Skin tag removal devices

1 . A device for application of cryogenic matter directly on a skin lesion while protecting collateral skin tissue from being damaged by the cryogenic matter, comprising:

an applicator body having first and second opposing tweezer arms,

a plurality of canisters containing cryogenic matter; and

first and second disposable tips, each disposable tip mechanically connected to an end of a respective tweezer arm, each disposable tip including:

a conduit configured to receive therein cryogenic matter;

an absorbent application element configured to absorb and contain cryogenic matter and having an exposed face configured to apply the cryogenic matter directly onto the skin lesion when the first and second opposing tweezer arms are brought together upon the skin lesion;

a thermally conductive material in contact with at least a portion of the absorbent application element, said thermally conductive material:

configured to conduct cold from the absorbent application element; and

includes a lip extending circumferentially at least partially around a perimeter of the exposed face; and

a layer of thermally insulating material disposed exterior to portions of the thermally conductive material;

wherein:

at least a portion of the lips of the first and second disposable tips are free of the layer of thermally insulating material; and,

when cryogenic matter is delivered from the canisters to the application elements of the first and second disposable tips and the first and second opposing tweezer arms are placed on either side of the skin lesion and then squeezed together upon the skin lesion:

the lips of the first and second disposable tips freeze a base of the skin lesion;

the exposed faces of the absorbent application elements of the first and second disposable tips freeze a distal portion of the skin lesion; and

the layer of thermally insulating material protects collateral skin tissue from being damaged by the cryogenic matter.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive material comprises a casing disposed around an entire perimeter of the absorbent application element.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the lip extends around less than an entire perimeter of the casing.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the lip extends circumferentially around at least a portion of a bottom half of the absorbent application element, said bottom half defined as the half that is closer to skin collateral to the lesion when the conduit is arranged perpendicular to the skin.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive material includes stainless steel.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the thermally insulating material includes plastic.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent application element comprises open cell foam.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:

each of said first and second tweezer arms includes a hollow interior region;

the plurality of canisters comprises first and second canisters, and each respective canister is disposed within the hollow interior region of the respective first and second tweezer arms; and

each respective tweezer arm includes a connector for delivering cryogenic matter from the respective canister to the respective disposable tip.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein each canister further comprises a nozzle actuatable by a spring, the nozzle, when actuated, configured to release cryogenic matter from the canister.

10 . The device of claim 9 , further comprising a charging base configured to receive at least the disposable tips and to receive at least part of the applicator body, wherein downward movement upon the charging base of the received applicator body compresses the spring of each nozzle, thereby releasing cryogenic matter from each respective canister and delivering cryogenic matter through each respective connector to each respective conduit.

11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the charging base comprises:

a plurality of receptacles configured to hold the disposable tips therein; and

a plurality of guiding ridges configured to receive at least part of the applicator body during attachment of the applicator body to the disposable tips held within the receptacles.

12 . The device of claim 10 , wherein, when the applicator body is moved downwardly upon the charging base, a space remains between the first and second absorbent application elements.

13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein each lip is angled downward away from the respective absorbent application element.

14 . The device of claim 1 , wherein each disposable tip further comprises at least one cross spar, wherein the cross spar of the first disposable tip is configured to close over a side of the second disposable tip when the opposing tweezer arms are closed together upon the skin lesion.

15 . A device for application of cryogenic matter directly on a skin lesion while protecting collateral skin tissue from being damaged by the cryogenic matter, comprising:

an applicator body having first and second opposing tweezer arms,

a plurality of canisters containing cryogenic matter; and

first and second disposable tips, each disposable tip mechanically connected to an end of a respective tweezer arm, each disposable tip including:

a conduit configured to receive therein cryogenic matter;

an absorbent application element configured to absorb and contain cryogenic matter and having an exposed face configured to apply the cryogenic matter directly onto the skin lesion when the first and second opposing tweezer arms are brought together upon the skin lesion;

a thermally conductive material in contact with at least a portion of the absorbent application element, said thermally conductive material:

configured to conduct cold from the absorbent application element; and

includes a lip extending circumferentially around at least a portion of the absorbent application element; and

a layer of thermally insulating material disposed exterior to portions of the thermally conductive material, the thermally insulating material configured to protect skin collateral to the skin lesion from being damaged by the cryogenic matter;

wherein:

at least a portion of the lips of the first and second disposable tips are free of the layer of thermally insulating material; and,

when cryogenic matter is delivered from the canisters to the application elements of the first and second disposable tips and the first and second opposing tweezer arms are placed on either side of the skin lesion and then squeezed together upon the skin lesion:

the lips of the first and second disposable tips freeze a base of the skin lesion; and

the exposed faces of the absorbent application elements of the first and second disposable tips freeze a portion of the skin lesion further away from the collateral skin than the base of the skin lesion.

16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the thermally conductive material comprises a casing disposed around an entire perimeter of the absorbent application element.

17 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the lip extends around less than an entire perimeter of the casing.

18 . The device of claim 15 wherein the lip extends circumferentially around at least a portion of a perimeter of the absorbent application element.

19 . The device of claim 15 wherein the lip extends circumferentially around at least a portion of a bottom half of the absorbent application element, said bottom half defined as the half that is closer to the skin collateral to the skin lesion when the conduit is arranged perpendicular to the skin.

20 . The device of claim 15 wherein the lip is angled downward away from the absorbent application element, wherein downward is defined as a direction toward the skin collateral to the skin lesion when the conduit is arranged perpendicular to the skin.

21 . The device of claim 20 wherein the lip extends at least partially downward away from a bottom surface of the absorbent application element, wherein said bottom surface lies:

at least partly perpendicular to the exposed face; and,

when the conduit is arranged perpendicular to the skin collateral the skin lesion, closer to the skin than other surfaces of the absorbent application element lying at least partly perpendicular to the exposed face.

22 . The device of claim 21 wherein downward extension of the lip away from the bottom surface of the absorbent application element increases in a direction paralleling the bottom surface and, from within the absorbent application element, toward the exposed face.

23 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the absorbent application element comprises open cell foam.

24 . The device of claim 15 , wherein:

each of said first and second tweezer arms includes a hollow interior region;

the plurality of canisters comprises first and second canisters, and each respective canister is disposed within the hollow interior region of the respective first and second tweezer arms; and

each respective tweezer arm includes a connector for delivering cryogenic matter from the respective canister to the respective disposable tip.

25 . The device of claim 24 , wherein each canister further comprises a nozzle configured to release cryogenic matter from the canister when the nozzle is actuated.

26 . The device of claim 25 , wherein the nozzle comprises a spring, the nozzle actuatable by compression of the spring.

27 . The device of claim 26 , further comprising a charging base configured to receive at least the disposable tips and to receive at least part of the applicator body, wherein downward movement upon the charging base of the received applicator body actuates each nozzle, thereby releasing cryogenic matter from each respective canister and delivering cryogenic matter through each respective connector to each respective conduit.

28 . The device of claim 27 , wherein the charging base comprises:

a plurality of receptacles configured to hold the disposable tips therein; and

a plurality of guiding ridges configured to receive at least part of the applicator body during attachment of the applicator body to the disposable tips held within the receptacles.

29 . The device of claim 27 , wherein, when the applicator body is moved downwardly upon the charging base, a space remains between the first and second absorbent application elements.

30 . The device of claim 15 , wherein each disposable tip further comprises at least one cross spar, wherein the cross spar of the first disposable tip is configured to close over a side of the second disposable tip when the opposing tweezer arms are closed together upon the skin lesion.