Light-emitting device and method for providing phototherapy to the brain

• US 10,188,872 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2009
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Photothera IP Holdings, Inc., Pthera,Llc
• Original Assignee: Pthera,Llc
• Inventors: De Taboada, Luis, Streeter, Jackson
• Primary Examiner(s): Farah, Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US12/496,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20100016841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,499 Days
• Field of Search: 607 88- 91, 607 93, 607108-110, 606 3, 606 10- 13
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00005 Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2244 Features of optical fibre cables, e.g. claddings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/007 for cooling the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0647 the applicator adapted to be worn on the head
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0613 Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0622 Optical stimulation for exciting neural tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 using laser light

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for irradiating at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s brain with electromagnetic radiation to treat stroke, Parkinson'"'"'s Disease, Alzheimer'"'"'s Disease, or depression. The apparatus includes a source of the electromagnetic radiation. The apparatus further includes an output optical element including a rigid and substantially thermally conductive material and a surface configured to be in thermal communication with the patient'"'"'s body. The apparatus further includes a cooler thermally coupled to the output optical element to remove heat from the output optical element. The apparatus further includes a heat sink thermally coupled to the cooler, wherein the heat sink is positioned so that the electromagnetic radiation from the source propagates through the heat sink and through the output optical element.

Claims

1. An apparatus for irradiating at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s brain with electromagnetic radiation to treat stroke, Parkinson'"'"'s disease, Alzheimer'"'"'s disease, or depression, the apparatus comprising:

a source of the electromagnetic radiation;

an output optical element comprising a rigid and substantially thermally conductive material, the output optical element comprising a first surface configured to face towards the patient'"'"'s scalp and to be in thermal communication with the patient'"'"'s scalp during treatment and a second surface configured to face away from the patient'"'"'s scalp during treatment;

a cooler thermally coupled to the second surface of the output optical element to remove heat from the output optical element through the second surface; and

a heat sink thermally coupled to the cooler, wherein the heat sink is positioned so that the electromagnetic radiation from the source propagates through the heat sink and through the output optical element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation has at least one wavelength in a range between about 780 nanometers and about 840 nanometers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rigid and substantially thermally conductive material comprises sapphire.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is to actively cool an irradiated portion of the patient'"'"'s scalp.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical diffuser.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the output optical element comprises a lens and the optical diffuser.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the optical diffuser is optically coupled to the output optical element, and the electromagnetic radiation propagates through the optical diffuser prior to reaching the output optical element.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooler comprises a thermoelectric cooler.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat sink comprises a first portion and a second portion, the heat sink positioned so that the electromagnetic radiation is transmitted into the first portion, out of the second portion, and to the output optical element.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the heat sink further comprises a reflective inner surface between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the electromagnetic radiation propagates through a region bounded by the inner surface prior to reaching the output optical element.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one trigger switch, the trigger switch electrically coupled to the source, the trigger switch actuated by pressing the output optical element against a surface, the source responsive to the trigger switch by emitting light only when the trigger switch is actuated.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to be held in position by hand and sequentially moved to irradiate selected portions of the patient'"'"'s body.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output optical element is sufficiently thermally conductive to conduct heat from the patient'"'"'s scalp at a sufficient rate to prevent, minimize, or reduce damage or discomfort to the patient from heating of the skin due to the irradiation.

14. An apparatus for irradiating at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s brain with electromagnetic radiation to treat stroke, Parkinson'"'"'s disease, Alzheimer'"'"'s disease, or depression, the apparatus comprising:

a source of the electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic radiation having at least one wavelength in a range between about 780 nanometers and about 840 nanometers;

an output optical element comprising sapphire, the output optical element comprising a front surface configured to face towards the patient'"'"'s scalp and to be in thermal communication with the patient'"'"'s scalp during treatment and a back surface configured to face away from the patient'"'"'s scalp during treatment;

a thermoelectric cooler thermally coupled to the back surface of the output optical element and configured to remove heat from the output optical element through the back surface and to actively cool an irradiated portion of the patient'"'"'s scalp; and

a heat sink thermally coupled to the thermoelectric cooler, wherein the heat sink is positioned so that the electromagnetic radiation from the source propagates through the heat sink and through the output optical element.