Methods useful in optimizing the treatment of neuropathies and targeting tissues with cosmetic botulinum injections

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11259740-B2
Application number	US-201815944528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2018
Priority date	May 3, 2011
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

The present invention pertains to methods of determining where, on the skin, a diagnostic, therapeutic, or cosmetic agent is likely to be most effectively applied (e.g., injected), and to methods for monitoring a patient after such an agent has been administered. The monitoring can produce information useful in determining whether a diagnostic, therapeutic (e.g., surgical), or cosmetic regime should be initiated, continued, continued in a modified fashion, or terminated (e.g., for a brief or prolonged period of time). The methods can be repeated periodically and use a non-invasive, in vivo form of digital image speckle correlation (DISC) to track deformation of the skin.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for identifying one or more injection sites for a cosmetic agent that induces muscle paralysis, the method comprising:
(a) taking one or more photographs of a patient's skin in an area or areas to be treated with the cosmetic agent while the patient is at rest;
(b) taking one or more photographs of the patient's skin in the area or areas to be treated with the cosmetic agent while the patient is performing an action;
(c) performing digital image speckle correlation (DISC) analysis on the photographs from steps (a) and (b), thereby generating a vector diagram comprising a series of displacement vectors that each represents the movement of a pore from its at rest position to its final location;
(d) identifying one or more locus of large stress in the vector diagram; and
(e) identifying the location for the one or more injection sites for the cosmetic agent within the one or more locus of large stress.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of injecting the cosmetic agent at the locus of large stress.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the steps (a) to (e) are subsequently repeated to monitor at least one effect on the skin after injection with the cosmetic agent.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the steps (a) to (e) are repeated within 24 weeks after injection with the cosmetic agent.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more areas to be treated comprise skin of the face or neck.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the action performed by the patient comprises smiling; moving the jaw, lips or tongue; moving the eyes; or moving the forehead.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more areas to be treated comprise skin having forehead lines, glabellar lines, or crow's feet.

8. A method for administering to a patient a cosmetic agent that induces muscle paralysis, the method comprising:
(a) identifying one or more injection sites for the cosmetic agent comprising the steps of:
(i) taking one or more photographs of the patient's skin in the area or areas to be treated with the cosmetic agent while the patient is at rest;
(ii) taking one or more photographs of the patient's skin in the area or areas to be treated with the cosmetic agent while the patient is performing an action;
(iii) performing digital image speckle correlation (DISC) analysis on the photographs from steps (a) and (b), thereby generating a vector diagram comprising a series of displacement vectors that each represents the movement of a pore from its at rest position to its final location;
(iv) identifying one or more locus of large stress in the vector diagram; and

(b) injecting the cosmetic agent into the one or more locus of large stress.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more areas to be treated comprise skin of the face or neck.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the action performed by the patient comprises smiling; moving the jaw, lips or tongue; moving the eyes; or moving the forehead.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more areas to be treated comprise skin having forehead lines, glabellar lines, or crow's feet.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the steps (a) to (e) are subsequently repeated to monitor at least one effect on the skin after injection with the cosmetic agent.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the steps (a) to (e) are repeated within 24 weeks after injection with the cosmetic agent.

Assignees

• Univ New York State Res Found
• The Research Foundation For State Univ Of New York

Inventors

• Bhatnagar Divya
• Rafailovich Miriam
• Davis Raphael
• Dagum Alexander B
• Bui Duc T

Classifications

• A61B5/4839

  combined with drug delivery · CPC title

• A61B5/1107

  Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ or muscle · CPC title

• A61B5/1128

  using image analysis (A61B5/1127 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/4041

  Evaluating nerves condition · CPC title

• A61B5/442 Primary

  Evaluating skin mechanical properties, e.g. elasticity, hardness, texture, wrinkle assessment · CPC title