WO2002070040A1

WO2002070040A1 - Skin cleaning apparatus for the removal of puss or tallow by suction

Info

Publication number: WO2002070040A1
Application number: PCT/US2001/018625
Authority: WO
Inventors: Klaus Hoyer; Albert Gyr
Original assignee: Klaus Hoyer; Albert Gyr
Priority date: 2001-03-05
Filing date: 2001-06-11
Publication date: 2002-09-12
Also published as: WO2002070040A8

Abstract

The device aides in the removal of tallow-like material and infected pus from skin pores supported by suction pressure. The device comprises two parts, a first permanent one (1), which serves for the generation of the suction pressure, and a second exchangeable one, which serves as treatment head comprising an optical window. Depending on the skin condition to be treated, different treatment heads can attach to the suction-generating device (1). The different treatment heads all have the following fundamental features, namely an enclosure comprising one opening (23)(33)(43) to be sealing towards the skin, one opening to attach the suction generating device (1), and an optical observation window (22)(32)(42) which can be planar or designed as a lens. If a layer of skin closes the pore, it will be opened by an integrated stationary needle, to which the skin will be lifted by the applied suction and by which it will finally be perforated.

Description

SKIN CLEANING APPARATUS WITH OPTICAL WINDOW FOR THE REMOVAL OF TALLOW AND/OR INFECTED PUS WITH THE AID OF SUCTION PRESSURE.

Description:

The device consists of two main elements, one of which generates the suction pressure and a plurality of specialized suction heads, which solely attach to the suction generating device depending on the skin condition and serve to remove tallow-like material or bacterial pus from the pores with the aid of suction pressure. Physicians warn from pressing blackheads or infected pimples using the fingers, since the tallow material or bacterial pus will be pressed further against the pore cells and thus will contribute to a severe infection possibly resulting in scarring. They recommend treatment by a skin care professional, who generally open the pore using a sterile needle, empty the content using pressure from the rim and finally treat the pimple with an antibiotic cream. Most of the patients, however, want to treat their skin problem at home, especially if the pores have no or only minor inflammation. For these clients, a large number of specialty soaps and lotions are on the market. These, however, are generally not enough for significantly clogged pores and blackheads. For such cases cleaning strips containing a cationic polymer - e.g. Polyquaternium 37 — are quite common. During this application, the polymer binds the pore material in about 10 minutes, and upon removal of the strip the pore material sticks and gets extracted. Besides being relatively expensive, their applicability is limited and does not work for closed or infected pimples. A mechanical method is applied via a tool known as "Comedone Extractor". The tool is designed to remove non-infected pimples and blackheads. The device is placed with a ring like structure around the blackhead and pressed against the skin while the device is turned around a small angle. Thus the necessary pressure is generated in the open center, which expels the blackhead. This procedure is sometimes also applied during a professional skin cleaning treatment, however it has the disadvantage that the pressure is significantly elevated inside the pimple during the treatment thus again posing the danger of an infection. Another disadvantage is that the extractor only works when the skin has a firm support, e.g. over bone or muscle tissue. An electrically powered skin cleaning device, called the "Panasonic Pore Cleaner" works exclusively by suction pressure. This device allows cleaning the pores of so called "oily skin", however is not suited to treat clogged pores or inflamed pimples.

A similar solution to the one proposed is protected by the patent GB2216805A. A syringe like system comprising a ring like contact area and a piston, which has a needle like pin attached is first pressed against the skin and used to pry open a pimple. After this, the piston is manually retracted to crate a suction pressure above the pimple. This device has many disadvantages. The opening of the pimple and the following application of suction happen without visual control, the separation of the device from the skin happens with a partial vacuum still applied, the application requires two hands, one of which not only has to hold the device steadily against he skin and at the same time provides the counterbalance for the piston force, the pus from the pimple contaminates the device and the needle is a permanently attached. All of the mentioned disadvantages will be avoided with the new device presented here. In fact, the only common thing is the manually generated suction pressure. Any vacuum device, which is connected to the suction head by e.g. a tube, can generate the necessary suction pressure. A suggestion for a hand held vacuum device is depicted in Fig.l. This device allows the user to create the suction pressure single handedly during the application. The device comprises an element (1), of which one end has a large diameter borehole to form a hollow cylinder and the other end has two smaller holes, one of which providing a guide for the piston shaft (2) and the other (8) to enable the suction head to communicate pressure with the suction generating device. The suction heads Fig. 2,3 and 4 attach to the conical suction port (7). Sealing the suction head towards the skin by means of the ring like contact area (23, 33, 43), in Figs. 2,3, and 4 respectively, a suction pressure arises in the suction heads when the user presses the piston comprising a shaft (2), spring support (3), membrane seal (4) and push button (5) such that the tension spring (6) expands. The suction pressure is a result of the volumetric change on the suction side of the membrane seal (4) when the piston is pressed. The device is handled by griping the element (1) with the hand such that the index finger has a hold against the suction port (7) opposite from the pushbutton (5). Now the thumb presses against the pushbutton and moves the piston in the earlier described way, simultaneously generating the suction pressure and tensioning the spring. When the pressure on the pushbutton is reduced, the spring will retract and move the piston to the original position, reducing the suction pressure to the original level of the surroundings. This allows handling the device using a single hand, hardly possible when one has to pull on the piston. Additionally, the separation of the suction heads and the suction device allows a flexible positioning of the suction head with respect to the skin, and furthermore prevents contamination of the suction device which contributes largely to a hygienic system. The separation in two parts also ensures the ambidextrous usability of the device. The suction heads Figs. 2, 3 and 4 all have the same fundamental features. A straight or angled pipe ((24), (34), (44)), having a conical connector ((27), (37), (47)), used to attach the suction heads to the suction device. The conical connector is advantageous since.it ensures an airtight seal independent on the orientation of the suction head. The conduit ((28), (38), (48)) provides means for communicating the pressure between the vacuum generating device and the suction head. The end of the conduit closer to the suction head provides space for a filter ((29), (39),

(49)), preventing the contamination of the vacuum device. The general applicability of the system requires a number of differently shaped suction heads considering not only the anatomy of the skin region to be treated, but also the skin condition one wants to treat. The designs depicted in figs, 2, 3, and 4 are to be understood as prototypes showing strictly functional design. All suction heads comprise a suction chamber, which has an opening to contact the skin along a ring like surface ((23), (33), (43)). The suction chamber seals towards the surrounding pressure using the mentioned surface. On the opposite side of the opening is an optical window ((22), (32), (42)). This window allows the user to visually follow the procedure. This window can be designed as a flat or as a thin lens, where the application area would be magnified. The suction head Fig. 2 serves the treatment of closed and/or infected skin pores. A removable or permanently installed needle is attached to the window. During the treatment, the skin will be lifted into the suction chamber by the suction pressure until the closed and/or infected pore becomes perforated by the needle. At this very instant, the pore material will discharge into the low-pressure region of the suction chamber. The permanently installed or replaceable needle has a step designed to limit the maximum penetration depth to the epidermis. Thus the design assures a certain safety towards layperson use. The replaceable needles will come with the system in sterile packaging and will be placed into the fixture for single use application. After the installation, the packaging will be removed such that the needle will remain sterile until the application. In the case that this mechanism fails to open the pimple or infected pustule, it must be opened prior to the application using an external sterile needle. This, however, requires a special application procedures and is therefore not part of this invention. A special clamp aids in the removal of the replaceable needle after the application, preventing accidental harm and infection to e.g. fingers.

The suction head Fig. 3 is designed for the treatment of open non-infected pores, so called blackheads. The skin side opening (33) is considerably smaller than for the suction head Fig. 2 and the spherical shape of the head allows not only treating more difficult to reach places, but also to generate pressure on the blackhead by pressing the rim against the skin similar to a comedone extractor. The advantage of this invention over the comedone extractor is that the whole procedure happens at a much lower pressure level. The pressure levels between the cell wall and the blackhead material counteract a possible contamination of the skin cells. Additionally, the skin deforms into the suction chamber in a similar way as described earlier, locally stretching the pore open and supporting the clearing of the blackhead material.

The suction head Fig. 4 is designed for general skin cleaning. The skin contact ring (43) has a fairly wide opening and a precisely rounded edge. Moving the suction head over the skin in slow motion, the skin deforms in a similar fashion as previously described due to the suction pressure and the pores stretch open especially in the vicinity of the rim. The local pressure difference close to the rim thus expels the pore content. General area pore deep skin cleaning without contamination of the skin cells thus is possible. The application can be done with or without prior application of skin cleaning lotions. The visual control of the procedure also allows the user to see if there are already encapsulated pores which resist this skin cleaning treatment and which need further attention.

After the application, every suction head can be removed from the skin by reducing the suction pressure upon releasing the pressure on the piston actuator. In case that the suction heads are connected to a different suction device, especially one which permanently evacuates, relief valves ((25), (35), (45)) will be incorporated for safety reasons. These valves will prevent the suction pressure to fall below a safe value to not destroy the blood capillaries. All parts of the invention can be made for single use and for repeated use. The modular approach also allows producing only the suction heads for single use. Since the suction heads will become contaminated with the pore material during their use, they need to be either discarded after single use or sterilized for repeated use. The materials need to be chosen accordingly.

Claims

Claims:

1 A skin cleaning means, comprising a low-pressure generating means, and skin contacting suction means with observation means, distinguished by removing tallow material and/or pus from skin pores with the aid of suction pressure and if necessary with the aid of surface induced pressure and under visual control.

2 The observation means of the suction means defined in claim 1 comprising a plane optical disk or a magnifying lens.

3 The observation means defined in claim 2, additionally having an attachment means for an exchangeable needle or other permanently installed skin perforation means. 4 The skin cleaning means defined in claim 1 , comprising a modular assembly of a low pressure generating means and differently shaped skin contacting suction means communicating with and attached to the low pressure generating means such, that they may be freely rotated around their connecting member.

5 The modular skin contacting suction means defined in claim 4 (Fig. 2, 3, and 4) comprising an angled suction member and a conical connector means, with which they attach to a corresponding fitting means, or to a connecting member originating from the suction generating means, such that the skin contacting suction means can be placed flat onto the skin and that the suction generating means may be used single handedly with the left or the right hand.

6 The skin contacting suction means defined in claim 4 also have shapes adapted to the different anatomical shapes of the treatment areas.

7 The skin contacting suction means defined in claim 4 have a localized small curvatures which support the emptying of the pores by the local lifting and convex deformation of the skin over said small curvatures.

8 One of the skin contacting suction means defined in claim 4 comprises an exchangeable or permanently installed needle or other skin perforation means which penetration depth is limited by a step and to which the skin will be lifted up by the suction pressure and ultimately perforated by said needle or other skin perforation means.

9 The skin contacting suction means defined in claim 4 comprising filter means (25, 35, 45) within the communicating member which assure that no contaminating material will enter the low pressure generating means.

10 The skin contacting suction means defined in claim 4 comprising a safety valve means between the low pressure side and the ambient pressure, which assure that the suction pressure will not decrease below a safe level.