METHODS AND DEVICES FOR INJECTION OF A SUBSTANCE INTO TISSUE
Substances are injected (e.g. laser injected) into skin tissue in order to change optical and/or mechanical properties of the tissue. Methods include ablating one or more micro-holes into tissue, pushing a substance into the one or more micro-holes with energy from the creation of the mirco-holes, with acoustic energy, and/or with laser energy. A container component is filled with the substance to be injected into the skin tissue.
1 . A method of driving a substance into a subject's skin, comprising:
placing a substance in contact with or in proximity to a portion of the skin;
applying energy to said skin portion so as to generate a plurality of micro-holes therein; and
applying energy to at least a portion of said substance to generate pressure for forcing at least a portion of said substance into one or more of the plurality of micro-holes.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said substance changes its phase into a gaseous phase.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said substance changes its phase into a liquid phase.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said substance is disposed in a container having a surface adapted for contact with the skin.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said surface is frangible and perforates in response to applying energy.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said container is maintained in contact with the skin through the application of the energy to the skin and the substance.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said substance alters the optics of the skin.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said substance optically clears at least a portion of the skin appearance.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said substance lightens at least a portion of the skin appearance.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said substance protects at least a portion of the skin from UV-light.
11 . The method of claim 7 wherein the substance within said micro-holes changes over time such that the optics of the skin returns to the unaltered optical appearance.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of micro-holes have a depth at or above the dermal epidermal junction and the substance forced into the micro-holes are at a depth at or above the dermal epidermal junction.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of micro-holes have a depth below the dermal epidermal junction and the substance forced into the micro-holes are at a depth below the dermal epidermal junction.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substance is disposed in a container, the container provides a seal with the skin when the container is in contact with the skin.
15 . A method of driving a substance into a subject's skin, comprising:
placing a container housing in contact with a portion of the skin, said container housing defining a compartment containing a substance therein, the container housing configured to seal the compartment between the skin and the container housing when the compartment is in contact with the skin; and
applying ablative energy through at least a portion of the container housing thereby ablating said skin portion and so as to generate a plurality of micro-holes and such that a pressure within the compartment increases and drives at least a portion of said substance into said micro-holes with said increased pressure.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of said substance driven into said micro-holes is in a gaseous phase.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of said substance driven into said micro-holes is in a liquid phase.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the container housing has a frangible surface that perforates in response to ablation.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein said container housing is maintained in contact with the skin through the application of the ablative energy to the skin and the substance.
20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein said substance alters the optics of the skin.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein said substance optically clears at least a portion of the skin appearance.
22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein said substance lightens at least a portion of the skin appearance.
23 . The method of claim 20 , wherein said substance protects at least a portion of the skin from UV-light.
24 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of micro-holes have a depth at or above the dermal epidermal junction and the substance forced into the micro-holes are at a depth at or above the dermal epidermal junction.
25 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of micro-holes have a depth below the dermal epidermal junction and the substance forced into the micro-holes are at a depth below the dermal epidermal junction.
26 . A container component for driving a substance into tissue, the component comprising:
a compartment;
a window, at least a portion of the window is optically transparent to laser energy, the window reflects at least a portion of the sonic energy created when the laser energy is applied to tissue and the window prevents escape of the reflected acoustic sonic energy from the compartment; and
a wall, wherein at least a portion of the wall can form a seal with a tissue surface.
27 . The container of claim 26 further comprising an orifice through which a substance is inserted into the compartment.
28 . The container of claim 26 , wherein the window comprises sapphire.