Multi-Probe Cooling Device for Controlled Dermatological Tissue Treatment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current dermatological treatments for skin blemishes, such as deep pigmentation, are insufficiently effective and often cause unwanted tissue damage and scarring due to the difficulty in controlling the depth and extent of tissue destruction, especially with cryotherapy methods.

Innovation Solution

A method and device utilizing a plurality of cooling probes that maintain contact with the skin at a temperature not exceeding 5°C, with a distance of no more than 10mm between probe tips, to selectively cool and damage specific tissue volumes, thereby reducing blemishes while minimizing damage to surrounding tissue.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If traditional cryotherapy methods are used to remove skin blemishes, then the blemishes can be removed, but unwanted tissue damage and scarring occur due to difficulty in controlling depth and extent of tissue destruction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol precision of tissue damage depthVSAvoidunwanted tissue damage and scarring

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The treatment area is divided into multiple discrete treatment zones corresponding to individual probe contact points. Each probe creates isolated columns of treated tissue rather than treating a continuous area, allowing precise control over the extent and depth of tissue damage while minimizing collateral damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling probes deliver localized cold therapy to specific skin regions through direct contact. The temperature effect is concentrated at the probe-skin interface and diminishes with distance, enabling different treatment intensities in different locations and precise control over which tissues are affected by the cold therapy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If fractional technology is used to treat skin blemishes, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but multiple treatment sessions are required to achieve maximal effect

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment effectivenessVSAvoidnumber of treatment sessions required

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling probes are pre-cooled to therapeutic temperatures before contacting the skin, and multiple probes are positioned simultaneously to treat multiple areas in one application. This preliminary preparation allows the treatment to achieve greater effect in fewer sessions compared to sequential single-point treatments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple cooling probes are used simultaneously to treat multiple skin areas during a single treatment session. The combined effect of several probes working in parallel achieves the therapeutic outcome faster than treating areas sequentially, reducing the total number of sessions needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If deep cooling is applied to treat pigmentation blemishes, then treatment effectiveness improves, but risk of damaging surrounding healthy tissue increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment effectiveness for deep pigmentationVSAvoiddamage to surrounding healthy tissue

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The treatment is segmented into discrete columns of cooled tissue, each corresponding to a probe contact point. This segmentation allows deep cooling to be applied effectively while limiting the lateral spread of cold effects, protecting surrounding healthy tissue from damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling probes act as intermediaries that deliver controlled cold therapy to targeted skin regions. The probes mediate between the cold source and the skin tissue, allowing precise control over which tissues receive the therapeutic cold effect and which remain protected.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 allows for controlled, localized cooling that effectively reduces the severity of skin blemishes, including pigmentation and adipocyte-related issues, with minimal scarring and discomfort, achieving improved skin rejuvenation and appearance without the extensive tissue damage associated with traditional methods.

Implementation Method 1

maintaining the plurality of cooling probes in contact with the area of skin for a period of time while the distal ends of the plurality of cooling probes are at a probe temperature of not more than about 5° C. so as to substantially cool a volume of tissue

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS9545284B2Devices and methods for dermatological treatment

Publication Date: 2017.01.17 ALMA LASERS LTD

AI summary

Disclosed are methods for dermatological treatment that in some embodiments include contacting a plurality of cooling probes with an area of skin and maintaining the plurality of cooling probes in contact with the area of skin for a period of time while the distal ends of the plurality of cooling probes substantially cool a volume of tissue, thereby causing a beneficial effect as a result of the substantial cooling of the volume of tissue, as well as devices useful for implementing the method.