FR2767476A1 - Physiotherapeutic device for skin treatment by vacuum and ultrasound - Google Patents

Abstract

Combines the use of ultrasound and vacuum to dilate the epidermal, dermal and hypo-dermal skin layers of skin part being treated. The device (1) is designed to treat the whole skin thickness and includes unit (10) for producing ultrasound, a cup unit (1) for causing a vacuum depression which is used to dilate the layers of a skin part (P) to be treated. The above units are arranged so that during operation, the part (P) of the skin is submitted to several cycles each having a vacuum and ultrasound phase. The vacuum and ultrasound phase are partially superposed during each cycle. The ultrasound unit (10) is an ultrasonic head fed from an ultrasonic generator (11).

Description

Therapeutic measures for the treatment of the skin by
vacuum suction and ultrasound
Field of the invention
The present invention relates, as a new industrial product, to a physiotherapeutic device for the treatment of the skin in its thickness by vacuum suction and an ultrasound field.

Prior art
It is known that ultrasound has already been used in the past for (i) a diagnostic purpose (ultrasound) and (ii) a therapeutic purpose (ultrasound therapy) for the treatment of symptomatic affections of the organs or soft tissues (in particular the muscles, tendons and ligaments). In particular ultrasound is currently used to treat inflammation and / or improve blood circulation in the vessels, on the one hand, or to fragment urinary stones, on the other.

 We also know that dry or scarified suction cups (ie suction cups other than obstetric suction cups intended to facilitate the extraction of children during difficult deliveries) were used until 1950 to cause a local influx of blood for '' ensure or produce localized decongestion. It turns out that dry or scarified suction cups have several drawbacks. We know the aesthetic and psychological disadvantage of persistent redness on the treated skin portions. We also know the physiological disadvantage which results from the possible bursting of blood vessels, which is a potential source of formation of subcutaneous fibrin clots. In addition, dry and scarified suction cups cannot be used on all skin portions. Finally, a technique is known according to which liposuction of the fats is carried out by a subcutaneous suction cannula and subjects the operating field to the action of ultrasound.

Purpose of the invention
It would be interesting to provide a new technical solution making it possible to combine the advantages of suction cups and ultrasound and to solve the problem linked to the aforementioned drawbacks of suction cups.

 According to another aspect of the invention, there is a need for the treatment of the skin, and in particular the treatment of its connective tissue, which must be satisfied.

Subject of the invention
It is proposed to provide according to the invention a new solution to overcome the technical problem of combining the advantages of suction cups and ultrasound without the aforementioned drawbacks.

According to this new solution, a physiotherapeutic device is recommended for the treatment of the skin in its thickness (at the level of the epidermis, the dermis and the hypodermis, and essentially at the level of the epidermis and the dermis), said device being characterized in that it comprises (A) at least one means providing an ultrasonic field, and (B) at least one suction means by vacuum depression serving to
dilate the layers (epidermis, dermis and, if necessary, hypodermis)
of a skin portion (P) to be treated, said means of points (A) and (B) being arranged in such a way that, in operation, the skin portion (P) to be treated is subjected to one or more cycles comprising each a vacuum suction phase and a phase of exposure to the ultrasound field, said vacuum suction phase and phase of exposure to the ultrasound field overlapping at least partially during the duration of each cycle.

Brief description of the drawings
In the accompanying drawings, - Figure 1 schematically shows the vacuum suction means
of the invention; - Figure 2 shows schematically the entire device
according to the invention; and - Figures 3a - 3c show unit cycles of use according to
the invention, and Figure 3d illustrates an unsuitable unit cycle.

Detailed Description of Invention
In practice, the means providing an ultrasound field is an ultrasound head directed towards the skin and supplied by an ultrasound generator external to the device of the invention, on the one hand, and the suction means by vacuum depression is a suction cup, on the other hand.

Advantageously, the device according to the invention will comprise (A) at least one means providing an ultrasound field, which is a
ultrasound head directed towards the skin and powered by a generator
external ultrasound, and (B) at least one vacuum vacuum suction means serving to
dilate the layers (epidermis, dermis and, if necessary, hypodermis)
located in the thickness of a portion of skin (P) to be treated, said
vacuum suction means being a suction cup consisting of a
bell having
(i) an opening intended to come into contact, via
of its peripheral edge, with the external surface of the por
tion of skin (P) to be treated, in operation the assembly
bell / rim / external surface of the skin delimiting a
girdle closed,
(ii) a window intended to connect the enclosed enclosure to a pump
empty through a pipeline basically
undeformable, and
(iii) a window for tightly fitting the means
providing the ultrasound field.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the device may further comprise (C) at least one heating means capable of being coupled to the means
(10) providing the ultrasonic field.

 This heating means can indeed be useful to complete the dilation of the portion of skin which is produced by vacuum suction.

According to another particular mode of implementation, the device according to the invention may further comprise (D) at least one refrigerating means capable of being coupled to the means
(10) providing the ultrasonic field.

 This cooling medium is interesting in the sense that it limits the pain induced by the dilation of the skin portion during vacuum suction.

 In practice, the vacuum suction will be carried out so as to have in the closed enclosure a pressure lower than ambient atmospheric pressure, preferably a pressure between 104 and 10.1 Pa, and better still a pressure between 103 and 1 Pa.

 Also in practice, the ultrasonic field will have a frequency between 20 kHz and 100 MHz, preferably a frequency between 500 kHz and 50 MHz, and better still a frequency between 1 and 30 MHz.

 The device of the invention has practically no action, during its operation on the elimination of internal fats, in particular the fats of the hypodermis.

 It has surprisingly been discovered that exposure to the ultrasonic field protects the portion of skin treated from the undesirable effects of vacuum suction. In particular, in order to benefit as much as possible from the protective effect of the ultrasonic field, it is recommended that said phase of exposure to the ultrasonic field always begins before the vacuum suction phase within each unit cycle.

 This is why we recommend the following. During each cycle, the vacuum suction phase will be carried out during the exposure phase to the ultrasound field, and better the duration of the vacuum suction phase will be less than that of the exposure phase to ultrasound field.

 The treatment of the skin, to compensate for the insufficiencies of the connective tissue, by means of the device of the invention comprises a plurality of unit cycles, in general at least 10 unit cycles.

The insufficiencies of the connective tissue which one treats, according to the invention, include in particular - the regeneration of said tissue during the healing phase which follows
an internal or external injury, and - the lack of elasticity of said tissue, due to a low enzyme supply
(catalase) especially in the hypodermis and dermis by the
blood.

 Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will be better understood on reading the following description of the examples of embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

 The device 1 according to the invention comprises means 10 providing an ultrasonic field. This means consists of an ultrasound head, powered by an external generator 11 of ultrasound, and disposed facing the skin, housed in a sealed manner in the vacuum suction means.

 Said vacuum suction means 20 is advantageously a suction cup constituted by a bell whose large opening 21 is intended to be closed by the external surface 31 of the portion (P) of the skin 30, along the peripheral rim 22 of the Bell. Said bell further comprises an opening 23 to allow the closed enclosure 2 to be connected, which it forms during operation, with a vacuum pump not shown. The connection of the opening 23 to said pump is advantageously a sufficiently rigid conduit so as not to be deformed under the effect of the vacuum.

 The bell has a wall which is transparent over at least a portion of its surface. More advantageously the bell will be completely transparent. It will be designed in glass or better in transparent plastic, in particular in polycarbonate.

 In FIGS. 3a - 3d, for each unitary cycle and as a function of time (on a very approximate scale) - the instant TAO represents the start of the phase of exposure to the ultrasound field, - the instant TAt represents the end of the exposure phase to the ultrasound field, - the instant TBO represents the start of the vacuum suction phase, - the instant TBt represents the end of the vacuum suction phase, - the instant TRO represents the start of expansion to return to atmospheric pressure, and - instant TRt represents the end of the relaxation phase and corresponds to the start of the new cycle starting with the exposure phase (instant TAO ') in the field d 'ultrasound.

 The unit cycles which are suitable according to the invention are those of FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c, where the vacuum suction phase and the phase of exposure to the ultrasound field are at least partially superimposed (see FIG. 3a). It is important that the exposure phase to the ultrasound field precedes the vacuum suction phase. Preferably the vacuum suction phase l will have a duration identical to that of the exposure phase to the ultrasonic field and 2 will start at the same time as this (see FIG. 3c), and better said vacuum phase under vacuum will be included in the duration of said phase of exposure to the ultrasonic field (see Figure 3b).

 The unit cycle of Figure 3d is not suitable according to the invention since the vacuum suction phase occurs after the phase of exposure to the ultrasonic field, without there being even partial superposition.

 The controls relating to the formation of the ultrasound field and the vacuum suction can advantageously be located near the ultrasound generator, as represented by the reference numeral 12 in FIG. 2.

Claims (7)

 serving to expand the layers of a skin portion (P) to be treated, said means of points (A) and (B) being arranged in such a way that, in operation, the skin portion (P) to be treated is subjected to one or more cycles each comprising a vacuum suction phase and a phase of exposure to the ultrasound field, said vacuum suction phase and phase of exposure to the ultrasound field overlapping at least partially for the duration of each cycle.  RE VENDICA TIONS 1. Physiotherapeutic device (1) for the treatment of the skin (30) in its thickness, said device being characterized in that it comprises (A) at least one means (10) providing an ultrasound field, and (B) at least one means (20) of vacuum suction under vacuum 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said means (10) of point (A) is an ultrasonic head, and in that said means (20) of point (B) is a suction cup. 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises (A) at least one means (10) providing an ultrasonic field, which is  an ultrasound head directed towards the skin (30) and supplied by a  external ultrasonic generator (11), and (B) at least one means (20) of vacuum suction under vacuum  used to expand the layers in the thickness of a portion of  skin (P) to be treated, said means (20) being a suction cup constituted  of a bell having  (i) an opening (21) intended to come into contact, by  through its peripheral edge (22), with the  external surface (31) of the skin portion (P) to be treated (30),  operation of the bell / rim (22) / external surface assembly  (31) delimiting a closed enclosure (2),  (ii) a window (23) intended to connect the closed enclosure (2) to a  vacuum pump through a pipeline basically  undeformable, and  (iii) a window (24) for tightly fitting the means  (10) providing the ultrasonic field. 4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it further comprises (C) at least one heating means capable of being coupled to the means  (10) providing the ultrasonic field. 5. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it further comprises (D) at least one cooling means capable of being coupled to the means  (10) providing the ultrasonic field. 6. Device according to claim l, characterized in that, during each cycle, the vacuum suction phase is carried out during the phase of exposure to the ultrasonic field. 7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the  duration of the vacuum suction phase is less than that of  the exposure phase to the ultrasound field.