Subdermal Cryogenic Remodeling of Muscles, Nerves, Connective Tissue, and/or Adipose Tissue (FAT)
AssigneePacira CryoTech, Inc.
InventorsLisa Elkins, Ronald Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Devices, systems, and methods treat cosmetic defects, and often apply cooling with at least one tissue-penetrating probe inserted through of the skin of a patient. The cooling may remodel one or more target tissue so as to effect a desired change in a composition of the target tissue and/or a change in its behavior. Exemplary embodiments of the cooling treatments will interfere with the nerve/muscle contractile function chain so as to mitigate wrinkles of the skin. Related treatments may be used therapeutically for treatment of back and other muscle spasms, chronic pain, and the like. Some embodiments may remodel subcutaneous adipose tissue so as to alter a shape or appearance of the skin surface.
Claims9
A method for cryogenically treating target tissue for alleviating pain, said method comprising:
- providing a cryogenic device having a tissue penetrating needle probe, wherein the tissue penetrating needle probe has a plurality of spaced apart tissue penetrating needles, each needle having a distal portion, a proximal portion, a length less than 5 cm and a diameter in a range from about 0.006 inches to about 0.1 inches, and wherein adjacent needles are spaced apart between 0.25 mm and 2 mm;
- advancing the distal portion of each of the tissue penetrating needles through a skin surface into the target tissue;
- cooling the target tissue below the skin surface with the distal portions of the tissue penetrating needles;
- and
- remodeling the target tissue such that the remodeled target tissue temporarily alleviates pain.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.