Tissue remodeling apparatus containing cooling fluid
AssigneeThermage, Inc.
InventorEdward W. Knowlton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid delivery apparatus for introducing a fluid cooling media to a skin surface includes a template with a skin interface surface. An energy delivery device is coupled to the template. A fluid cooling media introduction member is coupled to the template. Resources controllably deliver energy from the energy delivery device to the skin surface. In a related embodiment, the resources are configured to controllably deliver the flowable cooling media to the introduction member. In another embodiment, a sensor is coupled to the resources and to the skin surface.
Claims41
An apparatus for cooling a skin surface during remodeling of a soft tissue structure underneath the skin surface, comprising:
- a template comprising a layer that is made of semiconductive material and has a curved skin interface surface that substantially conforms to the general three-dimensional contour of the soft tissue structure;
- an energy delivery device coupled to the template;
- a flowable cooling media introduction member coupled to the template;
- and
- an energy resource configured to controllably deliver energy from the energy delivery device to the skin surface.
An apparatus for remodeling of a soft tissue structure underneath the skin surface, comprising:
- a template comprising a layer that is made of semiconductor material and having a curved skin interface surface that substantially conforms to the general three-dimensional contour of the soft tissue structure;
- an energy delivery device coupled to the template;
- a flowable cooling media introduction member coupled to the template;
- and
- an energy resource configured to controllably deliver energy from the energy delivery device to the skin surface,
- wherein the energy resource includes a flow rate signal generator that generates a flow rate control signal to control cooling media supplied from a cooling media source to the flowable cooling media introduction member;
- and flow rate measurement circuitry coupled to the flowable cooling media introduction member and configured to measure a flow rate of the cooling media at the skin surface.
An apparatus for remodeling of a soft tissue structure underneath the skin surface, comprising:
- a template comprising a skin-contacting layer that is made of semiconductive material and has a curved skin interface surface that substantially conforms to the general three-dimensional contour of the soft tissue structure, and a non-skin-contacting layer that is rigid and adopts a desired shape of the soft tissue structure;
- an energy delivery device coupled to the template;
- and
- an energy resource configured to controllably deliver energy from the energy delivery device to the skin surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.