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US 12,642,985 B2Granted
Dermatological laser systems and methods with pressure sensing handpiece
AssigneeCutera, Inc.
InventorsMichael A. Karavitis, Wytze E. van der Veer, Amogh Kothare, Soenke A. Moeller, Shawn M. Gilliam
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Dermatological systems and methods for providing a therapeutic laser treatment using a handpiece providing contact cooling of the skin and contact sensing to ensure proper contact between therapeutic laser and the contact cooling element and skin of the patient.
Claims20
A system for treating the skin of a patient, the system comprising:
- a) a laser source for providing a plurality of therapeutic laser pulses for application to one or more locations within a first skin area of the patient;
- b) a handpiece comprising:
- 1) a handpiece body comprising an aperture, the handpiece body optically coupled to the laser source and having a pulse delivery region adapted to deliver the therapeutic laser pulses to the one or more locations within the first skin area through the aperture;
- 2) a contact sensing unit, comprising:
- A) a frame surrounding at least a portion of the aperture;
- B) an arm fixedly connected to the handpiece body;
- C) a spring extending between the arm and a distal end of the handpiece, the spring configured to urge the distal end of the handpiece counterclockwise;
- and
- D) a plurality of sensing elements adjacent the frame at spaced-apart locations, wherein a force applied to the contact sensing unit urges the distal end of the handpiece to rotate clockwise when the force applied to the contact sensing unit exceeds the force of the spring, causing separation of components of one or more the plurality of sensing elements and producing an electrical signal, each sensing element being capable of providing an indication of contact between the handpiece and the skin of the patient at one of the spaced-apart locations based on production of the electrical signal;
- c) a contact indicator for providing a first parameter in the form of a first visual indication to a system user based on less than a predetermined number of the plurality of contact sensing elements detecting contact between the handpiece and the skin of the patient;
- and
- d) a controller operably connected to the plurality of sensing elements, the controller configured to prevent the delivery of the plurality of laser pulses in response to less than a predetermined number of the plurality of contact sensing elements providing an indication of contact between the handpiece and the skin of the patient to the controller, the controller further configured to activate the contact indicator to provide the first visual indication in response to less than the predetermined number of the plurality of contact sensing elements providing an indication of contact between the handpiece and the skin of the patient to the controller.
9 more elements
A system for treating the skin of a patient with a therapeutic laser pulse, the system comprising:
- a) a laser source for generating a plurality of therapeutic laser pulses for application to a first skin area of the patient;
- b) a handpiece comprising:
- 1) a handpiece body optically coupled to the laser source and having a pulse delivery region adapted to deliver the therapeutic laser pulses to one or more locations within the first skin area;
- 2) a contact window adapted to contact the first skin area, wherein the therapeutic laser pulses are delivered to the one or more locations through the contact window;
- 3) a contact sensing unit, comprising:
- A) a frame surrounding at least a portion of the contact window;
- B) an arm fixedly connected to the handpiece body;
- C) a spring extending between the arm and a distal end of the handpiece, the spring configured to urge the distal end of the handpiece counterclockwise;
- and
- D) a plurality of sensing elements coupled to the frame at spaced-apart locations, wherein a force applied to the contact window urges the distal end of the handpiece to rotate clockwise when the force applied to the contact window exceeds the force of the spring, causing separation of components of one or more of the plurality of sensing elements and producing an electrical signal, each sensing element being capable of producing a signal indicating contact between a portion of the contact window and the skin of the patient adjacent one of the spaced-apart locations based on production of the electrical signal;
- c) a contact indicator for providing a first visual indication of a first parameter to a system user based on less than all of the plurality of contact sensing elements detecting contact between the portion of the contact window and the skin of the patient;
- and
- d) a controller operably connected to the plurality of sensing elements, the controller configured to prevent the delivery of the plurality of laser pulses in response to determining the first parameter from the plurality of contact sensing elements, the controller further configured to activate the contact indicator to provide the first visual indication in response to less than all of the plurality of contact sensing elements detecting contact between the portion of the contact window and the skin of the patient.
10 more elements
A system for treating the skin of a patient with a therapeutic laser pulse, the system comprising:
- a) a laser source for generating therapeutic laser pulses for application to a target skin area;
- b) a handpiece comprising:
- 1) a handpiece body having a first region optically coupled to the laser source and a second region adapted to deliver the therapeutic laser pulses to the target skin area;
- 2) a contact cooling unit located at the second region of the handpiece body, the contact cooling unit comprising a contact cooling window having:
- A) a contact surface adapted to contact and cool a first skin area comprising the target skin area, and
- B) a periphery;
- and
- 3) a contact sensing unit for contacting the skin of the patient, comprising:
- A) a frame surrounding at least a portion of the contact cooling window periphery;
- B) an arm fixedly connected to the handpiece body;
- C) a spring extending between the arm and a distal end of the handpiece, the spring configured to urge the distal end of the handpiece counterclockwise;
- and
- D) a first contact sensing element at a first location on the frame, wherein a force applied to the contact cooling window urges the distal end of the handpiece to rotate clockwise when the force applied to the contact cooling window exceeds the force of the spring, causing separation of components of the first contact sensing element and producing a first electrical signal, the first contact sensing element being capable of producing a signal indicating contact between a portion of the contact window and the skin of the patient adjacent to the first location based on production of the first electrical signal;
- and
- E) at least a second contact sensing element at a second location on the frame, wherein a force applied to the contact cooling window urges the distal end of the handpiece to rotate clockwise when the force applied to the contact cooling window exceeds the force of the spring, causing separation of components of one or more of the at least a second contact sensing element and producing a second electrical signal, the at least a second contact sensing element being capable of producing a signal indicating contact between a portion of the contact window and the skin of the patient adjacent to the second location based on production of the second electrical signal;
- and
- c) a contact indicator for providing a first visual indication of at least one first parameter to a system user based on the first contact sensing element and the at least a second contact sensing element indicating contact between the contact window and the skin of the patient, the contact indicator comprising an LED comprising a part of the handpiece.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.