Method and device to inactivate and kill cells and organisms that are undesirable

• US 20070255266A1
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Douglas Juanarena, William Cumbie
• Original Assignee: Douglas Juanarena, William Cumbie
• Inventors: Cumbie, William, Juanarena, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,918,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1807 using light other than laser radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2015 Miscellaneous features
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0643 Applicators, probes irradiating specific body areas in close proximity
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0654 Lamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0661 ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0624 for eliminating microbes, germs, bacteria on or in the body

Abstract

A method, means, and apparatus to prevent and treat infections and disorders using germicidal light to inactivate and/or kill the organisms or cells that cause infections and other disorders. The method of treatment comprises irradiating the area to be treated using electromagnetic radiation of a germicidal nature. The method utilizes a previously unrecognized ability of germicidal light to penetrate the skin, nails, and other membranes sufficiently to successfully treat and prevent disorders. The electromagnetic radiation damages the organisms and cells that cause disorders such as skin and nail infections and renders them substantially incapable of reproducing. Without the ability to replicate the organism cannot continue to infest the skin and nails. The damage inflicted can also be sufficient to kill the organism outright. An infection is thereby prevented (if organisms are present, but infection has not yet begun), and the infection is cured if the infection already exists.

Claims

1. A method of treating skin or nail infections of a user caused by microbes comprising:

applying a dose of light to an infected patient using a light source and

modifying the light by at least one of pulsing the light source, increasing the power of the light, using coherent light, and using wide band UV light, wherein the wide band UV light has only a small percentage of the light penetrating at each wavelength;

wherein the dose of light renders the microbes substantially incapable of reproducing or kills the microbe.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the dose comprises 4 mw/cm² of UVC light from 240 to 280 nm for eight minutes for four sessions each spaced around one week apart.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the dose amount comprises doses of several wavelength ranges of light chosen from at least one of 0.8 J/cm² of far UV from 180 nm to 240 nm;

1.9 J/cm² of UVC from 240 nm to 280 nm;

3.8 J/cm² UVB from 280 nm to 320 nm;

15 J/cm² of UVA from 320 nm to 400 nm;

113 J/cm² of visible light from 400 nm to 750 nm;

1 J/cm² of infrared from 750 nm to 880 nm; and

about 68 j/cm² of infrared above 880 nm.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the dosages of light may be varied from 50% to 200% of the dosages listed.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the total dosage of UVC to the skin or nail is about 1.9 J/cm².

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the dose of light is applied using a xenon pulsed lamp.

2. A method of treating at cancer comprising applying a dose of electromagnetic radiation that has a substantial component in a wavelength less than 280 nm capable of directly altering the DNA or RNA of cancer cells and destroying the cancer cells by geneticide.

3. A method of treating at least one of warts, boils and ringworm comprising applying a dose of electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength less than 280 nm capable of directly altering the DNA or RNA of the wart, boil or ringworm and destroying the wart, boil or ringworm cells by geneticide.

4. A method of treating autoimmune disorders comprising applying to the epidermis of a patient a dose of electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength less than 280 nm capable of directly altering the DNA or RNA of epidermal cells, wherein the dose of electromagnetic radiation destroys scales in the epidermis by geneticide.

6. A method of treating a disease caused by a virus comprising applying to the epidermis of a patient a dose of electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength less than 280 nm capable of directly altering the DNA or RNA of the virus and destroying the virus by geneticide.

5. The method of claim 6, wherein the autoimmune disorder is psoriasis and further comprising filtering at least one of UVB and UVA wavelengths from the applied electromagnetic radiation to prevent unwanted side effects and permit the application of higher doses.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the disease is a cold sore and the virus is herpes simplex virus (HSV).

8. A method of treating a transplant organs comprising applying a dose of electromagnetic radiation having a substantial component of germicidal light less than 400 nm capable of directly altering the DNA or RNA of microbes in the organ sufficient to cause geneticide of the microbes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the organ is treated prior to implanting the organ in a organ recipient to decrease the chance for infection and to reduce the risk of rejection.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the dose of electromagnetic radiation is applied before removal of the organ from an organ donor.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the dose of electromagnetic radiation is applied after removal of the organ from an organ donor and before inserting the organ into an organ recipient.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the dose of electromagnetic radiation is applied after inserting the organ into an organ recipient.

13. A method of treating wounds infected with at least one organism comprising applying to the skin of a patient a does of electromagnetic radiation that has a substantial component in a wavelength between about 240 nm and 260 nm and capable of directly altering the DNA or RNA of the organism and destroying the organism by geneticide.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the dose of electromagnetic radiation is capable of penetrating below the surface and destroying the organism.

15. A method for treating skin or nail infections caused by microbes comprising:

determining a dose of germicidal light necessary to inactivate or kill the microbes at a constant energy level for a predetermined amount of time;

selecting a light source sufficient to provide electromagnetic radiation containing said dose of germicidal light to the microbes; and

providing said electromagnetic radiation as a pulsed light, wherein said pulse light has at least the same amount of germicidal light as said dose of germicidal light determined at a constant energy level,

wherein the pulsed light is capable of rendering the microbes substantially incapable of reproducing or kills the microbe by geneticide.

16. The method of claim 15 including the further step of screening tissue surrounding the area to be treated from the electromagnetic radiation.

17. The method of claim 15 including the further step of filtering light outside of the WVC range.

18. The method of claim 15 including the further step of filtering light higher than 315 nm.

19. The method of claim 15 including the further step of filtering light higher than 425 nm.

20. A method for treating skin or nail infections caused by microbes comprising:

determining a dose of germicidal light necessary to inactivate or kill the microbes at a constant energy level for a predetermined amount of time;

selecting a light source sufficient to provide a first amount of electromagnetic radiation containing said dose of germicidal light to the microbes; and

conditioning said light source to provide an enhanced amount of electromagnetic radiation greater in wavelengths less than 400 nm than said first amount of electromagnetic radiation and wherein the enhanced amount of light has a total amount of radiation less than the first amount of electromagnetic radiation;

wherein either said first amount of electromagnetic radiation or said enhanced amount of electromagnetic radiation is capable of rendering the microbes substantially incapable of reproducing or kills the microbe.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said conditioning of said light source comprises pulsing said light source.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said conditioning of said light source comprises increasing at least one of the voltage and the current to said light source.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein said first amount of electromagnetic radiation is in the form of monochromatic light and said enhanced amount of electromagnetic radiation is in the form of polychromatic light.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein said first amount of electromagnetic radiation is in the form of monochromatic light and said enhanced amount of electromagnetic radiation is in the form of pulsed light.