US 7,630,774 B2Granted

System and method for heating biological tissue via RF energy

AssigneeAlma Lasers Ltd.

InventorsZiv Karni, Alexander Britva

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Abstract

A system 30 and method(s) 100 for thermal treatment of a selected target within a subject is disclosed. System 30 includes RF source 10, phase shifter 14, impedance matching network 11 and resonator 13. Applicator 3 conveys output signal 17 from energy source 10 through surface 6 of biological tissue 4 to predetermined energy dissipation zone 5 after output 17 has been processed by the phase shifter 14, IMN 11 and resonator 13. Stationary water molecules 1, such as those in fat cells, are heated. System 30 is operative to heat a volume of biological tissue beneath the biological tissue surface 6 such that surface 6 of biological tissue 4 is maintained at a lower temperature than predetermined energy dissipation zone 5 without a cooling device. The invention is useful in selective heating of cellulite bodies as a means of treating cellulite.

Claims40

Dependent claims

An improved system for thermal treatment of a selected target within a subject, the system comprising:

(a) an RF energy source capable of producing an output RF power signal directed to an applicator contactable with a surface of a biological tissue belonging to the subject, said applicator capable of delivering a desired amount of energy to a predetermined energy dissipation zone beneath said surface of said biological tissue, the selected target positioned within said predetermined energy dissipation zone;
(b) a phase shifter, said phase shifter capable of shifting a phase of directed traveling waves of said output signal so that energy therefrom is concentrated primarily in said predetermined energy dissipation zone, which lies at a desired depth beneath said surface of said biological tissue;
(c) an impedance matching network (IMN), said IMN capable of converting the impedance of said biological tissue belonging to the subject from a nominal value to a corrected value, said corrected value matching an impedance characteristic of said RF energy source and said phase shifter so that said output traveling wave may pass through said surface of said biological tissue without being converted to a standing wave;
(d) an RF resonator located in said applicator, said RF resonator capable of cyclically accumulating and releasing said desired amount of energy, said RF resonator further capable of concentrating said desired amount of energy so that a significant portion thereof is concentrated in said predetermined energy dissipation zone;
and
(e) said applicator capable of conveying said output RF power signal from said RF energy source through said surface of said biological tissue to said predetermined energy dissipation zone after said output has been processed by said phase shifter, said IMN and said resonator;
wherein the system is operative to heat a volume of said biological tissue beneath said surface so that the surface of said biological tissue is maintained at a lower temperature than said predetermined energy dissipation zone without a cooling device;
and
wherein the absence of a ground electrode permits free propagation of said waves of said output RF power signal in said energy dissipation zone.

6 more elements

An improved method for thermal treatment of a selected target within a subject, the method comprising:

(a) providing an output RF power signal directed to an applicator contactable with a surface of a biological tissue belonging to the subject,
(b) employing a phase shifter to shift a phase of traveling waves in said output RF power signal so that energy therefrom is concentrated primarily in a predetermined energy dissipation zone which lies at a desired depth beneath said surface of said biological tissue, wherein the selected target is positioned within said predetermined energy dissipation zone;
(c) converting the impedance of said biological tissue belonging to the subject from a nominal value to a corrected value, said corrected value matching an impedance characteristic of said RF-source and phase shifter so that said output signal may pass through said surface of said biological tissue without being converted to a standing wave by means of an impedance matching network (IMN);
(d) cyclically accumulating in an RF resonator located in said applicator, and releasing therefrom, said desired amount of energy,
(e) concentrating said desired amount of energy in said RF resonator so that a significant portion thereof is concentrated in said predetermined energy dissipation zone upon release therefrom;
and
(f) conveying said output signal of RF energy through said surface of said biological tissue to said predetermined energy dissipation zone after said output has been processed by said phase shifter, said IMN and said resonator by means of said applicator;
wherein performance of (a)-(f) heats a volume of said biological tissue beneath said surface so that the surface of said biological tissue is maintained at a lower temperature than said predetermined energy dissipation zone without a cooling device;
and
wherein the absence of a ground electrode permits free propagation of said waves in said output signal in said energy dissipation zone.

7 more elements

An improved method for cellulite treatment, the method comprising:

(a) providing an output signal of RF energy directable to an applicator contactable with a surface of a biological tissue belonging to the subject,
(b) employing a phase shifter to shift a phase of waves in said output traveling wave so that energy therefrom is concentrated primarily in a predetermined energy dissipation zone which lies at a desired depth beneath said surface of said biological tissue, wherein the selected target is positioned within said predetermined energy dissipation zone, said predetermined energy dissipation zone including at least one cellulite body;
(c) converting the impedance of said biological tissue belonging to the subject from a nominal value to a corrected value, said corrected value matching an impedance characteristic of said RF-power source and said phase shifter so that said output signal may pass through said surface of said biological tissue without being converted to a standing wave by means of an impedance matching network (IMN);
(d) cyclically accumulating in an RF resonator located in said applicator, and releasing therefrom, said desired amount of energy,
(e) concentrating said desired amount of energy in said RF resonator so that a significant portion thereof is concentrated in said predetermined energy dissipation zone upon release therefrom;
and
(f) conveying said output from said RF energy source through said surface of said biological tissue to said predetermined energy dissipation zone after said output has been processed by said phase shifter, said IMN and said resonator by means of said applicator;
wherein performance of (a)-(f) heats a volume of said biological tissue beneath said surface so that the surface of said biological tissue is maintained at a lower temperature than said predetermined energy dissipation zone without a cooling device;
and
wherein the absence of a ground electrode permits free propagation of said waves in said output signal in said energy dissipation zone;
and
wherein said at least one cellulite body is heated to a greater degree than a tissue adjacent thereto.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/562,135Filed 17 Mar 2005
Published: US 2007/0106349 A110 May 2007
Granted: 8 Dec 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

A61B 18/042
By heating: using additional gas becoming plasma
A61B 18/12
By heating: by passing a current through the tissue to be heated, e.g. high-frequency current
A61B 18/1206
By passing a current through the tissue to be heated, e.g. high-frequency current: generators therefor
A61B 18/14
By passing a current through the tissue to be heated, e.g. high-frequency current: probes or electrodes therefor