# US 10,945,790 B2 · System and method for laser based treatment of soft tissue > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,945,790 B2 - Document ID: US10945790B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/993,991 - Filed: 2020-08-14 - Published: 2021-02-18 - Granted: 2021-03-16 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-16 - Assignees: Convergent Dental, Inc. - Applicants: Convergent Dental, Inc. - Inventors: Charles Kerbage; Ali Badreddine; Stephen Couitt; Steve Miller; Nenad Jelisavcic - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10945790B2 ## CPC - A61B 18/20: using laser - H01S 3/0071: {Beam steering, e.g. whereby a mirror outside the cavity is present to change the beam direction} - H01S 3/2232: {Carbon dioxide (CO2) or monoxide [CO]} - A61B 2017/0019: {Means for setting or varying the pulse width} - A61B 2018/00327: {Ear, nose or throat} - A61B 2018/00577: {Ablation} - A61B 2018/20355: {Special scanning path or conditions, e.g. spiral, raster or providing spot overlap} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL ## Abstract The disclosed invention relates to an improved system and method for treatment of soft tissue, e.g., for treatment of a snoring condition. The system can include a laser source; a hand piece; and a device for directing radiation emitted by the laser source to a treatment area (e.g., an oral treatment area). In some cases, the handpiece can include an optical element (e.g., a lens) mounted within a replaceable cartridge and adapted to modulate a laser beam such that it is non-ablative, prior to its delivery to a treatment region. In various embodiments, the system includes a CO2 laser capable of performing treatment in a more efficient manner than conventional techniques. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for contracting an area of soft tissue, the system comprising: a CO2 laser source for generating a plurality of laser pulses of a laser beam having a wavelength in a range from 9μm to 11μm; a beam guidance system for directing the plurality of laser pulses to respective tissue locations within the soft tissue area; and a controller adapted to control the CO2 laser source and the beam guidance system to achieve a predetermined percentage of full contraction of the soft tissue area at a rate of 1 cm2 in no more than 25 seconds, wherein full contraction of the soft tissue area occurs at a damage threshold of the soft tissue area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined percentage of full contraction comprises at least 10 percent of full contraction of the soft tissue area. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the beam guidance system prevents damage to the soft tissue. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the damage to the soft tissue is selected from a group consisting of ablation, burning, and charring. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each laser pulse has a fluence of no more than 0.2 J/cm2. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each laser pulse comprises a duty cycle in a range from 0.1 to 5%. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the beam guidance system is adapted to direct the plurality of laser pulses to respective tissue locations in a pattern. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the pattern has a number of locations in a range from greater than 15 locations to 1500 locations. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the number of locations is in a range from 30 locations to 45 locations. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the pattern comprises a total pattern time in a range from 0.01 to 0.5 sec. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the beam guidance system is adapted to repeat directing the plurality of laser pulses in the pattern to additional different soft tissue area portions, to achieve the predetermined percentage of full contraction of all of the soft tissue area. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the area of soft tissue is located in a back of a throat and the predetermined percentage of full contraction of all of the soft tissue area is achieved during a total treatment time in a range from 3 to 20 min. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the pattern comprises a first tissue location, at least one location non-adjacent to the first tissue location, and a location adjacent to the first tissue location. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein a quantity of the at least one location non-adjacent location is determined based on a thermal relaxation time of the soft tissue. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a handpiece forming an exit orifice and operatively connected to the beam guidance system for delivering the laser beam to the soft tissue area. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the exit orifice is adapted to direct the laser beam toward the soft tissue area along an exit axis aligned with a longitudinal axis of the handpiece. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the handpiece further comprises a focusing optic and at least one lens disposed between the beam guidance system and the exit orifice. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one lens comprises two lenses. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the focusing optic and the at least one lens cooperate to increase a diameter of the laser beam. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the focusing optic and the at least one lens further cooperate to generate a collimated laser beam. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the laser beam has a working range having a length in a range from 1 cm to 5 cm. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the laser pulses are delivered at a rate of up to 3.3 msec per pulse. ### Claim 23 A method for contracting an area of soft tissue, the method comprising the steps of: generating a plurality of laser pulses of a laser beam having a wavelength in a range from 9μm to 11μm using a CO2 laser source; and directing the plurality of laser pulses to respective tissue locations within the soft tissue area, such that a predetermined percentage of full contraction of the soft tissue area is achieved at a rate of 1 cm2 in no more than 25 seconds, wherein full contraction of the soft tissue area occurs at a damage threshold of the soft tissue area.