Rapid pulse electrohydraulic (EH) shockwave generator apparatus and methods for medical and cosmetic treatments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10835767-B2
Application number	US-201313798710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2013
Priority date	Mar 8, 2013
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for electrohydraulic generation of shockwaves at a rate of between 10 Hz and 5 MHz, and/or that permit a user to view a region of a patient comprising target cells during application of generated shockwaves to the region. Methods of applying electro-hydraulically generated shockwaves to target tissues (e.g., for reducing the appearance of tattoos, treatment or reduction of certain conditions and/or maladies).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a housing defining a chamber and a shockwave outlet, the chamber configured to be filled with a liquid; and
a plurality of electrodes disposed in the chamber and configured to be coupled to a pulse-generation system, the plurality of electrodes including a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode defining a first spark gap;
a hinge coupled to the second electrode, the hinge configured to enable a change in a physical position of the second electrode with respect to the first electrode;
wherein, when the plurality of electrodes is coupled to the pulse-generation system and when the chamber is filled with the liquid:
the plurality of electrodes is configured to receive voltage pulses from the pulse-generation system at a rate of between 10 Hz and 5 MHz such that portions of the liquid are vaporized to generate therapeutic shockwaves that propagate through the liquid and the shockwave outlet; and
the first electrode is configured to receive a first voltage pulse of the voltage pulses and to discharge a first spark across the first spark gap to the second electrode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of connectors configured to be removably coupled to the pulse-generation system, the plurality of connectors including a first connector electrically coupled to the first electrode and a second connector electrically coupled to the second electrode.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a member coupled to the hinge;
wherein the second electrode is coupled to the member such that the second electrode is configured to be displaced toward or away from the first electrode while the member pivot about the hinge; and
wherein the housing further comprises two liquid connections in fluid communication with the chamber, and wherein a position of the second electrode is configured to move, responsive to discharge of the first spark, from a first position within the chamber to a second position within the chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a liquid reservoir; and
a pump configured to circulate the liquid from the reservoir to the chamber of the housing via the two liquid connections.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising the pulse-generation system, and wherein the pulse-generation system comprises:
a first capacitive/inductive coil circuit comprising:
an induction coil configured to be discharged to apply at least some of the voltage pulses;
a switch; and
a capacitor;
wherein the capacitor and the switch are coupled in parallel between the induction coil and a current source.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the pulse-generation system further comprises:
a second capacitive/inductive coil circuit; and
a timer configured to coordinate the discharge of the induction coils of each of the first and second capacitive/inductive coil circuits.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrodes further includes a third electrode, and wherein a second spark gap is defined by the second electrode and the third electrode.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a translucent or transparent window incorporated in the housing and positioned such that a portion of the chamber is intermediate the translucent or transparent window and the shockwave outlet;
wherein the translucent or transparent window is configured to enable a first line-of-sight through the translucent or transparent window into the chamber of the housing to view, via the chamber and the shockwave outlet, a region of a patient comprising target cells; and
wherein the plurality of electrodes is positioned within the chamber such that the plurality of electrodes are not disposed along the first line-of-sight extending through the translucent or transparent window.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
an optical shield disposed within the chamber and positioned between the window and the plurality of electrodes.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
an acoustic mirror configured to reflect shockwaves from the plurality of electrodes to the shockwave outlet.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the acoustic mirror comprises glass.

12. An apparatus comprising:
a probe including a handle portion;
a liquid; and
a spark module configured to be removably coupled to the probe, the spark module comprising:
a sidewall defining a spark chamber associated with a shockwave outlet, the spark chamber configured to be filled with the liquid;
a probe connector coupled to the sidewall and configured to be electrically coupled to the probe via the module connector; and
a plurality of electrodes disposed in the spark chamber, the plurality of electrodes comprising a first electrode and a second electrode that define a first spark gap and at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes is electrically coupled to the probe connector;
wherein the spark module is removable from the probe as a single unit that includes the sidewall, the probe connector, and the plurality of electrodes;

a pulse-generation system coupled to the probe and configured to generate voltage pulses; and
wherein, when the spark chamber is filled with the liquid and the spark module is coupled to the pulse-generation system via the probe, the plurality of electrodes is configured to receive the voltage pulses from the pulse-generation system such that portions of the liquid are vaporized to generate therapeutic shockwaves that propagate through the liquid and the shockwave outlet.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the plurality of electrodes is removably disposed in the spark chamber; and
the handle portion comprises a manually operated switch configured to be electrically coupled to the pulse-generation system.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the sidewall comprises a polymer, and
the spark module further comprises:
an acoustically permeable cap configured to be removably coupled to the sidewall;
two liquid connections in fluid communication with the spark chamber; and
a hinge or a flexible beam coupled to a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes and configured to enable a change in a physical position of the first electrode with respect to a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes; and

the handle portion of the probe comprises:
two conduits that extend from a first end of the handle portion to a second end of the handle portion and coupled to the two liquid connections of the spark module, the two conduits configured to enable circulation of the liquid.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the sidewall is configured to transmit shockwaves through the liquid in the spark chamber towards the acoustically permeable cap.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the sidewall of the spark module comprises at least one of pins, grooves, or threads,
the probe comprises:
at least one of corresponding grooves, pins, or threads to releasably couple the spark module to the probe,
a high voltage connector positioned on a first end of the handle portion and coupled to the pulse-generation system,
a plurality of electrical conductors coupled to the high voltage connector, and
a manually operated trigger switch coupled to the handle portion, and

a position of a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes with respect to a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes is moveable from a first position within the spark chamber to a second position within the s

Assignees

• Soliton Inc
• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Capelli Christopher C
• Crowley Robert

Classifications

• A61N2007/0056

  Beam shaping elements · CPC title

• A61N2007/0047

  interstitial · CPC title

• A61N7/00 Primary

  Ultrasound therapy (lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 {; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092}) · CPC title

• A61N2007/0013

  Fracture healing · CPC title

• A61N2007/0008

  Destruction of fat cells · CPC title