Method and apparatus for treatment of adipose tissue

Abstract

The invention provides methods and apparatuses for the treatment of adipose tissue. The methods comprise application of ultrasound energy to a region of adipose tissue, and the apparatuses comprise at least one source of ultrasound energy configured to direct ultrasound energy through a skin surface into the subcutaneous adipose tissue. In one embodiment, a pressure gradient is created in the region generating relative movement between fat cell constituents having different densities. In another embodiment, a protrusion of skin and underlying adipose tissue containing is formed and ultrasound energy is radiated into the adipose tissue in the protrusion. In another embodiment, an RF electric field is generated inside a region of adipose tissue together with the ultrasound energy.

1 .- 163 . (canceled) 
     
     
         164 . An apparatus for selective destruction of adipocytes in adipose tissue, the apparatus comprising:
 an applicator including a hollow dome having an interior chamber;   at least one moderately focused ultrasound transducers located in the interior chamber and having a view angle less than 120 degree;   an air output port to pump air out of said interior chamber and suck in skin and subcutaneous tissue into the interior chamber to make them protrude above surrounding skin surface and apply the skin surface and subcutaneous tissue onto the ultrasound transducers;   a pair of RF electrodes located at sides of the interior chamber so that they contact the skin made to protrude above surrounding skin surface; and   
       wherein said ultrasound transducers have focal volumes located inside the skin and subcutaneous tissue made to protrude above surrounding skin surface and deliver moderately focused ultrasound energy to a region of subcutaneous adipose tissue so as to generate a pressure gradient between 0.5 GPa/m to GPa/m in the adipose tissue and the pair of RF electrodes apply RF energy to the skin made to protrude above surrounding skin surface. 
     
     
         165 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein the moderately focused ultrasound energy has a frequency lower than 1 MHz. 
     
     
         166 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein the moderately focused ultrasound energy enhances the pressure gradient at the focal volume by limiting the focusing of the ultrasound energy, such that selective effects on adipocytes are enhanced with minimum cavitation and further generates a relative movement between lipids and other constituents of adipocytes with sufficient intensity to rupture cell membranes of the adipocytes. 
     
     
         167 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein to avoid penetration of the ultrasound energy to internal tissues and organs below adipose tissue layer, the moderately focused ultrasound energy is radiated into a protrusion formed of the adipose tissue parallel to the skin surface outside the protrusion. 
     
     
         168 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein the transducer provides moderately focused ultrasound energy limited to a view angle of less than 90 degree, said angle is limited to maximize ratio of the pressure gradient to pressure at focal volume such that selective effects on fat cell will be obtained without cavitations. 
     
     
         169 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein said transducer is a phased array transducer operative to scan a focal volume of tissue. 
     
     
         170 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , including at least two ultrasound transducers, wherein the focal volumes of said ultrasound transducers overlap inside the adipose tissue. 
     
     
         171 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein said ultrasound transducer operates in pulse mode and wherein power duty and peak power of the pulses are controlled to keep heating of the tissue below 44 degree C. 
     
     
         172 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein radiating area of the transducers is between 5 by 5 mm 2  to 50 by 50 mm 2 . 
     
     
         173 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein said ultrasound transducer is located between said pair of electrodes. 
     
     
         174 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein the RF energy applied by a pair of electrodes produces in the skin and subcutaneous tissue made to protrude above the surrounding skin surface an electric field that at least partially overlaps with ultrasound energy focal volumes within the adipose tissue. 
     
     
         175 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein said RF electrodes apply RF energy at a frequency between 100 KHz and 50 MHz. 
     
     
         176 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein said RF electrode applies RF energy at a voltage between 10V peak and 1000V peak for a distance of 10 mm between said electrodes. 
     
     
         177 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein spacing between said electrodes is between 5 mm to 50 mm and their length is between 5 mm to 50 mm. 
     
     
         178 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein the RF electrodes are conductive for direct injection of RF current to the skin, or insulted by a thin layer of insulating material for capacitive coupling of energy to the tissue. 
     
     
         179 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein the pair of RF electrodes produces electric field that heats minority fluids in the adipose tissue and generates strain on adipose tissue cell membranes. 
     
     
         180 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein the applicator applies RF energy at least partially simultaneously with the ultrasound energy. 
     
     
         181 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein simultaneous application of ultrasound and RF energy applied to same adipose tissue also increases strain on adipocytes membrane and wherein the ultrasound energy generates a strain at adipocytes membranes and electric field of the RF energy generates strain by charging the membranes. 
     
     
         182 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein said pressure gradient generates a relative movement between lipids and other constituents of the adipocytes with sufficient intensity to rupture cell membranes, and wherein differences between mass density of the constituents of the adipocytes assist in generating the relative movement between them. 
     
     
         183 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein the hollow dome housing is made of an insulating material. 
     
     
         184 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , wherein the applicator further comprises a receiver tuned to half ultrasound transmitting frequency, the receiver senses and detects appearance of cavitations in treated adipose tissue and controls pressure level such that it does not cause cavitation in adipocyte cells. 
     
     
         185 . The apparatus according to  claim 164 , further comprising a skin cooling device. 
     
     
         186 . An apparatus treatment of adipose tissue, the apparatus comprising:
 an applicator including a hollow dome having an interior chamber;   at least one moderately focused ultrasound transducer located in the interior chamber and having a view angle less than 120 degree;   an air output port to pump air out of said interior chamber and suck skin and subcutaneous tissue into the interior chamber to make them protrude above surrounding skin surface and apply the skin surface and subcutaneous tissue onto the ultrasound transducer; and   a pair of RF electrodes located on said transducers.   
     
     
         187 . The apparatus according to  claim 186 , wherein said RF electrodes are made of a thin film of electrically conducting material having negligible ultrasound attenuation applied to transducer face touching the skin.