Energy-Based Tissue Treatment and Chilling
Embodiments included herein are directed systems and methods for energy-based tissue treatment and chilling. Embodiments of a system may include an energy generator configured to generate a signal. The system may further include at least one antenna configured to receive and transmit the signal. The system may also include a chiller exposed, at least in part, to a housing or cooling fluid that is exposed to a housing of the at least one antenna. The system may additionally include at least one field spreader corresponding to the at least one antenna. Furthermore, the system may include a cooling plate configured to cool an epidermis and a dermis.
1 . A system comprising:
an energy generator configured to generate a signal;
at least one antenna configured to receive and transmit the signal;
a chiller exposed, at least in part, to a housing or cooling fluid that is exposed to a housing of the at least one antenna;
at least one field spreader corresponding to the at least one antenna; and
a cooling plate configured to cool an epidermis and a dermis.
2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a thermal structure that surrounds the at least one antenna.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the field spreader is a ceramic or ceramic filled plastic field spreader.
4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a switch configured to receive the signal and output the signal to the at least one antenna.
5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an applicator, wherein the applicator is configured to house the at least one antenna, the switch, thermal structure, the at least one field spreader, and the cooling plate.
6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a console that houses the energy generator.
7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
a power supply configured to power the energy generator;
control circuitry for controlling the energy generator; and
a display.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy generator is a microwave energy generator.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the microwave energy generator is configured to generate a microwave signal having a frequency of about 5.8 GHz.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one antenna is a waveguide antenna.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one antenna is a phased array of four waveguide antennas.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the chiller is a thermo-electric chiller.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein a cold side of the thermo-electric chiller touches the housing or fluid that touches the thermal structure surrounding the at least one antenna.
14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one field spreader is composed of a dielectric ceramic or ceramic filled plastic.
15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one field spreader has a known dielectric constant.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one field spreader is a ceramic filled plastic field spreader.
17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a structure made of at least-two materials with different dielectric constants, causes the energy field to spread.
18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein a difference between a first dielectric constant corresponding the at least one field spreader, and a second dielectric constant corresponding to a paired field spreader comprising a dielectric ceramic, causes a power density associated with the signal to spread.
19 . A system for energy-based tissue treatment and chilling, the system comprising:
a microwave energy generator that generates a microwave signal;
waveguide antennas configured to receive and transmit the microwave signal;
a cooling mechanism exposed, at least in part, to a thermal structure that touches a cooling plate;
a first and second field spreader positioned near an end of a waveguide antenna;
a cooling plate configured to cool an epidermis and a dermis; and
wherein the first and second field spreaders are dielectric ceramics or ceramic filled plastic and a difference between a first dielectric constant corresponding to the first field spreader and a second dielectric constant corresponding to the second field spreader causes a power distribution associated with the microwave signal to spread.
20 . A method for energy-based tissue treatment and chilling, the method comprising:
generating, by a microwave energy generator, a microwave signal;
receiving and transmitting the microwave signal with at least one waveguide antenna;
cooling an epidermis using a thermo-electric chiller exposed, at least in part, to a thermal structure that houses the at least one waveguide antenna and to a cooling plate;
outputting a microwave energy field corresponding to the microwave signal via at least one field spreader positioned near an end of the at least one waveguide antenna;
spreading the microwave energy field using a difference between a first dielectric constant corresponding to the at least one field spreader and a second dielectric constant corresponding to another field spreader; and
treating the tissue with the microwave energy field.