Light treatments for acne and other disorders of follicles

• US 20040225339A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Palomar Medical Technologies Incorporated (Hologic Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Palomar Medical Technologies Incorporated (Hologic Incorporated)
• Inventors: Altshuler, Gregory B., Yaroslavsky, Ilya, Tuchin, Valery V.
• Application Number:
  US10/740,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225339A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/88
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/007 for cooling the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0644 Handheld applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0654 Lamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0662 Visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/062 Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent

Abstract

The present invention provide methods for treating acne by exposing affected follicles to at least one, and preferably two or all three, of the following radiation pulses: a radiation pulse (PC pulse) having a wavelgnth components in a range of about 360-700 nm; a radiation pulse (PTV pulse) having wavelength components in a range of about 470 nm to 650 nm and/or in a range of about 500 nm to about 620 nm; and a radiation pulse (PTIR pulse) having wavelength components in a range of about 900 nm to about 1800 nm. The irradiated treatment region is preferably maintained at a temperature of about 38 to 43 C in order to enhance the efficacy of the treatment.

Claims

1. A method for treating a follicle, comprising:

irradiating a portion of skin surface by at least one pulse of electromagnetic radiation so as to expose a treatment region of said follicle to said radiation, said radiation having at least one wavelength component suitable for causing selected photochemical effects on bacteria and/or cells in said treatment region, and

maintaining a temperature of said treatment region in a range of about 38 C to about 45 C before and/or during application of said radiation pulse.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting said radiation pulse to have wavelength components in a range of about 380 nm to about 700 nm.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting said radiation pulse to have wavelength components in at least any of a range of about 380 to 430 nm, a range of about 480 to 510 nm, or a range of about 600 to 700 nm.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting said radiation pulse to have one or more wavelength components absorbed by photosensitizer in said treatment region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said treatment region includes any of a sebaceous gland, a sebaceous duct and/or infrainfundibulum of said follicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the treatment region'"'"'s temperature comprises heating the treatment region.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising selecting said radiation pulse to include one or more wavelength components suitable for heating said treatment region.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said wavelength components suitable for heating the treatment region are in a range of about 900 nm to about 1800 nm.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the treatment region'"'"'s temperature comprises heating said treatment region while cooling said irradiated skin portion.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing first and second pulses of electromagnetic radiation to irradiate said skin portion, said first pulse having wavelength components in a range between about 380 nm and 430 nm as well as between 480 nm and 510 nm and and said second pulse having wavelength components in a range of about 600 nm to about 700 nm.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of said first and second pulses further includes wavelength components in a range of about 900 nm to about 1800 nm.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising applying said first and second pulses sequentially.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising applying said first and second pulses simultaneously.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying pressure to said skin portion during said irradiation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said applied pressure decreases attenuation of the optical energy of said irradiated skin portion.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said applied pressure decreases a distance said radiation pulse travels from a surface of said irradiated skin portion to said treatment region.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting said pulse to have a duration in a range of about 1 ms to about 20000 ms.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting said pulse to have a duration in a range of about 20 ms to about 1000 ms.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said pulse provides a radiant exposure in a range of about 2 to about 200 J/cm².

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said pulse provides a radiant exposure in a range of about 2 to about 20 J/cm².

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising irradiating said treatment region with another pulse of electromagnetic radiation so as to raise a temperature of at least some epithelial cells of said follicle to a value in a range of about 43 C to about 47 C.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising irradiating said treatment region with another pulse of electromagnetic radiation so as to reduce generation of sebum in the follicle'"'"'s gland and to restrict proliferation of keratinized cells.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising selecting said another pulse to have wavelength components in a range of about 470 nm to about 650 nm.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising selecting said another pulse to have wavelength components in a range of about 500 nm to about 620 nm.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising selecting said another pulse to have wavelength components in a range of about 900 nm to about 1800 nm.

62. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a topical composition to said irradiated skin portion so as to enhance efficacy of said radiation pulse.

63. The method of claim 62, further comprising selecting said topical composition to be any of a photosensitizer or particles at least partially absorbing said radiation.

28. A method for treating a follicle, comprising:

irradiating the follicle with a pulse of electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength spectrum, a duration and a radiant energy selected to raise a temperature of at least some epithelial cells of said follicle to a value sufficient to render said cells dysfunctional,

cooling at least a portion of skin through which said radiation pulse propagates to reach said follicle.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said temperature rise causes a decrease in mitotic activity of said epithelial cells.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising selecting the wavelength spectrum of said pulse to range from about 900 nm to about 1800 nm.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising selecting the wavelength spectrum of said pulse to range from about 1000 nm to about 1600 nm.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising selecting the pulse duration to be in a range of about 1 ms to about 100 seconds.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein said pulse provides a radiant exposure in a range of about 10 to about 500 J/cm².

34. The method of claim 28, wherein said temperature rise accelerates apoptosis of said irradiated epithelial cells.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein said temperature rise causes necrosis of said irradiated epithelial cells.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein said pulse irradiates the epithelial cells of the sebaceous gland of said follicle.

37. The method of claim 28, wherein said pulse irradiates the epithelial cells of the infrainfundibulum of said follicle.

38. A method of treating a follicle, comprising

irradiating one or more blood vessels supplying blood to said follicle with at least one pulse of electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength spectrum, a duration, and a radiant energy selected so as to reduce functionality of said vessel, and

cooling at least a portion of skin surface through which said pulse propagates to irradiate said vessels.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising selecting said pulse to have one or more wavelength components in a range from about 470 nm to about 650 nm.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising selecting said pulse to have one or more wavelength components in a range of about 500 nm to about 620 nm.

41. The method of claim 38, further comprising selecting said pulse to have a duration in a range of about 0.1 ms to about 1000 ms.

42. The method of claim 38, further comprising selecting said pulse to have a duration in a range of about 1 ms to 100 ms.

43. The method of claim 38, further comprising selecting said pulse to provide a total radiant exposure in a range of about 10 to about 100 J/cm².

44. The method of claim 38, further comprising selecting said pulse to provide a total radiant exposure in a range of about 10 to about 50 J/cm².

45. The method of claim 38, further comprising applying pressure to a portion of skin exposed to said radiation during said irradiation of the blood vessels.

46. A dermatological system for treating follicles, comprising:

a radiation generating source for irradiating a portion of skin with at least one pulse of photochemical electromagnetic radiation so as to expose a treatment region of at least one follicle to said radiation, and

a source for generating photothermal radiation to heat at least a portion of the treatment region.

47. The system of claim 46 further comprising a cooling element for cooling at least a portion of the skin during said irradiation of the treatment region.

48. The system of claim 46, further comprising a contact mechanism capable of coupling to said irradiated skin portion to apply a pressure thereto.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the contact mechanism is adapted to applied a pressure in the ranges of about 10 to about 100 Newton/cm².

50. The system of claim 46, wherein at least of the source comprises:

a lamp generating radiation having a broad spectrum, and

one or more filters optically coupled to said lamp for selecting at least one photochemical or photothermal wavelength component from the broad spectrum.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein said one or more filters comprises a pair of different filters configured for sequentially optically coupling to said broadband source so as to generate two temporally separate pulses having different spectral characteristics.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein said one or more filters comprises a pair of different filters configured for simultaneous optical coupling to said broadband source so as to generate two spectrally different pulses.

53. A handheld dermatological system for treating follicles, comprising:

a housing with a handle and an enclosure,

at least one radiation generating source within the enclosure for irradiating a portion of skin with at least one pulse of photochemical electromagnetic radiation so as to expose a treatment region of at least one follicle to said radiation, and

at least one source for generating photothermal radiation also within the enclosure to heat at least a portion of the treatment region.

54. The system of claim 53, further comprising a rechargeable energy source.

55. The system of claim 53, wherein at least one photochemical radiation source is any of a LED or an array of LEDs.

56. The system of claim 53, wherein at least one photothermal radiation source is a halogen lamp.

57. The system of claim 53, further comprising a transparent window.

58. The system of claim 53, further comprising a cooling element for cooling at least a portion of the skin during said irradiation of the treatment region.

59. The system of claim 53, further comprising a contact mechanism capable of coupling to said irradiated skin portion to apply a pressure thereto.

60. A dermatological apparatus for treating skin, comprising:

a receptacle for a receiving a region of exposed skin on a patient'"'"'s body,

an array of light elements disposed within the receptacle for exposing said skin to radiation, each light element configured to delivery at least two phototherapies selected from the group consisting of PC, PTIR and PTV.

61. A handheld dermatological system for treating follicles, comprising:

a housing with a handle and an enclosure,

a halogen lamp generating radiation having a broadband spectrum, and

one or more filters optically coupled to said halogen lamp to select from said broadband spectrum at least one wavelength range corresponding to at least one of a PC pulse, a PTV pulse or a PTIR pulse.