US 9550052

US Patent 9550052: Console System for the Treatment of Skin

Title: Console system for the treatment of skin

Assignee (Current): Hydrafacial LLC

Inventors: Roger Ignon, Scott Mallett, Abraham Solano, William Cohen

Filing Date: April 28, 2015

Issue Date: January 24, 2017

Abstract: An apparatus for treating skin has a console with a user input device and a handpiece assembly. The handpiece assembly is configured to treat skin. A fluid line provides fluid communication between the console and the handpiece assembly. A manifold system is coupled to the console and controlled by the user input device. The manifold system is configured to hold releasably a plurality of fluid sources and deliver fluid from at least one of the plurality of fluid sources to the handpiece assembly.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

A comprehensive plain-language overview of each independent claim cannot be provided at this time, as the complete, numbered claims section of US Patent 9550052B2 was not explicitly present in the authoritative patent text provided, nor could it be directly extracted in full from subsequent targeted searches. The provided text included a "Summary of the Invention" which describes various embodiments of the invention, but these are not the formally structured and numbered claims required for a precise claim-by-claim analysis.

However, based on the "Summary of the Invention" section, the patent generally describes several independent inventive concepts, which would typically correspond to independent claims. These include:

• Claim Concept 1 (Apparatus for Treating Skin): An apparatus comprising a console with a user input device, a handpiece assembly for skin treatment, a fluid line connecting the console and handpiece, and a manifold system controlled by the user input device. The manifold system can releasably hold multiple fluid sources and deliver fluid from at least one source to the handpiece assembly.
• Claim Concept 2 (Skin Treatment Tip with Spiral Member): A tip designed to couple to a handpiece, featuring a skirt portion and a central body portion. It includes a first passage for fluid intake and at least one second passageway for fluid return. Critically, an inner member extends in a generally spiral fashion across a distal face, defining a channel between the fluid passages that forms a chamber with the patient's skin when applied.
• Claim Concept 3 (Method of Treating Skin with Spiral Tip): A method involving a tip with first and second apertures, an inner member defining a channel between them, and an outer member that engages the skin. Treatment fluid flows distally through the first aperture, along the channel, and proximally back through the second aperture.
• Claim Concept 4 (Skin Treatment Tip with Pad): A tip comprising a skirt and a central body with a mounting region configured to receive a pad for skin treatment. It includes a first aperture for fluid intake and at least one second aperture for fluid return, extending through both the skirt and central body.
• Claim Concept 5 (Method of Treating Skin with Pad): A method involving a tip with first and second apertures and a distal end for attaching a pad. A pad is attached to the distal end, and the tip is engaged with the target region of the skin.
• Claim Concept 6 (Manifold System): A manifold system with a body portion designed to releasably hold at least two bottles. The manifold can be coupled to a console that includes a handpiece for skin treatment. It further includes at least one elongate member in communication with a pump to extract fluid from a bottle, and at least one switch to control fluid flow from the bottle through the pump.
• Claim Concept 7 (Method of Sequential Skin Treatment with Different Tips): A method involving engaging a first skin treatment tip to remove skin, followed by engaging another (e.g., wet) tip, with or without delivering acid to facilitate skin removal. This concept also describes variations where treatment fluid flows outwardly or inwardly along channels and where the wet tip may include an abrasive pad.
• Claim Concept 8 (Method of Sequential Skin Treatment with Different Materials/Tips): A method comprising engaging a first skin treatment tip to deliver a first material to a target region, and then engaging a second skin treatment tip with the target region while the first material helps exfoliation. The first material can be an acid, hydrator, or combination, and the tips can be configured to remove skin at different rates. Material can also be delivered out of the second tip.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:

A search of CAFC dockets for 2026 specifically for US patent 9550052 did not yield any direct case filings or specific litigation outcomes related to this patent number within the provided search results. The search results provided general information about the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and its scheduled cases, but no direct matches for US9550052.