which comprises;

a roller, which has an axis and has a radial surface for contacting a skin surface of a patient, and which is configured to rotate about the axis as the roller is advanced over the skin surface; and

an array of protrusions disposed on the radial surface of the roller and configured to cause multiple electrical discharges to be generated, in response to the RF electrical power, in a space between the protrusions and respective points on the skin as the roller is advanced over the skin surface.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the skin treatment device is configured to be held by an operator and moved by the operator over the skin surface, and wherein the apparatus comprises a cable, which connects the RF power source to the skin treatment device.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the RF power source is configured to generate the RF electrical power at a predetermined frequency, and wherein the cable has a length equal to an integer number of half-waves at the predetermined frequency.

37. The apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the skin treatment device comprises a resonant circuit, which is tuned to the predetermined frequency.

38. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the RF power source has a predetermined impedance, which is different from a discharge impedance of the electrical discharges between the protrusions and the respective points on the skin, and wherein the apparatus comprises an impedance matching circuit, for matching the predetermined impedance to the discharge impedance.

39. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the RF power source comprises a RF generator, which is configured to generate the RF electrical power at a constant amplitude, and a pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller, which is coupled to switch the RF generator with a variable duty cycle so as to adjust a power level of the RF electrical power that is supplied to the skin treatment device.

40. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the RF power source comprises a phase controller, which is operative to adjust a phase of the RF electrical power at the front side of the applicator.

41. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the RF power source and the skin treatment device are configured to generate the electrical discharges while operating in a unipolar mode.