Treatment systems with fluid mixing systems and fluid-cooled applicators and methods of using the same

Abstract

A treatment system for cooling subcutaneous lipid-rich cells in a human subject includes an applicator and a control unit. The treatment system has a cooling mode for cooling tissue and a heating mode for warming tissue. The control unit includes a circulation circuit in fluid communication with the applicator, a chiller apparatus configured to chill fluid from the applicator circulation circuit, and a heater apparatus to warmed fluid from the applicator circulation circuit. The control unit mixes the chilled fluid and/or the warmed with fluid in the applicator circulation circuit control the temperature of the fluid circulated in the applicator.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A treatment system for cooling a subcutaneous target region of a human subject, comprising:
 an applicator configured to be in thermal communication with a subject's skin; and   a control unit including
 a chilled coolant reservoir, 
 a cooling device in thermal communication with the chilled coolant reservoir, 
 a controller that contains instructions that, when executed, cause the control unit to
 reduce a temperature of coolant in the chilled coolant reservoir to a chilled standby temperature using the cooling device, 
 deliver coolant from the chilled coolant reservoir to a circulation circuit to reduce a temperature of the coolant in the applicator circuit, 
 deliver the cooled coolant in the applicator circulation circuit to the applicator to remove heat from a subcutaneous target region of the subject, 
 deliver coolant from the applicator circulation circuit containing heat absorbed from the subcutaneous target region to the chilled coolant reservoir, and 
 remove the absorbed heat from the coolant held in the chilled coolant reservoir. 
 
   
     
     
         23 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A treatment system for cooling subcutaneous tissue in a subject, comprising:
 a first applicator configured to cool subcutaneous tissue;   a second applicator configured to cool subcutaneous tissue; and   a control unit fluidically coupled to the first applicator and the second applicator and including a chilled reservoir, the control unit is configured to lower a temperature of fluid in the chilled reservoir and to independently deliver fluid, which was cooled using fluid from the chilled reservoir, to the first applicator and to the second applicator.   
     
     
         36 . The treatment system of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 a first supply conduit fluidically coupling the control unit to the first applicator;   a first return conduit fluidically coupling the control unit to the first applicator;   a second supply conduit fluidically coupling the control unit to the second applicator; and   a second return conduit fluidically coupling the control unit to the second applicator.   
     
     
         37 . The treatment system of  claim 35  wherein the control unit has a single treatment session state of operation for delivering fluid to only one of the first applicator and the second applicator and a multiple treatment session state of operation for delivering fluid to both the first applicator and the second applicator. 
     
     
         38 . The treatment system of  claim 35  wherein the first applicator and the second applicator are configured to concurrently treat a first target region of a subject and a second target region of the subject. 
     
     
         39 . A treatment system for cooling subcutaneous lipid-rich cells of a subject, comprising:
 a control unit including at least one coolant reservoir;   an applicator configured to be in thermal communication with a subject's skin to remove thermal energy from the subcutaneous lipid-rich cells, the applicator including a heat exchanger element through which coolant from the control unit travels such that a substantial portion of thermal energy transferred to the applicator is absorbed by the coolant; and   a thermally insulated supply conduit fluidically coupling the control unit to the applicator, the thermally insulated supply conduit receives the coolant at a temperature at or below about −5° C. from the control unit and delivers the coolant at a temperature at or below about 0° C. to the applicator.   
     
     
         40 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . A treatment system for cooling subcutaneous lipid-rich cells in a human subject, comprising:
 an applicator circulation circuit including a pump and at least one heat exchanging element, the pump is configured to drive coolant through the applicator circulation circuit, and the at least one heat exchanging element is configured to transfer heat from a subject's skin to coolant moving through the applicator circulation circuit;   a chiller apparatus including a chilled fluid reservoir configured to maintain coolant at temperatures lower than a range of coolant temperatures of the coolant in the applicator circulation circuit;   a cooling device in thermal communication with the chilled fluid reservoir, the cooling device is configured to extract heat from the coolant in the chilled fluid reservoir; and   a fluidic control system configured to control cooling of the subject's tissue by varying a rate at which chilled coolant from the chilled reservoir is introduced into the applicator circulation circuit and mixed with the coolant in the applicator circulation circuit.   
     
     
         43 - 45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . A method of cooling a subcutaneous target region in a subject, comprising:
 delivering coolant through a supply conduit of a circulation circuit and into an applicator to extract heat from the subcutaneous target region;   delivering chilled coolant to the applicator circulation circuit to mix the chilled coolant and warmed coolant from the applicator to provide cooled coolant; and   delivering the cooled coolant to the applicator to transdermally extract heat from the subcutaneous target region.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , further comprising extracting heat from the applicator circulation circuit by exchanging a volume of the coolant returning from the applicator with colder coolant from a chilled coolant reservoir, and wherein delivering the chilled coolant to the applicator includes
 delivering a mixture of coolant returning from the applicator and coolant introduced from the chilled reservoir to the applicator to transdermally cool the subcutaneous target region.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46 , further comprising affecting the temperature of the coolant delivered to the applicator and a rate of cooling of the subcutaneous target region by altering a rate of chilled coolant delivered into the applicator circulation circuit. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 46 , further comprising:
 delivering the warmed coolant to a mixing reservoir; and   allowing the warmed coolant to mix with chilled coolant in the mixing reservoir.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , further comprising removing heat from the coolant in a chilled coolant reservoir while transdermally cooling the subcutaneous target region. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 46 , further comprising:
 delivering heated coolant to the applicator circulation circuit to mix the heated coolant and coolant circulating in the applicator circulation circuit to heat the circulating coolant; and   delivering the heated circulating coolant to the applicator to raise the temperature of the subcutaneous target region.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 46 , further comprising cooling the coolant via a chiller apparatus that includes a refrigeration unit. 
     
     
         53 . The treatment system of  claim 35 , further comprising a refrigeration unit, wherein the control unit is programmed to control the refrigeration unit based on whether the treatment system is in (a) a single treatment session state of operation for delivering fluid to only one of the first applicator or the second applicator or (b) a multiple treatment session state of operation for delivering fluid to both the first applicator and the second applicator. 
     
     
         54 . The treatment system of  claim 35 , further comprising a chiller apparatus configured to cool the fluid via a refrigeration unit.