Device and method for providing phototheraphy to the brain

• US 20040138727A1
• Filed: 10/09/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pthera,Llc
• Original Assignee: Pthera,Llc
• Inventors: Streeter, Jackson, Taboada, Luis De
• Granted Patent: US 7,303,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/88
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/40 Applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling microwave apparatus A61N5/00; Applying radio-frequency signals
• 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 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0613 Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0617 Hair treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0622 Optical stimulation for exciting neural tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 using laser light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092

Abstract

A therapy apparatus for treating a patient'"'"'s brain is provided. The therapy apparatus includes a light source having an output emission area positioned to irradiate a portion of the brain with an efficacious power density and wavelength of light. The therapy apparatus further includes an element interposed between the light source and the patient'"'"'s scalp. The element is adapted to inhibit temperature increases at the scalp caused by the light.

Claims

1. A therapy apparatus for treating a patient'"'"'s brain, the therapy apparatus comprising:

a light source having an output emission area positioned to irradiate a portion of the brain with an efficacious power density and wavelength of light; and

an element interposed between the light source and the patient'"'"'s scalp, the element adapted to inhibit temperature increases at the scalp caused by the light.

2. The therapy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light passes through the element prior to reaching the scalp.

3. The therapy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the element is adapted to contact the patient'"'"'s scalp.

4. The therapy apparatus of claim 3, wherein the element is attached to the light source and is adapted to conform to the scalp so as to position the light source relative to the scalp.

5. The therapy apparatus of claim 4, wherein the element is mechanically adjustable so as to adjust a position of the light source relative to the scalp.

6. The therapy apparatus of claim 4, wherein the element is mechanically adjustable so as to fit the therapy apparatus to the scalp.

7. The therapy apparatus of claim 6, wherein the element comprises a bag containing a material adapted to conform to contours of the scalp.

8. The therapy apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the element is within an optical path of the light from the source to the scalp.

9. The therapy apparatus of claim 8, wherein the element is substantially optically transmissive at the wavelength and is adapted to reduce back reflections of the light.

10. The therapy apparatus of claim 9, wherein the element is adapted to fit to the scalp so as to substantially reduce air gaps between the scalp and the element in the optical path of the light.

11. The therapy apparatus of claim 9, wherein the element comprises a material having a refractive index which substantially matches a refractive index of the scalp.

12. The therapy apparatus of claim 11, wherein the material comprises glycerol.

13. The therapy apparatus of claim 11, wherein the material comprises silica gel.

14. The therapy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the element is adapted to cool the scalp by removing heat from the scalp.

15. The therapy apparatus of claim 14, wherein the element comprises a conduit adapted to contain a coolant which flows through the conduit near the scalp, is heated by the scalp, and which flows away from the scalp.

16. The therapy apparatus of claim 15, wherein the coolant circulates between the element and a heat transfer device, whereby the coolant is heated by the scalp and cooled by the heat transfer device.

17. The therapy apparatus of claim 15, wherein the coolant comprises water.

18. The therapy apparatus of claim 15, wherein the coolant comprises air.

19. The therapy apparatus of claim 14, wherein the element comprises a non-flowing material which is thermally coupled to the scalp.

20. The therapy apparatus of claim 19, wherein the non-flowing material is pre-cooled prior to treatment of the brain.

21. The therapy apparatus of claim 19, wherein the non-flowing material comprises a gel.

22. The therapy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the element is adapted to apply pressure to at least a portion of the scalp, thereby blanching the portion of the scalp and decreasing absorption of the light by blood in the scalp.

23. The therapy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the element is adapted to diffuse the light prior to reaching the scalp.

24. The therapy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the irradiated portion of the brain comprises the entire brain.

25. The therapy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is wearable over multiple concurrent days.

26. A therapy apparatus for treating brain tissue, the therapy apparatus comprising:

a light source positioned to irradiate at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s head with light having a wavelength and power density which penetrates the cranium to deliver an efficacious amount of light to brain tissue; and

a material which inhibits temperature increases of the head.

27. The therapy apparatus of claim 26, wherein the material is adapted to contact the head.

28. The therapy apparatus of claim 26, wherein the light source is adapted to irradiate a predetermined area of the head.

29. The therapy apparatus of claim 28, wherein the predetermined area of the head is a substantial fraction of the total area of the head.

30. A therapy apparatus for treating a patient'"'"'s brain, the therapy apparatus comprising:

a light source adapted to irradiate at least a portion of the brain with an efficacious power density and wavelength of light; and

an element adapted to inhibit temperature increases at the scalp, wherein at least a portion of the element is in an optical path of the light from the light source to the scalp.

31. A therapy apparatus for treating a patient'"'"'s brain, the therapy apparatus comprising:

a light source adapted to irradiate at least a portion of the brain with an efficacious power density and wavelength of light; and

a controller for energizing said light source so as to selectively produce a plurality of different irradiation patterns on the patient'"'"'s scalp, each of said irradiation patterns comprised of at least one illuminated area that is small compared to the patient'"'"'s scalp, and at least one non-illuminated area.

32. The therapy apparatus of claim 31, wherein the illuminated areas of the different irradiation patterns do not significantly overlap one another.

33. A method comprising interposing a head element between a light source and the patient'"'"'s scalp, said element comprised of a material which, for an efficacious power density at the brain, inhibits temperature increases at the scalp.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising passing light from the source through the element prior to reaching the scalp.

35. A therapy apparatus for treating a patient'"'"'s brain, the therapy apparatus comprising:

a light source adapted to irradiate at least a portion of the brain with an efficacious power density and wavelength of light;

a biomedical sensor configured to provide real-time feedback information; and

a controller coupled to the light source and the biomedical sensor, the controller configured to adjust said light source in response to the real-time feedback information.

36. The therapy apparatus of claim 35, wherein the biomedical sensor comprises a blood flow sensor, a blood oxygenation sensor, an ATP production sensor, or a cellular activity sensor.

37. A method of treating brain tissue, the method comprising introducing light of an efficacious power density onto brain tissue by directing light through the scalp of a patient, said directing comprising providing a sufficiently large spot size on said scalp to reduce the power density at the scalp below the damage threshold of scalp tissue, while producing sufficient optical power at said scalp to achieve said efficacious power density at said brain tissue.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein directing comprises causing the light to diverge to create said spot size.

39. A method of treating a patient'"'"'s brain, the method comprising covering at least a significant portion of the patient'"'"'s scalp with a light-emitting blanket.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the blanket comprises woven optical fibers.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the blanket comprises an electroluminescent sheet.

42. A method of treating a patient'"'"'s brain following a stroke, the method comprising applying low-level light therapy to the brain no earlier than several hours following said stroke.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the low-level light therapy is applied to the brain no earlier than three hours following said stroke.

44. A method for treating a patient'"'"'s brain, the method comprising introducing light of an efficacious power density onto a target area of the brain by directing light through the scalp of the patient, wherein the light has a plurality of wavelengths, and the efficacious power density is at least 0.01 mW/cm² at the target area.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the light has a first wavelength and a second wavelength, and introducing light comprises directing the first wavelength of light and the second wavelength of light concurrently through the scalp.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the light has a first wavelength and a second wavelength, and introducing light comprises directing the first wavelength of light and the second wavelength of light sequentially through the scalp.

47. A method for treating a patient'"'"'s brain, the method comprising directing light through the scalp of the patient to a target area of the brain concurrently with applying an electromagnetic field to the brain, the light having an efficacious power density at the target area and the electromagnetic field having an efficacious field strength.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the electromagnetic field is a magnetic field.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the electromagnetic field is a radio-frequency (RF) field.

50. A method for treating a patient'"'"'s brain, the method comprising directing an efficacious power density of light through the scalp of the patient to a target area of the brain concurrently with applying an efficacious amount of ultrasonic energy to the brain.

51. A method of providing a neuroprotective effect in a patient having an ischemic event in the brain, the method comprising:

identifying a patient who has experienced an ischemic event in the brain;

estimating the time of the ischemic event; and

commencing administration of a neuroprotective effective amount of light energy to the brain no less than about two hours following the time of the ischemic event.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein commencing administration of a neuroprotective effective amount of light energy to the brain occurs no less than about three hours following the time of the ischemic event.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein commencing administration of a neuroprotective effective amount of light energy to the brain occurs no less than about five hours following the time of the ischemic event.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein the light energy has a power density of at least about 0.1 mW/cm² at a depth of approximately 2 centimeters below the dura.

55. The method of claim 51, wherein the light energy has a power density of at least about 10 mW/cm² at a depth of approximately 2 centimeters below the dura.

56. The method of claim 51, wherein the light energy has a power density of at least about 20 mW/cm² at a depth of approximately 2 centimeters below the dura.

57. The method of claim 51, wherein the light energy has a wavelength between about 630 nanometers to about 1064 nanometers.

58. The method of claim 51, wherein the light energy has a wavelength between about 780 nanometers and about 840 nanometers.

59. The method of claim 51, wherein the light energy has a power density between about 10 mW/cm² and about 10 W/cm² at the surface of the scalp.

60. The method of claim 51, further comprising delivering the light energy for at least one treatment period of at least about ten minutes.

61. The method of claim 51, further comprising delivering the light energy for at least one treatment period for at least about five minutes.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the light energy is pulsed during the treatment period.

63. The method of claim 61, wherein the light energy is continuous during the treatment period.

64. The method of claim 61, wherein the light energy is delivered for a first treatment period and a second treatment period commenced subsequent to the completion of the first treatment period.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein commencement of the second treatment period occurs at least about five minutes after completion of the first treatment period.

66. The method of claim 64, wherein commencement of the second treatment period occurs at least one week after completion of the first treatment period.