Methods for lifting skin tissue
AssigneeGuided Therapy Systems, LLC
InventorsPeter G. Barthe, Michael H. Slayton, Inder Raj S. Makin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods for treating skin and subcutaneous tissue with energy such as ultrasound energy are disclosed. In various embodiments, ultrasound energy is applied at a region of interest to affect tissue by cutting, ablating, micro-ablating, coagulating, or otherwise affecting the subcutaneous tissue to conduct numerous procedures that are traditionally done invasively in a non-invasive manner. Methods of lifting sagging tissue are described.
Claims20
A method of lifting skin tissue, the method comprising:
- positioning an ultrasound probe on a skin surface, the ultrasound probe comprising a housing and at least one piezoelectric ultrasound therapy element,
- using the at least one piezoelectric ultrasound therapy element to treat a region of interest under the skin surface, the region of interest comprising a tissue comprising at least one of the group consisting of:
- a muscle, a fascia, a dermis, a fat tissue, and a superficial muscular aponeurosis system (SMAS) tissue;
- wherein the at least one piezoelectric ultrasound therapy element is configured for targeted delivery of ultrasound energy to form at least one thermal treatment area with a temperature in a range of 60-90 degrees Celsius to treat at least a portion of the tissue under the skin surface to lift the skin surface,
- wherein positioning the ultrasound probe on the skin surface comprises positioning the portion of the ultrasound probe on at least one of the group consisting of:
- a forehead, an eyelid, a nose, an ear, and a neck.
A method of treating skin with therapeutic ultrasound energy, comprising:
- providing an ultrasound probe comprising a housing and at least one piezoelectric ultrasound therapy element that emits ultrasound energy;
- coupling the ultrasound probe to a skin surface over a tissue region comprising any of the group consisting of a dermis tissue, a fat tissue, a muscle tissue, and a superficial muscular aponeurosis system (SMAS) tissue;
- and
- delivering therapeutic ultrasound energy to the tissue region of interest at a depth within a range of 0.5 mm to 5 mm below the skin surface,
- wherein the therapeutic ultrasound energy thermally treats collagen in the tissue region with the ultrasound energy at a temperature range of 60-90 degrees Celsius at the depth under the skin surface to treat the skin,
- wherein coupling the ultrasound probe to the skin surface comprises acoustically coupling the ultrasound probe to at least one of the group consisting of:
- a forehead, an eyelid, a nose, a cheek, an ear, a mouth, and a neck.
A method of lifting skin with ultrasound energy, comprising:
- identifying a skin surface;
- providing an ultrasonic probe that emits ultrasound energy;
- acoustically coupling the ultrasonic probe to the skin surface, wherein the skin surface is selected from the group consisting of one or more of the following:
- a forehead, an eyelid, a nose, a cheek, an ear, and a mouth, and a neck;
- and
- delivering therapeutic ultrasound energy at a temperature at a treatment depth within a range of 1 mm to 30 mm below the skin surface,
- wherein the therapeutic ultrasound energy treats at least one of the group consisting of dermis, fascia, fat, muscle, and cartilage at the treatment depth under the skin surface to lift the skin surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.