Abstract:
A cryogenic cylinder including authenticating features and an apparatus recognizing the features and facilitation the cylinder use. The authenticating features prevent use of an unauthorized cryogenic cylinders. The cylinder also includes a number of mechanical features preventing repeat filling of the cylinder by cryogenic fluid or reuse of the cylinder once empty.

Description:
[0001]    The present application claims priority to U.S. provisional application No. 62/193,610 filed Jul. 17, 2015, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference into this specification. 
       TECHNOLOGY FIELD 
       [0002]    The present cryogenic cylinder relates to vessels for storage of liquids and in particular of cryogenic liquids. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Many skin treatment systems include vessels filled with a substance that could be used as a skin cooling material. The skin cooling material can be packed in cartridges, cylinders, canisters and other similar products. Such cylinders or canisters are typically installed by the user and may be removed and replaced by the user, when the skin cooling material in the vessel is depleted. 
         [0004]    For example, many of Syneron-Candela skin treatment systems incorporate a Dynamic Cooling Device (DCD) used to provide skin protection and palliative relief during aesthetic skin treatment procedures. The aesthetic system deposits a user selectable amount of cryogen spray prior to, during, or after the aesthetic skin treatment so as to provide these beneficial effects. Cryogen is stored in a vessel under pressure so that it can be delivered to the skin in liquid state. 
         [0005]    Typically, each of the materials used for skin treatment is a specially formulated or certified material. For example, the cryogen content of the vessel has to be maintained at a high level of purity. Impurities could result in any or all of the following: patient irritation, allergy, and combustion of impurities during the skin treatment procedure, and restricted flow from impurities clogging the skin cooling material delivery system which may include any or all of the fluid lines, material release valve, and spray jet. 
         [0006]    In order to ensure and maintain the purity of the specially formulated or certified cryogenic liquid, the vessel itself needs to not impart contaminants to the liquid. So certifying appropriate vessel materials is needed. 
         [0007]    The price of a non-certified cryogenic liquid is usually lower than the price of the specially formulated or certified cryogenic liquid. The users could be tempted to use them at least some of the time, especially when cryogenic fluid vessels are depleted and become available to third parties. Notwithstanding safety issues, this savings in cost is quickly lost when the skin treatment delivery system needs to be replaced because of a clogged skin cooling material delivery system. Potential safety issues from using non-certified cryogenic liquid and/or cryogen cylinder may include: patient irritation, allergy, combustion of impurities during the skin treatment procedure, and ineffective skin cooling during the skin treatment procedure. 
       GLOSSARY 
       [0008]    As used in the present document the terms vessel, cylinder, canister, have the same meaning, are used interchangeably and designate objects capable of storing a liquid and in particular a cryogenic liquid. 
         [0009]    The term skin treatment system as used in the present document includes any skin treatment apparatus including apparatuses for aesthetic skin treatment applying to the skin light energy, radio frequency (RF) energy or ultrasound energy and a combination of the above treatment energies. 
         [0010]    As used in the current disclosure the term “authentication” may include any or all of the following: that the vessel and/or cryogen supplied is from a known and authorized source, the filling of the vessel with said cryogen took place under known conditions, and/or the filled vessel was conveyed to the end user by an authorized supplier. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0011]    An apparatus for aesthetic skin treatment that receives a cryogenic liquid storing cylinder configured to store and dispense a cryogenic liquid. The cryogenic liquid in the container could be under pressure. The cylinder and the apparatus include a number of authenticating features and modules configured to read these features and communicate the information to a processor configured to authenticate one or more features. If the features are authenticated as genuine or certified features, the processor facilitates use of the cylinder and the cryogenic liquid. If at least one feature of the cylinder is not genuine or certified feature, the processor prevents the skin treatment apparatus from dispensing cryogen from the unauthorized cylinder. 
     
    
     
       LIST OF FIGURES AND THEIR BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a cryogenic liquid cylinder in accordance with one example; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an example a skin treatment skin receptacle of the cryogenic liquid cylinder of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is another example of a cross section of the cryogenic liquid cylinder installation; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a schematic block diagram of a skin treatment system using the present cryogenic liquid cylinder in accordance with one example; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is an example of cryogenic cylinder authentication process. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a cryogenic liquid cylinder or container in accordance with one example. Cryogenic liquid cylinder or container  100  includes a cylindrical body  104  with one or first end of the body terminated by a lid  108  including an opening  112  configured to receive a safety pressure relief valve  116 . Although, pressure relief valve  116  is illustrated as a single element, it could be an assembly of a number of parts. Pressure relief valve  116  operates on gaseous materials as liquid states do not respond as readily to pressure changes. Accordingly, the pressure relief valve  116  is located in the part of the cylinder that in working position contains cryogenic gas. 
         [0018]    The cryogenic liquid in the container is under pressure. In the present disclosure, the pressure relief valve  116  maintains a safe container or cylinder operating pressure within the container  100 . 
         [0019]    A fitting  120  configured to facilitate connection of cryogenic liquid cylinder  100  to a skin treatment apparatus  400  ( FIG. 4 ) terminates second end of cryogenic liquid cylinder  100 . Fitting  120  includes at least a valve  124  that will be termed fitting valve. Fitting valve  124  facilitates inlet of the cryogenic liquid into the liquid containing body or cavity of cryogenic cylinder  100  when the cryogenic cylinder is filled with the cryogenic liquid. The cryogenic liquid in the container is maintained under pressure. Fitting  120  is also configured to facilitate cryogenic liquid from cylinder  100  cavity (not shown) containing the cryogenic liquid discharge. 
         [0020]    Cylinder  100  and fitting valve  124  could include one or more authentication features. The authenticating features could be mechanical features such as pins  128  ( FIG. 1 ) setting cylinder  100  in a predetermined position. The pins  128  could be of different cross section and located at different height on valve  124 . The pins  128  can be appropriately shaped to accommodate connecting cylinder  100  to the cryogen discharged cradle  200  ( FIG. 2 ) as a way to defeat use of unauthorized cylinders. Electronic circuits communicating with the skin treatment apparatus that reads information by a scanner could be another authenticating features. For example, the authenticating features could be such information tags consisting of a UPC code, QR code, color code, encrypted code and a combination of the above. The electronic circuit could be combined with mechanical features such as the authentication pins  128  to further strengthen the authentication process. 
         [0021]    In use cylinder  100  is inserted into a cradle  200  ( FIG. 2 ) and with the help of fitting valve  124  connects to cradle  200 . Cradle  200  includes a support  204  facilitating connection of the cradle to the skin treatment apparatus (not shown). Cradle  200  also includes a number of cryogenic cylinder or container  100  authentication modules  208 - 216 . The authentication modules  208 - 216  could be any one of a group of modules consisting of a mechanical authentication module, electronic authentication module, readable information authentication module and a combination of the above. In one example, cylinder  100  could include more than one authenticating feature. 
         [0022]    The electronic cylinder authentication module could include RFID tags, RF transponder and/or receiver tags, customized integrated circuits, MEMs configured to perform physical and chemical analyses of the cryogenic liquid that is under pressure, and a mix of the above. The electronic cylinder authentication modules of cradle  200  could communicate with corresponding authentication modules installed in the skin treatment apparatus (not shown). The electronic cylinder authentication modules of cradle  200  could communicate with more than one authenticating feature. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is of a cross section of an additional example of a cryogenic liquid cylinder. Cryogenic liquid cylinder  300  is similar to cryogenic cylinder  100  and includes a cylindrical body  304  with one or first end of the body terminated by a lid  108  including an opening configured to receive a safety pressure relief valve  116 . Although, Pressure Relief Valve  116  is illustrated as a single element, it could be an assembly of a number of parts. Pressure relief valve  116  operates on gaseous materials as liquid states do not respond as readily to pressure changes. Accordingly, the pressure relief valve  116  is located in the part of the cylinder that in working position contains cryogenic gas. 
         [0024]    In the present disclosure, the pressure relief valve  116  maintains a safe cryogenic liquid operating pressure within the container  300 . 
         [0025]    Fitting  320  includes a single use self-locking fitting valve  324  that upon filling of the cylinder cavity  328  by the cryogenic liquid is locked and does not support additional cylinder refill. In case of removal of partially or completely depleted cryogenic cylinder from the skin treatment apparatus, fitting valve  324  is a single use valve and does not support second or additional mounting of the cylinder on the skin treatment apparatus. 
         [0026]    In a further example, upon depletion of the cryogenic liquid in cylinder  300  and/or in course of the container from the skin treatment apparatus removal, single use fitting valve  324  is either destroyed or changes its orientation to a position that would prevent cylinder  300  refill by a non-certified cylinder or cryogenic liquid supplier. In one example, fitting valve  324  is pushed into the internal cavity of container  300 . As it will be explained below, a certified single use fitting valve  324  could include different authenticating items. The skin treatment apparatus could become not operational when a not certified one-way valve is detected. 
         [0027]    Cylinder  300  and single use fitting valve  324  could include one or more authentication features. The authenticating features could be mechanical features such as pins  128  ( FIG. 1 ) setting cylinder  300  in a predetermined position, electronic circuits communicating with the skin treatment apparatus, readable by a scanner information and a combination of the above. For example, the authenticating features could be such information tags consisting of a UPC code, QR code, color code, encrypted code and a combination of the above. More than one authenticating feature could be present and operated simultaneously. 
         [0028]    Valve  324  could include one or more authentication features. The authenticating features could be mechanical features, electronic circuits communicating with the skin treatment apparatus, information read by a scanner, and a combination of the above. For example, the authenticating features could be such information tags consisting of a UPC code, QR code, color code, encrypted code and a combination of the above. 
         [0029]    Single use fitting valve  324  of cryogenic cylinder or liquid storing container  300  could be configured to facilitate a pass of the cryogenic liquid into the liquid containing cavity  328  of cylinder  300  and delivery of the cryogenic liquid being under pressure from the cylinder. Fitting valve  324  could be also configured to support a least one angular orientation different from a previous angular orientation and a number of different heights with respect to mounting plate  204  or edge  308  of cryogenic cylinder  300 . 
         [0030]    Cylinder  300  and Valve  324  could include one or more authentication features. The authenticating features could be mechanical features, electronic circuits communicating with the skin treatment apparatus, information read by a scanner, and a combination of the above. For example, the authenticating features could be such information tags consisting of a UPC code, QR code, color code, encrypted code and a combination of the above. 
         [0031]      FIG. 4  is a schematic block diagram of a skin treatment apparatus using the present cryogenic liquid cylinder in accordance with one example. Apparatus  400  for aesthetic skin treatment or simply skin treatment includes a cradle  200  configured to receive any one of the liquid storing cylinders  100  or  300  for storing and dispensing the cryogenic liquid contained under pressure in the cylinder. Apparatus  400  includes one or more cylinder or container authentication modules  408  communicating with cryogenic cylinder authenticating modules  208 - 216 , providing information on the authenticity of the cylinder and in some examples of the cryogenic liquid filling the cryogenic cylinder. Authentication module  408  could also be associated with cradle  404  or be a separate unit including a number of cylinder authentication module  408 - 1 ,  408 - 2  etc., for example such as unit  408 - 1  shown in broken lines. Apparatus  400  further includes a controller  412  configured to communicate with the authentication module  408  of the cryogenic liquid cylinder, valve  324  of the cylinder and in some examples with the module determining content of the cylinder. Controller  412  of the apparatus  400  for aesthetic skin treatment includes a processor circuit  416  configured to receive the information related to the authenticity of the cylinder and in some examples of the cryogenic liquid and compare the received information to an existing database embedded in the apparatus or controller  412  of the apparatus for aesthetic skin treatment. Based on the results of the cylinder authentication, controller  412  or processor circuit  416  could facilitate use of identified/authorized cryogenic liquid cylinder or prevent use of an unauthorized cylinder. 
         [0032]    The information provided by the authentication module could be encrypted and the controller  412  could include processes and algorithms supporting decoding of the encrypted information. Processor circuit  416  of skin treatment apparatus  400  decodes the information so that validity of the information conveyed to the skin treatment apparatus could be determined. 
         [0033]    Controller  412  can also include algorithms for disabling the authentication modules once the cylinder  300  ( 100 ) is depleted of the skin cooling material. Disabling mechanisms can include writing encrypted information onto electronic circuits that notifies controller  412  that the cylinder  300  ( 100 ) is no longer authentic or simply erasing the authenticating information such that the cylinder  300  ( 100 ) is no longer authenticated. Disabling algorithms can be initiated when the algorithm that determine the remaining volume of skin cooling material falls below a threshold volume, when the pressure in the cylinder  300  ( 100 ) falls below a threshold pressure, or when the cylinder  300  ( 100 ) is removed from the cradle  200 . An example could include release of a detent held in position via the mechanical pins  128  that signals controller  412  to start the disabling algorithm. 
         [0034]    Apparatus  400  also includes a communication mechanism  428  between apparatus  400 , cryogenic cylinder or container  300  ( 100 ) and a remote control computer or control center. If and when insertion of non-authenticated cylinder is detected, communication mechanism  428  could convey this to the remote control computer. 
         [0035]    The cryogenic cylinder or container authentication module  208  ( 212 - 216 ) of skin treatment apparatus  400  could be any one of a group of modules consisting of a mechanical authentication module, electronic authentication module, readable information authentication module and a combination of the above. The mechanical cylinder authentication module could include specially keyed mating shapes made in the cradle of the cryogenic cylinder. The shapes could be such as oval shapes, triangular shape, shapes including special cutouts and other shapes. 
         [0036]    The electronic cylinder authentication module could include RFID tags, RF transponder and/or receiver tags, customized integrated circuits, MEMs configured to perform physical and chemical analyses of the cryogenic liquid and a mix of the above. Corresponding authentication modules communicating with the authentication modules of the cryogenic cylinder could be installed in apparatus  400 . 
         [0037]    The cylinder authentication module installed in cradle  200  could include a unit or device configured to read such information tags as UPC code, QR code, color code, encrypted code and a combination of the above. 
         [0038]    Apparatus  400  supports on-demand dispensing of the cryogenic liquid contained under pressure in cylinder or container  100  or  300 . Generally, each on-demand delivery of the cryogenic liquid could be caused by a push of a button located on the applicator (not shown) or pushing a foot pedal (not shown). The capacity of cryogenic cylinder is known and each on-demand delivery of the cryogenic liquid delivers a known amount of the cryogen liquid. Controller  412  could be also configured to keep record of amount of cryogenic liquid remaining in the cylinder. Controller  412  could also be configured to keep record of the amount of cryogenic liquid dispensed from the cylinder  100  ( 300 ). 
         [0039]    Cradle  200  of apparatus  400  ( FIG. 4 ) in addition to receiving and holding the cryogenic liquid cylinder  300  ( 100 ) includes a mechanism  420  configured to destroy by locking, or pushing inside the cylinder single use fitting valve  324  supporting filling of the cylinder by the cryogenic liquid and discharge of the cryogenic liquid being maintained under pressure, from the cylinder or container  300 . For example, the fitting valve  324  ( 128 ) can be rotated by an angle such as 90 degrees when the empty cylinder  300  ( 100 ) is removed from apparatus  400  thereby locking the fitting valve  324  ( 128 ) in place such that the fitting valve  324  ( 128 ) cannot open. As a result cylinder  300  ( 100 ) cannot be refilled. In this example, a partially empty cylinder  300  is also disabled when removed from cradle  200 . 
         [0040]    In another example, the single use fitting valve  324  ( 128 ) can be rotated by an angle such as 90 degrees when the empty cylinder  300  ( 100 ) is removed from apparatus  400 . In this position, the single use fitting valve  324  ( 128 ) is held in place only by the pressure within cylinder  300  ( 100 ). Thereby once cylinder  300  ( 100 ) is empty, there is insufficient pressure in cylinder  300  ( 100 ) to hold fitting valve  324  ( 128 ) in place causing it to fall into cylinder  300  ( 100 ). As a result fitting valve  324  ( 128 ) is no longer effective and canister  300  ( 100 ) cannot be refilled. In this example, a partially empty cylinder  300  provided there is sufficient pressure is still enabled when removed from cradle  200 . 
         [0041]    In another example, the single use fitting valve  324  ( 128 ) can be rotated by an angle such as 90 degrees when the empty cylinder  300  ( 100 ) is removed from apparatus  400 . In this position, the single use fitting valve  324  ( 128 ) is held in place only by the pressure within cylinder  300  ( 100 ). Thereby once cylinder  300  ( 100 ) is empty, there is insufficient pressure in cylinder  300  ( 100 ) to hold fitting valve  324  ( 128 ) in place when connecting to the cryogen fill station filling hose causing it to fall into cylinder  300  ( 100 ). As a result fitting valve  324  ( 128 ) is no longer effective and canister  300  ( 100 ) cannot be refilled. 
         [0042]      FIG. 5  is an example of cryogenic cylinder or canister authentication process. Following the insertion of the cryogenic cylinder  100  or  300  into cradle  200  of a skin treatment apparatus  400  (Block  500 ), a reading device reads at least one authenticating feature of the cryogenic cylinder  100  or  200  and communicates the read information to processor circuit  416  (Block  504 ). Processor circuit  416  applies authentication process or algorithm to at least one authenticated feature (Block  508 ) received by the processor circuit  416  and then determines authenticity of at least one authenticated feature (Block  512 ). If all required cryogenic cylinder features are determined as authentic features, processor circuit  416  facilitates use of the inserted cryogenic cylinder (Block  516 ) by apparatus  400 . If at least one feature of the cryogenic cylinder could not be identified as authentic feature, processor circuit  416  could alert the caregiver through audio means or an informational prompt on the system to the presence of unauthorized vessels or content. Processor circuit  416  could also disable or restrict use of the cryogenic cylinder (Block  520 ) by the skin treatment apparatus  400 . 
         [0043]    Processor circuit  416  could also be configured to record in a non-volatile memory circuit  424  of apparatus for aesthetic skin treatment  400  ( FIG. 4 ) that a non-authorized or non-authenticated cryogenic liquid cylinder has been installed and used by apparatus  400 . Apparatus  400  could also record the amount of non-authenticated cryogenic liquid that apparatus  400  has consumed. The record could be stored locally in the apparatus or communicated to a remote control computer. Processor  400  could be further configured to restrict the use of non-authenticated cylinder  100  ( 300 ), or disable the use of non-authenticated cylinder  100  ( 300 ), or permanently disable use of cryogen cradle  200  until the system is inspected by a qualified service engineer. 
         [0044]    The operations and algorithms described herein can be implemented as executable code within the micro-controller or controller  412  having processor circuit  416  as described, or stored on a standalone computer or machine readable non-transitory tangible storage medium that are completed based on execution of the code by a processor circuit implemented using one or more integrated circuits. Example implementations of the disclosed circuits include hardware logic that is implemented in a logic array such as a programmable logic array (PLA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or by mask programming of integrated circuits such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Any of these circuits also can be implemented using a software-based executable resource that is executed by a corresponding internal processor circuit such as a micro-processor circuit (not shown) and implemented using one or more integrated circuits, where execution of executable code stored in an internal memory circuit causes the integrated circuit(s) implementing the processor circuit to store application state variables in processor memory, creating an executable application resource (e.g., an application instance) that performs the operations of the circuit as described herein. Hence, use of the term “circuit” in this specification refers to both a hardware-based circuit implemented using one or more integrated circuits and that includes logic for performing the described operations, or a software-based circuit that includes a processor circuit (implemented using one or more integrated circuits), the processor circuit including a reserved portion of processor memory for storage of application state data and application variables that are modified by execution of the executable code by a processor circuit. The memory circuit  424  can be implemented, for example, using a non-volatile memory such as a programmable read only memory (PROM) or an EPROM, and/or a volatile memory such as a DRAM, etc. 
         [0045]    Use of specially formulated or certified for skin treatment materials and in particular cryogenic liquids could avoid any or all of the following: patient irritation, allergy, combustion of impurities during the skin treatment procedure, and ineffective skin cooling due to restricted skin cooling material flow from impurities clogging the skin cooling material delivery system which may include any or all of the fluid lines, material release valve, and spray jet.