US 11,883,680 B2
Method and apparatus for tightening skin and other tissues
Michael McCormack, Medford, MA (US); Robert Redmond, Newton Centre, MA (US); and William Gerald Austen, Jr., Weston, MA (US)
Assigned to The General Hospital Corporation, Boston, MA (US)
Filed by The General Hospital Corporation, Boston, MA (US)
Filed on Apr. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/660,536.
Application 17/660,536 is a division of application No. 16/079,793, granted, now 11,400,310, previously published as PCT/US2017/019321, filed on Feb. 24, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/299,853, filed on Feb. 25, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0241607 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
Int. Cl. A61N 5/06 (2006.01); A61B 18/20 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01); A61N 5/067 (2006.01); A61K 41/00 (2020.01)
CPC A61N 5/062 (2013.01) [A61B 18/203 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00765 (2013.01); A61B 2018/0047 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00559 (2013.01); A61K 41/0071 (2013.01); A61N 5/067 (2021.08); A61N 5/0616 (2013.01); A61N 2005/0652 (2013.01); A61N 2005/0663 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A kit for treating tissue and for use with an electromagnetic radiation source, the kit comprising:
a needle sized to create puncture holes in the tissue; and
a photochemical agent configured to penetrate through the puncture holes when applied to the tissue and to be activated to cause crosslinking of proteins in the tissue when irradiated with a predetermined electromagnetic radiation by the electromagnetic radiation source following a predetermined time period,
wherein the predetermined electromagnetic radiation is at a wavelength that activates the photochemical agent, causing a protein response that brings fibers through a depth of the tissue closer together in order to one of reduce tissue laxity and tighten the tissue,
wherein the predetermined time is selected to enable the photochemical agent to penetrate the depth of the tissue and become distributed adjacent proteins within the tissue,
wherein the predetermined time period is between about thirty seconds to about five minutes, and
wherein the needle is part of a needle array comprising: a head with internal needles extendable from a surface of the head by a button, the head configured to be coupled to a separate handle, wherein the needle is configured to simultaneously inject the photochemical agent through the needle while being pulled from the tissue so that the photochemical agent penetrates a depth of the tissue.