Laser skin perforator

• US 20040210279A1
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerolase Corp.
• Original Assignee: Pavel V. Efremkin, Valentin A. Gruzdev
• Inventors: Efremkin, Pavel V., Gruzdev, Valentin A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,524,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/89
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00765 Decreasing the barrier function of skin tissue by radiated energy, e.g. using ultrasound, using laser for skin perforation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00902 transparent or translucent
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/049 against light, e.g. laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/061 for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150068 by tissue compression, e.g. with specially designed surface of device contacting the skin area to be pierced
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150099 by negative pressure, other than vacuum extraction into a syringe by pulling on the piston rod or into pre-evacuated tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15016 by accessories for bringing the piercing element into the body, e.g. through rotation of the piercing element
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150954 Means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. by temperature sensitive sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15134 Bladeless capillary blood sampling devices, i.e. devices for perforating the skin in order to obtain a blood sample but not using a blade, needle, canula, or lancet, e.g. by laser perforation, suction or pressurized fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15138 provided with means to ensure the protection of the user, e.g. to avoid laser light entering the eyes of a user

Abstract

A laser perforator for perforating skin of a patient and obtaining of blood samples consists of laser light source for producing an output laser beam, a focusing arrangement for focusing the output laser beam at a skin area selected for perforation, a guiding arrangement, a power supply unit and a retaining arrangement for retaining the skin area. The retaining arrangement is formed to intensify blood circulation in the skin area selected for perforation.

Claims

1. A laser perforator for perforating skin of a patient and obtaining of blood samples, the perforator comprising:

a laser light source for producing an output laser beam, a focusing arrangement for focusing the output laser beam at a skin area selected for perforation, a guiding arrangement, a power supply unit and a retaining arrangement for retaining the skin area, said retaining arrangement being formed to intensify blood circulation in the skin area selected for perforation.

2. The laser perforator of claim 1, wherein said skin retaining arrangement consists of a substantially hollow intermediate region formed with a flexible peripheral wall, said intermediate region being interposed between a forwardly positioned engaging cup and a rearwardly located base wall, a biasing member being positioned within the substantially hollow intermediate region between said engaging cup and said base wall.

3. The laser perforator of claim 2, wherein said flexible peripheral wall being deformable to substantially reduce a volume of said intermediate region causing a pressure increase thereinside, said skin retaining arrangement further comprises a pressure adjustment device for pressure adjustment within the intermediate region.

4. The laser perforator of claim 3, wherein after the pressure adjustment a low pressure zone is formed within said substantially hollow intermediate region, so as to create suction which brings at least a portion of the skin area deeper into the engaging cup, so as to intensify the blood circulation thereinside.

5. The laser perforator of claim 4, wherein said pressure adjusting arrangement is a valve, said biasing member facilitates return of the deformed intermediate region to its initial undeformed position, said skin retaining arrangement further including a device for activation of the power supply unit.

6. The laser perforator of claim 2, wherein said engaging cup is positioned at a front end of the perforator, the engaging cup is formed with an engaging aperture having an outer and inner diameters, wherein the ratio of the outer diameter to the inner diameter is about 7:

3.

7. The laser perforator of claim 1, wherein a focal point of the laser beam is positioned within the skin tissue at the depth between 0.12 and 1.5 millimeters from a surface of the skin.

8. The laser perforator of claim 7, wherein said skin retaining arrangement is formed with a replaceable engaging cup and said depths of positioning of the focal point is achieved by means of selection of said replaceable engaging cup having a predetermined length.

9. The laser perforator of claim 6, wherein said replaceable engaging cup contains a substantially hollow inner space adapted for collection of blood samples.

10. The laser perforator of claim 9, wherein at least an outer wall of said hollow inner space is made of a transparent material, and an inner surface of said inner hollow space is formed with a testing arrangement provided for testing of blood samples.

11. The laser perforator of claim 8, wherein a rear wall of said engaging cup is formed with an opening adapted for passage of the laser beam, said opening being covered by a shield preventing fluidal communication between the engaging cup and an inner area of the perforator containing the laser source and focusing arrangement, said shield is made of a material translucent to the laser irradiation.

12. The laser skin perforator of claim 7, wherein the focusing and guiding arrangement are activated when of the focal point of the laser beam is positioned at the predetermined depth within the skin tissue.

14. The laser perforator of claim 8, wherein said focusing arrangement contains a focusing lens movable along an axis of the laser beam, so as to facilitate focusing of the laser beam at the predetermined depth within the skin tissue positioned at a fixed distance from the laser source.

15. The laser perforator of claim 1, wherein a laser energy delivered to the skin area is adjusted by means of an optical member having the variable thickness along its length, said optical member is made of a material having predetermined laser irradiation transmission characteristics, said optical member being positioning between the skin area and the laser source.

16. The laser perforator of claim 15, wherein said optical member has a wedge-shaped configuration with a substantially cylindrical outer wall, said optical member being rotatably positioned between the laser source and the focusing arrangement.

17. The laser perforator of claim 15, wherein said optical member has a wedge-shaped configuration with a substantially cylindrical outer wall, said optical member is movable transversely to the direction of the laser beam.

18. The laser perforator of claim 16, wherein said optical member is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof, so that during the rotation the optical member is positioned transversely the direction of the laser beam.

19. The laser perforator of claim 1, further comprising a device for preventing an accidental activation of the laser source when the perforator does not engage a skin of a patient.

23. The laser perforator of claim 1, further comprising an elongated engaging cup positioned at a front end of the perforator, said engaging cup having a substantially hollow interior cavity and being defined by at least a side wall thereof, an engaging aperture is formed within said side wall, the laser beam entering said substantially hollow interior area is being directed tangentially to the skin area protruding through said engaging aperture so as to generate an elongated slit within the perforated area of the skin.

24. The laser skin perforator of claim 23, further comprising an engaging cup positioned at a front part of the perforator, said engaging cup having a substantially hollow interior cavity, an engaging aperture adapted to receive the skin area is being formed at the front portion of the engaging cup, said engaging aperture being positioned at an angle to the direction of the laser beam entering said interior area.

13. The laser perforator of claim 13, wherein said predetermined depth is visually controlled, or controlled by means of the reflecting beam, or by a mechanical arrangement, or by a capacity controlling arrangement.

25. A laser perforator, comprising:

a laser source for generating an output laser beam, a focusing arrangement for focusing the output laser beam at a skin area selected for perforation, a guiding arrangement and a rechargeable power supply unit, said laser source and said rechargeable power supply unit are situated within a first hand-held housing and said power supply unit is situated within a second housing independent from the first housing, wherein there is no permanent electrical connection between the first and second housings.

26. The laser skin perforator of claim 25, wherein said laser source and said power supply unit are temporarily electrically connected for charging of the rechargeable power supply unit by means of internal and external contacts, said external contacts are being disconnected from electrical circuits.

27. The laser skin perforator of claim 26, wherein the temporary connection between the laser source and the power supply circuit is carried out by means of electrically neutral contacts and by means of mechanical, electromagnetic, magnetic and/or optical commutation devices.

28. The laser perforator of claim 25, wherein said power supply unit contains a transformer, so that a primary winding of the transformer is positioned within the housing containing the power supply unit and the secondary winding of the transformer is positioned within the housing containing the laser source.

29. The laser perforator of claim 28, wherein in said transformer the secondary winding is in line or in parallel with the primary winding.

30. The laser perforator of claim 28, further comprising a connecting mechanism for fixedly connecting the first hand-held housing containing the laser source within the second housing containing said power supply.

31. A laser skin perforator, comprising:

a laser light source for generating an output laser beam, a focusing arrangement for focusing the output laser beam at a skin area selected for perforation, a power supply unit, a retaining arrangement for retaining said skin area, said retaining arrangement being formed to intensify blood circulation within said skin area selected for perforation and a device for preventing an accidental activation of the laser source when said laser skin perforator does not engage said skin area.

20. The laser perforator of claim 31, wherein said device forms a part of a forwardly positioned engaging cup, said device comprising a plurality of independent engaging segments slidably arranged along a longitudinal axis of the cup, a distal portion of each said segment forming a part of a switch operable between open and closed position thereof, wherein in the open position the distal portions of engaging segments are spaced from a conductive plate positioned at a rear wall of the engaging cup, so as to disconnect an electric supply line of said laser source, and in said closed position the distal portions of the engaging segments engaging the conductive plate, so as to activate the electric supply line of the laser source.

21. The laser perforator of claim 20, wherein said device further comprises a sliding member movable within a plane transverse to the direction of the laser beam, wherein, in a standard position of the device said sliding member blocks a central passage of the perforator thus preventing an accidental discharge of the laser beam.

22. The laser perforator of claim 21, wherein said device is selected from the group consisting of a photo sensor and an electric capacity sensor.