Medical methods and systems for skin treatment

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to improved medical devices, systems, and methods, with exemplary embodiments providing improved cooling treatment probes and cooling treatment methods and systems. In some embodiments, freezing of the skin may be desirable to effect the hypopigmentation of the skin of the patient. Generally, embodiments may limit supercooling of the skin of the patient during a cooling treatment. Additionally, embodiments may limit adverse side effects such as hyperpigmentation. It has been found that the freezing behavior (frequency and time to freeze) can be modified by adjusting the thermal parameters of the cooling applicator. Accordingly, in some aspects of the invention, a method of treating the skin may be provided where the thermal parameters of the cooling applicator are adjusted during treatment.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A skin hypopigmentation treatment system comprising:
 a cooling applicator for contacting a skin of a patient;   a cooling arrangement thermally coupled with the cooling applicator;   a controller operably coupled with the cooling arrangement, the controller configured to control the cooling arrangement to provide a cooling treatment cycle, the cooling treatment cycle including:
 pre-cooling of the cooling applicator to a pre-treatment temperature prior to contact with the skin of the patient and cooling of the cooling applicator toward the pre-treatment temperature for a first duration of time after the cooling applicator is placed against the skin of the patient to condition at least an epidermal skin tissue to freeze while minimizing supercooling; and 
 after the first duration of time and while the cooling applicator is held against the skin, controllably adjusting the temperature of the cooling applicator toward a treatment temperature for a predetermined second duration of time, the treatment temperature configured to freeze at least the epidermal skin tissue for hypopigmentation, wherein the treatment temperature is higher than the pre-treatment temperature and below freezing, wherein the second duration of time is longer than the first duration of time, and wherein the second duration of time begins after termination of the first duration of time. 
   
     
     
         3 . The skin treatment system of  claim 2 , wherein the pre-treatment temperature is −10° C. to −20° C. 
     
     
         4 . The skin treatment system of  claim 3 , wherein the treatment temperature is −2° C. to −10° C. 
     
     
         5 . The skin treatment system of  claim 2 , wherein the second duration of time is three to ten times longer in duration than the first duration of time. 
     
     
         6 . The skin treatment system of  claim 5 , wherein the second duration of time is less than 5 seconds. 
     
     
         7 . The skin treatment system of  claim 2 , wherein the cooling treatment cycle further includes, after the second duration of time and while the cooling applicator is placed against the skin, adjustment of the cooling applicator toward a post-treatment temperature that is higher than the treatment temperature. 
     
     
         8 . The skin treatment system of  claim 7 , wherein the cooling applicator comprises a thermoelectric cooler and wherein the controller adjusts the cooling applicator toward the post-treatment temperature by reversing a current through the thermoelectric cooler. 
     
     
         9 . The skin treatment system of  claim 7 , wherein the post-treatment temperature is above 0° C. 
     
     
         10 . The skin treatment system of  claim 9 , wherein the post-treatment temperature is less than 10° C. 
     
     
         11 . The skin treatment system of  claim 2 , further comprising a contact sensor coupled with the controller, the contact sensor configured to measure a force between the cooling applicator and the skin of the patient; and wherein the first duration of time or the second duration of time is automatically adjusted based on the force measured by the contact sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The skin treatment system of  claim 2 , further comprising a contact sensor coupled with the controller, the contact sensor configured to measure a force between the cooling applicator and the skin of the patient; and wherein the pre-treatment temperature or the treatment temperature is automatically adjusted based on the force measured by the contact sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The skin treatment system of  claim 2 , further comprising a contact sensor coupled with the controller, the contact sensor configured to determine contact between the cooling applicator and the skin of the patient, and wherein the controller automatically initiates the cooling treatment cycle based on skin contact as determined by the contact sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The skin treatment system of  claim 13 , wherein the contact sensor comprises a force sensor, optical sensor, IR sensor, or temperature sensor. 
     
     
         15 . The skin treatment system of  claim 14 , wherein the contact sensor comprises the force sensor and wherein the skin treatment system further comprises an orientation sensor configured to sense an orientation of the skin treatment system and wherein the controller is configured to adjust a pressure measurement from the force sensor based on the orientation of the skin treatment system sensed by the orientation sensor. 
     
     
         16 . The skin treatment system of  claim 2 , further comprising a contact sensor coupled with the controller, the contact sensor configured to determine contact between the cooling applicator and the skin of the patient, and wherein the controller automatically returns the cooling arrangement to the pre-treatment temperature when skin contact is not sensed by the contact sensor. 
     
     
         17 . The skin treatment system of  claim 16 , wherein the contact sensor comprises a force sensor, optical sensor, IR sensor, or temperature sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The skin treatment system of  claim 17 , wherein the contact sensor comprises the force sensor and wherein the skin treatment system further comprises an orientation sensor configured to sense an orientation of the skin treatment system and wherein the controller is configured to adjust a pressure measurement from the force sensor based on the orientation of the skin treatment system sensed by the orientation sensor.