Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates generally to improvements
in methods and devices for the treatment of tissue and it relates
particularly to an improved method and device for treating the
skin to improve the condition and appearance thereof.
Many forms and types of procedures and devices have
been employed to improve the appearance and physical condition
of portions of the skin in such areas which are either wrinkled
or prone to wrinkle. ~ conventional procedure involves the local
massage or physical treatment of the skin area to be treated.
However, the devices and processes employed in effecting such
physical treatment possess numerous drawbacks and disadvantages.
They are generally unreliable and usually ineffective, are
difficult to apply, particularly in confined areas, and highly
~-~ uncomfortable and inconvenient, are of little versatility and
adaptability and otherwise leave much to be desired.
It is a principal object of the present invention to
provide an improved method and device for treating tissue.
Another object ofthe present invention is to provide
an improved method and device for treating skin to improve the
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condition and appearance thereof.
Still another object of the present invention is to
! provide an improved method and device for massaging the skin.
` A further object of the present invention is to provide
an improved method and device for the liquid massage of sharply
delineated areas of the skin.
Still a further object of the presént invention is to
provide an improved method and device of the above nature char-
acterized by hiyh effectiveness and reliability, greater versatil-
ity and adaptability, and ease and convenience of application.
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The above and other objec~s of the present invention
will become apparent from a reading of the following description
taken in conjunction with -the~ accompanying drawings which
illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof.
It has been discovered that sharply delineated restrict-
ed areas of skin are effectively massaged or treated by confining
the area to be treated under peripherally applied pressure and
directing thereon a pulsating jet of liquid, preferably an
aqueous liquid which may contain dissolved or dispersed addltives
such as emoluments or the like. The pulse frequency is advan-
tageously between 2000 and 3200 pulses per minute; the velocity
of the jet directed toward the skin is advantageously between
9'/sec. and 18'/sec., and the area subjected to the pulsating
liquid jet is confined by a rim pressed against the border of
skin being treated and delineating an area between 0 75 and 1.5
square inches.
The improved device for the practice of the above
method basically comprises a liquid confining shield member having
an opening at its distal end, a nozzle directed toward the distal
opening in the shield member and means for producing a pulsating
liquid flow through the nozzle.
In accordance with one embodiment, a massage device
comprises a liquid confining shield member having an opening at
its distal end and a drain opening, a nozzle directed through said
shield member toward said distal opening, a liquid reservoir, and
means for producing a pulsating liquid flow from said nozzle and
including a positive displacement intermittent pump having an
outlet communicating with said nozzle and an inlet communicating
` with the lower part of said reservoir, said drain opening opera-
tively communicating with said reservoir, the pulse frequency of
the liquid pulsating means being between 2200 and 3200 cycles per
minute.
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The invention also relates to a method of massaging
skin comprising confining a predetermined area of said skin by
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applyin~ pressure to a peripheral borcler thereof, directing a
liquid jet pulsating at between 2200 and 3200 cycles per minute
at said confined area of skin, recovering the liquid incident
on said skin and redirec-tin~ said recovered liquid as said
pulsating liquid jets onto said skin.
In the preferred form of the device there is provided
a hollow handle having a liquid reservoir therein and housing a
piston pump connected to the reservoir by way of a check valve, an
electric motor for driving the pump and a battery energizing the
motor through a switch. The shield is a tubular cylinder with an
open front end provided with a margining elastomeric ring, and is
mounted atop the handle and projects radially therefrom. A nozzle
is coaxially supported in the rear of the tubular cylinder, and is
connected by a passageway formed in the handle to the pump cylinder,
a pressure adjusting by-pass valve connecting the passageway to
the reservoir. A drain pipe connects the rear portion of the
tubular cylinder to the reservoir, and the reservoir is provided
with a closure member affording access thereto. Advantageously,
the distance between the nozzle orifice outlet and the plane of
the shield distal opening is between 1.0" and 1.75", and the
diameter of the nozzle orifice preferably is between .055" and
065".
The improved method and device are highly effective and
reliable, simple and convenient to use and ap~ly, and are of great
versatility and adaptability
Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partially in
section, of a liquid massage device embodying
~ the present invention,
;~ Figure 2 is a top plan view thexeof,
Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken along
line 3 - 3 in Figure 1,
'` Figure 4 is an enlarged section view taken along line
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Figure 5 is a front elevation view taken along 5 - 5
in Figure 4.
Referring now to the drawings, which illustrate a pre-
ferred embodiment of the present invention, reference numeral 10
generally desi.gnates the improved skin treatment device which
includes a reservoir and houses a battery-energized motor driven
pulsating pump and is of the nature o that described in co-
pending application Serial No. 177,570, filed July 30, 1973, in
.. 10 the name of Leslie J. Kovach. A nozzle and shield assembly 12
; mounted atop handle member 11. Handle member 11 is formed of any;,. suitable material and includes an open topped top reservoir section
~ a coaxial tubular intermediate section delineated from top section
~ 13 by the bottom wall 16 of top section 13 and engaging an inwardly
offset skirt wall depending from bottom wall 16 and a coaxial
tubular bottom section delineated from intermediate section 14 by a
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top wall 1~ of bottom section 17. The open bottom section 17 is
closed by a separable cover, so to permit access to the interior
of bottom section 17.
A reservoir-defining well 20 is formed in upper section
13 and included a thickened side wall 21 having a verticla passage-
way or bore 22 terminating at its top in an enlarged coaxial
coupling socket 23 having a downwardly tapered lower face. A trans-
verse bore 24 extends inwardly from bore 22 directly below socket
23 and terminates in a coaxial bore section 26 of reduced diameter
extending into well 20, a tapered peripheral shoulder defining
a valve seat delineating the ~ores 24 and 26. A needle valve stem
27 having a tapered end registering with the valve seat rotatably
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registers with a bore coaxial with and opposite to bore 24 and
terminates in an externally threaded enlarged head 28 engaginy a
tapped counter bore coaxial with bore 24 and extending to the outer
face of wall 21. A finger piece 29 is formed on the outerface of
head 28 and is rotatable slightly less than 360 as restricted by
~; an outwardly projecting stop 30 located in the path of finger
- piece 29. An 0-ring nests in a well at the base of the counter
bore and engages valve stem 27 to effect a watertight seal. The
angular adjustment of finger piece 29 effects the adjustment of
valve stem 27 between a position closing communication between
bore 22 and reservoir 20 and a maximum open position providing
communication between bore 22 and reservoir 20 by way of narrow
bore 26.
The top of the reservoir 20 is closed by a top wall 32
including a first side section 33 of greater than half the trans-
~' verse cross section of the handle top section 13 and a second side
section 34 connected by hinges 36 to the first section 33. The
top wall section 34 defines a lid or door provided with a fingertab 37 permitting the swinging of the lid 34 being open and closed
positions providing access to and sealing the reservoir cavity 20
respectively.
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A circular cylindrical well 38 is formed in the side
underface of wall 16 underlying wall 22 and is provided at its
base with a coaxial conical check valve seat 39 which communicates
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witn the bottom of reservoir 20 by elbow passageway 40 formed in
walls 16 and 21. A reciprocating piston pump 41 includes a ver-
tical cylinder section 42 having an enlarged upper cylindrical
head 43 nesting and suitably secured in well 38 and hermetically
sealed by anelastomeric 0-ring 44 registering with a peripheral
groove in head 43. The cylindrical section 42 has a vertical axial
piston bore 46 enlarged at its upper section as at 47, which
communicates by a vertical side port 48 with passageway 22.
An annulus 49 is firmly entrapped between a stepped
peripheral shoulder about the upper edge of bore upper section
and the base of well 38 and supports, by a depending spider 50,
a tubular slide bearing member 51 coaxial with the bore 46. A
frusto-conical check valve member 52 mating the valve seat 39 is
coaxial with the valve seat and includes a depending axial rod
53 slidably engaged by bearing member 51. A helical impression
spring 54 encircles rod 53 and is entrapped between the confront-
: 20 ing faces of bearing member 51 and valve member 52 resilientlyto urge valve member 52 into closing engagement with valve seat 39.
A piston 56 having an axial well 57 in its top face to form an
` upper skirt wall reciprocably engages the cylinder bore 46.
A piston rod coaxially depends from piston 56 and is
limited to axial reciprocation and has mounted thereon a crosshead
58 provided with a transverse track. An eccentric rotatable
follower 59 slidably engages the crosshead track and is fixed to
the output shaft of a transmission 60 mounted in the wall 18. The
input to transmission 60 is connected to the drive shaft of an
electric motor 61 housed in the handle section 17 and mounted in
wall 18. Also housed in the handle section 17 is a rechargeable
battery which is connected to the motor 61 by way of a normally
open externally finger operable switch, not shown. The battery
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is also connected to a two prong electrical coupling 63 located
on the wall of section 17 to permit the coupliny of the battery
to a suitable charger. The structure assembly and relationship
of the pump, drive transmission, motor and battery are similar
to those of the device described in the above identified patent
application.
The nozzle and shield assembly 12 is replaceably mounted
in and coupled to the handle section 11 and comprises an elbow
member including a diametrically extending horizontal leg 64
located shortly above handle top wall 32 and a depending skirt
leg 65 having a serrated underface engaging a mating horizontal
top face of a raised annular platform 66 on wall 21. A nipple 67
coaxially depends from elbow leg 65 and includes a frustoconical
tip matingly engaging the base of socket 23. An elastomeric
0-ring 68 effecting a liquid tight seal between nipple 67 and
socket 63 engages a peripheral groove in nipple 67 above tip 68'
and is secured in position by a plastic lock ring 69.
An axial bore 70 extends from tip 68' through leg 65
into communication with an axial bore 71 extending to the front
end of leg 64. The leg 64 terminates in a front section 74
of reduced diameter delineated from the rear section by a periphe-
ral shoulder 76 and externally threaded at its distal end. A
tubular shield member 77 is mounted in and projects coaxial
from the leg 64 beyond the handle section 13, resting in top wall
32. The rear of shield 77 includes an inwardly rearwardly direct-
ed curved peripheral flange 78 terminating in a beaded section
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79 which encircles leg section 74 and is tightly embraced between
: the shoulder 76 and an elastomeric washer 80.
~- A cap shaped nozzle member 81 includes a front wall
82 and an internally threaded skirt wall 83 engaging the threaded
portion of leg portion 74 and bearing on the front face of and
compressing the washer 80. A cylindrical orifice 84 is formed
in the nozzle wall 82 coaxial with shield 77 and nozzle 81 and
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communicates through a coaxial well 86 having a conica:L base
tapering to orifice 84 and formed in the rear face of nozzle wall
82. An elastomeric 0-~ing 87 nesting in a rear counterbore of well
86 is engaged by a forward projection of leg section 74 to effect
a liquid tight seal.
A depending drain pipe 88 is integrally formed at the
rear portion of shield 77 and project through a mating opening in
wall 32 into the upper part of reservoir 20. A soft elastomeric
ring 89 encircles the front border of tubular shield 77 and projects
, forwardly of and overlies the front edge of shield 77 and is sec-
ured thereto by integrally formed peripherally spaced nipples pro-
jecting inwardly from ring 89 into engagement with corresponding
openings formed in shield 77.
As a specific example of the preferred important dimen-
sions and parameters of the device 10. the orifice 84 has a diam-
eter of 0.055" and is spaced between 1" and 1.75" from the front
face of ring 89 which encloses an area between 0.75 and 1.50
square inches. The pumps 41 and the drive moto~, battery and trans-
20 mission, the valve 26, 27 and the various passageways are dimension-
ed and interrelated (or related) to produce a pulse frequency of
between 2200 and 3200 per minute and a liquid velocity through
orifice 84 of between 13'/sec. and 18'/sec. as adjustable by means
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of finger piece 29.
Considering now the operation and application of the
device 10 in practicing the improved method, the reservoir 20
is filled with water or an aqueous solution containing any desired
solutes or dispersants through the open lid 34 which is then
closed. The finger piece 29 is then adjusted to vary the opening
.of the by-pass valve from passageway 22 into reservoir 20 and
thereby adjust the jet velocity and pulse frequency. The rubber
ring carrying end opening of shield 77 is pressed against the s~in,
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for example, the facial skin, to surround the area to be treated
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and effect a liquid tigh~ seal between the shield and the skin
and the motor energizing switchis then closed. The piston 56 is
reciprocated by the energized motor by way of transmission 60 to
~i- draw liquid during its downward suction strokefrom reservoir
20 by way of the suction-opened check valve 52 and to urge the
liquid through the upward pressure strokeof piston 56 through the
orifice 84 as a sharp jet. The pulsating liquid jet impinges on
the skin delineated by the ring 89 and flows back through shield
87 and drain pipe 88 into re,servoir 20 where it may be recirculated.
10 It has been found that a highly effective treatment is achieved by
exposing the confined area of the skin to the pulsating jet of the
- above frequency and at a velocity just below an uncomfortable
pain level for a period of 20 to 40 seconds duration.
While there have been described and illustrated preferred
embodiments of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous
alterations, omissions and additipns may be made without departing
from the spirit thereof.
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