Bleaching of contrast enhancing agent applied to skin for use with a dermatological treatment system

• US 20080161745A1
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Reliant Technologies, Inc. (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Reliant Technologies, Inc. (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Stumpp, Oliver
• Application Number:
  US11/899,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20080161745A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00057 Light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00904 Automatic detection of target tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/81 Preparation or application process involves irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/22 Peroxides; Oxygen; Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/31 Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/41 Amines
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/02 for chemically bleaching or whitening the skin

Abstract

A contrast enhancing agent can be applied to the skin to enhance or enable the response of a sensor element in a dermatological handpiece for measurement of one or more positional parameters of the handpiece. The positional parameter(s) can be used as part of a feedback system that controls the treatment dosage. A bleaching agent is applied to the skin surface to reduce the visibility of the topically applied contrast enhancing agent as part of a treatment with a dermatological handpiece wherein at least one positional parameter of the handpiece is measured and used to control the treatment dosage.

Claims

1. A method of dermatological treatment comprising the steps of:

applying a contrast enhancing agent to a selected region of skin;

manually manipulating a handpiece to effect delivery of electromagnetic treatment energy to cause a dermatological treatment of the selected region of skin;

measuring by a sensor at least one positional parameter of the handpiece, wherein the measurement by the sensor is enhanced by the contrast enhancing agent;

controlling the delivery of the electromagnetic treatment energy based on the at least one positional parameter; and

applying a bleaching agent to the selected region to reduce the visibility of the contrast enhancing agent in the visible spectrum.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of measuring the at least one positional parameter comprises optically sensing the at least one positional parameter of the handpiece.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of measuring the at least one positional parameter comprises optically sensing the at least one positional parameter of the handpiece using an optical mouse chip.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the contrast enhancing agent comprises applying the contrast enhancing agent topically to the selected region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the contrast enhancing agent comprises disposing lines and/or patterns on the selected region.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the contrast enhancing agent comprises disposing equally spaced indicia on the selected region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the contrast enhancing agent comprises disposing the contrast enhancing agent in a substantially uniform concentration that selectively decorates at least some wrinkles and pores.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the contrast enhancing agent comprises a triphenyl methane compound.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the contrast enhancing agent comprises at least one of methyl blue, water blue, aniline blue, royal blue, and basic blue 15.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the contrast enhancing agent comprises at least one of basic blue 8, basic blue 20, basic blue 26, fuchsin, crystal violet, eosin, and phenolphthalein.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the bleaching agent comprises at least one of a peroxygen compound, an oxidizing agent, a hypochlorite, a reducing agent, and chlorine dioxide.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the bleaching agent comprises a peroxygen compound with a concentration in the range of about 3% by mass to about 20% by mass.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the bleaching agent comprises a hypochlorite with a concentration in the range of about 0.1% by mass to about 3% by mass.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the bleaching agent comprises a reducing agent with a concentration in the range of about 0.6% by mass to about 3% by mass.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the bleaching agent comprises chlorine dioxide.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the pH of the bleaching agent is between about 8.0 and about 12.0.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the pH of the bleaching agent is between about 9.0 and about 11.0.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the bleaching agent further comprises an accelerating agent.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the accelerating agent comprises acetyl ethylene diamine.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the contrast enhancing agent is FD&

C Blue #1 and the bleaching agent comprises a peroxygen compound.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the bleaching agent further comprises acetyl ethylene diamine.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the bleaching agent is dispensed during treatment in a manner that indicates where treatment has been performed.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of applying a bleaching agent comprises dispensing the bleaching agent from a disposable tip of the handpiece.

24. A manually manipulatable handpiece for effecting delivery of electromagnetic treatment energy to cause a dermatological treatment of the selected region of skin, the handpiece further comprising:

a sensor that measures at least one positional parameter of the handpiece, wherein the measurement by the sensor is enhanced by a contrast enhancing agent applied to the selected region of skin; and

a disposable tip that dispenses a bleaching agent to the selected region to reduce the visibility of the contrast enhancing agent in the visible spectrum, in a manner that indicates where treatment has been performed.