Abstract:
A method for treating a desired volume of tissue using HIFU or other energy modality to ablate a pattern of elemental treatment volumes each having a volume that is greater than that of the focal zone of the HIFU transducer but smaller than the overall volume of the desired treatment volume. In one embodiment, the pattern of elemental treatment volumes are arranged to form a shell which partially or wholly encapsulates the desired volume of tissue, which then necroses in situ due to effects other than direct HIFU damage (including some combination of ischemia, thermal conduction, inflammation, apoptosis, etc.). The necrosed tissue remains in the body and is subsequently resorbed and/or healed via normal body mechanisms.
Abstract:
A method for treating a desired volume of tissue using HIFU or other energy modality to ablate a pattern of elemental treatment volumes each having a volume that is greater than that of the focal zone of the HIFU transducer but smaller than the overall volume of the desired treatment volume. In one embodiment, the pattern of elemental treatment volumes are arranged to form a shell which partially or wholly encapsulates the desired volume of tissue, which then necroses in situ due to effects other than direct HIFU damage (including some combination of ischemia, thermal conduction, inflammation, apoptosis, etc.). The necrosed tissue remains in the body and is subsequently resorbed and/or healed via normal body mechanisms.
Abstract:
A hand held device for treatment of a skin treatment area, constituted of: a housing exhibiting an opening therein; a temperature adjusting element secured to an end of the housing, one end of the temperature adjusting element arranged to contact the skin treatment area, the temperature adjusting element exhibiting at least one aperture; a light source secured to the housing; and a light path arranged to pass light energy from the light source to at least a portion of the skin treatment area via the at least one aperture. A pulsed light energy is provided to the portion of the skin treatment area from the light source proceeding through the aperture and the temperature adjusting element is powered so as to adjust the temperature of the skin treatment area.
Abstract:
Methods and devices are disclosed to reduce the tissue trauma that occurs when a physician retracts or otherwise deforms a patient's tissues for surgery or other medical procedures. In one part, methods and devices are disclosed for controlling the force and pace of retraction to reduce tissue trauma. In another part, methods and devices are disclosed for applying an oscillating load when opening. In another part, pads that cool the tissue around the incision are disclosed. In another part, pads that elute drugs into the tissues of the tissue margin are disclosed. In another part, methods and devices are disclosed that self-align components of the retractor and engage hard tissues directly to avoid soft tissue damage. In another part, pads that engage tissues to cushion, to sense tissue state, and to modulate tissue state are disclosed.
Abstract:
A hand held device generates a predetermined number of pulses of electromagnetic radiation having a predetermined electromagnetic spectrum, a predetermined duration, a predetermined inter-pulse interval, and a predetermined total energy. The pulse sequence is delivered to a skin surface to reduce or eliminate Xray or ultraviolet radiation damage to the skin surface.
Abstract:
A dermatologie hair-regrowth-inhibiting apparatus is disclosed which is cordless and sufficiently compact as to be hand-held. A self-contained housing (20) is configured for gripping by a person's hand for cordless manipulation in a hair-regrowth-inhibiting procedure. A light source (10) and electrical circuit are contained within the housing (20). The circuit includes one or more batteries (18) for energizing the light source (10) to produce output light pulses. A light path within the housing (20) includes an aperture (14) through which eye-safe light pulses are propagated out of the housing (20) having properties sufficient for at least temporary hair-regrowth inhibition. A diffuser is disposed along the light path to reduce the integrated radiance to an eye-safe level.
Abstract:
A sensor for detecting the presence of skin is disclosed, one configuration of which uses multiple light emitting diodes, each of a unique wavelength band, and a broad-band photodetector to measure the remission of light at multiple wavelengths from a material being analyzed. Characteristics of the spectral remission of the material are used to discriminate human skin from materials that are not human skin. Further, an aesthetic medical device utilizing such a sensor in which the device is inhibited from operation if skin has not been detected. The incorporation of a skin sensor improves the safety of devices that emit radiation that otherwise would pose a hazard if not directed onto skin.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a handheld, cordless, self-contained dermatological device for localized repigmentation of skin which includes a housing configured for gripping by a person's hand, a battery in the housing, a source in the housing and which is capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation in a band from 320 nm to 400 nm, a control circuit in the housing, and an aperture in the housing. The aperture is configured, and the control circuit controls the coupling of the battery to the source, so that a fluence of electromagnetic radiation of one-tenth of a minimum erythemic dose (MED) of skin is delivered at the aperture in less than about 10 seconds. Methods for configuring and for using the disclosed apparatus are described.
Abstract:
A dermatologie hair-regrowth-inhibiting apparatus is disclosed which is cordless and sufficiently compact as to be hand-held. A self-contained housing is configured for gripping by a person's hand for cordless manipulation in a hair-regrowth-inhibiting procedure. A light source and electrical circuit are contained within the housing. The circuit includes one or more batteries for energizing the light source to produce output light pulses. A light path within the housing includes an aperture through which eye-safe light pulses are propagated out of the housing having properties sufficient for at least temporary hair-regrowth inhibition. A diffuser is disposed along the light path to reduce the integrated radiance to an eye-safe level.