Lasers in surgery and medicine
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The main objective of the present study is to demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing a novel non-invasive radiofrequency (RF) device to induce lethal thermal damage to subcutaneous adipose tissue only by establishing a controlled electric field that heats up fat preferentially. ⋯ A controlled internal electric field perpendicular to the skin-fat interface is selective in heating up fat and, consequently, has the ability to induce lethal thermal damage to subcutaneous adipose tissues while sparing overlying and underlying tissues. In vitro adipocyte cells are heat sensitive to thermal exposures of 50 and 45 degrees C on the order of minutes, 1 and 3 minutes, respectively. In vivo, 15 minutes thermal exposures to 43-45 degrees C result in a delayed adipocyte cellular death response-in this study, 9 days. The novel RF device presented herein effectively delivers therapeutic thermal exposures to subcutaneous adipose tissues while protecting epidermal and dermal layers.