Shallow surface cryotherapy applicators and related technology
AssigneeZeltiq Aesthetics, Inc.
InventorsPeter Yee, George Frangineas, Jr., Austin Root
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems for treating a subject's tissue can include a thermally conductive cup with vacuum features configured to facilitate removal of air located between the cup and the subject's skin. The vacuum features can extend along cup to provide airflow paths to a vacuum port. The applicator can cool and/or heat the retained tissue to affect targeted tissue. After the treat period, the vacuum can be reduced or stop and the applicator can be removed from the subject.
Claims23
An apparatus for treating a human subject, comprising:
- an applicator configured to cool a subject's skin and including
- a cup defining a tissue-receiving cavity and including a temperature-controlled surface,
- at least one vacuum port, and
- air-egress features extending along the temperature-controlled surface, the air-egress features are spaced circumferentially about and extend radially from the at least one vacuum port to provide airflow paths to the at least one vacuum port for removing air between the subject's skin and the cup while the at least one vacuum port provides a vacuum to draw tissue of the subject into thermal contact with the temperature-controlled surface located on opposite sides of each of the air-egress features, and wherein the air-egress features include channels and/or ridges.
An apparatus for treating a human subject, comprising:
- an applicator configured to cool tissue of the subject and including
- a cup having an interior surface at least partially defining a tissue-receiving cavity, wherein at least a portion of the interior surface is temperature-controlled, and
- a vacuum port extending through a central portion of the interior surface,
- wherein a topography of the interior surface is configured to form airflow paths along air-egress features extending along a surface of the cup, wherein the air-egress features extend longitudinally away from the central portion toward a peripheral portion of the interior surface when subcutaneous tissue of the subject is operably received within the cavity, wherein the air-egress features are spaced circumferentially about the central portion, wherein the cup and vacuum port are configured such that when a vacuum is applied the subject's tissue substantially fills an entire volume of the cup except for small gaps created by the air-egress features.
A method for treating a human subject, comprising:
- applying an applicator to skin of the subject;
- drawing a vacuum in a tissue-receiving cavity of the applicator to draw tissue of the subject toward a conductive surface of a temperature-controlled cup of the applicator to substantially fill an entire volume of the cup while air-egress features facing the tissue-receiving cavity maintain egress airflow paths for removing air located between the subject's skin and the temperature-controlled cup such that the skin of the subject thermally contacts regions of the temperature-controlled cup on opposite sides of at least one of the air-egress features, wherein the air-egress features are spaced circumferentially about and extend away from at least one vacuum port toward a periphery of the cup, wherein the at least one vacuum port is located at a bottom of the cavity;
- and
- extracting heat from subcutaneous tissue of the subject via the conductive surface to cool the tissue an amount sufficient to be biologically effective in selectively damaging and/or reducing the subject's subcutaneous lipid-rich cells held in the tissue-receiving cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.