# US 8,788,060 B2 · Tissue treatment systems with high powered functional electrical stimulation and methods for reducing pain during tissue treatments > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,788,060 B2 - Document ID: US8788060B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/823,544 - Filed: 2010-06-25 - Published: 2011-01-20 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2009-07-16 - Assignees: Solta Medical, Inc. - Applicants: Dragan Nebrigic; Thomas Markiewicz - Inventors: Dragan Nebrigic; Thomas Markiewicz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788060B2 ## CPC - A61B 18/18: by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves - A61N 1/40: Applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling (microwave apparatus A61N5/00); {Applying radio-frequency signals} - A61N 1/403: {for thermotherapy, e.g. hyperthermia} - A61N 5/02: using microwaves - A61N 5/022: {Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) ## Abstract Methods, apparatus, and systems for transcutaneously treating tissue located beneath a skin surface with electromagnetic energy delivered from a treatment electrode. A portion of the treatment electrode is contacted with the skin surface. While maintaining the contact between the portion of the treatment electrode and the skin surface, the electromagnetic energy is delivered from the treatment electrode in a plurality of power pulses through the skin surface to the tissue over a treatment time with a time gap between each consecutive pair of the pulses to lower a level of pain perceived by a patient. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a tissue treatment apparatus to transcutaneously treat tissue located beneath a skin surface of a patient with electromagnetic energy delivered from a treatment electrode, the method comprising: contacting a portion of the treatment electrode with the skin surface in a stationary relationship; while maintaining the stationary contact between the portion of the treatment electrode and a treatment zone on the skin surface, delivering the electromagnetic energy from the treatment electrode through the skin surface to the tissue over a treatment time in a plurality of power pulses having a first duration and a time gap between consecutive power pulses effective to decrease a sensation of pain experienced by the patient; and during the treatment time, delivering a plurality of cryogen pulses to the portion of the treatment electrode that have a second duration that is less than the first duration of the power pulses. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein a power of the electromagnetic energy delivered in each of the power pulses has a constant magnitude. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: measuring an attribute of the tissue; and adjusting a power of the electromagnetic energy delivered in each of the power pulses based upon the measured attribute. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the measured attribute is tissue temperature or tissue impedance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the cryogen pulses cool the portion of the treatment electrode, and further comprising: communicating the cooling of the portion of the treatment electrode to the skin surface contacted by the portion of the treatment electrode so that a portion of the tissue underlying the skin surface is cooled. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: cooling the tissue using each cryogen pulse. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic energy has an operating frequency ranging from 200 kHz to 20 MHz, and the power pulses occur with a frequency in a range of 1 Hz to 10 Hz. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the power pulses occur at a frequency that is more than four orders of magnitude less than an operating frequency for the electromagnetic energy. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein delivering the plurality of cryogen pulses to the portion of the treatment electrode comprises: delivering the cryogen pulses to the portion of the treatment electrode during the time gaps between consecutive pairs of the power pulses. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein delivering the cryogen pulses to the portion of the treatment electrode during the time gaps between the consecutive pairs of power pulses further comprises: delivering the cryogen pulses to the portion of the treatment electrode in the time gap between each of the consecutive pairs of the power pulses. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the cryogen pulses cool the portion of the treatment electrode, and further comprising: communicating the cooling of the portion of the treatment electrode to the skin surface contacted by the portion of the treatment electrode so that a portion of the tissue underlying the skin surface is cooled.