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US 10,935,174 B2Granted
Stress relief couplings for cryotherapy apparatuses
AssigneeZeltiq Aesthetics, Inc.
InventorsWilliam P. Pennybacker, Craig Carson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, devices, and methods for treating a patient are disclosed. The systems can include a cryotherapy apparatus for selectively treating targeted tissue. The cryotherapy apparatus includes one or more stress relief couplings located along a conduit to help keep an applicator positioned at a treatment site without significant rotational torque being imparted to the applicator by the conduit so that the applicator does not tend to move relative to patient skin during a tissue treatment. The stress relief couplings can include swivel connectors and clamps that cooperate to minimize or limit a rotational force exerted on the applicator by the conduit after the applicator is applied to the patient's skin.
Claims20
An apparatus for treating a patient, comprising:
- a base unit connectable to electrical power;
- an applicator connectable to a patient's skin;
- a conduit containing one or more electrical wires and tubing connected to the applicator and the base unit;
- and
- a stress relief coupling connected to the conduit at a location remote from the applicator and the base unit which allows a first section of the conduit located between the applicator and the stress relief coupling to rotate relative to a second section of the conduit located between the stress relief coupling and the base unit so as to reduce rotational forces imparted to the applicator from its connection with the conduit, wherein the stress relief coupling extends along a longitudinal axis and includes
- first and second swivel connectors rotatably fixed to the first and second sections, respectively,
- wherein the first swivel connector includes a first outer surface portion, a second outer surface portion, a first flange separating the first outer surface portion from the second outer surface portion and extending outwardly away from the longitudinal axis, and a first tab extending outwardly from the first outer surface portion away from the longitudinal axis, and
- wherein the second swivel connector includes a third outer surface portion, a fourth outer surface portion, a second flange separating the third outer surface portion from the fourth outer surface portion and extending outwardly away from the longitudinal axis, and a second tab extending outwardly from the third outer surface portion away from the longitudinal axis,
- first and second retainers coupled to the first and second swivel connectors, respectively,
- wherein the first section of the conduit extends at least partially between the second outer surface and the first retainer, and
- wherein the second section of the conduit extends at least partially between the fourth outer surface and the second retainer, and
- a clamp coupled to the first and second swivel connectors between the first and second flanges so as to connect the first and second sections of the conduit together,
- wherein the clamp includes a first channel extending partially around the longitudinal axis and a second channel extending partially around the longitudinal axis,
- wherein the first tab is seated within the first channel and the second tab is seated within the second channel to allow the first and second sections of the conduit to rotate relative to each other through an angle only within a range of about 20 degrees to about 340 degrees about the longitudinal axis.
11 more elements
An apparatus for treating a patient, comprising:
- a base unit;
- an applicator connectable to a patient's skin;
- a conduit containing one or more electrical wires and tubing connected to the applicator and the base unit;
- and
- a stress relief coupling connected to a first section and a second section of the conduit,
- wherein the stress relief coupling has a longitudinal axis and includes
- a first swivel connector rotatably fixed to the first section, wherein the first swivel connector includes a first outer surface portion, a second outer surface portion, a first flange separating the first outer surface portion from the second outer surface portion and extending outwardly away from the longitudinal axis, and a first tab extending outwardly from the first outer surface portion away from the longitudinal axis,
- a second swivel connector rotatably fixed to the second section, wherein the second swivel connector includes a third outer surface portion, a fourth outer surface portion, a second flange separating the third outer surface portion from the fourth outer surface portion and extending outwardly away from the longitudinal axis, and a second tab extending outwardly from the third outer surface away from the longitudinal axis, and
- a clamp positioned between the first and second flanges and including a first channel extending partially around the longitudinal axis and configured to receive the first tab therein and a second channel extending partially around the longitudinal axis and configured to receive the second tab therein, wherein the clamp rotatably connects the first and second swivel connectors together such that the clamp and the first and second swivel connectors cooperate to limit rotation of the first and second sections of the conduit relative to one another to an angle less than about 340 degrees about the longitudinal axis.
6 more elements
An apparatus for treating a patient, comprising:
- a base unit;
- an applicator configured to hold the patient's skin via a vacuum;
- a conduit containing one or more electrical wires and a vacuum tube each connected to the applicator and the base unit;
- and
- a stress relief coupling having a longitudinal axis and including
- a first swivel connector rotatably fixed to a first section of the conduit, wherein the first swivel connector includes a first outer surface portion, a second outer surface portion, a first flange separating the first outer surface portion from the second outer surface portion and extending outwardly away from the longitudinal axis, and a first projection projecting outwardly from the first outer surface portion away from the longitudinal axis,
- a second swivel connector rotatably fixed to a second section of the conduit, wherein the second swivel connector includes a third outer surface portion, surface portion from the fourth outer surface portion and extending outwardly away from the longitudinal axis, and a second projection projecting outwardly from the third outer surface portion away from the longitudinal axis, and
- a clamp positioned between the first and second flanges and including a first channel extending only partially around the longitudinal axis and a second channel extending only partially around the longitudinal axis, wherein the first channel receives the first tab and the second channel receives the second tab to (a) rotatably connect the first and second swivel connectors together and (b) limit rotation between the first and second swivel connectors to an angle less than about 360 degrees.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.