Systems and methods for treating skin
OwnerJohn H. Shadduckinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A skin treatment system that uses ultrasound devices, and more particularly, handheld devices with an ultrasound transducer used in combination with a continuous flow of serum carrying acoustically responsive media wherein acoustic energy transmitted from the transducer causes dimensional changes in the acoustically responsive media to create acoustic pressure peaks capable of loosening paracellular junctions in the skin to enhance penetration of serum into the skin.
Claims18
A method of enhancing permeability of a targeted skin comprising:
- applying acoustic energy to a flow of a serum captured in a sealed space in a distal tip of an applicator, the applicator comprising a handle and an elongated shaft extending within the handle, wherein when the distal tip is against the targeted skin, the sealed space is defined by (i) an ultrasound transducer within the handle in a central portion of the distal tip, the ultrasound transducer comprising a lateral surface, the ultrasound transducer extending at a distal end of the elongated shaft, (ii) a peripheral sealing portion around a periphery of the distal tip configured to form a seal against the targeted skin, the distal tip comprising a recess defined by a wall of the distal tip, wherein the ultrasound transducer is received in the recess such that the lateral surface of the ultrasound transducer and an inner surface of the recess forms an annular space through which the serum is delivered from an interior chamber within the handle to the sealed space, wherein the interior chamber comprises an annular configuration around a central passageway through which the elongated shaft is received, and (iii) the targeted skin wherein applying acoustic energy from the ultrasound transducer causes a dimensional change in acoustically responsive media in the flow of the serum captured in the sealed space thereby creating acoustic pressure that loosens paracellular junctions in the targeted skin.
A method of applying a serum to a targeted skin surface comprising providing a continuous flow of a serum and a continuous flow of a gas in an interface between an ultrasound transducer and targeted skin, the ultrasound transducer extending at a distal end of an elongated shaft within a handle, wherein the ultrasound transducer comprises a proximal matching layer and a distal matching layer, applying acoustic energy from the ultrasound transducer to the continuous flow of serum and gas in the interface and causing a dimensional change in gas mixed in the serum to thereby create an acoustic pressure that loosens paracellular junctions in the targeted skin to enhance penetration of the serum in the targeted skin, wherein the serum and the gas are mixed at a distal facing surface of the ultrasound transducer, wherein the distal facing surface is defined by the distal matching layer and comprises recesses that mixes the serum and the gas, wherein a distal tip of a handheld applicator and the continuous flow of serum flows between an inflow port and an outflow port in the distal tip, wherein the ultrasound transducer is received in a recess within the distal tip such that a lateral surface of the ultrasound transducer and an inner surface of the recess forms an annular space through which the serum is delivered to the targeted skin, wherein the serum is delivered from an interior chamber within the handle, the interior chamber comprising an annular configuration around a central passageway through which the elongated shaft is received.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.