Apparatus and method for irradiating a surface with light

• US 10,357,662 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2009
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Photothera IP Holdings, Inc., Pthera,Llc
• Original Assignee: Pthera,Llc
• Inventors: De Taboada, Luis, Streeter, Jackson, Bradley, Scott, Delapp, Scott, McNeill, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Yogesh P
• Application Number:
  US12/389,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,806 Days
• Field of Search: 607 88, 607 89, 607 99, 607100, 128898, 359694-700, 359819-823, 433 29
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/007 for cooling the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0629 Sequential activation of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/063 comprising light transmitting means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0644 Handheld applicators
• 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 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0617 Hair treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0618 Psychological 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 and method is provided for irradiating a portion of a patient'"'"'s scalp with light. The apparatus includes a source of light including one or more wavelengths in a range of about 630 nanometers to about 1064 nanometers. The apparatus further includes an output optical element in optical communication with the source. The output optical element includes an emission surface configured to emit a light beam having a cross-sectional area greater than about 2 cm² at the emission surface of the output optical element and having a time-averaged irradiance in a range of about 10 mW/cm² to about 10 W/cm² across the cross-sectional area. The apparatus further includes a thermally conductive portion configured to be placed in thermal communication with the irradiated portion of the patient'"'"'s scalp and to remove heat from the irradiated portion of the patient'"'"'s scalp at a rate in a range of about 0.1 Watt to about 5 Watts.

Claims

1. An apparatus for irradiating a portion of a patient'"'"'s scalp with light, the apparatus comprising:

a housing configured to house a portion of a source of light comprising one or more wavelengths in a range of between 630 nanometers to about 1064 nanometers;

a chassis mechanically coupled to the housing via a pivot;

an output optical element in optical communication with the source such that a path traveled by light from the source includes a non-zero angle, wherein the output optical element comprises an emission surface configured to emit a light beam having a cross-sectional area greater than about 2 cm² at the emission surface of the output optical element and having a time-averaged irradiance in a range of between 10 mW/cm² to about 10 W/cm² across the cross-sectional area;

a thermally conductive portion coupled to the chassis and configured to be placed in thermal communication with the irradiated portion of the patient'"'"'s scalp and to remove heat from the irradiated portion of the patient'"'"'s scalp, wherein the apparatus is configured to have the thermally conductive portion move toward the housing of the apparatus via movement of the chassis about the pivot upon a pressure being applied to the thermally conductive portion above a predetermined threshold pressure in a direction of movement of the thermally conductive portion toward the housing of the apparatus; and

a sensor configured to respond to the movement of the thermally conductive portion relative to the housing of the apparatus by generating a signal indicative of the movement, wherein the predetermined threshold pressure is sufficient to have the thermally conductive portion in thermal communication with the portion of the patient'"'"'s scalp.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area is in a range of between 2 cm² to about 20 cm².

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area is generally circular with a radius in a range of between 1 centimeter to about 2 centimeters.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the time-averaged irradiance is in a range of between 500 mW/cm² to about 1 W/cm².

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light has one or more wavelengths in a range of between 805 nanometers to about 820 nanometers.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the light has a wavelength distribution peaked at a peak wavelength and has a linewidth less than ±

10 nanometers from the peak wavelength.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the light has a linewidth less than 4 nanometers, full width at 90% of energy.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light beam is continuous.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the light beam emitted from the emission surface has a total radiant power in a range of between 4 Watts to about 6 Watts.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the light beam has a total flux inside a 20-millimeter diameter cross-sectional circle centered on the light beam at the emission surface which is no more than 75% of the total radiant power.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the light beam has a total flux inside a 26-millimeter diameter cross-sectional circle centered on the light beam at the emission surface which is no less than 50% of the total radiant power.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light beam is pulsed.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive portion comprises the output optical element.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the thermally conductive portion is releasably coupled to the output optical element.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rate is in a range of between 1 Watt to about 3 Watts.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive portion is configured to maintain the temperature of the irradiated portion of the patient'"'"'s scalp to be less than 42 degrees Celsius.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive portion is in thermal communication with the emission surface and is configured to maintain the temperature of the emission surface in a range of between 18 degrees Celsius to about 25 degrees Celsius under a heat load of 2 Watts.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light beam has a divergence angle greater than zero and less than 35 degrees.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the light beam has a divergence angle of about 16 degrees.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the light beam has a divergence angle of about 28 degrees.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller operably coupled to the source and to the sensor, the controller configured to receive the signal and to turn on the source of the light in response to the signal.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the threshold pressure is about 0.1 pound per square inch.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the threshold pressure is about 2 pounds per square inch.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output optical element has an aperture diameter of less than 33 millimeters.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emission surface is concave.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the emission surface is generally spherical with a radius of curvature of about 100 millimeters.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rate at which the thermally conductive portion is configured to remove heat from the irradiated portion of the patient'"'"'s scalp is in a range of about 1 Watt to about 3 Watts.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the threshold pressure is about 1 pound per square inch.