Method of non-invasive reduction of human site-specific subcutaneous fat tissue deposits by accelerated lipolysis metabolism

A method of reducing adipose cell volume in a human patient by non-invasively, non-destructively, and atraumatically increasing a lipolysis rate at specific accumulations of subcutaneous adipose tissue, comprising the steps of:

• determining a schedule of treatment and identifying a number of work sites for body contour modification for said patient by assessing overall health, fitness, and suitability of the patient for any local or general medical intervention and by performing baseline medical, laboratory, biometric, and contour measurements;
• determining whether to utilize topical lipolytic augmentation agents in conjunction with radiant energy modalities, including ultrasonic, radio frequency and microwave;
• selecting a topical lipolysis augmentation agent and a conjunctive source of a radiant energy;
• determining an overall treatment program and schedule by projecting a number of encounters necessary to achieve satisfactory site-specific body contour modification by a reduction of local subcutaneous adipose tissue volume, and establishing a medical management program which achieves a calorie negative metabolic state;
• selecting a desired work site from said number of work sites in the patient's subcutaneous adipose tissue layer containing healthy adipose cells to be reduced in volume;
• topically applying said lipolysis augmentation agent to a skin surface directly over the work site;
• focusing said radiant energy through conjugate field lenses of a specific configuration adapted for said work site and through a temperature-controlled water bolus, said radiant energy focusing on subcutaneous adipose tissues in said work site to raise the temperature thereof to between 40.0.degree. to 41.5.degree. C. said water bolus maintaining the skin surface at the work site at a pre-determined temperature;
• and
• maintaining the radiant energy focused on said work site for up to 29 minutes, increasing said lipolysis rate thereof sufficiently to cause release of free fatty acids, thereby reducing the volume of the adipose cells;
• employing an imaging apparatus for viewing the changes in volume of the adipose cells.