Patent ID: 7862558

Claim:
A system for treating tissue in a patient, said system comprising: a body comprising a handpiece having a size and a shape suitable for supporting in a hand of an operator, and at least one cooling fluid supply path disposed in the handpiece; a probe attached to the handpiece, the probe comprising a probe body and an array of tissue penetrating needles attached thereto, wherein each tissue penetrating needle comprises a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a lumen therebetween fluidly coupled to the cooling fluid supply path, each tissue penetrating needle extending distally from the probe body and insertable into the tissue through a skin surface of the patient, the tissue comprising adipose tissue; a cooling fluid source coupleable to the fluid supply path to direct cooling fluid flow into the lumens of the tissue penetrating needles when cooling is initiated, so as to cool the tissue below the skin surface to remodel the adipose tissue and skin surface; and an electric heater element having a skin engaging surface, the heater element adjacent the distal end of the probe body, the heater element directing heat energy into the skin to protect the skin from injury caused by the cooling wherein one or more of the needles comprise a fused silica supply tube extending into the lumen thereof.