Method and apparatus for cosmetic skin treatment

An apparatus for cosmetic RF skin treatment, said apparatus comprising:

• a controller operative to set a fraction for RF energy to be delivered into a skin ablative process and a fraction for RF energy to delivered into a skin non-ablative process;
• an applicator operative to apply RF energy pulse to a treated skin segment corresponding to the set fraction of RF energy;
• a mechanism operative to measure and record the treated skin segment impedance and the delivered RF energy and communicate the values to a mechanism operative in course of the RF pulse application to continuously monitor the recorded impedance of the treated skin segment and the recorded RF energy and to calculate the fraction of energy delivered into the non-ablative process and the fraction of energy delivered into the skin ablative process;
• and
• comparing to the fraction of energy delivered into the skin to the respective selected fraction of the RF energy.

An apparatus for cosmetic RF skin treatment, said apparatus comprising:

• an applicator including a tip with a plurality of RF voltage to skin delivering elements;
• an RF voltage source operative to drive the applicator and apply a certain RF voltage pulse to a treated skin segment, said applicator including a current sensor and a voltage sensor operative to sense the voltage applied by the applicator and current induced by said voltage in the treated skin segment and generate corresponding signals;
• a mechanism receiving and recording said voltage and current signals and deriving from said signals at least one of a group of a RF resistance of the skin segment, true RF power delivered to the skin segment and phase angle between the RF voltage and induced by said voltage current values and communicating said values to a controller;
• and
• wherein said controller based on the recorded RF resistance of the treated skin segment and the recorded RF power calculates the fraction of energy delivered into the non-ablative process and the fraction of energy delivered into the skin ablative process.

An apparatus for cosmetic skin treatment by application of RF energy to the treated skin segment, said apparatus comprising:

• an applicator operative to applying a certain voltage level to a treated skin segment;
• a monitoring mechanism operative to determine skin condition by measuring skin impedance and calculating skin resistance (R) and determining phase angle (φ) between the RF voltage and current induced by said voltage and communicating determined values to a controller;
• and
• wherein said controller increases the RF voltage applied to the treated skin segment to cause an electrical skin breakdown and form in the skin an electrically conductive channel if the phase angle and the skin resistance are above preset values;
• and
• reduces the RF voltage applied to the treated skin segment if the phase angle and skin resistance are below certain preset values;
• and continues the skin treatment.