Patent ID: 8840608

Claim:
A system for the selective disruption of lipid rich cells in a non-infant human subject, comprising: at least one thermoelectric cooling element configured for application proximal to an application site of the subject, wherein the thermoelectric cooling element is effective to decrease the temperature beneath the application site, and wherein the temperature decrease is sufficient to selectively damage lipid rich cells beneath the application site, and wherein non lipid rich cells proximal to the thermoelectric cooling element are not damaged; at least one feedback device configured to provide feedback information pertaining to at least one physiological parameter of tissue of the subject; and a control unit in communication with the at least one feedback device, the control unit configured to control the operation of the thermoelectric cooling element to decrease the temperature beneath the application site, wherein the temperature decrease is sufficient to selectively damage lipid rich cells beneath the application site, and wherein non lipid rich cells proximal to the thermoelectric cooling element are not damaged.