Method and apparatus of treating tissue

• US 20060020260A1
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shaser Incorporated (Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Shaser Incorporated (Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lazarev, Victor, Dover, Jeffrey S., Roth, Daniel Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 7,837,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00752 Hair removal or transplantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0047 Upper parts of the skin, e.g. skin peeling or treatment of wrinkles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00476 Hair follicles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1807 using light other than laser radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/20351 Scanning mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/20357 by movable optical fibre end
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/20359 by movable mirrors, e.g. galvanometric
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/208 with multiple treatment beams not sharing a common path, e.g. non-axial or parallel

Abstract

A method for the treatment of skin including the steps of determining the skin depth for energy absorption necessary for treatment; and generating a spot size for energy impinging on the skin to provide a desired amount of energy to the desired depth for treatment. In one embodiment the selected spot size has a small diameter. In another embodiment the spot diameter is narrower than the spacing between adjacent hairs on the skin. In another aspect the invention relates to an apparatus for the treatment of skin including a source of energy; and a means for selecting a spot size for energy from the source impinging on the skin to provide a desired amount of energy to a desired depth for treatment. In another embodiment the apparatus includes an interlock to prevent the laser from producing light unless the source is positioned to irradiate only the skin.

Claims

1. A method for the treatment of an area of skin comprising the steps of:

generating an energy spot having a small diameter; and

impinging the energy spot on the skin to provide a desired amount of energy to a desired depth for treatment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected spot size has a diameter narrower than the spacing between adjacent hairs on the skin.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the treatment is hair removal of a hair having a follicular bulge and the depth is selected to be at the location of the follicular bulge of the hair.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting a wavelength of light suitable for treatment.

5. A method for the treatment of a region of skin comprising:

generating a small spot size of energy impinging on the skin to provide a desired amount of energy to a desired depth for treatment of the region of skin; and

scanning the small spot over the region of skin to be treated.

6. A method for the treatment of a region of skin having a skin surface comprising:

generating a small spot size for energy impinging on the skin surface to provide a desired amount of energy to a desired depth for treatment of the region of skin; and

scanning the small spot over the region of skin to be treated;

wherein the spot is of a size such that the area of treatment at the desired depth is larger than the size of the spot on the skin surface.

7. A method for controlling the energy used for the treatment of a region of skin comprising:

generating a small spot size for energy impinging on the surface of the skin to provide a desired amount of energy to a desired depth for treatment of the region of skin;

moving the small spot over the region of skin to be treated;

measuring the rate of movement of the spot over the skin surface; and

controlling the amount of energy reaching the desired depth for treatment in response to the rate of movement of the spot over the skin surface.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

scanning the small spot over the surface of the skin at a scanning rate;

wherein the step of controlling the amount of energy reaching the desired depth for treatment comprises adjusting the scanning rate.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the scanning rate is adjusted in real time.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the controlling of the amount of energy reaching the desired depth for treatment comprises adjusting the amount of energy in the spot impinging on the skin.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the energy applied to the skin is pulsed at a rate sufficient to permit the skin to cool between pulses to prevent undesirable damage to tissue.

12. An apparatus for the treatment of skin comprising a source of energy for generating a small spot size of energy from the source impinging on the skin to provide a desired amount of energy to a desired depth for treatment.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the energy source is a laser producing a desired wavelength of light for treatment.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the source of energy is selected from the group comprising lasers, laser diodes and flash lamps.

15. An apparatus for the treatment of a region of skin having a surface comprising:

a source of energy for generating a spot size for energy from the source impinging on the skin; and

a means for scanning the spot of energy over the surface of the skin.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 where in the means for scanning comprises a device selected from the group consisting of galvanometric scanning mirrors, linear actuators, rotating optical wedges;

cam driven reciprocal mirrors; and

rotating polygons.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein source of energy for generating a small spot size produces a treatment area at the desired depth of treatment larger than the area of the spot at the surface of the skin.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a means for measuring the rate of movement of the spot over the skin surface; and

a controller in communication with the means for measuring the rate of movement of the spot over the skin surface, the controller controlling the amount of energy reaching the desired depth for treatment in response to the rate of movement of the spot over the skin surface.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the controller is in communication with the means for scanning;

wherein the means for scanning scans the spot at a scanning rate, and

wherein the controller adjusts the scanning rate in response to the rate of movement of the spot over the skin surface in real time.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the controller is in communication with the source of energy and adjusts the intensity of the energy reaching the skin in response to the rate of movement of the spot over the skin surface in real time.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising an indicator in communication with the means for measuring the rate of movement of the spot over the skin surface,

wherein the indicator indicates when the rate of movement of the spot over the skin surface is outside a predetermined range.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the indicator is selected from a group consisting of an audible warning, a visual warning and a tactile warning.

23. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising an interlock in communication with the source of energy, to prevent energy from the source from exiting the apparatus unless apparatus is positioned to irradiate only the skin.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the interlock comprises a skin contact portion.

25. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a photosensitive window through which the energy passes to impinge upon the skin;

wherein said photosensitive window indicates indicate when the window should be replaced.

26. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a surface traversing means in communication with a housing surrounding a portion of the source, the surface traversing means adapted for indicating traversal of specific surface portions.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the surface traversing apparatus is a plate having an edge positioned adjacent to an output window in optical communication with the source.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the edge is sized to substantially equal a scan line length projected from the source.

29. A method for the treatment of a region of skin comprising:

generating a small spot size of energy impinging on the skin to provide a desired amount of energy to a desired depth for treatment of the region of skin;

scanning the small spot over the region of skin to be treated; and

moving the scanned spot over the region of skin to be treated a plurality of times.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of indicating regions of skin treatment.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of indicating comprises removing a compound on the skin.