Surgery: kinesitherapy – Kinesitherapy – With light – thermal – magnetic – or electrical application
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-28
2001-09-18
Brown, Michael A. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy
With light, thermal, magnetic, or electrical application
C602S041000, C602S042000, C602S043000, C602S044000, C602S045000, C602S046000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290659
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED R&D
Not applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to cosmetic treatments for temporarily improving the surface texture of human skin. More specifically, the invention relates to treatments involving the removal of, or that promote the removal of, outer layers of the epidermis.
2. Background Information
Many approaches have been proposed and used for removing blemishes from and for improving the surface texture of the face and other portions of the human body by removing an outer portion of the epidermis. Known approaches include those of a surgical or quasi-surgical nature and include dermabrasion and laser surgery. Approaches of particular interest to the present invention are adhesive exfoliation methods in which an outer portion of the skin is peeled off after being adhered to some substance or another. In some of these approaches (commonly called “face masks” or “beauty masks”) a liquid or viscous adherent material is applied to the portion of the body to be exfoliated and is allowed to dry or set up. When the dried or solidified material is peeled off the body some dead surface tissue is removed from the skin. Another adhesive exfoliation technique is generally known as “tape stripping” and involves adhering a tape having a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing to the user's body and then pulling the tape off the body part to remove an outer layer of skin.
Some of the more popular approaches to exfoliation are chemical in nature and involve application of an exfoliant material that attacks the outer layers of the skin. These chemical approaches include, inter alia, retin-A, glycolic acid and alpha hydroxy acid “peels”. A notable variation on this theme is the use of pre-cut segments of an adhesive coated tape in which an exfoliant material has been incorporated into the adhesive. These products, which include the Sudden-Change® Hydroxy-Patch distributed in the US by CCA Industries, Inc. of East Rutherford N.J., use a generally weak adhesive to hold the active chemical ingredients in contact with a user's skin for the duration of a treatment period, which may extend over the greater part of an hour.
Of particular note is U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,963 wherein Smith teaches a variety of long term skin treatments, several of which include a regime of five to ten tape stripping steps repeated twice daily in order to chronically disrupt a skin water barrier. Smith also teaches that more severe treatments can be carried out less frequently (e.g., every second or third day) by using a more aggressive skin-adhering adhesive, such as a cyanoacrylate adhesive. Although he discloses several different tape stripping approaches in U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,963, Smith states that his tape stripping method has numerous drawbacks, which include a wide range of response of various individuals to tape stripping, as well as a stated need for an expensive laboratory instrument to monitor the process. Moreover, Smith's teaching is directed entirely towards treatments extending over several months before obtaining discernible results. He does not teach any methods that result in immediate improvements associated with tape stripping.
In another discussion of tape stripping, which is found in a promotional writing for a line of exfoliation soaps and lotions sold by Clinique Laboratories Inc., a single tape stripping of skin on the back of the consumer's hand is proposed as a diagnostic test. This test is preferably carried out using a piece of transparent adhesive tape on which the user can view the removed tissue to solely demonstrate the presence of easily exfoliated dead skin.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One feature of the invention is an immediate and visible improvement in skin condition that is preferably obtained by a multi-stage exfoliation method having a visible end point and providing a margin of safety whereby the user's skin is not significantly irritated if the user ignores the end point and continues to carry out additional and unnecessary exfoliation steps.
A preferred method of practicing the skin exfoliation method of the invention comprises the steps of: 1) preparing a transparent exfoliation sheet having an adhesive-covered portion comparable in size and shape to a portion of the user's body that is to be exfoliated and attaching a handle along one edge of the sheet; 2) adhering that portion of the exfoliation sheet immediately adjacent the handle to a first edge of the predetermined portion of the body; 3) rubbing or pressing on the exfoliation sheet by moving one's hand or fingers from a staring position adjacent the handle toward that edge of the exfoliation sheet distal from the handle so as to attach substantially the entire sheet to the predetermined portion of the body by means of the pressure sensitive adhesive; 4) grasping the handle and pulling it along the surface of the predetermined portion of the body so as to separate the first exfoliation sheet from the portion of the body being exfoliated; 5) visually examining the removed first transparent exfoliation sheet to determine the amount of skin exfoliated; 6) preparing a new exfoliation sheet and repeating steps 1) through 5) until the amount of exfoliated skin noted at an ending repetition is discernibly less than the amount of exfoliated skin retained on the respective exfoliation sheet employed in the immediately preceding repetition. This method of exfoliation allows the user to successfully maintain smoother skin and reduce the size of blemishes while avoiding irritation.
Another method of the invention, useful when only small blemishes are present, comprises a similar iterative process wherein a user repeatedly adheres a new sheet of adhesive-coated film to a predetermined portion of his or her skin and then pulls each film off until observing that the blemish has been removed.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a skin exfoliation kit for use on one's face or on some other predetermined portion of the body. This kit may comprise a plurality of pressure sensitive adhesive-coated exfoliation sheets, which are preferably transparent. Each of the sheets preferably has a size and shape adapted to the predetermined portion of the body. Each of the adhesive-coated sheets in a preferred kit has at least one protective backing sheet temporarily adhered to its adhesive coated surface. Removing a backing sheet exposes most of the pressure sensitive adhesive—i.e., the working fraction of the adhesive that can be used for skin exfoliation. In some cases two protective backing sheets are used, with the smaller of two backing sheets disposed over an edge portion of the exfoliation sheet. In these cases, when the smaller backing sheet is removed an exfoliation sheet handle can be attached adjacent one edge of the sheet.
In yet a further embodiment of the invention, an exfoliation kit may comprise one or more transparent comparison sheet(s) displaying a plurality of regions having differing appearance. The appearance of each of the regions is selected to be respectively representative of a predetermined amount of exfoliated skin, and the regions are preferably arranged in a row so that a region representative of a minimal amount of exfoliated tissue at one end of the row and one representative of a maximal amount of exfoliated tissue at the other end. A user may select one of these regions as a target representative of a desired end point In subsequent exfoliation operations the user can then compare the amount of exfoliated tissue adhering to each of a series of exfoliation sheets as the each sheet is removed and can terminate the process when the visual appearance of the most recently removed sheet matches that of the target.
Thus, one feature of the invention is that it provides a skin care kit comprising a plurality of exfoliation sheets and an exfoliation sheet handle selectively attached to ones of the plurality of sheets.
Yet another feature of the invention is the provision of a plurality of sect
Brown Michael A.
Hamilton Lalita M.
Kiewit David
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