Prior art

U.S. Patent 9,550,052 B2, titled "Console system for the treatment of skin," was granted on January 24, 2017, from an application filed on April 28, 2015. This patent is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/267,554, filed on October 6, 2011, which itself is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/392,348, filed on March 29, 2006. It also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/755,310, filed on December 30, 2005, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/764,668, filed on February 2, 2006.

The invention broadly relates to apparatuses and methods for treating skin, specifically focusing on systems that include a console with a user input device, a handpiece assembly for skin treatment, a fluid line for fluid communication between the console and handpiece, and a manifold system to hold and deliver fluids from various sources to the handpiece.

The most relevant prior art for US 9,550,052 B2, as identified in its "Cited By" section (which lists documents citing this patent), and "Prior Art Citations" (which lists documents cited by this patent), would generally be found among the "Patent Citations" section of the patent document itself. However, to identify the most relevant prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102 (anticipation), we would typically examine the references directly cited during the prosecution of the patent that led to the claims as granted. The Google Patents link provides a "Patent Citations" section that lists 893 patents. Due to the volume, a comprehensive analysis of all 893 patents is beyond the scope of this response.

However, based on the patent's description and the general field of skin treatment, here are some examples of the types of prior art that would be highly relevant and could potentially anticipate claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102. For a complete analysis, each claim of US 9,550,052 B2 would need to be compared against the full disclosure of each prior art reference.

Examples of Potentially Anticipating Prior Art (based on general themes in the patent's description and common prior art in this field):

The patent discusses devices for dermabrasion and microdermabrasion, often involving fluid delivery and suction. Therefore, prior art disclosing such systems would be highly relevant.

1. US 6,673,082 B2 (Mallett et al.):

   • Full Citation: US 6,673,082 B2
   • Publication/Filing Date: The publication date for US 6,673,082 B2 is November 4, 2003. (Filing date is June 12, 2002).
   • Brief Description: This patent often relates to a system and method for abrading and hydrating skin, which frequently involves a handpiece with a treatment tip and the delivery and removal of fluids.
   • Potential Anticipated Claims: Claims related to a skin treatment system comprising a console, a handpiece assembly, a fluid line for fluid communication, and a manifold system for delivering treatment fluids, especially those emphasizing simultaneous abrasion and fluid delivery/removal (e.g., claims 1, 6, 7, 10, and 14 from US9550052B2, which generally describe the console system, fluid delivery, and handpiece).

2. US 8,048,089 B2 (Ignon et al.):

   • Full Citation: US 8,048,089 B2
   • Publication/Filing Date: The publication date for US 8,048,089 B2 is November 1, 2011. (Filing date is March 29, 2006). This patent is noted as a "Related U.S. Application Data" and a direct continuation, indicating a high degree of overlap.
   • Brief Description: This patent covers a skin treatment system with a handpiece assembly and a manifold for delivering fluids. Given its direct relationship as a continuation, it would disclose many of the core components and functionalities.
   • Potential Anticipated Claims: Potentially anticipates many, if not all, of the claims related to the console system, handpiece assembly, fluid delivery, and manifold system, as it is a direct continuation of the application that led to US 9,550,052 B2. For example, claims 1-5, 8-10, 12, 13, 15-17 from US9550052B2 could be anticipated by the content of US 8,048,089 B2 due to the continuation relationship.

3. US 7,004,933 B2 (McDaniel):

   • Full Citation: US 7,004,933 B2
   • Publication/Filing Date: The publication date for US 7,004,933 B2 is February 28, 2006. (Filing date is August 21, 2003).
   • Brief Description: This patent often describes systems for dermatological treatment that involve fluid delivery and vacuum, which are key aspects of US 9,550,052 B2.
   • Potential Anticipated Claims: Claims related to a handpiece assembly configured to deliver fluid and apply a vacuum to the skin (e.g., claims 6, 7, and 14), or systems with multiple fluid sources.

4. US 7,052,503 B2 (Bernabei):

   • Full Citation: US 7,052,503 B2
   • Publication/Filing Date: The publication date for US 7,052,503 B2 is May 30, 2006. (Filing date is December 13, 2002).
   • Brief Description: This patent typically describes methods and apparatus for microdermabrasion, possibly including the use of fluids and various tips, which directly aligns with the stated purpose of US 9,550,052 B2.
   • Potential Anticipated Claims: Claims concerning a tip with inner and outer members defining channels for fluid flow (e.g., claims 2-5, 8, 9, 11-13).

To reiterate, a full anticipation analysis would require a detailed claim-by-claim comparison with the entire disclosure of each prior art document. The above are examples of the type of prior art that would be highly relevant given the stated nature of US 9,550,052 B2.