US20060200099A1 - Skin treatment apparatus and methods - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for treating skin using abrasion lotion with particulate includes an appliance and an applicator. The appliance may include a motor for actuating the applicator, for example, by rotation or oscillation. The applicator may include an application surface for impressing and urging particulate upon skin when the surface is contacting skin and the motor is activated. The application surface may be made from a substantially unresilient material or a substantially inabsorbent material. To treat skin, abrasion lotion may be applied either on the surface of the applicator or directly on the skin. The surface may then be placed against skin, and the motor may be activated. When in motion, the application surface impresses particulate of the lotion upon the skin and urges the impressed particulate across the skin, thereby abrading and exfoliating the skin. The applicator may be moved over an area of the skin for complete treatment. The application surface may include a field and a plurality of bosses disposed on the field, with channels defined between adjacent bosses. When the applicator is in motion and the surface contacts skin, the bosses urge and push the abrasion lotion into and through the channels, thereby moving and redistributing the abrasion lotion during operation. Alternatively, the application surface may include a relief field for vectoring particulate upon the skin.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention relates to skin treatment apparatus and methods.
• Professional skin treatment procedures are expensive and time consuming. For example, microdermabrasion procedures require a patient to travel to a facility and undergo treatment by a certified professional utilizing specialized equipment. Such sessions involve pneumatic abrasion of the skin with microscopic crystals, such as aluminum oxide or magnesium oxide.
• As an alternative to profession treatment sessions, home treatment typically involves facial scrubs or microdermabrasion creams applied by hand. Although time and money are saved, the quality of the treatment and the level of skin abrasion are sacrificed. Some commercially available products include those wherein a vibrating or spinning foam pad is used to apply cream to the face. However, the foam absorbs the cream and becomes clogged, wasting the expensive cream. In addition, the foam pad is highly resilient and pliant; therefore, a user needs to exert substantial pressure in attempting to effect abrasion. This pressure increases the friction between the pad and the skin, thereby generating heat and causing irritation.
• Accordingly, there is a need in the art for methods and apparatus for effectively treating the skin with abrasion lotion that may be utilized economically and outside of a professional facility.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• Apparatus for treating skin using abrasion lotion with particulate includes an appliance and an applicator. The appliance may include a motor for actuating the applicator, for example, by rotation or oscillation. The applicator may include an application surface for impressing particulate upon the skin and for urging the impressed particulate across skin when the application surface is contacting skin and the motor is activated. The application surface may be made from a substantially unresilient material or a substantially inabsorbent material, or both.
• To treat skin, abrasion lotion may be applied either on the application surface of the applicator or directly on the skin. The application surface may then be placed against skin, and the motor may be activated. When in motion, the application surface impresses particulate upon the skin and urges the impressed particulate across the skin, thereby abrading and exfoliating the skin. The applicator may be moved over an area of the skin for complete treatment.
• The application surface may include a field and a plurality of bosses disposed on the field, with channels defined between adjacent bosses. When the applicator is in motion and the surface contacts skin, the bosses urge and push the abrasion lotion into and through the channels, thereby moving and redistributing the abrasion lotion during operation. This impressing and urging of particulate, described as vectoring herein, exfoliates the skin. Alternatively, the application surface may include a relief field including a plurality of intaglios.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an appliance for treating skin using abrasion lotion;
• FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a block diagram of an appliance in relation to an applicator in side view;
• FIG. 3 illustrates abrasion lotion with suspended particulate;
• FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an applicator with an application surface placed against skin with abrasion lotion therebetween (with the application surface also being a cross-sectional view taken along line4-4 ofFIG. 12);
• FIG. 5 is a plan view of an applicator surface with bosses on a field;
• FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along6-6 ofFIG. 5;
• FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of bosses disposed on a field;
• FIG. 8 is a cross-section view of bosses disposed on a field according to another embodiment;
• FIG. 9 is a plan view of bosses disposed on a field according to still another embodiment;
• FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along10-10 ofFIG. 9;
• FIG. 11 is a cross-section view of bosses disposed on a field according to yet another embodiment;
• FIG. 12 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the movement of abrasion lotion by bosses of an applicator when applied against skin;
• FIG. 13 illustrates the concept of vectoring particulate upon skin;
• FIG. 14 illustrates spatial paths of rotation of bosses of an applicator;
• FIG. 15 is a fragmentary perspective view of an applicator with protruding peripheral bosses;
• FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an applicator with a particulate-grabbing surface having a relief field;
• FIG. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a relief surface;
• FIG. 18 is a plan view of another embodiment of a relief surface;
• FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a relief surface taken along line19-19 ofFIG. 18;
• FIG. 20 is a plan view of yet another embodiment of a relief surface;
• FIG. 21 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a relief surface ofFIG. 20;
• FIG. 22 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a boss including a relief surface.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• Apparatus for treating skin using abrasion lotion with particulate is illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2 and referenced generally withnumeral10.Exemplary apparatus10 includes anappliance12 and anapplicator14. Theappliance12 may include amotor16 for actuating theapplicator14.
• Theapplicator14 may include anapplication surface18 for impressing particulate upon skin and urging particulate across skin when thesurface18 is contacting skin and themotor16 is activated. For the purposes of this description, this impressing and urging of particulate upon the skin will be known as “vectoring” particulate, which will be discussed in detail below.
• In a number of embodiments theapplication surface18 may be substantially unresilient so that deformation of thesurface18 is minimized under normal application pressure from a user against skin over soft tissue (i.e., not bone). In other embodiments theapplication surface18 may be substantially inabsorbent so that absorption of the abrasion lotion by thesurface18 is minimized or prevented. In still other embodiments theapplication surface18 may be both substantially unresilient and substantially inabsorbent.
• In a number of embodiments, theappliance12 may be configured to actuate theapplicator14 by rotation. In other embodiments, theappliance12 may oscillate theapplicator12. In either case, theappliance12 may include ashaft20 to which acomplementary base22 of theapplicator14 is engageable. Theapplicator14 may be either permanently attached to theappliance12 or may be releasably attached (i.e., theshaft20 and thebase22 are configured to be releasably engageable with each other).
• As shown inFIG. 2, theappliance12 may include apower supply24 and apower switch26 to activate themotor16. Thepower supply24 may be an AC power source or, in other embodiments, may be a DC source such as batteries, AC adapter, and so on. In a number of embodiments, theappliance12 may include aspeed control switch28 for adjusting the speed of themotor16. For example, thespeed control switch28 may adjust the speed of themotor16 from a lower limit to an upper limit, e.g., 10 revolutions per minute (RPM) to 1,000 RPM in some of the rotary embodiments, or10 oscillations per minute (OPM) to 1,000 OPM in some of the oscillation embodiments. Thespeed control switch28 may vary the speed discretely or continuously.
• As mentioned, theapparatus10 treats skin using abrasion lotion with particulate. As shown inFIG. 3, abrasion lotion L includes particulate P that are suspended in a viscous carrier material C. Each particulate P has dimensions or breadth, which may be approximated for the purposes of this description by a diameter d₁, d₂, and so on, as shown in the figure. Accordingly, the size of the particulate P may be approximated as an average diameter of the type of particulate in the abrasion lotion.
• In a number of embodiments, the abrasion lotion may be a microdermabrasion lotion or cream with a particulate size that depends upon the type of desired abrasion. For example, commercially available microdermabrasion creams may have a magnesium oxide particulate with a size on the order of about 40 micrometers (μm) to about 120 μm.
• To treat skin, abrasion lotion may be applied on thesurface18 of theapplicator14. In other embodiments, abrasion lotion may be applied the skin directly. Thesurface18 may then be placed against skin S, as shown inFIG. 4. Themotor16 may then be activated. When in motion, thesurface18 impresses and urges particulate P across the skin S, thereby abrading the skin. For example, if the surface18 (i.e., the applicator14) moves in the direction indicated by arrow M, the particulate-grabbingsurface18 compresses against the skin S and urges abrasion lotion and particulate P to move against the skin, thereby abrading the surface of the skin. Theapplicator14 may be moved over the skin to exfoliate a desired area of skin, e.g., the face.
• In an exemplary embodiment shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, theapplicator14 includes thebase22 for engaging with theappliance12 and theapplication surface18 for impressing and urging particulate across skin when thesurface18 is contacting skin and the applicator is moving, e.g., rotating. In a number of embodiments, thesurface18 may include anembossed field29. For example, the embossedfield29 may include afield30 and a plurality ofbosses32 disposed on thefield30. In some embodiments, thebosses32 may be arcuate in profile or section. In other embodiments, one of which is shown inFIG. 6, thebosses32 may be dome shaped or hemispherically shaped.
• In still other embodiments, thebosses32 may be plateau shaped or rectilinear in section, as shown inFIG. 7. In some embodiments, such as shown inFIG. 8, thebosses32 may include a plurality of discontinuities34 defined by stepping the bosses. In embodiments exemplified inFIGS. 9 and 10, in other embodiments, thebosses32 may be ovoid in plan as shown inFIG. 9 and arcuate in section as shown inFIG. 10. In still other embodiments, thebosses32 may haveconcave sides36 so that apeak38 is formed, as shown inFIG. 11.
• In many embodiments, thesurface18 of theapplicator14 may be made from a substantially hard or unresilient material, which material may be, e.g., rubber, plastic, or metal. For example, in embodiments where theapplication surface18 is made from silicone rubber, the hardness of thesurface18 may range from about 30 to about 60 on the Shore A scale. Alternatively, in embodiments where theapplication surface18 is made from plastic or hard rubber, the hardness of thesurface18 may range from about 40 to about 80 on the Shore D scale.
• For the purposes of this description, “substantially unresilient” material does not deform when pressed against skin over soft tissue such as muscle, e.g., the cheeks. That is, the skin will deform prior to theapplication surface18 when the surface is pressed against the skin. In addition, “substantially unresilient” material will deform slightly when pressed against skin over hard tissue such as bone, e.g., the nose bridge or forehead. In some embodiments, substantially unresilient material may include material with a hardness of at least about two times the hardness of skin on the Shore A scale. As skin has a hardness of about 10 on the Shore A scale, then in these embodiments theapplication surface18 may have a hardness of at least 20 on the Shore A scale.
• In other embodiments, thesurface18 may be made from a pliant or relatively resilient material such as rubber. For example, in the embodiment shown inFIG. 11, each of thebosses32 may be pliant so that trauma to the skin caused by thepeaks38 is minimized. In pliant embodiments, thesurface18 may be made from a material with a hardness at the lower end of the Shore A scale, e.g., less than 30.
• In still other embodiments, thesurface18 of theapplicator14 may be made from a non-porous or inabsorbent material so that abrasion lotion does not build-up within or is not absorbed by theapplicator14.
• Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6, in some of the embodiments, theapplicator14 may be circular. In rotary embodiments, theapplicator14 may rotate about an axis A as shown by arrow R or may oscillate about axis A as shown by arrow O. In other embodiments, theapplicator14 may oscillate in a circular pattern analogous to an orbital sander.
• As shown inFIGS. 4 and 6,channels40 may be defined betweenadjacent bosses32. When theapplicator14 is in motion and thesurface18 contacts skin, thebosses32 urge and push the abrasion lotion L into and through thechannels40, thereby moving and redistributing the abrasion lotion during operation. In addition, skin cells that are abraded during treatment may be received within thechannels40.
• Regarding exfoliation and abrasion in more detail, theapplicator14 may be pressed against skin S with sufficient force to deform the skin, as indicated by arrow F_AinFIG. 4. Under compression, the skin in turn exerts a force against thebosses32, as indicated by arrow F_S. As mentioned above, in a number of embodiments theapplication surface18 including thebosses32 may be substantially unresilient so that the applied forces do not deform thebosses32.
• With additional reference toFIG. 12, when theapplicator14 is pressed against the skin and is moving in a direction indicated by arrow M, thebosses32 move through the abrasion lotion L positioned between theapplicator18 and the skin S and impress particulate P upon the skin. In addition to being compressed between thebosses32 and the skin S as shown inFIG. 4, the lotion is forced around thebosses32 and through thechannels40 as theapplicator14 is moving, which is indicated by arrows V inFIG. 12.
• As mentioned above, this movement of the lotion and particulate by thebosses32 is known as vectoring. As shown inFIG. 13, a particulate P is both impressed upon the skin and urged across the skin, the forces of which may be in three dimensions. In the representative Cartesian coordinate system shown inFIG. 13, the impressing of the particulate upon the skin may be represented by vector V_z. The urging of the particulate across the skin may be represented by vectors V_xand V_yAccordingly, the overall movement of a particulate P may be represented by vector V_pwhich is a function of vectors V_x, V_y, and V_z. Therefore, theapplication surface18 vectors particulate across the skin to abrade dead cells and to exfoliate the skin.
• In a number of embodiments thebosses32 may disposed on thefield30 such that when theapplicator14 is rotating about axis A, spatial paths of rotation are defined. More specifically, with reference toFIG. 14, when rotating, thesurface18 may have defined an occupied orbit42 wherein one or more of thebosses32 occupies and follows a spatial path of rotation about the axis A. In addition, thesurface18 may have defined avacant orbit44 wherein not one of thebosses32 occupies a spatial path of rotation about the axis A.
• For example, in the embodiment shown inFIG. 5,boss32adisposed about aperiphery46 of thesurface18 define occupiedorbit42aofFIG. 12;bosses32bdefineoccupied orbit42b; andboss32cdisposed at the axis A defines occupiedorbit42c. In a number of embodiments, occupied orbits may overlap each other radially (not shown inFIG. 14). Accordingly, for the embodiment shown inFIG. 5, avacant orbit44 is defined adjacent toboss32cdisposed at the axis A and its corresponding occupiedorbit42c. For the purposes of this description and for clarity,FIG. 14 represents only three occupied orbits42 although a plurality of overlapping occupied orbits may be implemented.
• Thebosses32 may be disposed on thefield30 in any number of patterns and configurations. For example, as shown inFIG. 5, a plurality of thebosses32 are respectively disposed along a pair of perpendicular diameters D of thesurface18. In addition, thebosses32 may be randomly disposed on thefield30. Thebosses32 may be disposed in regular concentric rings or in a swirl or spiral.
• ReferencingFIG. 15, in a number of embodiments, one or more of thebosses32 may protrude beyond theperiphery46 of thesurface18. Accordingly, in rotary embodiments, an occupied orbit42 is radially outmost path of rotation for thesurface18. In other embodiments, thefield30 between adjacent thebosses32 disposed about theperiphery46 of thesurface18 is radially recessed, thereby forminggaps48.
• Referring toFIGS. 16 and 17, theapplication surface18 of theapplicator14 may include a relief orintaglio field50. In some embodiments, therelief field50 includestroughs52 defined betweenridges54. Accordingly, adiscontinuity56 may be defined between eachtrough52 andridge54. Particulate in the abrasion lotion may be received or partially received in thetroughs52, retained by adiscontinuity56, and urged against skin by theridges54 during motion of theapplicator14. In a number of embodiments, thetroughs52 may have a depth less than the diameter of the particulate so that particulate does not accumulate within the troughs.
• Referring toFIGS. 18 and 19, theapplication surface18 may be arcuate in section, for example, concave as shown in the figures. In some embodiments, theapplication surface18 may be a dimpled or pockmarkedfield60 with a plurality of dimples orpocks62. In still other embodiments, theapplication surface18 may include aboss field64 as shown inFIGS. 20 and 21. Theboss field64 may spatially occupy the entire contact surface of theapplicator14.
• In other embodiments, therelief field50 may be a mottled surface of bosses and ridges. Therelief field50 may be formed as a regular pattern or may be a random pattern. In other embodiments, therelief field50 may be configured analogous to a fingerprint pattern. In still other embodiments, thefield30 on which thebosses32 are disposed (seeFIG. 5) may include particulate-grabbing relief.
• In addition, the surface of thebosses32 may include particulate-grabbing relief For example, as shown inFIG. 22, one or more of thebosses32 may include discontinuities orintaglios66 are formed thereon to enhance the urge of the particulate. Theintaglios66 may be discrete, for example, analogous to thepocks62 shown inFIG. 19, or may be linear, for example, analogous to thetroughs52 shown inFIG. 17.
• In production, theapplicator14 may be cast, machined, or injection molded. In the embodiments including arelief field50, the mold or cast may be etched, e.g., with acid, a laser, or a machine, to form the relief field. Alternatively, any relief field may be etched or formed after theapplicator14 has been molded or cast. Pocks, dimples, intaglios, and other particulate-grabbing discontinuities may be formed by etching, either chemical, physical (e.g., “sand” blasting), or laser.
• Those skilled in the art will understand that the preceding exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide the foundation for numerous alternatives and modifications thereto. These and other modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to that precisely as shown and described above but by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (25)

1. An applicator for treating skin using abrasion lotion with particulate, the applicator for use with an appliance configured to move the applicator, the applicator comprising:

a base for engaging with the appliance; and

a substantially unresilient application surface for vectoring particulate upon skin when the surface is contacting skin and the applicator is moving.

2. An applicator as claimed inclaim 1 wherein the application surface includes an embossed field having a plurality of bosses.

3. An applicator as claimed inclaim 2 wherein the bosses are arcuate in section.

4. An applicator as claimed inclaim 2 wherein the appliance rotates the applicator and wherein the applicator rotates about an axis and channels are defined between adjacent bosses;

the bosses urging abrasion lotion through the channels when the application surface is contacting skin and the applicator is rotating.

5. An applicator as claimed inclaim 2 wherein a plurality of the bosses are disposed about a periphery of the application surface.

6. An applicator as claimed inclaim 5 wherein at least one of the bosses protrudes beyond the periphery of the application surface.

7. An applicator as claimed inclaim 2 wherein the bosses include a plurality of intaglios.

8. An applicator as claimed inclaim 1 wherein the application surface includes a relief field.

9. An applicator as claimed inclaim 8 wherein the relief field includes troughs defined between ridges.

10. An applicator as claimed inclaim 9 wherein the particulate of the abrasion lotion has a diameter and wherein the troughs have a depth less than the diameter of the particulate.

11. An applicator for treating skin using abrasion lotion with particulate, the applicator for use with an appliance configured to move the applicator, the applicator comprising:

a base for engaging with the appliance; and

a substantially inabsorbent application surface for vectoring particulate upon skin when the surface is contacting skin and the applicator is moving.

12. An applicator as claimed inclaim 11 wherein the application surface includes an embossed field having a plurality of bosses.

13. An applicator as claimed inclaim 12 wherein the bosses are arcuate in section.

14. An applicator as claimed inclaim 12 wherein the appliance rotates the applicator and wherein the applicator rotates about an axis and channels are defined between adjacent bosses;

the bosses urging abrasion lotion through the channels when the application surface is contacting skin and the applicator is rotating.

15. An applicator as claimed inclaim 12 wherein a plurality of the bosses are disposed about a periphery of the application surface.

16. An applicator as claimed inclaim 15 wherein at least one of the bosses protrudes beyond the periphery of the application surface.

17. An applicator as claimed inclaim 12 wherein the bosses include a plurality of intaglios.

18. An applicator as claimed inclaim 11 wherein the application surface includes a relief field.

19. An applicator as claimed inclaim 18 wherein the relief field includes troughs defined between ridges.

20. An applicator as claimed inclaim 19 wherein the particulate of the abrasion lotion has a diameter and wherein the troughs have a depth less than the diameter of the particulate.

21. Apparatus for treating skin using abrasion lotion with particulate, the apparatus comprising:

an appliance including an applicator and a motor for rotating the applicator;

the applicator including a substantially unresilient and inabsorbent application surface for vectoring particulate upon skin when the surface is contacting skin and the motor is activated.

22. Apparatus as claimed inclaim 21 wherein the motor rotates the applicator at a rate of at least about 20 revolutions per minute.

23. A method for treating skin, the method comprising:

providing abrasion lotion with particulate;

providing an appliance including an applicator and a motor for rotating the applicator, the applicator including a substantially unresilient and inabsorbent application surface including a plurality of bosses;

placing the application surface against skin with the abrasion lotion with particulate therebetween; and

activating the motor such that the bosses of the application surface vector particulate upon the skin.

24. A method as claimed inclaim 23 further comprising:

moving the application surface over an area of skin.

25. A method as claimed inclaim 23 wherein the abrasion lotion is a microdermabrasion lotion.

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