Red Light Implants for Treating Degenerative Disc Disease

• US 20080221652A1
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Sutton, Jeffrey, DiMauro, Thomas, Attawia, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US12/117,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20080221652A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/115
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/063 comprising light transmitting means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0651 Diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0663 Coloured light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body

Abstract

Red light-emitting implants for treating degenerative disc disease.

Claims

1. A method of treating a degenerating intervertebral disc having an annulus fibrosus and a nucleus pulposus, comprising:

irradiating the intervertebral disc with an amount near infrared or red light sufficient to stimulate extracellular matrix production.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the light source is a red light source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the light source is a near infrared light source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the light irradiation of cells in the disc upregulates cytochrome c oxidase activity in the cells.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the light irradiates the disc in an amount of between 1 J/cm² and 10 J/cm².

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the light has a wavelength of between about 650 nm and about 1000 nm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the light has a wavelength of between 800 and 900 nm.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the light has a wavelength of between 800 nm and 835 nm.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the red light is delivered through an outside surface of the annulus fibrosus.

11. A method of treating a degenerating intervertebral disc having an annulus fibrosus and a nucleus pulposus, comprising:

implanting a near infrared or red light source in the patient, and activating the light source to irradiate the intervertebral disc with an effective amount of red light.

10. The method of claim 11, wherein the red light is delivered through an intradiscal implant.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the light source is a red light source.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the light source is a near infrared light source.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the light irradiation of cells in the disc upregulates cytochrome c oxidase activity in the cells.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the light irradiates the disc in an amount of between 1 J/cm² and 10 J/cm².

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the light has a wavelength of between about 650 nm and about 1000 nm.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the light has a wavelength of between 800 and 900 nm.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the light has a wavelength of between 800 nm and 835 nm.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the red light is delivered through an outside surface of the annulus fibrosus.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the red light is delivered through an intradiscal implant.

21. A method of treating a degenerating intervertebral disc having an annulus fibrosus and a nucleus pulposus, comprising:

activating a light emitting diode (LED) to irradiate the intervertebral disc with an amount effective near infrared or red light.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the light source is a red light source.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the light source is a near infrared light source.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the light irradiation of cells in the disc upregulates cytochrome c oxidase activity in the cells.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the light irradiates the disc in an amount of between 1 J/cm² and 10 J/cm².

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the light has a wavelength of between about 650 nm and about 1000 nm.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the light has a wavelength of between 800 and 900 nm.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the light has a wavelength of between 800 nm and 835 nm.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the red light is delivered through an outside surface of the annulus fibrosus.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the red light is delivered through an intradiscal implant.