# US 2018/0021080 A1 · Apparatus for treating skin blemishes with cold plasma

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- Number: US 2018/0021080 A1
- Document ID: US20180021080A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/550,058
- Filed: 2016-02-08
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-12
- Assignees: Mde Works S.R.L.
- Applicants: Mde Works S.R.L.
- Inventors: Eugenio FUMI; Danilo URBANI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180021080A1

## CPC

- A61B 18/14: Probes or electrodes therefor
- A61B 18/00: Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body (eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00)
- A61B 18/1233: {with circuits for assuring patient safety}
- A61B 2018/00083: {low, i.e. electrically insulating}
- A61B 2018/00107: {Coatings on the energy applicator}
- A61B 2018/0047: {Upper parts of the skin, e.g. skin peeling or treatment of wrinkles}
- A61B 2018/00583: {Coblation, i.e. ablation using a cold plasma}
- A61B 2018/00625: {Vaporization}
- A61B 2018/00702: {Power or energy}
- A61B 2018/00827: {Current}
- A61B 2018/00875: {Resistance or impedance}
- A61B 2018/00892: {Voltage}
- A61B 2018/00988: {Means for storing information, e.g. calibration constants, or for preventing excessive use, e.g. usage, service life counter}
- A61B 2018/147: {Electrodes transferring energy by capacitive coupling, i.e. with a dielectricum between electrode and target tissue}
- A61B 2018/1495: {Electrodes being detachable from a support structure}
- A61B 2018/167: {Passive electrodes capacitively coupled to the skin}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

Disclosed is a medical apparatus including at least one electrode for generating cold plasma, the electrode including a tail and a head and being covered with isolating and biocompatible mineral material, the tail being the electrode portion to be connected with the corresponding handpiece and the head being the electrode portion to be faced towards the skin of the patient, the apparatus including at least one electrode including a head including a spherical end and/or at least one electrode including a head shaped to form a corkscrew-like element.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Apparatus externally comprising: at least one mechanical structure for the containment and electromagnetic screening, and internally comprising: a first unit (1) comprising: at least one color LCD display with touch screen and accessible from a front panel of said apparatus; a second unit (2) comprising: at least one logic card in turn containing a microprocessor (11) with memory (10) for resident programs, at least one DDS (12) adapted to generate RF signals preset according to need, at least one modulator-attenuator (13) controlled by the microprocessor (11) and generating pulses, at least one ON-OFF function, at least one system for the adjustment of intensity of the output radiofrequency of the entire machine, at least one amplifier (14) adapted to restore the losses of said modulator-attenuator (13), and at least one low-pass filter (15) adapted to limit the band to the desired one, said radio frequencies being comprised between 1 MHz and 15 MHz; said medical apparatus further internally comprising a third unit (3) comprising: at least one pre-driver and at least one RF broadband power amplifier for the signals coming from said second unit (2) up to a power of 200 watts; a fourth unit (4) comprising: at least one RF power filter inserted by the microprocessor (11) depending on the frequency generated by the DDS (12); a fifth unit (5) comprising: a measuring card for measuring the voltage V and current I and relative phase, there between, of the RF signal, said measurements allowing the microprocessor (11) to calculate the actual radiofrequency power supplied to the load and the actual as well as the imaginary impedance of the load; a sixth unit (6) arranged at the output of said apparatus adapted to provide for the galvanic isolation of the load from the mass, said load being a patient, said unit (6) comprising: at least one high isolation 1:1 RF transformer (21), a set of HT photo couplers 22, and at least one high isolation DC-DC (23) for power supplying electrode carrier handpieces (18); a seventh unit (7) adapted for the connection, through connections (19), of corresponding electrode carrier handpieces (18), at least one return plate (20) connected to the load; an eighth unit (8) including at least one power supply unit for supplying all electrical circuits of said apparatus; and a ninth unit (9) comprising the network switch, fuses and medical standard anti-disturbance filters, said medical apparatus comprising at least one electrode (100) for generating cold plasma, said electrode (100) comprising a tail (120) and a head (110) and being covered with isolating and biocompatible mineral material, said tail (120) being the electrode portion to be connected with the corresponding handpiece (18) and said head (110) being the electrode portion (100) to be faced towards the skin of the patient, said apparatus comprising at least one electrode (100) comprising a head (110) including a spherical end (130) and/or at least one electrode (100) comprising a head (110) shaped to form a corkscrew-like element (140).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrode (100) comprising the head (110) including the spherical end (130) comprises a cylindrically-shaped tail (120) having a hollow bottom (121), said bottom (121) centrally having a flaring (122) having diameter comprised between 3 mm and 6 mm at 90°, from said flaring (122) there departing an inner cavity (123) having length comparable to that of the half of the length of said tail (120), said length of the cavity (123) being comprised between 10 mm and 20 mm, said cavity (123) having a transverse section having width comprised between 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm, said tail (120) having width comprised between 6 mm and 12 mm, said electrode (100), starting from said tail (120) and moving towards said spherical end (130), further comprising: a conical portion (111), a cylindrical central portion (112) having diameter of the transverse section analogous to that of the lower base of the cone represented by said conical portion (111), a catenoid-like pinched cylindrical portion (113) having a radius of curvature comprised between 12 mm and 14 mm, and said spherical end (130), the latter having a radius of curvature comprised between 1 mm and 2 mm, said electrode (100) with spherical end (130) having an overall length comprised between 40 mm and 60 mm, said conical portion (111) having length comprised between 2 mm and 12 mm, said central cylindrical portion (112) having length comprised between 6 mm and 16 mm, said catenoid-like pinched cylindrical portion (113) having length comprised between 3 mm and 13 mm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electrode (100) comprising the head (110) including the spherical end (130) comprises: the flaring (122) having a diameter of 4.5 mm at 90°, the inner cavity (123) having a width of 2.3 mm and length of 15 mm, the tail (120) having width of 8 mm and length of 25 mm, the conical portion (111) having a length of 7 mm, the central cylindrical portion (112) having a length of 11.31 mm, the catenoid-like pinched cylindrical portion (113) having a length of 8.69 mm and radius of curvature of 13.25 mm, the spherical end (130) having a radius of 1.5 mm, said electrode (100) with spherical end (130) having an overall length of 52 mm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

Apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising at least one electrode (100) comprising a tail (120) analogous to that of the electrode (100) comprising the spherical end (130), and a head (110) shaped to form a corkscrew-like element (140), the latter centrally defining the hole (142), said head (110) shaped to form a corkscrew-like element (140) defining, with the tail (120) of the same electrode in which it is comprised, the lateral symmetric angles (141) comprised between 100° and 115°, said angles being observable when said hole (142) is parallel to the skin of the patient, said head (110) shaped to form a corkscrew-like element (140) further defining with said tail (120) the front/rear symmetric angles (143) comprised between 130° and 140°, said angles being visible when said hole is orthogonal to the skin of the patient, said head (110) shaped to form a corkscrew-like element (140) further having, for each side, at least one lateral curvature (144), at least one upper curvature (145), and at least one lower curvature (146).

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the symmetric lateral angles (141) are 112.75° and in that the front/rear symmetric angles (143) are 135°.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising on the rear portion of said apparatus: the network and switch input, box mass, protected service connection, USB, ventilation output, pneumatic pedal control (27).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generated radiofrequencies are comprised between 1.5 MHz and 6.87 MHz.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radiofrequencies have a frequency of 4 MHz.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising electrodes (100) with interchangeable heads (110).

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrode/electrodes (100) is/are covered with alumina.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrode/electrodes (100) is/are covered with silicon nitride.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising in the first unit (1) at least one PC card driver (24) for managing the images, of the USB ports (25), of the possible Internet connection for upgrades and diagnostics; and further comprising, in the second unit (2), the pedal input (27) adapted to activate plasma generation.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising electrode carrier handpieces for diathermy with heads (26) of various diameters.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

Apparatus according to claim 1 for medical use.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

Apparatus according to claim 1 for use in the cold plasma treatment of skin blemishes due to skin diseases and/or aging.

### Claim 16

Electrode (100) comprising a tail (120) and a head (110) wherein the head (110) includes a spherical end (130) and comprising: a tail (120) with cylindrical shape having a hollow bottom (121), said bottom (121) centrally having the flaring (122) having diameter comprised between 3 mm and 6 mm at 90°, from said flaring (122) there departing the internal cavity (123) having a length comparable to that of half the length of said tail (120), said length of the cavity (123) being comprised between 10 mm and 20 mm, said cavity (123) having a transverse section having width comprised between 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm, said tail (120) having width comprised between 6 mm and 12 mm, said electrode (100), starting from said tail (120) and moving towards said spherical end (130), further comprising: a conical portion (111), a cylindrical central portion (112) having diameter of the transverse section analogous to that of the lower base of the cone represented by said conical portion (111), a catenoid-like pinched cylindrical portion (113) having a radius of curvature comprised between 12 mm and 14 mm, and said spherical end (130), the latter having radius of curvature comprised between 1 mm and 2 mm, said electrode (100) with spherical end (130) having an overall length comprised between 40 mm and 60 mm, said conical portion (111) having length comprised between 2 mm and 12 mm, said central cylindrical portion (112) having length comprised between 6 mm and 16 mm, said catenoid-like pinched cylindrical portion (113) having length comprised between 3 mm and 13 mm, said electrode (100) with spherical end (130) further being covered with biocompatible isolating mineral material.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

Electrode (100) according to claim 16, further comprising: the flaring (122) having a diameter of 4.5 mm at 90°, the internal cavity (123) having width of 2.3 mm and length of 15 mm, the tail (120) having width of 8 mm and length of 25 mm, the conical portion (111) having a length of 7 mm, the central cylindrical portion (112) having a length of 11.31 mm, the catenoid-like pinched cylindrical portion (113) having a length of 8.69 mm and radius of curvature of 13.25 mm, the spherical end (130) having a radius of 1.5 mm, said electrode (100) with spherical end (130) having an overall length of 52 mm.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

Electrode (100) comprising a tail (120) and a head (110), wherein said tail (120) is analogous to that of the electrode (100) according to claim 17, and wherein the head (110) is shaped to form a corkscrew-like element (140), the latter centrally defining the hole (142), said head (110) shaped to form a corkscrew-like element (140) defining, with the tail (120) of the electrode in which it is comprised, the symmetric lateral angles (141) comprised between 100° and 115°, said angles being observable when said hole (142) is parallel to the skin of the patient, said head (110) shaped to form a corkscrew-like element (140) further defining with said tail (120) the front/rear symmetric angles (143) comprised between 130° and 140°, said angles being visible when said hole is orthogonal to the skin of the patient, said head (110) shaped to form a corkscrew-like element (140) further having, for each side, at least one lateral curvature (144), at least one upper curvature (145), and at least one lower curvature (146), said electrode further being covered with biocompatible isolating material.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

Electrode (100) according to claim 18, wherein the symmetric lateral angles (141) are 112.75° and in that the front/rear symmetric angles (143) are 135°.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

Electrode (100) according to claim 16, wherein the electrode is covered with alumina or silicon nitride.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

Electrode (100), covered with alumina or silicon nitride, with head (110) including the spherical end (130), according to claim 16 for use in the cold plasma treatment of skin blemishes.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

Electrode (100), covered with alumina or silicon nitride, with head (110) shaped to form a corkscrew-like element (140) according to claim 18 for use in the cold plasma treatment of skin blemishes.