Method and apparatus for lipolytic therapy using ultrasound energy
First Claim
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1. A method of selectively destroying fat cells in a subcutaneous fat layer of a living patient, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing an ultrasonic transducer array arranged to produce a beam of ultrasound energy;
b) simultaneously focusing said beam in a plurality of discrete focal zones located in said fat layer; and
c) applying to said focal zones an ultrasound energy level sufficient to instantaneously destroy fat cells lying in said focal zones without destroying tissue outside said focal zones;
d) said focal zones being sufficiently spaced from each other to preserve between said destroyed cells sufficient intact tissue to maintain the structural integrity of said fat layer.
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Abstract
Fat cells in a living patient are noninvasively destroyed without separating the skin from the body by applying to the fat layer high intensity focused ultrasound simultaneously in a multiplicity of discrete focal zones produced by a single transducer array. A novel phasing apparatus for producing a widely variable set of focal zone patterns for lipolytic therapy and other purposes is disclosed.
525 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A method of selectively destroying fat cells in a subcutaneous fat layer of a living patient, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing an ultrasonic transducer array arranged to produce a beam of ultrasound energy; b) simultaneously focusing said beam in a plurality of discrete focal zones located in said fat layer; and c) applying to said focal zones an ultrasound energy level sufficient to instantaneously destroy fat cells lying in said focal zones without destroying tissue outside said focal zones; d) said focal zones being sufficiently spaced from each other to preserve between said destroyed cells sufficient intact tissue to maintain the structural integrity of said fat layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification