# US 12,758,304 B2 · Treatment apparatus and method of controlling same

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- Number: US 12,758,304 B2
- Document ID: US12758304B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/905,765
- Filed: 2024-10-03
- Published: 2025-01-23
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-06
- Assignees: Lutronic Corporation
- Applicants: Lutronic Corporation
- Inventors: Kwang Chon Ko
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12758304B2

## CPC

- A61B 18/1477: {Needle-like probes}
- A61B 18/1206: {Generators therefor}
- A61B 2018/00059: {Material properties}
- A61B 2018/00696: {Controlled or regulated parameters}
- A61B 2018/00916: {with means for switching or controlling the main function of the instrument or device}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a treatment apparatus and a method of controlling the same. There are provided a treatment apparatus, including a handpiece, an RF generator generating RF energy, an insertion unit configured to advance and retract toward one direction of the handpiece, selectively inserted into a tissue, and electrically connected to the RF generator to transfer the RF energy to the inside of the tissue, and a substance storage unit receiving a therapeutic substance therein and detachably installed on one side of the handpiece to transfer the substance to the inside of the tissue by the advancing operation of the insertion unit and a method of controlling the same.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus, comprising:
a handpiece;
an insertion unit configured to advance and retract toward one direction of the handpiece and selectively inserted into a tissue;
a substance storage unit receiving a therapeutic substance therein and detachably installed on one side of the handpiece to transfer the substance to the inside of the tissue by the advancing operation of the insertion unit, and
a controller controlling the advancing and retracting operation of the insertion unit,
wherein an end of the insertion unit is inserted into the tissue when the insertion unit advances, and the end of the insertion unit is received within the substance storage unit when the retracting operation of the insertion unit is completed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the substance storage unit is positioned on a path along which the insertion unit moves while the insertion unit performs the advancing and retracting operation, and
the insertion unit is inserted into the tissue through the substance storage unit when performing the advancing operation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the insertion unit is inserted into the tissue in a state in which the substance has been applied on an external surface of the insertion unit while the insertion unit penetrates the substance storage unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the insertion unit is inserted into the tissue in a state in which the substance has been applied on an external surface of the insertion unit without flowing into and through the insertion unit while the insertion unit penetrates the substance storage unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substance is transferred from a surface of the tissue to a depth into which an end of the insertion unit is inserted along a path formed within the tissue by the insertion of the insertion unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprises: an RF generator generating RF energy,
wherein the insertion unit is connected to the RF generator to transfer the RF energy to an inside of the tissue.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the insertion unit operates to transfer the RF energy after the substance is transferred to the inside of the tissue.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a controller controlling operations of the RF generator and the insertion unit, wherein the controller differently controls the advancing and retracting operation of the insertion unit depending on whether the substance storage unit has been installed.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an installation sensing unit sending whether the substance storage unit has been installed, wherein the controller differently controls the advancing and retracting operation of the insertion unit based on information sensed by the installation sensing unit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein if a depth of a target location is identical, the insertion unit is additionally advanced as much as a length corresponding to a thickness of the substance storage unit in the second mode, compared to the first mode.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:
in the first mode, an end of the insertion unit is inserted into the tissue when the insertion unit advances, and the end of the insertion unit is received within the handpiece when the insertion unit retracts, and
in the second mode, the end of the insertion unit is inserted into the tissue when the insertion unit advances, and the end of the insertion unit is received within the substance storage unit when the insertion unit retracts.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:
the controller controls the advancing and retracting operation of the insertion unit in a first mode in the state in which the substance storage unit has not been installed, and
the controller controls the advancing and retracting operation of the insertion unit in a second mode in the state in which the substance storage unit has been installed.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substance received in the substance storage unit has a gel form.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one surface of the substance storage unit through which the insertion unit penetrates has a membrane structure having viscoelasticity so that the advancing and retracting operation of the insertion unit are easily performed and a leakage of the substance through a through hole formed by the advancing and retracting operation of the insertion unit is minimized.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substance storage unit further comprises a marking part indicating whether the substance storage unit is used when the substance storage unit is coupled to the handpiece.
