Devices And Methods For Treating Skin
Patent No. US12053607 (titled "Devices And Methods For Treating Skin") was filed by Us Bank Trust Company Na on Oct 16, 2023.
What is this patent about?
’607 is related to the field of skin treatment, specifically apparatuses and methods for improving skin condition through procedures like dermabrasion and microdermabrasion. Traditional methods often involve mechanical abrasion using abrasive elements or grit streams, which can be messy and uncomfortable. Microdermabrasion, while less invasive, can still remove moisture from the skin, necessitating post-treatment moisturizing. The patent addresses the need for a more controlled and versatile skin treatment system.
The underlying idea behind ’607 is to provide a skin treatment system that allows for the sequential delivery of multiple treatment materials to the skin via a handpiece, combined with simultaneous waste removal using a vacuum. The key inventive insight is the integration of a manifold system that can hold and selectively deliver different fluids to the handpiece, enabling a multi-step treatment process with a single device. This allows for customized treatments tailored to specific skin conditions and desired outcomes.
The claims of ’607 focus on a skin treatment system comprising a console, a handpiece, a supply line, a waste line, and a vacuum source. The console is configured to hold at least two containers with different treatment materials. The supply line delivers treatment material sequentially from either container to the handpiece. The vacuum source draws waste material from the handpiece through the waste line. The claims also cover variations including a computing device to control the system and a flow rate controller on the handpiece or console.
In practice, the system works by allowing a user to select a treatment material from the console, which then directs that fluid to the handpiece. The handpiece, when pressed against the skin, simultaneously delivers the selected treatment material and removes waste via the vacuum. This allows for a continuous process of exfoliation, treatment, and waste removal. The system can be used with various handpiece tips designed for different treatment modalities, such as abrasion, ablation, or massage, further enhancing its versatility.
The differentiation from prior approaches lies in the system's ability to deliver multiple treatment materials sequentially, combined with simultaneous waste removal. Traditional microdermabrasion systems typically use a single abrasive material or fluid. By enabling the sequential application of different fluids, such as a salicylic acid serum followed by an antioxidant serum, the system can address multiple skin concerns in a single treatment session. The integrated vacuum system also minimizes mess and ensures efficient removal of exfoliated skin and used treatment materials.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the mid-2000s when ’607 was filed, skin abrasion techniques were typically implemented using either dermabrasion or microdermabrasion. At a time when systems commonly relied on mechanical rubbing or grit streams to remove the outer layer of skin, efforts were being made to decrease the mess caused by process waste, such as removed skin and blood, by adding a suction element. When hardware or software constraints made precise fluid delivery and control non-trivial, moisturizing elements only worked as deep as the active ingredients could passively migrate through the remaining epidermis.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner indicated that claims 17-26 and 37 were allowable if a terminal disclaimer was filed. A terminal disclaimer was filed, reviewed, and accepted. Claim 32 was indicated as allowable if rewritten in independent form including all limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Independent claim 27 was amended to incorporate the limitations of claim 32, which was canceled. Claims 28-31 and 33-36 are dependent on claim 27, and are also allowable over the prior art.
Claims
This patent contains 20 claims, with independent claims numbered 1, 11, and 20. The independent claims generally focus on a skin treatment system comprising a console, handpiece, supply line, waste line, and vacuum source. The dependent claims generally add further details or features to the system described in the independent claims, such as flow rate controllers, user input devices, or computing devices.
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Date
Description
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US12053607
- Application Number
- US18487916
- Filing Date
- Oct 16, 2023
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Mar 29, 2026
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents