Patent Application
20230165353
The disclosure herein generally relates to a system, apparatus, and method for removing hair on a body part using free radical polymerization.
Conventional options for hair removal include using (i) energy (laser hair removal, IPL, or electrolysis; (ii) depilation (shaving/trimming or depilatories), and (iii) epilation (tweezing, waxing, sugaring, or threading). However, these options can be expensive, painful, short lasting, cause odors, cause burning, and/or have a limited application size.
Existing hair removal techniques where the hair is ripped out by the root, such as sugaring, waxing, tweezing or using an epilating device draw out the hair removal process. Sugaring and waxing in particular have a limited time when the material is workable. It must be placed before it cools and, if it’s placed when it’s too warm, is uncomfortable or can even cause burns. All of these options require multiple passes to remove all target hairs.
In an embodiment, a method is provided that includes applying a polymer to a skin of a user in a fluid or malleable form; exposing the polymer-covered skin of the user to energy emitted from an energy source and causing the polymer to harden and bond with hairs on the user’s skin; and removing the hardened polymer from the user’s skin and causing the hairs to be removed.
In an embodiment, the user’s skin is located on a leg of the user.
In an embodiment, the user’s skin is an eyebrow region of the user.
In an embodiment, the energy source is ultraviolet (UV) light.
In an embodiment, the energy source is infrared (IR) light.
In an embodiment, the energy source is Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP).
In an embodiment, the energy source is at least one light emitting diode (LED).
In an embodiment, the energy source includes a housing that is configured to receive an inserted portion of a leg of the user.
In an embodiment, the energy source is a handheld device.
In an embodiment, the method includes performing a reverse cross-linking process to remove the polymer from the hardened state.
In an embodiment, the method includes imaging a specific region of the skin of the user and exposing only the specific region of the skin of the user to the energy source.
In an embodiment, a system is provided for optimizing hair removal that includes an applicator for applying a polymer to a skin of a user in a fluid or malleable form; a energy source configured to emit energy to the polymer-covered skin of the user cause the polymer to harden and bond with hairs on the user’s skin, wherein the hardened polymer is configured to be removed from the user’s skin and causing the hairs to be removed.
In an embodiment, the system includes a mask made a material configured to block the energy emitted from the energy source at a first portion and allow the energy emitted from the energy source to pass through at a second portion.
In an embodiment, the system includes an imaging device configured to image a specific region of the skin of the user and processing circuitry configured to cause the energy source to expose only the specific region of the skin of the user to the energy.
Note that this summary section does not specify every embodiment and/or incrementally novel aspect of the present disclosure or claimed invention. Instead, this summary only provides a preliminary discussion of different embodiments and corresponding points of novelty. For additional details and/or possible perspectives of the invention and embodiments, the reader is directed to the Detailed Description section and corresponding figures of the present disclosure as further discussed below.
Various embodiments of this disclosure that are proposed as examples will be described in detail with reference to the following figures, wherein like numerals reference like elements, and wherein:
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Through free radical polymerization, a liquid or gel can be turned into a strong and pliable solid. This process, which may be referred to as cross-linking, involves linking smaller molecules together to make stronger chains based on changes to the physical properties of the material. Because the process is temperature independent, it is beneficial as a hair removal solution.
The embodiment described below uses a cool, calming gel-like formula that is applied all at once to a target area with unlimited working time to cover the area to be treated. Once the formula is disposed in the target area, a short curing process is started, turning the gel into a rubbery, cross-linked polymer film and trapping the hairs. Finally, the entire film can be removed in a single pull or removal step, shortening the treatment time and avoiding prolonging a painful process. Multiple options for curing chemistries exist and can be catalyzed using, for example, a secondary formula, or initiated with, for example, a plasma or light-based device.
To this end,
In an embodiment, in step 102, the polymerization occurs based on exposure to ultraviolet (UV) or infrared (IR) energy. As a result of this step, the gel 199 will harden and become “cured” into a hardened coating 199a, trapping hairs on the user’s skin into the hardened coating 199a.
In an embodiment, in step 103, the hardened coating 199a can be removed by, for example, pulling on an edge of the hardened coating 199a. For example, in a single pulling motion, the hairs trapped in the hardened coating 199a will be removed at the root of the hairs, completing the hair removal process.
The present embodiments provide an advantage of having a forgiving application process with respect to time flexibility since the user chooses when the material (the gel 199) sets or cures. The time flexibility provides an advantage of causing no burns from heat since the described hair removal process uses room temperature material. The described hair removal process also provides an advantage of having a larger area of application which can be removed in one pull.
As shown in
A removable polymerized coating for human nails is described by Rosenberg in U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,113, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and proposes the application of a primary coating including a water-soluble or expandable polymer in water in a solvent system, followed by the application and subsequent curing of a photocurable nail polish composition. In U.S. Pat. No. US20110182838A1, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, Thong, et al. describe polymerized cosmetic coatings for natural and artificial nails that have improved removability with solvents and which comprise a reactive (meth)acrylate, a reactive urethane (meth)acrylate, a reactive polypropylene glycol monomethacrylate, a copolymer of polymethylmethacrylate-polymethacrylic acid, pyromelitic dianhydride and a polyether dimer acrylate, glycerolylate, and glycerolylate in a non-reactive solvent that hardens under radiation to the form of an acrylic thermoset having voids that include a solvent-soluble polymer.
The applicator 195 for dispensing the polymer may be in a form understood in the art, such as a housing that includes a body portion for dispensing the polymer by a squeezing action of the user or a piston mechanism, and the applicator 195 can have a specialized applicator tip, such as being made of a mesh or spongy material, or a brush tip, such as the dispenser described in U.S. Pat. Application No. US20040261808A1, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Additionally or alternatively, the applicator 195 may a multi-piece kit that includes a container with the polymer and a flat elongated spreading device.
In an embodiment, to cure the polymer of the gel 199, UV or IR photocuring, atmospheric cold plasma polymerization, or a two-part formula that is similar to epoxy-resin can be used.
To this end,
Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure may use LEDs, ultrasound and/or laser or light energy, the present disclosure is not limited to the use of these energy sources. Other sources of energy, including (without limitation) microwave energy and radio frequency energy may also be used. Exemplary examples of known light sources are fluorescent lights, flashlamps, filamentous lights, etc. One skilled in the art will recognize that any light source capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation at a medically safe wavelength, as described herein, directly, or by means of optical filtration, is within the scope of suitable light sources according to the present disclosure. For purposes of the methods described, any source capable of emitting light having a wavelength from about 280 nm to about 1400 nm, or producing electromagnetic radiation which is filtered or otherwise altered to expose the skin, a topical composition, or other component of the present treatment regime to a wavelength of light in the aforementioned range, is medically useful.
The targeted polymer coating (the gel 199) may be exposed to one or more wavelengths of LED, laser or non-laser light such as filtered filamentous sources or fluorescent sources or single or multiple frequencies of ultrasound. A variety of parameters may be used (including pulse duration, energy, single or multiple pulses, the interval between pulses, the total number of pulses, etc.) to deliver sufficient cumulative energy to interact with the gel 199.
The laser diodes may be multichromatic with narrow wavelength bands around a dominant band, i.e., the laser diodes are narrowband multichromatic devices - devices which emit electromagnetic radiation in a narrow band of wavelengths either symmetrically or asymmetrically around a dominant wavelength. In an embodiment, a narrowband multichromatic electromagnetic radiation emitter emits electromagnetic radiation in a bandwidth of +/- about 100 nanometers around a dominant wavelength. In an embodiment, a narrowband multichromatic electromagnetic radiation emitter emits electromagnetic radiation in a bandwidth of +/- about 50 nanometers around a dominant wavelength. In an embodiment, a narrowband multichromatic electromagnetic radiation emitter emits electromagnetic radiation in a bandwidth of +/- about 20 nanometers around a dominant wavelength. In an embodiment, a narrowband multichromatic electromagnetic radiation emitter emits electromagnetic radiation in a bandwidth of +/- about 10 nanometers around a dominant wavelength. In an embodiment, a narrowband multichromatic electromagnetic radiation emitter emits electromagnetic radiation in a bandwidth of +/- about 6.5 nanometers around a dominant wavelength. LEDS, while not monochromatic, emit in such a narrow band as to be considered narrowband multichromatic emitters. The narrow band allows photons of slightly different wavelengths to be emitted. This can potentially be beneficial for creating certain desirable multi photon interactions. In contrast, most commercial lasers emit light at a single wavelength of light and are considered monochromatic. The use of lasers, according to the prior art, has relied upon the coherent, i.e., monochromatic, nature of their electromagnetic emissions.
In an example, a device emits narrowband, multichromatic electromagnetic radiation with a dominant emissive wavelength of about 590 nm (+/- about 10 nm) and also some light in the 850 to 870 nm range and, optionally, a small amount of light in the 1060 nm range.
The LEDs 499 can be standard commercially available LEDs as known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. For instance, the LEDs 499 can be types LY G6SP-CADB-36-1-Z (for providing the 590 nm wavelength) and VSMF4720 (for providing the 870 nm wavelength).
In an embodiment,
In an embodiment,
In an embodiment, the LED emitter 300 of
For example, the handheld LED emitter 300 includes the camera 425 and, as the user waves the handheld LED emitter 300 over the user’s leg (or other body part) partially covered in the gel 199, the handheld LED emitter 300 can switch the LED assembly 405 off when the handheld LED emitter 300 is held over a portion of the user’s leg not covered in the gel 199, then back on when the handheld LED emitter 300 is moved back over a portion of the user’s leg having the gel 199 applied. Again, the camera 425 based exposure can limit or prevent overexposure of the user to the light from the handheld LED emitter 300.
For example, the pre-formed and/or mask LED emitter 300 includes the camera 425 and obtains an image of the user’s leg (or other body part) partially covered in the gel 199. Based on the obtained image of the user’s leg, the pre-formed and/or mask LED emitter 300 can determine the individual LEDs 499 in the LED assembly 405 that are disposed proximal to the gel 199 and the LEDs 499 in the LED assembly 405 that are not disposed proximal to the gel 199 (i.e., the LEDs 499 disposed proximal to skin having none of the gel 199 applied). The pre-formed and/or mask LED emitter 300 can then adjust the illumination of the individual LEDs 499 based on the position of the LEDs 499 relative to the gel 199. For example, the LEDs 499 disposed towards a center of the gel 199 coating can be powered on at full power, the LEDs 499 disposed towards an edge of the gel 199 coating can be powered on at 50% power, and the LEDs 499 disposed entirely over the user’s skin and far from the edge of the gel 199 coating can be powered off. That is, the power state of the LEDs 499 need not be binary (on or off), and can be variable based on the determined position relative to the gel 199 coating.
The third and final aspect of the present embodiment is the timing and manner of removal of the cured polymer (the hardened coating 199a) from the user’s skin. The timing of stopping the curing process will vary based on the type of radiation source, but the timing can be stopped in, for example, 30-60 seconds if using an LED-based emitter. A timer with an auto-stop feature may be included and embedded in the LED emitter 300, or the timer can be separate. Actual removal can be done manually, but tweezers or other instruments may be used to aid in the process of removal.
An additional aspect of the present disclosure is to allow re-use of the polymer by performing reverse cross-linking to the cured hardened coating 199a to remove the hardened coating 199a from the cured state. This can be performed by performing a 15-minute incubation of the hardened coating 199a at a high temperature, such as at least 95° C., or by using a longer incubation time at a lower temperature (such as 4 hours at 65° C.). Reverse cross-linking can help create a more sustainable product.
An additional aspect of the present disclosure is to cross-link or cure the waxing formulation (the gel 199) for precise regions to selectively wax. For example, a method includes defining a precise shape for an eyebrow by cross-linking the material surrounding the perimeter of the eyebrow, and waxing the surrounding hair off.
For instance, an application on a user device (such as a smartphone) can image the region to cure and can control the crosslink energy deposition to crosslink the material in the target area.
In an embodiment shown in
The pre-formed or customized mask 600 can thus include portions 601 that have been removed from the mask in order to allow light through to illuminate a pattern on the gel 199 coating based on the type of polymer used. Similarly, the pre-formed or customized mask 600 can include portions that have been retained in order to block light at those retained portions to illuminate a pattern on the gel coating based on the type of polymer used. For example, a pre-formed eyebrow mask shape can be provided that the user applies over the gel coating along their eyebrow hairs. The eyebrow mask 600 can block light from illuminating the gel 199 coating underneath the mask, which instead polymerizes the gel coating around the eyebrow area and hardens the gel coating to grip the stray eyebrow hairs around the mask 600. After, the user can peel the hardened coating 199a to remove the stray eyebrow hairs, leaving the eyebrow hairs that were under the pre-formed mask 600 in place.
Advantageously, the unlimited curing time of the gel 199 coating allows the user to arrange and adjust the mask 600 without the need to rush and potentially make a mistake with the placement. Furthermore, the mask 600 can be customized by the user if needed before or during the arrangement before finalizing the placement (again, without the user needing to rush). For example, the user can arrange the mask 600 over the eyebrow area and determine the mask is too large. In such an event, the user can remove the mask 600 from the gel 199 coating, optionally apply more of the gel 199 coating to the eyebrow area if accidentally removed by the mask 600, trim the mask 600 to the desired shape and size, and then re-apply the mask 600 to the eyebrow area. Further adjustments can be iterated prior to finalizing the placement and illuminating the area with the LED emitter 300.
For example, the user may desire to remove the hair in between both eyebrows, an area of which can vary greatly between users. In such a scenario, the mask 600 can be customized by the user, such as via cutting with scissors or the like, to a shape or opening in the mask 600 equal to the width and height of the area between both eyebrows. The gel 199 coating can be applied generously over the area and also over some of the hairs for both eyebrows. The mask 600 can be applied over the area in between the eyebrows and aligned to prevent unwanted eyebrow hairs from being illuminated, and the LED emitter 300 can be activated to illuminate the area in between the eyebrows not covered by the mask 600. After, the hardened coating 199a can be peeled by the user to remove the hair from the area between the eyebrows, while the un-hardened gel 199 coating not illuminated by the LED emitter 300 can be removed or rinsed away without removing eyebrow hair that the user wants to retain.
The description above in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter and is not necessarily intended to represent the only embodiment(s). In certain instances, the description includes specific details for the purpose of providing an understanding of the disclosed subject matter. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components may be shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the disclosed subject matter.
Reference throughout the specification to “one aspect”, “one embodiment”, “an aspect”, or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, operation, or function described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosed subject matter. Thus, any appearance of the phrases “one aspect”, “one embodiment”, “an aspect”, or “an embodiment” in the specification is not necessarily referring to the same aspect or embodiment. Further, the particular features, structures, characteristics, operations, or functions may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more aspects or embodiments. Further, it is intended that aspects or embodiments of the disclosed subject matter can and do cover modifications and variations of the described aspects or embodiments.
It must be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. That is, unless clearly specified otherwise, as used herein the words “a” and “an” and the like carry the meaning of “one or more.” Additionally, it is to be understood that terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “interior,” “exterior,” and the like that may be used herein, merely describe points of reference and do not necessarily limit embodiments of the disclosed subject matter to any particular orientation or configuration. Furthermore, terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., merely identify one of a number of portions, components, points of reference, operations and/or functions as described herein, and likewise do not necessarily limit embodiments of the disclosed subject matter to any particular configuration or orientation.
A number of embodiments have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications are made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. For example, preferable results are achieved if the steps of the disclosed techniques were performed in a different sequence, if components in the disclosed systems were combined in a different manner, or if the components were replaced or supplemented by other components.
The foregoing discussion describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Accordingly, the disclosure is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting of the scope of the disclosure, as well as the claims. The disclosure, including any readily discernible variants of the teachings herein, defines in part, the scope of the foregoing claim terminology such that no inventive subject matter is dedicated to the public.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2201590 | Feb 2022 | FR | national |
This present disclosure claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/284,260, filed on Nov. 30, 2021, and French Patent Application Serial No. FR 2201590, filed on Feb. 23, 2022, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63284260 | Nov 2021 | US |
