Cooling device for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid-rich cells

Abstract

A cooling device for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid-rich cells of a subject having skin is provided. The cooling device includes a support having a first portion and a second portion. A first cooling element having a first heat exchanging surface is located at the first portion of the support. A second cooling element having a second heat exchanging surface is located at the second portion of the support. At least one of the first and second cooling elements is movable along the support and is configured to rotate for adjusting an angle between the first and second heat exchanging surfaces.

1 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . A cooling system for affecting subcutaneous lipid-rich cells of a subject, comprising:
 a cooling device having an unlocked state for reconfiguring the cooling device for accommodating different size folds of tissue of the subject and a locked state for receiving and holding a fold of tissue, the cooling device including rigid concave tissue-contact regions facing one another to surround opposite sides of the fold of tissue, the cooling device is operable to remove heat from the lipid-rich cells in the fold of tissue in thermal communication with the rigid concave tissue-contact regions to cool and thermally affect the lipid-rich cells while non-lipid rich cells in skin of the fold of tissue are not substantially affected.   
     
     
         43 . The cooling system of  claim 42 , further comprising a cooling unit in thermal communication with the cooling device and configured to provide temperature-controlled coolant to the cooling device. 
     
     
         44 . The cooling system of  claim 42 , wherein the cooling device includes a plurality of independently-controllable cooling elements each operable to cool the fold of tissue independent of the configuration of the cooling device. 
     
     
         45 . The cooling system of  claim 42 , wherein opposing portions of the cooling device are configured to initially contact the patient and move away from each other, and the opposing portions are configured to automatically move toward one another as the fold of tissue is moved into the cooling device. 
     
     
         46 . The cooling system of  claim 42 , wherein the cooling device in the locked state is configured to automatically move to toward a flared entrance configuration when the cooling device is initially pressed against the subject and is configured to automatically move toward a tissue retention configuration as the fold of tissue is moved into the cooling device. 
     
     
         47 . The cooling system of  claim 42 , wherein when the cooling device is in the locked state, the cooling device defines a tissue-receiving entrance that is configured to widen to facilitate insertion of the fold of tissue into and through the tissue-receiving entrance. 
     
     
         48 . The cooling system of  claim 42 , wherein the cooling device includes a manually-operated catch rotatable to change the cooling device from the locked state to the unlocked state. 
     
     
         49 . The cooling system of  claim 42 , wherein the cooling device further includes:
 a first temperature sensor positioned to detect a temperature at a first side of the fold of tissue, and   a second temperature sensor positioned to detect a temperature at a second side of the fold of tissue opposite the first side.   
     
     
         50 . The cooling system of  claim 42 , wherein the cooling device has a concave heat-exchanging surface extending along a length of a tissue-receiving gap defined by the cooling device. 
     
     
         51 . The cooling system of  claim 42 , wherein the cooling device includes a locking element configured to lock the cooling device in different configurations. 
     
     
         52 . The cooling system of  claim 42 , wherein portions of the cooling device are located on opposite sides of an entrance to a gap between the rigid concave tissue-contact regions, wherein the portions are configured to move away from each other and toward a flared configuration when the fold of tissue is moved through the entrance. 
     
     
         53 . A cooling system for affecting subcutaneous lipid-rich cells of a subject, comprising:
 a cooling device having rigid concave tissue-contact regions positioned to thermally contact opposite sides of a fold of tissue held in the cooling device and thermoelectric cooling elements configured to independently cool opposite sides of the fold of tissue, the cooling device having an unlocked state for reconfiguring an entrance of the cooling device to accommodate the fold of tissue of the subject and a locked state for receiving and then holding the fold of tissue; and   a controller in communication with the cooling device and programmed to cause the cooling device to remove heat from lipid-rich cells in the fold of tissue in thermal communication with the rigid concave tissue-contact regions so as to thermally affect the lipid-rich cells while non-lipid rich cells in skin of the fold of tissue are not substantially affected.   
     
     
         54 . The cooling system of  claim 53 , further comprising a cooling unit in thermal communication with the cooling device and configured to provide temperature-controlled coolant to the cooling device. 
     
     
         55 . The cooling system of  claim 53 , wherein opposing portions of the cooling device are positioned to initially contact the subject and are configured move away from each other when the cooling device is pressed against the subject, and the opposing portions are configured to automatically move toward one another to help hold the fold of tissue in the cooling device.