METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRIGGERING WOUND RECOVERY BY DELIVERING SOLUTION INTO THE PORES OF RECIPIENT
20180099140 ยท 2018-04-12
Inventors
Cpc classification
A61M5/3007
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A61M37/00
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A45D34/04
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A61M5/425
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A61M5/30
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A61M2037/0007
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
A61N1/30
HUMAN NECESSITIES
Abstract
A method for delivering liquid into the pores of a recipient human skin is provided. The method includes delivering via a nozzle, at least one stream of the liquid under pressure to the pores, the stream having a cross-section with a diameter no greater than about 50 m, applying a negative pressure across an area of the skin being treated, rotating the nozzle relative to the area at a speed up to about 200 revolutions per minute, contacting an electrode connected to a first terminal of a power source, having a first electric charge, to the skin, and contacting a second terminal of the power source, having a second electric charge, opposite the first electric charge, to the liquid, thereby imparting direct electrical current (DC) between about 5 A and 0.1 mA to the skin in the vicinity of the pores. The delivering, applying, rotating, and contacting occur simultaneously.
Claims
1. A method for delivering liquid into pores of a recipient skin, the method comprising: delivering, via a nozzle, at least one stream of said liquid under pressure to said pores, said stream having a cross-section with a diameter no greater than 50 micrometers; applying a negative pressure across an area of the skin being treated; rotating said nozzle relative to the area at a speed up to about 200 revolutions per minute; contacting an electrode connected to a first terminal of a power source, to the skin; and contacting a second terminal of said power source, to said liquid; and imparting a potential difference between said first terminal and said second terminal such that a direct electrical current (DC) is generated of between 5 microamperes and 0.1 milliamperes through the skin in the vicinity of said pores, wherein said delivering, applying, rotating, contacting and imparting occur simultaneously.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said liquid comprises a medical or a cosmetic solution.
3. A method for delivering liquid into pores of a recipient human skin, the method comprising: delivering at least one stream of said liquid under pressure to said pores, said stream having a cross-section at its widest point smaller than an inlet opening of said pore; contacting an electrode connected to a first terminal of a power source, to the skin; and contacting a second terminal of said power source, to said liquid; and imparting a potential difference between said first terminal and said second terminal such that a direct electrical current (DC) is generated through the skin in the vicinity of said pores, wherein said delivering and contacting occur simultaneously.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of contacting a second terminal comprises: delivering liquid into pores in a region of the skin to which the second terminal is to be connected; applying a layer of electro-conductive gel to the region of the skin to which the second terminal is to be connected; and placing said second terminal in contact with said layer of electro-conductive gel.
5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the diameter of the cross-section of said stream is no greater than 50 m.
6. The method according to claim 3 further comprising applying, simultaneously with said delivering and contacting, negative pressure across an area of the skin being treated.
7. The method according to claim 3, wherein said liquid stream is delivered via a nozzle, the method further comprising moving said nozzle relative to said area of the skin.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein moving said nozzle comprises rotating the nozzle.
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said nozzle is rotated at a speed no greater than 200 revolutions per minute.
10. The method of claim 3 for imparting DC electrical pulses across the skin, the method comprising: delivering the electro-conductive solution into the pores of the recipient skin; applying an electro-conductive gel onto a tip of an electrobrush, wherein the electrobrush comprises a metal electrode and a silicon perforated tip; allowing the electro-conductive gel to move through the silicon perforated tip for making contact with the metal electrode; allowing the electro-conductive gel to conductively couple with the solution within the pores thereby forming a conductive path from the metal electrode to the base of the pores; attaching a body electrode to the skin area around treatment area for nerve activation; and establishing an electrical circuit between the electrobrush and the body electrode through the nervous system situated therebetween and imparting said potential difference through the electro-conductive solution.
11. The method of claim 3, wherein the said electrical current is between 5 A and 0.1 mA.
12. A system for delivering liquid into pores of a human skin, the system comprising: a storage container for containing said liquid; a pumping unit coupled to the storage container for increasing pressure of said liquid; a suction mechanism configured to generate a negative pressure; a power source having a first terminal and a second terminal; an electrode connected to the first terminal of said power source and being configured to brought into contact with the skin during the delivery of liquid; and a handpiece with a tip having at least one nozzle for delivery of the liquid into pores of the human skin wherein said nozzle delivers a stream having a cross-section smaller than an inlet of said pores, said handpiece being configured to bring the liquid into contact with the second terminal of the power source and imparting a potential difference between said first terminal and said second terminal such that a direct electrical current (DC) is generated through the skin in the vicinity of said pores.
13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said direct electrical current is between 5 A and 0.1 mA.
14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the diameter of the cross-section of said stream is no greater than about 50 m.
15. The system according to claim 12, wherein said tip is configured to rotate.
16. The system according to claim 12, wherein said tip is configured to rotate at a speed no greater than 200 revolutions per minute.
17. The system according to claim 12, wherein said suction mechanism comprises a compressor and a gas ejector.
18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the handpiece comprises a vacuum port connected to a vacuum unit configured for applying negative pressure via the tip of the handpiece across an area of skin being treated.
19. The system of claim 12 for delivering an electro-conductive solution into the pores of a recipient human skin under treatment, the system comprising: a body electrode attached to the skin around a treatment area for nerve activation; the electro-conductive solution; and an electrobrush, wherein the electrobrush comprises a metal electrode and a silicon perforated tip, wherein the electro-conductive solution flows on the perforated tip making contact with the metal electrode thereby closing an electrical circuit between the electrobrush and the body electrode through the nervous system situated therebetween and imparting said potential difference through the solution.
20. An apparatus for use in the system of claim 19 for delivering said electro-conductive solution into the pores of a recipient human skin under treatment, the apparatus comprising: said electrobrush, the electrobrush comprising: a tip having perforations; a metal electrode; a body having three portionsa front portion, a middle portion and a rear portion distal to the metal electrode; a socket; and a plug following the body; and said body electrode attached to skin area around treatment area for nerve activation.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0067] In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0068]
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[0070]
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[0075]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0076] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
[0077] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those or ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures and/or components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention.
[0078] The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of the methods thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the descriptions that follow, like numerals represent like elements in all figures. For example, where the numeral (2) is used to refer to a particular element in one figure, the numeral (2) appearing in any other figure refers to the same element.
[0079] Referring to
[0080] The compressor 11 is used for the air compression needed to generate negative pressure in the gas ejector 12. The gas ejector 12 does not contain moving parts, which makes it preferable for negative pressure generation in humid media. The separation container 14 provides liquid separation of the liquid-gas mixture. The storage container 17 is used for solution storage and its delivery to the pumping unit 16, which provides the high pressure used for the solution delivery.
[0081]
[0082] It will be appreciated that while the present disclosure describes, by way of non-limiting example only, that the electrode connects the user's skin to the positive terminal of the power source 18b, and the handpiece 15 connects the liquid to the negative terminal of the power source, the reverse may be the case, i.e., the electrode may connect the user's skin to the negative terminal of the power source, while a the handpiece connects the liquid to the positive terminal of the power source.
[0083]
[0084] The operation of the system 10 illustrated in
[0085] A jet of the medical or cosmetic solution under pressure (of about 1-2 bar) is delivered via the nozzles 27 and circulates over the deformed skin region (shown in
[0086] Pores contain structured hydrophilic and lipophilic domains with unilateral conductivity only toward the outside. However they are not protected against propagation of a single jet of solution flowing centrally toward the channel depth. During coincidence between the nozzle and the pore inlet, the pore channel is filled with a certain amount of the liquid. The pore channel 31 continues filling as long as the moving nozzles 27 of the tip 23 and the pore inlets 30 remain coincident. The amount of liquid permeating into the pores depends on the difference between the size of the solution delivery nozzle 27 and that of the pore inlets 30, i.e. as the pore size increases so too does the sluicing time with the nozzle. On the other hand the faster the tip rotation velocity, the shorter the sluicing duration. As the pressure of the medical or other solution rises, the quantity of liquid entering the pore increases. When motion of the orifice of the nozzle 27 overlaying the pores inlet 8 is arrested, the stretched throat of the pore contracts and encapsulates the residual solution in the pore channel 31. Treatment is performed by moving the handpiece 15 over the skin surface. When used medically, it has been demonstrated experimentally that a tip 23 with an outer diameter of 5 mm with a nozzle diameter of 50 m provided the best medical effect. The optimal rotation velocity of the tip 23 was found to be 160 revolutions per minute (RPM) with a solution pressure of 1-6 bars. According to some examples, the rotational velocity for certain applications may be different, for example up to 200 RPM.
[0087] The average liquid volume permeating inside an individual pore depends on jet pressure, the rotation velocity of the tip 23 and its geometry, and should reach 0.05 -0.3 mm.sup.3. The maximum estimated amount of liquid spread over all the affected skin appendages is about 2 ml/200 cm.sup.2.
[0088] For example in the case of an aesthetic procedure, the delivery of mild Alpha Hydroxy Acids (2-5%) via the pores extends to the depth of the dermis without damaging the skin. Usually this is possible only if skin integrity has been disrupted, i.e. the epidermis and dermis are damaged. In response to what appears as a threat, namely penetration of foreign solutions into the skin, the immune and nervous systems activate to repair potential damage from what is perceived as possible irritant penetration inside the skin. Thus, a real inflammatory response is generated by the extremely mild irritants that have permeated through the pores. The body's natural immune and infection protection systems promptly go into action to heal the non-existent damage to the skin.
[0089] As a result cell multiplication rate is increased and new epidermis cells are generated. The gross factors responsible for natural collagen production are activated in the dermis.
[0090] The method in the aesthetic application case, cosmetic solution delivery via pores under pressure, causes thickening of the dermis. Production of additional natural collagen improves skin density and causes smoothing of small wrinkles. As a result of sufficiently deep penetration into the dermis, a process of neurocosmetic and regenerative effect on the skin is steadily developed and persists for months. The delivery of non-damaging solutions via pores enables all the natural functions of skin protection and interaction with the environment.
[0091] Operation of the system 110 as described above with reference to
[0092] As illustrated in
[0093] In step 220, a negative pressure is applied across the area of the skin being treated.
[0094] In step 230, the nozzle via which the stream is delivered is rotated. The speed of the rotation may be up to about 200 RPM. According to some examples, it is between about 160 RPM and 200 RPM.
[0095] In step 240, the skin is electrically connected to one terminal of the power source 18b, for example via the electrode 18.
[0096] In step 250, the liquid is electrically connected to the other terminal of the power source 18b. This imparts an electrical current to the skin in the vicinity of the pores. This current may be in the range of 5 A and 0.1 mA.
[0097] It will be appreciated that some of the steps of the method, for example applying a negative pressure (step 220) and/or rotating the nozzle (step 230) may be optional.
[0098] It will be further appreciated that all steps of the method may be carried out simultaneously, e.g., such that the delivering of the liquid happens at the same time that the negative pressure is applied, the nozzle is rotated, and the terminals of the power source 18b are connected to the skin and/or liquid.
[0099] It is to be understood that while the invention has been described with particular regard to the injection of a medicinal solution through the pores of a human patient, it is equally applicable to the injection of non-medical solutions such as cosmetics in non-therapeutic treatment of the human body.
[0100] It is also to be understood that typically the nozzles are circular in cross-section, such that the nozzle diameter is less than the inlet size of the pores. However, the nozzles need not be circular in cross-section provided that their outlet produces a stream whose cross-section at its widest point is smaller than the narrowest point in the inlet opening of a human skin pore.
[0101] It has been found that the system and method described above may have surprisingly uses producing and unexpected results when applied to the skin of subjects.
[0102] Because the pore delivery system both generates micro streams of solution and anchors these micro-streams to the skin surface, solutions may be infused into skin appendages such as sweat glands, follicle ducts and the like.
[0103] Accordingly, the inner surface of pore ducts, sweat glands and follicles may be used for the application and delivery of solutions for aesthetic treatments.
[0104] Although these inner surfaces point inward towards the skin's dermal depth, they remain a part of external epidermis. The total area of these inner surfaces is six times greater than that of the visible skin surfaces. Moreover, the inner surfaces provide direct contact with surrounding living tissue. Thus it has been found that the inner surfaces may be a target for treatment of the aesthetic properties and health of skin and underlying tissue.
[0105] The delivery system has been found to be a highly effective method for efficiently treating all types of skin. The delivery system does not inflict any damage to the skin therefore bypassing many of the shortcomings typical of other skin treatment devices. Delivering solutions directly into the pores, the method may infuse and trap minute droplets of solution inside the epidermal appendages (pores) to reach the dermis that lies behind the duct walls.
[0106] By penetrating the pore cavities, the system extends the treatment of skin beyond the outer surface of the skin and into the surrounding dermis area. Because the solution is trapped within the core cavity, a selected solution may be applied to the large absorption area of the inner surfaces of each pore duct. Furthermore, surprisingly, the prolonged entrapment of the solution has been found to provide a prolonged action time during which the solution may deliver the treatment.
[0107] The pore delivery system features a unique nozzle tip, having a diameter of 50 m. Such a nozzle tip, which may be disposable may generate a tiny liquid solution jet to infuse active ingredients directly into the pores. For better contact between the tip and the skin surface, the system further applies negative pressure, which attracts the skin's surface to the rotating nozzle tip. While the operator guides the delivery device over the treatment area, the nozzle tip is briefly in contact with open pore orifices, which allows the solution to flow from the nozzle under moderate pressure into the epidermal appendage ducts, filling them with solution.
[0108] By maintaining an electrical potential difference between a first electrode in the device and a second electrode in contact with the subject, the infused solution may further serve as electroconductive media conducting direct electrical current into tissue beyond the usually electrically insulated skin via the filled cavities of the ducts, pores or other skin appendages. The conductive solution allows a power source inside the operation handpiece to generate an electrical current through the skin appendages and into the tissue interior.
[0109] In order to generate the direct current, it may be required to attach the second electrode (sometimes referred to as the body electrode) to an external skin surface. It is noted that in order to ensure electrical contact between the body electrode and the subject, before attaching the body electrode to the skin of the subject, the skin onto which the body electrode is to be attached should itself be treated with the pore delivery system so as to provide conductive pathways into the tissue beneath the external skin surface of the target attachment site.
[0110] Flow of electrical current through the solution inside the pore may further cause a diathermia effect due to high electrical density and small (50) pore's diameter. Rising of temperature can be significant but the duration of electrical current may be extremely short so as not to harm the skin but only to activate Heat shock proteins (HSP) and neuro proteins. Such proteins are produced by cells in response to exposure to stressful conditions. It has been found that such mild stress-induced stimulation of heat-shock protein synthesis accelerates generation of fibroblasts for growing a new connective tissue enriched with collagen and elastin.
[0111] Accordingly, wound healing may be accelerated by a non-invasive and non-wounding treatment of sites adjacent to an extant wound. It is particularly noted that this accelerated is generated without any treatment of the wound itself but by producing a phantom wound in proximity to the extant wound. The phantom wound may be generated by applying selected chemical reagents and/or electrical currents to skin appendages in the vicinity and surroundings of the extant wound.
[0112] The total inner pore duct-wall surface area can be six times greater than the outer skin surface area. This interior area is in direct contact with the surrounding dermis responsible for the skin's main aesthetic properties: strength, elasticity, appearance, freshness, vigor and youth.
[0113] Short DC electricity activation of skin appendages may cure problems of aging which are not due to disease but more subtle changes in neurobiological systems, including muscle weakening, loss of reproductive functions, changes in body weight, etc.
[0114] Further the treatment may provide methods that can stop or reverse the slow degeneration of distal axons that is common to most peripheral neuropathies.
[0115] In contradistinction to traditional neurology treatment and which use high-frequency alternating current (AC) and electromagnetic field to induce AC electrical currents in the tissue beneath the skin, the methods described herein may provide DC currents with both polarities or pulses to the area around the wound directly via conductive pathways through the pores.
[0116] Most nerve cells situated in the epidermis, skin dermis and underlying tissue respond to DC current more specifically than to high frequency current. The DC electricity reaches the nerve fibers from skin surface through the bypassing skin appendages interacts and spreads along nerve fibers helping to reactivate its conductive and sensory function. Changing the polarity of electricity allows the restoring of informative and controlling function of axons. Due to the very short duration of an electrical current via the skin appendage through rotating miniature jets of solution the result is continuous and forms by using the device, applied with silicon single use tip. The construction protects the patients skin from direct contact with a metal electrode, insulated perforated by silicon tip. The electrical simulation may require at least two batteries of 9V totaling 18V.
[0117] The same electrical potential may be applied via electroconductive gel or cream, providing contact between the skins pores already filled with solution and electrode of a device. Shifting of a device along the previously treated skin areas operator can continue DC Trans Cutaneous Stimulation treatment. Changing voltage, polarity and placement area of body electrode the system can treat most hard-to-repair skin conditions, such as looseness, muscle aging and myopathies, improving its tightening and making lifting.
[0118] In some embodiments, an electrobrush 300 (
[0119] The tip 302 may further be attached to a metal electrode 307. Examples of metals for making electrode may include, but are not limited to, stainless steel, aluminum, tungsten, platinum, and so on. The electrode 307 may also be made from any material that can conduct electricity like alloys. The gel or cream when applied onto the tip 302 manually may flow into the perforations of the tip 302 and may further come into contact with the electrode 307. In some embodiments, the tip 302 may be made from biomaterials such as including but are not limited to silicon, titanium, and so on. In some embodiments, a silicon cap may be applied onto the electrode 307, insulating the electrode from direct contact with the skin thereby preventing the shock. The electrobrush 300 may further include a body having three portionsa front portion 304, a middle portion 305, and a rear portion 306. The body may have any shape such as circular, ovular, cylindrical, and so on. In some embodiments, the front portion 304 may be tapered and have diameter greater than the electrode 307 such that the electrode 307 fit well into the front portion 304. In some embodiments, the body may have increasing diameter from the front portion 304 to the middle portion 305 and further to the rear portion 306. A socket 301 circumvented around a plug 303 may be attached distal to the rear portion 306. The socket 301 may have diameter smaller than that of the rear portion 306.
[0120] In some embodiments, a body electrode 310 may be attached onto skin area near or around to the skin area to be treated. The body electrode 310 is well known in the art and may be configured such that a closed circuit may be formed between the gel/cream attached to the electrode 307 and the body electrode 310 with nerve system situated therebetween, activating the nerve cells and imparting direct electric current (DC) through the gel/cream to be delivered into the skin pores. In some embodiments, the electrobrush 300 may be applied to the skin area wherein the skin pores are once treated and filled with the liquid through the method discussed hereinabove in
[0121] In some embodiments, an apparatus, a system and a method thereof may be disclosed herein utilizing the electrobrush 300 and the body electrode 310, already discussed in detail hereinabove. The system may also include a storage container for containing the gel/cream.
[0122] In some embodiments, a method 300A as shown in
[0123] In particular, it is noted that the delivery system may be used to fill ducts of skin appendages with various solutions for different aesthetic indications. Such treatment could be used alongside more typical applying means. Notably, the delivery system can be used to deliver solutions to the inner surfaces of the pore ducts, thereby treating some of the most difficult skin conditions, such as Melasma, Scars, Looseness, Pigmentation, Muscle Aging and Myopathies, Vascular smooth muscle disorders, Mature Collagen Remodeling and the like.
[0124] Various treatment methods and formulations for selected application in aesthetic medicines are presented in the table 01 below.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 01 Conditions Contents Procedure Middle-aged Anti-Aging 1% NaCl TIP ROTATION 100% no electricity 5% Ascorbic Acid TIP ROTATION 60% +electricity 5-10% Lactic Acid level 2 Elbrush (+electricity level 2) Antiaging Anti-Aging 1% NaCl TIP ROTATION 100% no electricity Lifting 5% Ascorbic Acid TIP ROTATION 60% +electricity 25% Lactic Acid level 3 5% Glycolic Acid Elbrush (+electricity level 3) 360 around neck Baldness Hair 1% NaCl Treat only problematic areas Body's Scars 5% Ascorbic Acid TIP ROTATION 60% +electricity Tightening 30% Glycolic Acid Level 1 Elbrush (+electricity 1-2) Problem areas Pigmentation, 3% NaCl TIP ROTATION 100% no electricity of Skin Acne, Oily skin, 5% Ascorbic Acid TIP ROTATION 60% electricity Seborrhea, 0.5% Salicylic Acid level 2 Melasma Elbrush (electricity level 2-3) Areal treatment Face Scars 1% NaCl TIP ROTATION 100% no electricity Problematic areas 5% Ascorbic Acid TIP ROTATION 60% +electricity treatment 0.5% Salicylic Acid level 3 8-10% Lactic Acid Elbrush (+electricity level 3) Cleansing Lotion 1% NaCl Removes from skin oil, AirBrush 3% Citric Acid contamination to protect and save 5% Glycolic Acid the TIPs. Relaxing action after laser, chemical peeling RF and etc.
[0125] It has further been found that the pore delivery system and method may have unexpected success in the acceleration of the healing of skin wounds and the treatment of chronic wounds in general.
[0126] Infusion of chemical reagents into epidermal appendages and their deposition upon the inner surfaces of the ducts naturally penetrates the skin's anatomical barriersphysical, chemical and biological. When an intraductal infusion of an active solution reaches the inner epithelial surface, the local acute bio-interaction process may begin to generate the healing response which triggers a wound healing process. The infused solution may become retained within the follicular duct in the depths of the dermis, providing both a larger potential absorption area and a longer contact time. This magnifies the biological activity of the active ingredients in the solution. Furthermore, this may also create a long-term phantom message of wounding thereby activating the body's natural repair response. Accordingly, the body may respond by inducing the development of phagocytes, fibroblasts, angiogenesis and soft collagen creation.
[0127] The disclosed systems and methods have been reported successfully treated variety of skin problems as shown in
[0128] Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will readily appreciate that numerous changes, variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention mutatis mutandis.
[0129] While embodiments of the invention and its advantages have been disclosed in the above Detailed Description, the invention is not limited thereto, but only by the scope of the appended claims.