Montefiore Hospital Association of Western Pennsylvania

Other

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Plastic Surgery Research Associates

Marc D Liang

Krishna Rama Narayanan

John L Kurtz

Eugene D Ross

Frank R Walters

Krishna Narayannan

A method of fat cavitation including infiltrating adipose tissue with a liquid, creating a puncture in a patient's skin, providing a wire, the wire being generally uniform in diameter and having a first end and a second end and introducing the second end of the wire through the puncture in the patient's skin. The method further includes placing at least a portion of the second end of the wire in contact the adipose tissue, generating an ultrasonic wave, transmitting the ultrasonic wave to the second end of the wire, creating cavitation bubbles in at least a portion of the targeted adipose tissue and liquefying at least a portion of the targeted adipose tissue. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Minimally invasive fat cavitation method

A new method and apparatus for the long-term removal of hair are provided. Ultrasonic energy is transmitted to a needle passed through the skin into an individual hair follicle. The resulting cavitation of the area surrounding the hair follicle causes the hair follicle to be disrupted. The process is repeated for individual hair follicles over the selected region of the body.

Method and apparatus for hair removal using ultrasonic energy

A laser operation and control system preferably comprising a laser adapted to be grasped by a user and freely passed over a treatment area, control circuitry for activating and deactivating the laser, at least one boundary sensor operable to transmit a signal to the control circuitry to deactivate the laser upon passage thereof beyond a boundary of the treatment area and to transmit a signal to the control circuitry to activate the laser upon passage thereof within the boundary, and at least one proximity sensor for transmitting a signal to the control circuitry to deactivate the laser should the proximity sensor fail to sense a substantially solid surface within a predetermined distance therefrom and for transmitting a signal to the control circuitry to activate the laser should the proximity sensor sense such a surface.

Boundary and proximity sensor apparatus for a laser

A system is provided with a voice activated control apparatus which permits precise control of one or more system variables by means of voice commands uttered by the system operator. When a system variable is in a movement or change mode, the movement or change is terminated by any sound exceeding a preestablished acoustic threshold level. Any value of one or more system variables can be identified and appropriate data stored in a memory to permit the one or more system variables to return to an identified value or state with a single voice command. The control apparatus is combined with a screen monitor and/or an acoustic speaker to provide visible and/or acoustic responses to an operator. The control apparatus is practical for retrofitting existing remotely controllable systems.

Voice activated control apparatus

A tendon approximator employs two connected, normally closed clamps, which are each formed from two extruded elements. The two extruded elements are connected together in their mid-region by means of non-circular cam on a base element and a corresponding non-circular cam surface on a clamping element. In the normally closed position of the individual clamps, the cam and cam surface urge the device into a jaw-closed position with the handles being spaced apart. In a preferred embodiment two of the clamps are connected by means of rods extending through corresponding handle portions of the two clamps.

Tendon approximator

Mammal skin having wrinkles can be treated to remove wrinkles by abrading elevated portions of the epithelial layer with an ultrasonic surgical tool adapted to abrade soft tissue. The subcutaneous tissue in the selected region is medicated by subcutaneous injection of anaesthetic, vaso constrictor and spreading factor in effective quantities.

Method for removing skin wrinkles

A microscope has a voice activated control system which permits precise location of the microscope and precise focusing by means of voice commands uttered by the microscope operator. When the microscope is in a movement mode, the movement is terminated by any sound exceeding a pre-established acoustic threshold level. Any microscope location can be identified and appropriate data is stored in a memory drive to permit the microscope to return to an identified location with a single voice command. The microscope is combined with a screen monitor and/or an acoustic speaker to provide visible and/or acoustic responses from the control system. The system is practical for retrofitting existing remotely controllable microscopes.

Voice activated microscope

A normally closed clamp is provided which is formed from two extruded elements which are connected together in their midregion by means of a non-circular cam on a base element and a corresponding non-circular cam surface on a clamping element. In the normally closed position, the cam and cam surface urge the device into a jaw-closed position with the handles being spaced-apart. When the handles are brought together, the jaw members separate and the relative position of the cam surface and the cam member is altered. The device may be used as a tissue separator. Two of the devices may be assembled together as a tendon approximator.

Normally closed clamp

A marking device provides a circular mark on the skin of the breast of a patient concentric with the areola of the patient's breast. The device is a cylindrical tubular member having an open circular end which is the marking element and having a pair of cross markings at the other end on an optically transparent wall to permit optical centering of the device with respect to the breast areola prior to skin marking. A preferred embodiment includes a pair of markers in a common cylindrical tubular member having one circular diameter at one end and a different circular diameter at the other end.

Breast marking device

A microsurgery tool for use in anastomosis of small vessels has a thin shaft with a pair of forwardly projecting tines defining a throat for receiving the pointed end of a suture needle. The microsurgery tool is inserted between confronting ends of vessels into engagement with the inner wall of one vessel for receiving a suture needle point passing through the outer wall of the vessel and thereafter is withdrawn from the space between the vessels to engage the outer surface of the other vessel where it receives the pointed end of the same suture needle passing through the inner wall of the other vessel.

Microsurgery anastomosis tool

A microsurgery tool for use in anastomosis of small vessels has a thin arcuate shaft or tube with a tubular distal end having its tubing cut away to define a trough for receiving the pointed end of a suture needle. The microsurgery tool is inserted between confronting ends of vessels into a first vessel for receiving a suture needle point passing through the outer wall of the first vessel. Thereafter the tool is withdrawn from the space between the vessels and the convex outer surface of the trough engages the outer surface of the second vessel where it supports the wall of the second vessel while the point of the same suture needle is passed through the inner wall of the second vessel.

Method for performing small vessel anastomosis

An improved method for expanding the open ends of human vessels employs an expandable cell which can be inflated a bubble at the open end of a vessel. The method is carried out with a novel closed end cell which can be connected to a source of fluidized pressure such a hypodermic syringe and, in its relaxed state can be introduced into the open end of the vessel for subsequent expansion into a bubble of the desired diameter to cause uniform length extension of the open end of the vessel. The cell may be prestressed or weakened to establish the location of bubble formation within the cell.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Marc D Liang