Ultrasound treatment of sub-dermal tissue for cosmetic effects
AssigneeGuided Therapy Systems, LLC
InventorsMichael H. Slayton, Peter G. Barthe, Inder Raj S. Makin, Brian D. O'Connor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for noninvasive face lifts and tissue tightening are disclosed. The method and treatment system are configured for thermal treatment of Superficial Muscular Aponeurosis System (SMAS) tissue, muscular fascia, or both. In one embodiment, a cosmetic system is configured for treating the SMAS and/or muscular fasica through delivery of ultrasound energy at a depth, distribution, timing, and energy level to achieve the desired therapeutic effect.
Claims20
A method of treating the skin, the method comprising:
- positioning an ultrasound probe system on a skin surface, the ultrasound probe system comprising an ultrasound therapy element and a motion mechanism;
- wherein the motion mechanism is controlled by a control system in communication with the ultrasound probe;
- using the ultrasound therapy element to treat a region of interest under the skin surface comprising a tissue comprising a portion of at least one of muscular fascia and SMAS tissue;
- wherein the ultrasound therapy element is coupled to the motion mechanism within the probe;
- wherein the ultrasound therapy element is configured for targeted delivery of ablative ultrasound energy to form a thermal lesion with at least a temperature sufficient to treat at least a portion of the tissue at a depth of up to 9 mm from the skin surface;
- and
- activating the motion mechanism to move the ultrasound therapy element to form a plurality of the thermal lesions along a line at the depth into the tissue to cause any one of the group consisting of ablation, deactivation, and shrinkage of at least a portion of the tissue.
A method of treating the skin, comprising:
- using an ultrasound device to emit ultrasound energy from a therapy element housed within an ultrasound probe to a region of interest at a depth under a skin surface in the range of 0.5 mm to 5 mm, the region of interest comprising a portion of at least one of muscular fascia and SMAS tissue, wherein emitting ultrasound energy ablates a portion of the region of interest under the skin surface to facilitate a tightening of the skin surface;
- and
- moving a motion mechanism operably connected to the therapy element within the ultrasound probe for controllably creating a plurality of thermal lesions along a line at the depth in the range of 0.5 mm to 5 mm under the skin surface,
- wherein the motion mechanism comprises at least one of the group consisting of an accelerometer, encoder and a position/orientation device;
- wherein the motion mechanism is controlled by a control system in communication with the ultrasound probe.
A method for treating the skin, comprising:
- focusing therapeutic ultrasound energy from a therapy element to a treatment region comprising a portion of at least one of SMAS tissue and muscular fascia at a depth in the range of up to 9 mm below the skin surface,
- wherein the therapeutic ultrasound energy ablates a portion of the treatment region to facilitate tissue tightening at the treatment region,
- wherein the therapy element is housed within an ultrasound probe;
- and
- moving a motion mechanism operably connected to the therapy element within the ultrasound probe for controllably creating a plurality of thermal lesions along a line at the depth at the treatment region,
- wherein the motion mechanism is controlled by a control system in communication with the ultrasound probe, wherein the control system controls at least one of a spatial parameter and a temporal parameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.