Patent Description:
Needle-holding cartridges are known that comprise a casing, inside which a needle-holding unit is arranged consisting of a support element to which a single needle or a plurality of needles can be fixed.

The needle-holding unit can slide inside the casing of the cartridge so that the ends of the needles can protrude from the cartridge and from the body of the device. Sliding the needle-holding unit being controlled by a drive device fitted inside the body of a so-called device and driven by an electric motor.

The type of needles to be used depends on the type of treatment to be applied. For example, for making tattoos or a semipermanent make-up, a cartridge with a single needle or with a group of three or five needles is used, whereas for micro-needling or micro-pricking treatments, cartridges with a high number of needles are used, even up to several dozen together.

Also the penetration depth of the needle, or of the needles, in the skin depends on the treatment to be applied and can vary from a few tenths of a millimetre to a few millimetres, for example from <NUM> to <NUM>.

One problem connected to the use of the needle-holding cartridges is that of preventing body fluids of the patient, or liquid substance injected into the skin of the patient during treatment possibly flowing back through the cartridge, leaking outside the cartridge and contaminating the device that uses the cartridge.

Needle-holding cartridges are known from the prior art inside which needle-holding units are slidable, comprising a needle-holding support to which a single needle or a plurality of needles can be fixed. The needle-holding support can slide inside the cartridge and can be driven with alternating motion by a drive motor that acts on a rod-shaped appendage of the needle-holding support.

In order to prevent a flow back to the exterior of the cartridge of body fluids or of liquid substances injected during permanent make-up, micro-needling or micro-pricking treatments, one or two absorbent elements or barriers can be provided inside the cartridge, which are used to absorb said body fluids and said liquid substances. These absorbing elements are in the form of drilled disks arranged around the aforesaid rod-shaped appendage. The absorbing elements are not however able to act as seals and cannot prevent a certain quantity of body fluids or of liquid substances leaking therebetween and the rod-shaped appendage, thus being able to reach outside the cartridge.

Cartridges of this type are disclosed, for example, in <CIT> and <CIT>.

Arranging a ring seal between the rod-shaped appendage and the bottom wall of the cartridge in a hole is known through which the rod-shaped appendage traverses an end of which protrudes outside the cartridge.

This seal is not however able to completely prevent leaking outside the cartridge of liquid substances or of body fluids, mainly owing to the alternating motion of the rod-shaped appendage that deforms repeatedly the ring seal, compromising the seal function thereof.

Cartridges of this type are disclosed, for example, in <CIT>.

One object of the present invention is to provide a needle-holding cartridge, in particular a disposable needle-holding cartridge, usable in a device for cosmetic treatments, such as permanent make-up treatments, micro-needling or micro-prickling treatments, and other treatments defined as nano treatments, said cartridge having to ensure that body fluids or liquid substances injected during these treatments can flow outside the cartridge, contaminating the device that uses the cartridge and making the device no longer usable without being subjected to complex and costly sterilization treatments.

The object of the invention is reached with a needle-holding cartridge for cosmetic treatments according to claim <NUM>.

Owing to the invention, it is possible to prevent with certainty the leak outside the cartridge, in particular towards the device that uses the cartridge, of body fluids or liquid substances injected during treatments performed with the help of the cartridge.

Further features and advantages of the invention are clear from the description which follows, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:.

In <FIG> a first embodiment is illustrated of a needle-holding cartridge <NUM> according to the invention, which is usable with a device <NUM> for cosmetic treatments, a so-called "device", for example of the type disclosed in patent application <CIT>, filed in the name of the applicant of this application. In <FIG>, a needle-holding cartridge <NUM> is illustrated that is inserted into the aforesaid device <NUM>.

The needle-holding cartridge <NUM> comprises a casing <NUM>, which can be transparent or semitransparent or also opaque.

The casing <NUM> comprises a first part 2a, intended to be rested on a zone of the body of a patient in which a cosmetic treatment has to be performed, and a second part 2b intended to be inserted and locked in an appropriate seat obtained in an end <NUM> of the device <NUM>.

Inside the first part 2a of the casing <NUM>, a support element <NUM> is arranged that can slide axially inside the casing <NUM>. To the support element <NUM>, a plurality of needles <NUM> is fixed that can protrude from the casing <NUM> through an opening <NUM> placed at a first end <NUM> of the casing <NUM>. The support element <NUM> is made so as to determine the maximum protrusion of the needles <NUM> from the opening <NUM>, said protrusion being able to vary from about <NUM> to about <NUM>, depending on the type of treatment to be performed.

The support element <NUM> is provided with a rod-shaped appendage <NUM> that protrudes from the casing <NUM> through a hole <NUM> placed at a second end <NUM> of the casing <NUM>, opposite the first end <NUM>.

When the cartridge <NUM> is inserted into the device <NUM>, the appendage <NUM> interacts with driving means provided in the device <NUM> that exerts a thrust on the appendage <NUM>, so as to move the support element <NUM> from an initial position shown in <FIG> in which the needles <NUM> are retracted inside the casing <NUM> to a final position (not illustrated in the Figures) in which the needles <NUM> protrude from the opening <NUM>, by a preset protrusion.

On the rod-shaped appendage <NUM>, a coil spring <NUM> is positioned, arranged between a collar <NUM> that is part of the appendage <NUM> and a resting surface <NUM> obtained in the casing <NUM>.

The coil spring <NUM> is used to return the support element <NUM> to the initial position thereof when the thrust of the driving means on the appendage <NUM> ceases, so as to be able to perform an alternating movement of the support element <NUM>.

At the end <NUM> of the casing <NUM>, a seat <NUM> is obtained, into which a first ring-shaped sealing element <NUM> that surrounds the appendage <NUM> is inserted. The first ring-shaped sealing element <NUM> is provided with a cylindrical protuberance <NUM> that also surrounds the appendage <NUM> and protrudes outside the cartridge <NUM> through the hole <NUM>. The first ring-shaped sealing element <NUM> hinders a leak of body fluids or liquids in general through the hole <NUM> of the cartridge <NUM>.

On a portion 7a of the appendage <NUM>, which protrudes outside the cartridge <NUM> through the hole 8a, a sheath-shaped second sealing element <NUM> is placed, fitted to the cylindrical protuberance <NUM> of the first ring-shaped sealing element <NUM>. The second ring-shaped sealing element <NUM> can be, for example, made of silicone. The cylindrical protuberance <NUM> is provided with a radial annular protrusion <NUM>, shaped so as to be inserted into a corresponding groove <NUM> of the second ring-shaped sealing element <NUM>, to lock the second ring-shaped sealing element <NUM> in position on the cylindrical protuberance <NUM>.

Between the second sealing element <NUM> and the portion 7a of the appendage <NUM>, a closed space <NUM> is defined that is used to trap possible fractions of body fluids or liquids in general that may leak between the first sealing element <NUM> and the appendage <NUM>, preventing the possible body fluids or liquids from being able to exit into the space outside the cartridge <NUM>.

The combined action of the first sealing element <NUM> and of the second sealing element <NUM> ensures that not even the smallest quantity of body fluids or liquids in general can exit the cartridge <NUM> during use thereof and contaminate the device <NUM> on which the cartridge <NUM> is installed.

In <FIG>, a second embodiment of a needle-holding cartridge 1a according to the invention is illustrated, which is usable with a device <NUM> for cosmetic treatments, a so-called "device", for example of the type disclosed in patent application <CIT>, filed in the name of the applicant of this application.

In <FIG>, a needle-holding cartridge 1a is illustrated that is inserted into the aforesaid device <NUM>.

Parts of the needle-holding cartridge 1a that are substantially identical to parts of the needle-holding cartridge <NUM>, which was disclosed previously, are marked by the same reference numbers used for the needle-holding cartridge <NUM>, illustrated in <FIG>.

The needle-holding cartridge 1a comprises a casing <NUM>, which can be transparent or semitransparent or also opaque.

The casing <NUM> comprises a first part <NUM>, intended to be rested on a zone of the body of a patient in which a cosmetic treatment has to be performed, and a second part <NUM>, substantially identical to the second part 2a of the casing <NUM> of the cartridge <NUM>, intended to be inserted and locked in an appropriate seat obtained in an end <NUM> of the device <NUM>.

Inside the first part <NUM> of the casing <NUM>, a support element <NUM> is arranged that can slide axially inside the casing <NUM>. To the support element <NUM>, a plurality of needles <NUM> is fixed that can protrude from the casing <NUM> through an opening 5a placed at a first end 6a of the casing <NUM>. The support element <NUM> is made so as to determine the maximum protrusion of the needles <NUM> from the hole 5a, said protrusion being able to vary from about <NUM> to about <NUM>, depending on the type of treatment to be performed.

The support element <NUM> is provided with a rod-shaped appendage <NUM>, which protrudes from the casing <NUM> through a hole <NUM> placed at a second end 9a of the casing <NUM>, opposite the first end 6a.

When the cartridge 1a is inserted into the device <NUM>, the appendage <NUM> interacts with driving means provided in the device <NUM> that exerts a thrust on the appendage <NUM>, so as to move the support element <NUM> from an initial position shown in <FIG> in which the needles <NUM> are retracted inside the casing <NUM>, to a final position (not illustrated in the figures) in which the needles <NUM> protrude from the opening 5a, by a set protrusion.

At the end 9a of the casing <NUM>, a seat <NUM> is obtained into which a first ring-shaped sealing element <NUM> is inserted that surrounds the appendage <NUM>. The first ring-shaped sealing element <NUM> is provided with a cylindrical protuberance <NUM> that also surrounds the appendage <NUM> and protrudes outside the cartridge <NUM> through the hole <NUM>. The first sealing element <NUM> is used to hinder an exit of body fluids or liquids in general through the hole <NUM> of the cartridge <NUM>.

On a portion 7a of the appendage <NUM> which protrudes outside the cartridge 1a through the hole <NUM>, a sheath-shaped second sealing element <NUM> is placed that is fitted to the cylindrical protuberance <NUM> of the first sealing element <NUM>. The second sealing element <NUM>, can be, for example, made of silicone. The cylindrical protuberance <NUM> is provided with a radial annular protrusion <NUM>, shaped so as to be inserted into a corresponding groove <NUM> of the second sealing element <NUM>, to lock the second sealing element <NUM> in position on the cylindrical protuberance <NUM>.

Between the second sealing element <NUM> and the portion 7a of the appendage <NUM>, a closed space <NUM> is defined that is used to trap possible fractions of body fluids or liquids in general that may leak between the first sealing element <NUM> and the appendage <NUM>, hindering the body fluids or liquids from being able to leak into the space outside the cartridge <NUM>.

The combined action of the first sealing element <NUM> and of the second sealing element <NUM> ensures that not even the smallest quantity of body fluids or liquids in general can exit the cartridge 1a during use thereof and contaminate the device <NUM> on which the cartridge 1a is installed.

In the first part <NUM> of the casing <NUM> a first pair of electrodes <NUM> and a second pair of electrodes <NUM> are inserted that protrude from the first end 6a of said first part <NUM>, as can be seen in <FIG>.

The electrodes <NUM> and <NUM> are used to apply a radio frequency alternating current to the skin of a patient during a cosmetic treatment. The radio frequency alternating current can be applied both simultaneously to the treatment with the needles <NUM>, and independently of the treatment with needles <NUM>.

The electrodes <NUM> and <NUM> can be supplied for example by the device <NUM>.

Claim 1:
Needle-holding cartridge (<NUM>; 1a) for cosmetic treatments comprising a casing (<NUM>; <NUM>), which comprises a first part (2a; <NUM>), intended to be rested on a zone of the body of a patient in which a cosmetic treatment has to be performed, and a second part (2b; <NUM>) intended to be inserted and locked in an appropriate seat obtained in an end (<NUM>) of a device (<NUM>) for cosmetic treatments, wherein inside the first part (2a; <NUM>) of the casing (<NUM>; <NUM>) a support element (<NUM>) is arranged, which can slide inside the casing (<NUM>; <NUM>); wherein onto the support element (<NUM>) a plurality of needles (<NUM>) is fixed that can protrude from the casing (<NUM>; <NUM>) through an opening (<NUM>; 5a) placed at a first end (<NUM>; 6a) of the casing (<NUM>; <NUM>), wherein the support element (<NUM>) is provided with a rod-shaped appendage (<NUM>), a portion (7a) of which protrudes from the casing (<NUM>; <NUM>) through a hole (<NUM>) obtained at a second end (<NUM>; 9a) of the casing (<NUM>; <NUM>), opposite the first end (<NUM>; 6a), characterized in that it further comprises a first ring-shaped sealing element (<NUM>) that surrounds the appendage (<NUM>) and is inserted into a seat (<NUM>) obtained at said second end (<NUM>; 9a) of the casing (<NUM>; <NUM>), wherein a sheath-shaped second sealing element (<NUM>) is placed on said portion (7a) of the appendage (<NUM>).