Treatment apparatus using high frequency waves and method for controlling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9364392-B2
Application number	US-201214234864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2012
Priority date	Jul 26, 2011
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to a treatment apparatus using high frequency waves, and to a method for controlling same. The treatment apparatus using high frequency waves comprises: a high frequency wave generating unit; a plurality of needles for providing, into the skin of a user, high frequency energy transferred from the high frequency wave generating unit; and a driving unit for inserting the plurality of needles into the skin of the user, wherein the apparatus further comprises a control unit for controlling the driving unit such that the plurality of needles are inserted into a first target point within the skin and then move to a second target point.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A treatment apparatus, comprising:
a high-frequency wave generating unit;
a plurality of needles configured to provide high-frequency energy from the high-frequency wave generating unit to a subcutaneous area;
a driving unit configured to provide a driving force for inserting the plurality of needles into the subcutaneous area; and
a control unit controlling the driving unit and configured to insert ends of the plurality of needles to a first target point at a first depth in the subcutaneous area and to then shift the ends of the plurality of needles to a second target point at a second depth in the subcutaneous area,
wherein the control unit is further configured to block high-frequency energy from being provided from the plurality of needles while the ends of the plurality of needles are shifted from the first target point to the second target point, and wherein the first target point and the second target point are located under the same surface location and respectively located at different depths.

2. The treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first target point is located deeper from a skin surface than the second target point.

3. The treatment apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of needles provide high-frequency energy to the first target point and shift to the second target point to provide high-frequency energy to the second target point.

4. The treatment apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the control unit controls the driving unit so that the plurality of needles provide high-frequency energy at a fixed position for a predetermined first time at the first target point, and shift to the second target point to provide high-frequency energy at a fixed position for a predetermined time.

5. The treatment apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first time and the second time each are not less than 0.1 secs and not more than 1 sec.

6. The treatment apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of needles do not provide high-frequency energy at the first target point and provide high-frequency energy at the second target point.

7. The treatment apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the control unit controls the driving unit so that when the plurality of needles shift to the second target point, the plurality of needles provide high-frequency energy at a fixed position for a predetermined time.

8. The treatment apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first target point is located deeper by not less than 0.5 mm and not more than 3 mm than the second target point.

9. The treatment apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of needles are configured to provide high-frequency energy to the subcutaneous area through their respective ends, and wherein portions other than the ends are formed of an insulating material.

10. The treatment apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a sensor that may measure an impedance of skin tissue where the ends of the plurality of needles are positioned, wherein the control unit controls an output or frequency of high-frequency energy provided through the plurality of needles based on the impedance measured by the sensor.

11. The treatment apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a plate where the plurality of needles are formed;
an interworking unit provided to pressurize a side surface of the plate and enable the plate to move back and forth; and
at least one elastic member provided at another side surface to pressurize the plate in an opposite direction of a direction in which the interworking unit pressurizes the plate.

12. The treatment apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the elastic member is arranged along an edge of the plate, and wherein an elasticity modulus of the elastic member at, at least, one position of the edge of the plate is different from an elasticity modulus at an adjacent position so that the plurality of needles are inserted to the skin surface at an inclined position.

13. A treatment apparatus, comprising:
a radio frequency energy generating unit;
a plurality of needles configured to provide high-frequency energy delivered from the radio frequency energy generating unit to a subcutaneous area; and
a driving unit configured to provide a driving force for inserting the plurality of needles to the subcutaneous area, wherein ends of the plurality of needles are inserted to a first target point at a first depth and then the plurality of needles are shifted to a second target point at a second depth in the subcutaneous area by the driving force controlled by the driving unit; and
a control unit configured to block high-frequency energy from being provided from the plurality of needles while the ends of the plurality of needles are shifted from the first target point to the second target point;
wherein the first target point and the second target point are located under the same surface location and respectively located at different depths.

14. A method of controlling a treatment apparatus using radio frequency waves, the method comprising:
driving a driving unit so that a plurality of needles are inserted to a first target point at a first depth in a subcutaneous area;
delivering first radio frequency energy to the plurality of needles from a radio frequency energy generating unit so that the first radio frequency energy may be provided to the first target point;
driving the driving unit to shift the plurality of needles to a second target point at a second depth in the subcutaneous area;
delivering a second radio frequency energy to the plurality of needles from the radio frequency energy generating unit so that the second radio frequency energy may be provided to the second target point; and
blocking radio frequency energy from being provided from the plurality of needles while the ends of the plurality of needles are shifted from the first target point to the second target point;
wherein the first target point and the second target point are located under the same surface location and respectively located at different depths.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first target point is located deeper from a skin surface than the second target point.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of needles are controlled to maintain a fixed position while delivering the first high-frequency energy and the second high-frequency energy.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first target point is located deeper by not less than 0.5 mm and not more than 3 mm than the second target point.

18. A method of controlling a treatment apparatus using radio frequency waves, the method comprising:
driving a driving unit so that a plurality of needles are inserted to a first target point at a first depth in a subcutaneous area;
driving the driving unit to shift the plurality of needles back to a second target point at a second depth in the subcutaneous area;
delivering radio frequency energy to the plurality of needles from a radio frequency wave generating unit so that radio frequency energy may be provided to the second target point; and
blocking radio frequency energy from being provided from the plurality of needles while the ends of the plurality of needles are shifted from the first target point to the second target point;
wherein the first target point and the second target point are located under the same surface location and respectively located at different depths.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first target point is located deeper from a skin surface from the second target point.

20. The method of claim 19 , w

Assignees

• Ko Kwang Chon
• Lutronic Corp

Inventors

• Ko Kwang Chon

Classifications

• A61H39/002

  Using electric currents (electrotherapy A61N1/32) · CPC title

• A61H2230/655

  used as a control parameter for the apparatus · CPC title

• A61H2039/005

  by means of electromagnetic waves, e.g. I.R., U.V. rays · CPC title

• A61B5/6848

  Needles · CPC title

• A61B2018/00875

  Resistance or impedance · CPC title