Ice Nucleating Agents in Cooling Probes for Hypopigmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hypopigmentation treatments face inconsistencies in skin freezing, leading to variable results due to supercooling without solidification, which affects the predictability and consistency of skin lightening outcomes.
Innovation Solution
The use of coupling fluids with ice nucleating agents and a textured or roughened cooling probe surface, along with optional abrading or piercing, to promote ice crystal formation and limit supercooling, ensuring consistent skin freezing during treatments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cooling treatments are applied to the skin, then hypopigmentation effect is achieved, but freezing consistency and predictability deteriorate due to supercooling without solidification
Solution Approach 1:
A coupling fluid is introduced as an intermediary substance between the cooling probe and the skin. This fluid contains ice nucleating agents that facilitate controlled ice crystal formation, ensuring consistent freezing at the desired temperature without excessive supercooling. The coupling fluid mediates heat transfer and enables reliable phase transition initiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical-chemical parameters of the coupling fluid by incorporating ice nucleating agents with specific properties. These agents have nucleation temperatures and crystal formation characteristics that promote reliable freezing at controlled temperatures, transforming the uncertain supercooling process into a predictable phase transition.
2Reliability
If cooling treatment temperature is increased to promote freezing, then ice crystal formation is enhanced, but tissue damage and cellular destruction increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the purely thermal mechanism with a combined thermal and nucleation mechanism. Instead of relying solely on temperature to induce freezing (which causes uncontrolled damage), ice nucleating agents provide a controlled nucleation site that initiates phase transition at milder temperatures, reducing thermal damage while ensuring reliable ice formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention exploits the phase transition of water from liquid to solid through controlled nucleation. The ice nucleating agents catalyze the phase transition at temperatures that are less damaging to tissue, transforming the harmful uncontrolled freezing process into a controlled biological response that achieves hypopigmentation with minimal damage.
3Use of energy by moving object
If coupling fluid is applied to reduce thermal contact resistance, then cooling efficiency is improved, but supercooling may still occur without ice nucleating agents
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling fluid serves as an intermediary that simultaneously addresses thermal contact resistance and supercooling issues. By incorporating ice nucleating agents into this intermediary fluid, the system achieves both improved heat transfer efficiency and reliable, predictable freezing initiation, eliminating the trade-off between these two functions.
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 enhances the control and consistency of skin freezing, reducing supercooling and promoting reliable hypopigmentation by facilitating ice crystal propagation into the skin, thereby improving the predictability and effectiveness of skin lightening treatments.
Implementation Method 1
The coupling fluid may include ice nucleating agents to promote ice crystal formation in the coupling fluid during cooling treatment
Implementation Method 2
increase the chance of freezing (water phase transition) in the skin... limit supercooling or otherwise promote freezing of the skin
Implementation Method 3
coupling fluids are provided to reduce a thermal contact resistance between a cooling treatment probe and the skin of the patient
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods, devices, and systems for reducing a pigmentation of a skin of a patient. In some embodiments, freezing of the skin may be desirable to effect the hypopigmentation of the skin of the patient. Generally, embodiments may limit supercooling (or promote freezing) of the skin of the patient during a cooling treatment. In some embodiments, coupling fluids are provided to reduce a thermal contact resistance between a cooling treatment probe and the skin of the patient to improve cooling treatment. Optionally, a fluid carrier may be provided to help retain the coupling fluid at the treatment site. In some embodiments, the coupling fluid may include ice nucleating agents to promote ice crystal formation in the coupling fluid during cooling treatment. The ice crystal formation in the coupling fluid may progress into the skin to limit supercooling of the skin during treatment.