Method for cryogenically treating tissue below the skin surface

摘要

A laser treatment device and process with controlled cooling. The device contains a cooling element with high heat conduction properties, which is transparent to the laser beam. A surface of the cooling element is held in contact with the tissue being treated while at least one other surface of the cooling element is cooled by the evaporation of a cryogenic fluid. The cooling is coordinated with the application of the laser beam so as to control the temperatures of all affected layers of tissues. In a preferred embodiment useful for removal of wrinkles and spider veins, the cooling element is a sapphire plate. A cryogenic spray cools the top surface of the plate and the bottom surface of the plate is in contact with the skin. In preferred embodiments the wavelength of the laser beam is chosen so that absorption in targeted tissue is low enough so that substantial absorption occurs throughout the targeted tissue. In a preferred embodiment for treating large spider veins with diameters in the range of 1.5 mm, Applicants use an Er:Glass laser with a wavelength of 1.54 microns.

主权项

id="REI-00004" date="20161122" 1. A laser system for tissue treatment, comprising:
A) A hand-held portable battery powered tissue cooling unit comprising:
1) a cooling transmitting element comprised of material transparaent to light at a nominal wavelength and having high thermal conductivity and having a contact surface for contacting a surface of tissue being treated,2) a cryogenic container mounted within or on said cooling unit,3) a cryogen contained in said container,4) a cryogenic cooling chamber for cooling at least one surface of said cooling element, said chamber having an entrance port communicating with said container and an exit port,5) a battery powered cryogenic control means for permitting a flow of vaporizing cryogen from said container into said chamber to cool said at least one surface in order to remove heat from said tissue surface and to produce desired temperature distribution in target tissue being treated, and6) a battery mounted on or within said cooling unit for providing power to said control means, and B) a source of laser light defining a nominal wavelength arranged to transmit said laser light through said cooling transmitting element.