Method and apparatus for treatment of adipose tissue
First Claim
1. A method for selective destruction of adipocytes in adipose tissue, the method comprising:
- (a) applying at least one source of moderately focused ultrasound energy limited to a view angle of less than 120°
to a skin surface to generate a pressure gradient between 0.5 GPa/m to 50 GPa/m in the adipose tissue;
(b) enhancing the pressure gradient at an expense of pressure amplitude at the focus volume by limiting the focusing of the ultrasound energy, such that selective effects on adipocytes will be obtained with reduced cavitation; and
(c) generating relative movement between lipids and other constituents of adipocytes with sufficient intensity to rupture cell membranes of the adipocytes.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides methods and apparatuses for the treatment of adipose tissue. The methods comprise application of ultrasound energy to a region of adipose tissue, and the apparatuses comprise at least one source of ultrasound energy configured to direct ultrasound energy through a skin surface into the subcutaneous adipose tissue. In one embodiment, a pressure gradient is created in the region generating relative movement between fat cell constituents having different densities. In another embodiment, a protrusion of skin and underlying adipose tissue containing is formed and ultrasound energy is radiated into the adipose tissue in the protrusion. In another embodiment, an RF electric field is generated inside a region of adipose tissue together with the ultrasound energy.
286 Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A method for selective destruction of adipocytes in adipose tissue, the method comprising:
-
(a) applying at least one source of moderately focused ultrasound energy limited to a view angle of less than 120°
to a skin surface to generate a pressure gradient between 0.5 GPa/m to 50 GPa/m in the adipose tissue;(b) enhancing the pressure gradient at an expense of pressure amplitude at the focus volume by limiting the focusing of the ultrasound energy, such that selective effects on adipocytes will be obtained with reduced cavitation; and (c) generating relative movement between lipids and other constituents of adipocytes with sufficient intensity to rupture cell membranes of the adipocytes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for enhancing selective destruction of adipocytes in adipose tissue by a combination of RF and ultrasound energy, the method comprising:
-
(a) making a region of skin and underlying subcutaneous adipose tissue containing cytoplasm and intercellular fluids to protrude above the surrounding skin surface; (b) directing to the adipose tissue made to protrude above the surrounding skin surface moderately focused ultrasound limited to a view angle of less than 120°
to generate a pressure gradient between 0.5 GPa/m to 50 GPa/m in the adipose tissue; and(c) applying RF energy to adipose tissue made to protrude above a surrounding skin surface, and wherein the RF energy and the ultrasound energy combine in the cytoplasm and intercellular fluid of the adipose tissue thereby enhancing a selective cell membrane destruction without damage to other tissue.
-
-
16. An applicator for selective destruction of adipocytes in adipose tissue, the applicator comprising:
-
(a) a manipulator, the manipulator makes a region of skin and underlying subcutaneous adipose tissue containing cytoplasm and intercellular fluids to protrude above a surrounding skin surface; (b) at least one source of moderately focused ultrasound energy limited to a view angle of less than 120°
radiating ultrasound energy into the region of the skin and underlying subcutaneous adipose tissue made to protrude above the surrounding skin surface and heat said region of the skin to generate a pressure gradient between 0.5 GPa/m to 50 GPa/m in the adipose tissue;(c) a pair of RF electrodes for application of RF energy to the region of the skin made to protrude above the surrounding skin surface and further heat said region of the skin to the protrusion, and wherein the ultrasound energy and the RF energy combine in the cytoplasm and intercellular fluid of the adipose tissue made to protrude above the surrounding skin surface thereby enhancing a selective cell membrane destruction without damage to other tissue.
-
-
17. A method for selective destruction of adipocytes, the method comprising:
-
(a) applying at least one source of moderately focused ultrasound energy limited to a view of angle of less than 120°
to a skin surface to generate a pressure gradient between 0.5 GP/m and 50 GP/m in adipose tissue;(b) enhancing the pressure gradient at an expense of pressure amplitude at the focus volume by limiting the focusing of the ultrasound energy, such that selective effects on adipocytes will be obtained with reduced cavitation; (c) generating relative movement between lipids and other constituents of adipocytes with sufficient intensity to rupture cell membranes of the adipocytes; and (d) reducing unwanted cavitation effects while not reducing cell rupturing by moderately focusing the ultrasound energy and controlling the negative pressure magnitude of the ultrasound such that the pressure level does not cause cavitation in the adipocytes constituents. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
Specification