US 12,213,694 B2
Method and apparatus for skin resurfacing
William G. Austen, Weston, MA (US)
Assigned to The General Hospital Corporation, Boston, MA (US)
Filed by The General Hospital Corporation, Boston, MA (US)
Filed on May 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/748,708.
Application 17/748,708 is a continuation of application No. 16/417,062, filed on May 20, 2019, granted, now 11,364,049.
Application 16/417,062 is a continuation of application No. 15/250,882, filed on Aug. 29, 2016, granted, now 10,327,800, issued on Jun. 25, 2019.
Application 15/250,882 is a continuation of application No. 13/982,121, granted, now 9,439,673, issued on Sep. 13, 2016, previously published as PCT/US2012/022993, filed on Jan. 27, 2012.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/437,486, filed on Jan. 28, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2023/0099059 A1, Mar. 30, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 17/32 (2006.01); A61B 10/02 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/20 (2006.01); A61B 17/3205 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/32053 (2013.01) [A61B 10/0233 (2013.01); A61B 17/205 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00761 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00765 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for removing aged or damaged skin tissue, comprising:
producing, through a coring procedure, a plurality of holes in the skin tissue by removing portions of the skin tissue using an apparatus for producing a cosmetic effect in the skin tissue, the apparatus comprising:
at least one hollow needle comprising a distal end thereof,
wherein the at least one hollow needle is configured to remove portions of the skin tissue when the hollow needle is repeatedly inserted into and withdrawn from the skin tissue, so as to produce the cosmetic effect, wherein the at least one hollow needle comprises one, two, or three or more prongs at the distal end of the at least one hollow needle, and
discarding the removed portions of the skin tissue,
wherein the method promotes the growth of new skin components or reduces scarring, age-related rhytides, skin laxity, photo damage, or striae,
wherein the at least one hollow needle comprises a circular lumen having an internal diameter of less than about 0.5 mm.