The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for controlling the activation of an energy source in a treatment handpiece in general, including any type of medical or aesthetic device which comes into contact with human tissue and more particularly the firing of laser devices, including a laser scanner.
Laser energy is often used for aesthetic applications such as hair removal, scar and acne treatment or skin tightening.
For convenience of operation, laser devices may be supplied with an arm, umbilical cord or a fiber connected to a handpiece. The handpiece may comprise a tip, either disposable or reusable, which confines or directs the laser beam to a selected area, such as the area to be treated. One such tip is shown in U.S. Design Pat. No. 621,306, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The entirety of such design patent is incorporated by reference herein.
In use, the user holds the handpiece, positions it on or directs it to the desired treatment area and presses an on/off button in the handpiece or a footswitch (hereinafter generally may be referred to as a “trigger”) to apply the laser energy, the on/off button being shown in
In an aspect, a device for controlling the firing of an energy device when placed in contact with skin tissue includes an energy apparatus having a distal portion and configured to be fired; a controller configured to initiate the firing of the energy apparatus; a tip device having a proximal portion in contact with the distal portion of the energy apparatus and a distal portion for contacting the skin tissue; and, at least one sensor, the at least one sensor being normally unactivated but being activated when the tip device comes into contact with the skin tissue.
In a second aspect, the at least one sensor is positioned between the distal portion of the energy apparatus and the proximal portion of the tip device.
In a third aspect, the energy apparatus is one or more of: a laser device; an intense pulsed light device; a RF device and an ultrasound device. The at least one sensor includes two or more sensors, wherein the two or more sensors are activated when the position of the energy apparatus is approximately orthogonal to the skin tissue.
In another aspect, the tip device is one or removable or permanently affixed to the distal portion of the energy apparatus. The tip device is one or reusable or disposable.
In yet another aspect, the device includes a spring between the distal portion of the energy apparatus and the proximal portion of the tip device, the spring biasing the tip device away from the energy apparatus such that the sensor is unactivated until the tip device is pressed against the skin tissue and overcomes the biasing of the spring, activating the sensor. Upon activation of the sensor, the controller causes the firing of the energy apparatus.
In yet a further aspect, the device includes one of a foot switch or a switch on the energy apparatus, and wherein the controller causes the firing of the energy apparatus only when the sensor is activated and when one of the foot switch or the switch on the energy apparatus is pressed.
In another aspect, a method for controlling the firing of an energy device when placed in contact with skin tissue includes: providing an energy apparatus having a distal portion and configured to be fired; a controller configured to initiate the firing of the energy apparatus; providing a tip device having a proximal portion in contact with the distal portion of the energy apparatus and a distal portion for contacting the skin tissue; and, providing at least one sensor, the at least one sensor being normally unactivated but being activated when the tip device comes into contact with the skin tissue; and, activating the sensor by pressing the tip device onto the skin tissue, the activation causing the controller to fire the energy apparatus. The energy apparatus is one or more of: a laser device; an intense pulsed light device; a RF device or an ultrasound device.
The mechanism of action of the handpiece 100 will now be further described. The user holds the handpiece 100 and presses the distal end of the tip 104 against the patient's skin.
When the tip 104 comes into contact with skin tissue within specified pressure limits, the at least one switch sensor 106 may activate the laser 102 in one of two different mode of actions: (a) the at least one switch sensor 106 may replace any other on/off switch, such as the footswitch described above, and initiate laser firing through laser 102 on the treated area by its own action; or, (b). if a safety mechanism is desired, in addition to the closing of the switch sensor, a footswitch or an on/off integrated button in the handpiece, may also be required to be pressed to cause the firing of the laser when the tip 104 is pressed and the at least one switch sensor 106 is activated.
In addition, the at least one switch sensor 106 may also include an accelerometer to sense and provide feedback of the amount of force applied when the tip is pressed against the patient's skin tissue . When the force applied exceeds a set and defined predetermined threshold, the system may be activated. Thus, the laser 102 will not fire laser energy if the handpiece 100 is not steadily positioned and not pressed with the predetermined force on the patient's skin tissue. According to one embodiment of the invention, sensor 106 may have a single threshold above which the energy source is activated. According to another embodiment of the invention, sensor 106 may have a dynamic range in which it feedbacks to the main controlling system of the energy source in proportion to the amount of pressure applied by the user. According to this embodiment, a user may select, through a user interface, which parameter characterizing the energy source or the treatment such as, but not limited to, energy level, pulse repetition rate, speed of scanning, density of a fractional treatment pattern, maybe controlled by the sensor's 106 dynamic feedback to dynamically apply such a parameter within a range of operation. By way of example, the trigger or footswitch may be the footswitch disclosed in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/038,773, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. For example, a user may choose to dynamically control the energy level. Once chosen, per this non limiting example, during the application of the handpiece on the tissue the handpiece will apply low energy level when the pressure is low but above a certain predefined threshold and the applied energy level may increase as the handpiece is pushed with greater force against the skin tissue.
Another variation to control the firing of the laser is to incorporate a known mercury switch into the handpiece. Such mercury switches work on the principle that two end wires are not electrically connected but become electrically connected when mercury, a conductive metal in liquid form at room temperatures, flows due to positioning of the handpiece to cover both wire ends, thus closing an electrical circuit.
Another variation is to incorporate a reed switch, which reacts with a magnet, and can be activated as a result of proximity to such magnet.
Turning now to
With the embodiments of
It is also understood that while a light-based laser device has been described, any other type of energy delivery device may be utilized with the present invention, including a RF device, an ultrasound device or an intense pulsed light device or any combination thereof
The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/003,954, filed May 28, 2014, the total disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62003954 | May 2014 | US |