Transdermal ultrasonic device and method

• US 6,350,245 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1998
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sound Surgical Technologies LLC (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: William W. Cimino
• Inventors: Cimino, William W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S.
• Application Number:
  US09/219,216
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 601/2-4, 600/439, 600/459, 604/22
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/08 Lipoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0008 Destruction of fat cells
• 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

In general a hand-held ultrasonic surgical apparatus with a focusing lens for fragmenting or emulsifying a predetermined volume of a medium located generally near a focal length from a concave surface of the focusing lens without significant heating of the medium includes a housing to be held and manipulated by a surgeon or physician and an acoustic assembly mounted within the housing. The acoustic assembly has a resonant vibratory frequency that is primarily determined by the length of the acoustic assembly and an axis along which the ultrasonic vibratory energy is directed. The preferred range for the resonant vibratory frequency to achieve sufficient focusing and sufficient ultrasonic power to fragment or emulsify tissue is between 100 kHz and 250 kHz. The acoustic assembly includes an ultrasonic motor, a rear driver, a front driver, a compression fastener, and a focusing lens.

Claims

1. A hand-held ultrasonic surgical apparatus for fragmenting or emulsifying a predetermined volume of animal tissue located beneath the skin of an animal comprising:

a housing to be held and manipulated during surgery;

an acoustic assembly mounted within the housing that vibrates at a resonant vibratory frequency, the resonant vibratory frequency determined by the length and shape of the acoustic assembly and within the range between 100 kHZ and 250 kHZ;

the acoustic assembly having an axis along which ultrasonic vibratory energy is directed and an ultrasonic motor with a distal surface and a proximal surface, the ultrasonic motor aligned along the axis;

a rear driver of the acoustic assembly connected to the proximal surface of the ultrasonic motor and aligned along the axis;

a front driver of the acoustic assembly connected to the distal surface of the ultrasonic motor and aligned along the axis;

a compression fastener aligned along the axis and passing through the rear driver and the ultrasonic motor and connected to the front driver so that the ultrasonic motor is under compression between the front driver and the rear driver; and

a focusing lens connected to the front driver within the acoustic assembly and aligned along the axis thereof, said focusing lens having a generally concave surface for contact with the skin of the animal and cooperating with the acoustic assembly to deliver vibratory energy to the animal tissue, concentrated generally at a focal length from the concave surface, without significant heating of the animal tissue.

2. The hand-held ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least part of the concave surface of the focusing lens has a constant radius of curvature.

3. The hand-held ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the focusing lens is generally metallic.

4. The hand-held ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the focusing lens is generally polymeric.

5. The hand-held ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the focusing lens and the front driver comprise a single piece of material.

6. The hand-held ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a source of suction and

suction ports associated with the focusing lens and connected to the source of suction to draw the skin into the focusing lens for improved coupling of the ultrasonic vibratory energy with the animal tissue.