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US 2012/0239120 A1Published application
System and method for heating biological tissue via rf energy
AssigneeAlma Lasers Ltd.
InventorsZiv Karni, Alexander Britva
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Abstract
A system 30 and method(s) 100 for thermal treatment of a selected target within a subject is disclosed. System 30 includes RF source 10, phase shifter 14, impedance matching network 11 and resonator 13. Stationary water molecules 1, such as those in fat cells, are heated. The invention is useful in selective heating of cellulite bodies as a means of treating cellulite.
Claims20
An improved system for thermal treatment of a selected target within a subject, the system comprising:
- (a) an electromagnetic (EM) energy source capable of producing an output EM power signal directed to an applicator contactable with a surface of a biological tissue belonging to the subject, said applicator capable of delivering a desired amount of energy to a predetermined energy dissipation zone beneath said surface of said biological tissue, the selected target positioned within said predetermined energy dissipation zone;
- (b) a phase shifter, said phase shifter capable of shifting a phase of directed traveling EM waves of said output EM signal so that energy therefrom is concentrated primarily in said predetermined energy dissipation zone, which lies at a desired depth beneath said surface of said biological tissue;
- (c) an electromagnetic (EM) resonator, said EM resonator capable of cyclically accumulating and releasing said desired amount of energy, said EM resonator further capable of concentrating said desired amount of energy so that a significant portion thereof is concentrated in said predetermined energy dissipation zone;
- and
- (d) said applicator capable of conveying said output EM power signal from said EM energy source through said surface of said biological tissue to said predetermined energy dissipation zone after said output has been processed by said phase shifter and said resonator;
- wherein the absence of a ground electrode permits free propagation of said waves of said output EM power signal in said energy dissipation zone.
3 more elements
An improved method for thermal treatment of a selected target within a subject, the method comprising:
- (a) providing an output EM power signal directed to an applicator contactable with a surface of a biological tissue belonging to the subject,
- (b) employing a phase shifter to shift a phase of traveling waves in said output EM power signal so that energy therefrom is concentrated primarily in a predetermined energy dissipation zone which lies at a desired depth beneath said surface of said biological tissue, wherein the selected target is positioned within said predetermined energy dissipation zone;
- (c) cyclically accumulating in an EM resonator and releasing therefrom, a desired amount of energy,
- (d) concentrating said desired amount of energy in said EM resonator so that a significant portion thereof is concentrated in said predetermined energy dissipation zone upon release therefrom;
- and
- (f) conveying said output signal of EM energy through said surface of said biological tissue to said predetermined energy dissipation zone after said output has been processed by said phase shifter, and said resonator wherein the absence of a ground electrode permits free propagation of said waves in said output signal in said energy dissipation zone.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.