DEVICE FOR PROTECTING SKIN AND TISSUES FOR AESTHETIC COLD TREATMENTS

Abstract

Protective device for the skin and tissues for cold cosmetic treatments including at least a first layer (1) of a cold conducting material, characterized in that it comprises: at least a second layer (2) on said first layer (1) and joined to it (1), defining some inner surfaces (3) between both layers configuring at least one housing (11), being both layers (1, 2) porous and absorbent, and at least one cold conducting antifreeze gel (4), scattered in housing (11), on all the inner surfaces (3), said gel (4) having a freezing point below 12 C., and a viscosity between 2000-90000 cPs at 21 C., enough to pass through the pores of layers (1, 2) and to be removed from housing (11).

Claims

1. A protective device for the skin and tissues for cold cosmetic treatments of the type comprising at least a first layer (1), characterized in that it comprises: at least a second layer (2) on said first layer (1) and joined to it (1), defining inner surfaces (3) between both layers configuring at least one housing (11), being both layers (1, 2) porous and absorbent, and at least one cold conducting antifreeze gel (4), scattered in the housing (11) on all the inner surfaces (3), said gel (4) having a freezing point below 12 C. and a viscosity between 2000-90000 cPs at 21 C. enough to pass through the pores of layers (1, 2) and to be removed from the housing (11).

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the viscosity is between 35000 and 38000 cPs at 21 C.

3. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that first layer (1) and second layer (2) have the same size.

4. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that first layer (1) and second layer (2) have different sizes.

5. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the smaller layer is placed in the centre of the larger layer.

6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that layers (1, 2) are joined together by sewing, thermosealing or sticking.

7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the material of layers (1, 2) is cellulose.

8. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the grammage of the cellulose is between 10 and 200 g/cm.sup.3.

9. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that layers (1, 2) have a different grammage.

10. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that layers (1,2) have the same grammage.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to facilitate the explanation, this specification is accompanied by seven sheets of drawings representing a practical embodiment thereof, which is provided as a non-limiting example of the scope of this invention:

[0027] FIG. 1 is a general view of cold heads with the device of this invention;

[0028] FIG. 2 is a view of the head end with the device and the skin;

[0029] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of FIG. 2, along the line III-III, when the head end is cooling and applying suction to the device and skin;

[0030] FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the device;

[0031] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the device;

[0032] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the device; and

[0033] FIG. 7 is a detail of how the device works.

SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0034] So, FIG. 1 illustrates a patient 6 on which devices 8 of this invention are placed and some heads 5 are placed on said devices 8.

[0035] FIG. 2 represents the head 5, device 8 and the patient's skin 7.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows the head with the suction means 9, cold means 10, device 8 and the patient's skin 7.

[0037] FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show the device with its first layer 1 and its second layer 2.

[0038] Lastly, FIG. 7 shows device 8, first layer 1, second layer 2, inner surfaces 3, a housing 11, and an antifreeze gel 4.

[0039] Firstly, in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, antifreeze gel 4 is shown in the drawings. Usually, since the first layer 1 is joined to the second layer 2 around its perimeter, it is not possible to see antifreeze gel 4 from the outside, unless it comes out of the pores. These figures show this effect to help the reader understand the position of antifreeze gel 4 inside, even though in many of the embodiments you could not see it from the outside.

[0040] So, in a specific embodiment, device 8, the aim of this invention, comprises at least a first layer 1 of porous material, that protects the patient's skin, and in principle in this embodiment one single layer is envisaged, but one or several additional layers of hypoallergenic material, etc. could be added.

[0041] The material of first layer 1 has to be porous to allow antifreeze gel 4, the cold conductor, to transmit the coldness to the antifreeze gel 4 that is inside the housing 11.

[0042] This way, the coldness, through antifreeze gel 4, ends up reaching the patient.

[0043] It comprises at least a second layer 2 of porous material on said first layer 1 and joined to it 1, forming a whole, defining some inner surfaces 3 between both layers, that is, surfaces where both layers would touch if gel 4 were not inside them. Between both inner surfaces a housing 11 is formed for containing antifreeze gel 4.

[0044] As in the first layer 1, in this embodiment second layer 2 only has one layer, although it could have more than one if additional layers were arranged with hypoallergenic materials, creams, etc.

[0045] It also comprises at least one antifreeze gel 4, scattered on inner surfaces 3, in housing 11, with a freezing point below 12 C., leaving both layers 1, 2 joined, forming a single unit.

[0046] The temperature of the freezing point of antifreeze gel 4 must be as minimum 12 C., since even when the working temperature is usually 8 C., there are times when due to the type of treatment to be applied, the temperature must be 12 C. and even tests have been conducted where it has reached down to 20 C.

[0047] Said layer must be porous in order to be able to transmit the coldness to the patient's skin 7 through antifreeze gel 4.

[0048] In other words, the antifreeze gel 4, which is in contact with the coldness transmitted by cold means 10 of head 5, transmits the coldness to the antifreeze gel 4 in the housing 11, through the pores in the first layer, and the coldness that the antifreeze gel 4 in housing 11 has received, in turn transmits this coldness to the antifreeze gel 4 in contact with the patient's skin through the pores of the second layer 2 (FIG. 7).

[0049] Regarding the antifreeze gel 4, this must have sufficient viscosity, which it has been calculated should be between 2000 and 90000 centipoises (cPs) at 21 C., Rotor 3 at 3 RPM, to pass through the pores in layers 1, 2 and come out of the housing 11. An intermediate standard viscosity could be between 35000 and 38000 cPs.

[0050] An example of the formula of antifreeze gel 4 could be: [0051] Solventfor example water, between 25 and 50%, [0052] Solvent-Wetting agentfor example glycerine, between 50 and 75%, [0053] Viscosity controllers (for example cellulose) between 0.1 and 2.0% and, [0054] Preservatives (for example, magnesium nitrate, magnesium chlorate, etc., between 0.01 and 0.1%).

[0055] Also, said antifreeze gel 4 in the example must have at 21 C.: [0056] a pH between 5.0 and 7.0 pH units, and [0057] a density between 0.990 and 1.200 g/ml

[0058] The visual perception must be stable in all assays.

[0059] The ranges indicated depend on the porosity of the first layer 1 and the second layer 2, is they are more porous, i.e. they let more antifreeze gel 4 pass through, viscosity will reduce so that it flows more slowly between the pores in layers 1, 2, approaching 90000 cPs, on the other hand if layers 1,2 are less porous, the viscosity of the antifreeze gel 4 will increase in order to increase the flow of antifreeze gel 4 between the pores of layers 1,2, approaching 2000 cPs.

[0060] In order to increase the efficiency of antifreeze gel 4, it has been considered to distribute said antifreeze gel uniformly over all the inner surfaces. This is done to avoid risks of burns in the event that there was a part of device 8 without gel and it was being suctioned and cooled by head end 5.

[0061] If there were a part of device 8 that were opposite a part of the patient's skin without antifreeze gel 4, ice would be produced and the skin would consequently be burned.

[0062] Therefore, if there were none of said antifreeze gel 4 in a part of device 8, it would allow the coldness and the suction to be felt directly against the patient's skin 7, causing damage and burns on the patient's skin 7.

[0063] It can be arranged that in device 8 first layer 1 and second layer 2 are the same size, as appears in FIG. 4. This is done because it is one of the easiest ways to manufacture it, in terms of manufacturing.

[0064] It would also be possible that first layer 1 and second layer 2 are different sizes, preferably that the smaller size layer is in the centre of the larger layer, and this is the case illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0065] Preferably the smallest is first layer 1, and it must be large enough to cover the whole inside of head 5 when it suctions, this way, as there would be the antifreeze gel 4 covering the whole of the area of said first layer 1 on the inner surfaces, there is no risk that there are areas of the patient's skin 7 where coldness and suction are applied and which do not have any antifreeze gel 4.

[0066] Optionally, layers 1, 2 are joined together either by, but not limited to sewing, thermosealing or sticking.

[0067] Out of the porous materials that can be used to make the layers 1, 2, cellulose could be used. The grammage of cellulose could be between 10 and 200 g/cm.sup.3.

[0068] Optionally, layers 1, 2 could have a different grammage, since interests the greater grammage in the first layer 1 which is the one that experiences the tension from the suction means 9, where have been envisaged that their fibres can withstand pressures up to 500 mbar without breaking.

[0069] In terms of manufacturing, it could be interesting that the second layer 2 had the same grammage as the first layer 1, as this way the whole of device 8 could be manufactured with one single piece of cellulose.

[0070] When a cryotherapy treatment is going to be applied to a patient 6, a device 8 will be placed on the patient's skin 7.

[0071] The second layer 2 would be on the patient's skin 7 and the first layer 1 would be opposite head 5 (as an example, the one described in EP2687174 is used, in the name of the same applicant).

[0072] Then on first layer 1 there would be placed the opening of head 5 and suction means 9 and cold means 10 would be started up.

[0073] This would lead to a situation like the one in FIG. 3, where a part of the patient's skin is absorbed by suction means 9, but leaving device 8 between them, that protects the patient's skin 7 mainly from the action of the cold means, preventing ice from forming on the patient's skin.

[0074] This way the coldness can penetrate under the patient's skin 7, transmitted by antifreeze gel 4, through the porosity of the second layer 2, but on the other hand the antifreeze gel 4 prevents ice forming on the patient's skin 7 without causing injuries and preventing injuries from burns.

[0075] The aim of this invention is to guarantee the safety of the patient's skin 7 treated by cryotherapy and suction, while also stopping the skin from freezing.

[0076] This invention describes a new protective device of the skin and tissues for cold cosmetic treatments. The examples mentioned herein do not limit this invention, which therefore could have various applications and/or adaptations, all within the scope of the following claims.