Subdermal Cryogenic Probe for Tissue Remodeling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cosmetic treatments for wrinkles, fat, and cellulite often involve injecting toxins or untested cocktails, which pose risks and have limited effectiveness, and existing non-pharmacological methods are either brief or mildly effective with potential for skin damage and extended recovery times.
Innovation Solution
A system using cryogenic energy applied through probes inserted through the skin to remodel target tissues, inhibiting muscle contraction, reducing tissue mass, and altering tissue behavior without the need for anesthetic or extensive recovery, employing cooling temperatures and bioactive agents to achieve desired cosmetic changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pharmacologically based therapies (BOTOX, mesotherapy) are used to treat wrinkles and cosmetic defects, then cosmetic improvement is achieved, but risks of injecting toxic substances and untested cocktails increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces pharmacological injection methods with a mechanical/physical system. A cryogenic probe delivers controlled cooling temperatures directly to target tissues, substituting chemical toxins with a physical thermal field. This eliminates the harmful factor of injecting toxic substances while maintaining the ability to achieve cosmetic improvement through controlled tissue remodeling via cryogenic temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the treatment parameter from chemical concentration (pharmacological dosage) to physical temperature (cryogenic levels). By controlling temperature parameters rather than chemical injection parameters, the system achieves cosmetic effects without introducing toxic substances. The controller regulates cooling intensity and duration to produce desired tissue remodeling while avoiding damage.
2Duration of action of moving object
If endermology is used for mechanical based therapy, then fibrous connective tissues are stretched or loosened, but effects are brief and only mildly effective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of water within target tissues during cryogenic treatment. As tissues are cooled to sub-zero temperatures, intracellular and extracellular water undergo phase change from liquid to solid, causing cellular stress and triggering remodeling responses. This phase transition mechanism produces more durable cosmetic effects compared to mechanical stretching, as it fundamentally alters tissue structure and triggers long-lasting regenerative responses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic or pulsed cryogenic treatment cycles rather than continuous mechanical stretching. The controller delivers cooling in controlled cycles with specific durations and intervals, allowing tissue recovery between pulses while accumulating remodeling effects. This periodic thermal action produces more sustained cosmetic improvement compared to the brief effects of single-session mechanical therapy.
3Shape
If conventional cosmetic procedures are performed, then skin surface appearance is improved, but extended recovery time and bruising occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies localized cryogenic treatment through a probe that delivers cooling precisely to target tissues beneath the skin surface. The insulated probe design confines the cold field to the intended treatment zone, protecting surrounding healthy tissues and the skin surface from damage. This localized approach achieves cosmetic improvement of specific areas (wrinkles, fat deposits, cellulite) without causing widespread tissue trauma, thereby minimizing recovery time and bruising compared to conventional invasive procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary protective measures by insulating the probe shaft and controlling the thermal field to prevent cold damage to non-target tissues before treatment begins. The system preemptively protects healthy skin and surrounding structures from cryogenic damage while the probe is inserted and during treatment, eliminating the need for extensive post-procedure recovery and bandaging that would otherwise be required to manage cold-induced tissue injury.
4Quantity of substance
If cooling is applied to remodel target tissue, then tissue mass is reduced and cosmetic improvement is achieved, but skin surface injury may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary insulating layer along the probe shaft that mediates between the cryogenic treatment zone and the skin surface. This thermal insulation acts as a buffer, allowing aggressive cooling of target tissues (fat, muscle, connective tissue) to reduce tissue mass while simultaneously protecting the skin surface from direct exposure to damaging cold temperatures. The controller manages the thermal gradient through this intermediary to achieve tissue remodeling without skin injury.
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 method provides temporary or permanent cosmetic improvements with minimal risk of skin damage, reducing muscle contraction and tissue mass, and offering a safer alternative to traditional treatments with controlled efficacy and reduced recovery time.
Implementation Method 1
cooling with at least one probe inserted through an exposed surface of the skin of a patient. The cooling may remodel one or more target tissue
Implementation Method 2
heating the skin surface to prevent injury from the cooling probe
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 1B~2M
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods treat cosmetic defects, and often apply cooling with at least one tissue-penetrating probe inserted through of the skin of a patient. The cooling may remodel one or more target tissue so as to effect a desired change in a composition of the target tissue and/or a change in its behavior. Exemplary embodiments of the cooling treatments will interfere with the nerve/muscle contractile function chain so as to mitigate wrinkles of the skin. Related treatments may be used therapeutically for treatment of back and other muscle spasms, chronic pain, and the like. Some embodiments may remodel subcutaneous adipose tissue so as to alter a shape or appearance of the skin surface.