Method and apparatus for dermatological treatment and fractional skin resurfacing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9351792-B2
Application number	US-78026107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2007
Priority date	Mar 27, 2003
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A system and method for performing fractional resurfacing of a target area of skin using electromagnetic radiation are provided. An electromagnetic radiation is generated by an electromagnetic radiation source. The electromagnetic radiation is caused to be applied to a particular portion of a target area of skin. The electromagnetic radiation can be impeded from affecting another portion of the target area of the skin by a mask. Alternatively, the electromagnetic radiation may be applied to portions of the target area of the skin, other than the particular portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for treating dermatological conditions, comprising:
controlling an electromagnetic radiation source to generate an electromagnetic radiation;
causing the electromagnetic radiation to be applied to a target area of skin; and
preventing at least one portion of the target area of the skin from being exposed to the electromagnetic radiation;
wherein the radiation is configured to at least one of thermally damage or ablate epidermal tissue and dermal tissue of the target area of the skin extending from a surface of the skin through an entire depth of the epidermal tissue and to at least a particular depth within the dermal tissue of the skin, and
wherein a width of the at least one portion of the target area is at least 50 μm and at most 300 μm.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preventing step is performed using a masking arrangement.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least 0.1% of the target area is prevented from being exposed to the electromagnetic radiation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at most 90% of the target area is prevented from being exposed to the electromagnetic radiation.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein a dimension of a portion of the masking arrangement is at least 50 μm and at most 300 μm.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the masking arrangement is configured to define at least one aperture.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein a dimension of the at least one aperture is at least 10 μm and at most 1000 μm.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein a dimension of the at least one aperture is at least 50 μm and at most 300 μm.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the masking arrangement is cooled.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is an ablative laser.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is at least one of a carbon dioxide laser and an Er:YAG laser.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling a further electromagnetic radiation source to generate a further electromagnetic radiation; and
applying the further electromagnetic radiation to the target area of the skin.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the further electromagnetic radiation source is one of a Q-switched ruby laser, a Nd:YAG laser, a KTP laser and an Alexandrite laser.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising introducing a substance to the target area, wherein the substance comprises at least one of a growth factors, a collagen byproduct, a collagen precursor, hyaluronic acid, a vitamin, an antioxidant, an amino acid and a supplemental mineral.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of causing the electromagnetic radiation to be applied to a target area of skin comprises providing the electromagnetic radiation to a plurality of exposure areas on the skin surface, and wherein a smallest dimension of the exposure areas along the skin surface area is between about 1 μm and about 500 μm.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the percentage of the target area that is exposed to the electromagnetic radiation is between 20% and 40%.

Assignees

• Manstein Dieter
• Anderson Richard
• Gen Hospital Corp

Inventors

• Manstein Dieter
• Anderson Richard

Classifications

• A61B2019/4054

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61B2019/409

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61B2017/00765

  Decreasing the barrier function of skin tissue by radiated energy, e.g. using ultrasound, using laser for skin perforation · CPC title

• A61B2018/00023

  closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid · CPC title

• A61B2018/0047

  Upper parts of the skin, e.g. skin peeling or treatment of wrinkles · CPC title