Cooling System Impedance Detection for Skin Freezing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for reducing adipose tissue using cold treatments face challenges in detecting skin freezing events, which can lead to injury due to the complexity and cost of monitoring systems and the risk of undetected freezing, especially when the affected area is not near the sensor.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system with an applicator that measures electrical impedance between a conductive cooling element and a return electrode, using a surface with lower electrical conductivity to determine freezing events, and incorporates a time derivative analysis to improve detection reliability, allowing for simultaneous monitoring of movements and freezing events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If temperature monitoring systems are used to detect skin freezing events, then safety is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex temperature monitoring systems with a simplified electrical impedance measurement system. By measuring changes in electrical impedance between the cooling element and a reference electrode, the system can detect skin freezing events without requiring complex thermal sensors or temperature control mechanisms, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling element itself serves dual purposes: it cools the tissue and simultaneously acts as an electrode for impedance measurement. This eliminates the need for separate sensing elements or additional monitoring hardware, allowing the system to monitor its own safety parameters through the existing cooling infrastructure.
2Reliability
If temperature monitoring systems are used to detect skin freezing events, then safety is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive temperature monitoring systems with inexpensive electrical impedance measurement circuitry. The impedance measurement can be performed using simple oscillating circuits and signal detection electronics that are far less costly than thermal sensors, temperature controllers, and associated monitoring systems, thereby significantly reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining safety monitoring capability.
3Measurement precision
If electrical impedance measurement is used to detect freezing events, then detection reliability is improved, but measurement accuracy decreases due to movement interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic signal processing to distinguish between static freezing-related impedance changes and dynamic movement-related impedance changes. By analyzing the temporal characteristics, frequency content, and patterns of impedance variations, the system can filter out movement artifacts and isolate the genuine freezing event signals, maintaining measurement precision despite patient movement during treatment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides a safer and more effective treatment by reliably detecting skin freezing events, reducing the risk of injury and system complexity, and enabling continuous monitoring during prolonged cooling treatments.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling element (3) with a cooling surface for entering into contact with the skin portion of the subject for cooling the skin portion of the subject
Implementation Method 2
The cooling system is configured to determine an electrical impedance between the cooling element and a first return electrode configured to be placed on a body of the subject
Implementation Method 3
The cooling surface has a lower electrical conductivity than a remainder of the cooling element
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The disclosure relates to applicators, cooling systems comprising such applicators, and methods for a cooling treatment of a skin fold of a subject. Methods for determining a freezing event include measuring electrical impedance between a contact plate of an applicator and a return electrode. Methods include determining possible movements as well, which may also be based on measurements of electrical impedance.