1. A method for reducing surface irregularities in a surface of skin of a subject resulting from an uneven distribution of adipose tissue in the subcutaneous layer, the method comprising:
delivering radiofrequency (RF) energy to a target region of the subject at a frequency which selectively heats fibrous septae in a subcutaneous layer of the target region; and
removing heat such that lipid-rich lobules in the subcutaneous layer at the target region are reduced in number andor size to an extent while non-lipid-rich cells and lipid-rich regions adjacent to the fibrous septae are not reduced in number or size to the extent, thereby reducing surface irregularities in the surface of skin of the subject.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein removing heat includes cooling the lipid-rich lobules to a temperature below 10\xb0 C.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein selectively heating the fibrous septae includes preventing the fibrous septae and the lipid-rich regions adjacent to the fibrous septae from cooling to a temperature below approximately 10\xb0 C.-15\xb0 C.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the RF energy is capacitively coupled RF energy.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the RF energy is conductively coupled RF energy.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein delivering capacitively coupled RF energy to a target region includes delivering capacitively coupled monopolar RF energy from an RF generator, and wherein the method further includes returning monopolar RF energy to the RF generator via a return electrode positioned on the surface of skin of the subject at a region separated from the target region.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the fibrous septae are heated to a temperature that does not denature them.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering RF energy to the target region at a frequency which selectively heats fibrous septae in a subcutaneous layer of the target region includes delivering an RF current at a frequency of approximately 0.3 MHz to approximately 40 MHz.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering RF energy to the target region at a frequency which selectively heats fibrous septae in a subcutaneous layer of the target region includes delivering an RF current at a frequency of approximately 0.3 MHz to approximately 6 MHz.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of delivering RF energy to the target region and removing heat from the subcutaneous layer in the target region occurs simultaneously.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of delivering RF energy and removing heat occurs sequentially.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering RF energy includes delivering RF energy periodically to the target region of the subject simultaneously with removing heat.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering RF energy includes delivering RF energy periodically to the target region of the subject intermittently with removing heat.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering RF energy to the target region at a frequency which selectively heats fibrous septae in a subcutaneous layer of the target region is accomplished such that a total duration of a period of delivery of the RF energy is between about 1 minute and about 2 hours.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the RF energy is delivered at a power of between about 0.02 Wcm2 and about 10 Wcm2.
16. The method of claim 14 wherein the RF energy is delivered at a power of between about 0.1 Wcm2 and about 5 Wcm2.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein before delivering RF energy to a target region, the method includes coupling a heat exchanging surface of a treatment device with the surface of the skin at the target region.
18. A system for non-invasive, transdermal removal of heat from subcutaneous lipid-rich cells of a subject, comprising:
a treatment unit in thermal communication with a fluid chamber, the fluid chamber being configured to house and provide a coolant;
a radiofrequency (RF) energy generating unit for generating RF current;
a treatment device in fluid communication with the treatment unit and in electrical communication with the RF energy generating unit; and
a controller in communication with the treatment unit, the RF energy generating unit and the treatment device, wherein the controller has instructions for causing the treatment device to:
couple RF energy to the subject selectively to heat connective tissue in a target region beneath an epidermis of the subject to a maximum temperature less than a collagen denaturation temperature; and
reduce a temperature of the target region beneath the epidermis of the subject selectively to reduce the temperature of subcutaneous lipid-rich cells in the target region such that the subcutaneous lipid-rich cells are substantially affected while non-lipid rich cells in the epidermis and subcutaneous lipid-rich cells adjacent to the connective tissue are not substantially affected.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein the treatment device is configured to capacitively couple RF energy to the subject.
20. The system of claim 18 wherein the treatment device is configured to conductively couple RF energy to the subject.
21. The system of claim 18 wherein the collagen denaturation temperature is approximately 60\xb0 C.
22. The system of claim 18 wherein the connective tissue is selectively heated to a maximum temperature between approximately 0\xb0 C. to approximately 10\xb0 C.
23. The system of claim 18 wherein the connective tissue selectively is heated to a maximum temperature such that subcutaneous lipid-rich cells adjacent to the connective tissue are not cooled to temperatures below approximately 10\xb0 C.-15\xb0 C., and such that subcutaneous lipid-rich cells remote from the connective tissue are cooled to a temperature approximately less than 10\xb0 C.
24. The system of claim 18 wherein the radiofrequency (RF) energy generating unit produces an RF current of approximately 0.3 MHz to approximately 40 MHz.
25. The system of claim 19 wherein the treatment device capacitively couples monopolar RF energy to the subject, and wherein the system further includes a return electrode positioned adjacent to the epidermis of the subject at a region separated from the target region.
26. A combined modality treatment system for selectively removing heat from subcutaneous lipid-rich cells in a target region of a subject having skin, comprising:
a treatment unit in thermal communication with a fluid chamber, the fluid chamber being configured to house and provide a coolant;
a radiofrequency (RF) energy source for generating RF current;
a controller; and
a treatment device having a heat exchanging plate coupled to the RF energy source and a thermoelectric cooling element in communication with the treatment unit;
wherein the controller has instructions that cause the treatment device to\u2014
capacitively couple radiofrequency (RF) energy to the skin of the subject selectively to heat fibrous septae in the target region to a final temperature less than a fibrous septae denaturation temperature; and
remove heat from the subcutaneous lipid-rich cells of the subject during a treatment process such that subcutaneous lipid-rich cells are substantially affected while non-lipid-rich cells and subcutaneous lipid-rich cells adjacent to the fibrous septae are not substantially affected.
27. The system of claim 26 wherein the heat exchanging plate is a thermally conductive aluminum plate that can be charged with RF current.
28. The system of claim 26 wherein the treatment device further comprises an interface layer positioned between the heat exchanging plate and the skin of the subject, the interface layer configured to form an RF energy and heat conducting interface with the skin.
29. The system of claim 28 wherein the treatment device further comprises a dielectric layer positioned between the heat exchanging plate and the skin of the subject, the dielectric layer configured to capacitively couple the RF energy from the heat exchanging plate to the skin of the patient.
30. The system of claim 29 wherein the dielectric layer provides a more uniform distribution of RF energy into the target region of the subject.
31. The system of claim 29 wherein the dielectric layer is a dielectric sleeve, the dielectric sleeve including a first sleeve portion and a second sleeve portion extending from the first sleeve portion, the first sleeve portion comprising variable resistance material as insulation between the RF conductive heat exchanging plate and the skin of the patient, and wherein the second sleeve portion is an electrical isolation layer extending from the first sleeve portion.
32. The system of claim 26 wherein the fibrous septae denaturation temperature is approximately 60\xb0 C.
33. The system of claim 26 wherein the fibrous septae are selectively heated to a final temperature between approximately 0\xb0 C. and approximately 60\xb0 C.
34. The system of claim 26 wherein the fibrous septae are selectively heated to a final temperature such that subcutaneous lipid-rich cells adjacent to the fibrous septae are not cooled to temperatures below approximately 10\xb0 C.-15\xb0 C., and such that subcutaneous lipid-rich cells remote from the fibrous septae are cooled to a temperature approximately less than 10\xb0 C.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
That which is claimed is:
1. Process for reducing the electrical consumption of a transmitterreceiver of digital information, in particular a cellular mobile telephone, comprising a frequency synthesizer stage controlled by an automatic frequency control algorithm and able to deliver at least one reference signal of chosen frequency to the transmissionreception stage of the telephone and a master-clock signal of chosen frequency to the modulationdemodulation means of the transmitterreceiver, characterized in that the reference signal or signals are generated with a predetermined transmission accuracy, on the basis of at least a first fractional-division phase-locked loop (EPLL) controlled by the automatic frequency control algorithm and receiving a base signal (SBA) having a predetermined base frequency and a base accuracy lower than the said transmission accuracy, a clock signal (SH) is generated with a predetermined accuracy, on the basis of a second fractional-division phase-locked loop (MCPLL) controlled by the automatic frequency control algorithm and receiving the base signal, and when the transmissionreception stage is inactive, the second fractional-division phase-locked loop (MCPLL) is rendered inactive, the base signal (SBA) then being the master-clock signal, and when the transmissionreception stage is active, the second loop is activated, the clock signal (SH) delivered by this loop then being the master-clock signal (SHM).
2. Device for transmittingreceiving digital information, in particular cellular mobile telephone, comprising a transmissionreception stage (RXC, TXC), a processing stage (DSP) connected to the transmissionreception stage and comprising modulationdemodulation means (MDM) and automatic frequency control means (AFC), and a frequency synthesizer stage controlled by the automatic frequency control means and able to deliver at least one reference signal of chosen frequency to the transmissionreception stage and a master-clock signal of chosen frequency to the modulationdemodulation means, characterized in that the frequency synthesizer stage comprises
at least a first fractional-division phase-locked loop (EPLL) whose output, linked to the transmissionreception stage, is able to deliver, with a predetermined transmission accuracy, the reference signal and a second fractional-division phase-locked loop (MCPLL) whose output is able to deliver, with a predetermined accuracy, a clock signal (SH), each loop being able to adopt on command an active state and an inactive state and possessing a control input linked to the automatic frequency control means, as well as an input for receiving a base signal (SBA) emanating from an oscillator (QT) and having a predetermined base frequency and a base accuracy lower than the said transmission accuracy, and
controllable switching means (MCM) possessing a first state linking the output of the oscillator (QT) to the modulationdemodulation means (MDM) and a second state linking the output of the second loop (MCPLL) to the modulationdemodulation means,
and in that it furthermore comprises control means (MCD) able to place the second loop in its inactive state and the switching means in their first state, and to place the second loop in its active state and the switching means in their second state.
3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that each loop (EPLL, MCPLL) is a delta-sigma modulation fractional-division phase-locked loop.