NEEDLE FOR DELIVERY OF DERMAL FILLER THREADS
Provided herewith is a needle for delivering dermal filler thread to a wrinkle in a patient. The needle can also be used to deliver the thread to a patient for the purposes of facial contouring. The needle comprises a coupler for attaching the thread to the needle and also a trocar to ease delivery through the skin.
1 . (canceled)
2 . A needle for delivering a dermal filler, the needle comprising:
a dermal filler thread;
a tubular body having a proximal body portion, a distal body portion, and a longitudinal axis, wherein at least a portion of the dermal filler thread extends through the tubular body; and
a sheath encasing the tubular body, the sheath having a proximal sheath portion and a distal sheath portion, the distal sheath portion having an expanded distal edge that has a cross-sectional profile that is expanded relative to a cross-sectional profile of the proximal sheath portion, the sheath being configured to permit a clinician to firmly grasp the tubular body for piercing a patient's skin with the tubular body while abutting the expanded distal edge against the patient's skin thereby preventing the sheath from piercing the patient's skin.
3 . The needle of claim 2 , wherein the tubular body is configured to advance distally relative to the distal sheath portion.
4 . The needle of claim 3 , wherein the sheath is configured to buckle as the tubular body advances distally relative to the sheath.
5 . The needle of claim 2 , wherein the sheath is configured to buckle against the patient's skin as the tubular body is inserted into the patient.
6 . The needle of claim 5 , wherein the sheath is configured to self-elongate.
7 . The needle of claim 2 , further comprising a needle clamp disposed around the distal body portion of the tubular body, wherein the needle clamp permits sliding movement of the tubular body relative to the needle clamp in a released position and the needle clamp prevents sliding movement of the tubular body relative to the needle clamp in a clamped position.
8 . The needle of claim 2 , wherein the dermal filler thread comprises a hyaluronic acid, salt, hydrate or solvate thereof.
9 . The needle of claim 2 , wherein the dermal filler thread comprises a cross-linked hyaluronic acid.
10 . A method for delivering a dermal filler, the method comprising:
providing a dermal filler thread within a tubular body;
at least partially encasing the tubular body with a sheath, wherein the sheath comprises a proximal sheath portion and a distal sheath portion, the distal sheath portion having an expanded distal edge that has a cross-sectional profile that is expanded relative to a cross-sectional profile of the proximal sheath portion;
abutting the expanded distal edge against a patient's skin thereby preventing the sheath from piercing the patient's skin;
grasping the sheath and the tubular body; and
piercing a patient's skin with the tubular body.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising advancing the tubular body distally relative to the distal sheath portion.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising removing the sheath from a distal portion of the tubular body as the tubular body is inserted into the patient's skin.
13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising buckling the sheath as the tubular body advances distally relative to the sheath.
14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising buckling the sheath against the patient's skin as the tubular body is inserted into the patient.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
buckling the sheath to a grab point as the tubular body is inserted into the patient; and
retracting the sheath proximally relative to the tubular body.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising maintaining the sheath in a buckled configuration during retracting the sheath.
17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising expanding the sheath from a buckled configuration.
18 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising clamping a distal portion of the tubular body.
19 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising advancing the dermal filler thread through the tubular body.
20 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the dermal filler thread comprises a hyaluronic acid, salt, hydrate or solvate thereof.
21 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the dermal filler thread comprises a cross-linked hyaluronic acid.