Eye-Safe Dermatologic Treatment Apparatus and Method

• US 20090204109A1
• Filed: 11/14/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TRIA Beauty Incorporated (Channel Investments, LLC)
• Original Assignee: TRIA Beauty Incorporated (Channel Investments, LLC)
• Inventors: Island, Tobin C., Grove, Robert E., Weckwerth, Mark V.
• Application Number:
  US12/271,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204109A1
• 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 2017/00057 Light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00061 spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00066 intensity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00172 Pulse trains, bursts, intermittent continuous operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00005 Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00476 Hair follicles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2261 with scattering, diffusion or dispersion of light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure

Abstract

A dermatologic treatment apparatus is disclosed which includes one or more housings with at least one housing configured for manipulation in a dermatologic treatment procedure, a light source, and an electrical circuit. The circuit energizes the light source to produce output light pulses. A light path includes an aperture through which eye-safe light pulses are propagated having properties sufficient for providing efficacious treatment. An optical diffuser is disposed along the light path to reduce the integrated radiance to an eye-safe level. The apparatus produces an output fluence not less than 4 J/cm².

Claims

1-78. -78. (canceled)

79. A method for performing a hair-removal procedure on a human comprising the steps of

directing an optical outlet at a target area of a human,

providing a light source generating collimated light of 4-100 J/cm² across the optical outlet and having sufficient fluence to effect a hair-removal dermatological treatment;

and

diffusing the light so that the light emitted from the optical outlet is eye safe.

80. The method of claim 79 wherein the fluence is sufficient that the hair removal is permanent.

81. The method of claim 79 wherein the light source generates pulses of light.

82. The method of claim 79 wherein the light is primarily within a spectral band of 500 nm to 1100 nm.

83. The method of claim 81 wherein the pulses have a pulse duration between 10 milliseconds and 1 second.

84. The method of claim 79 wherein the light source is divergent.

85. The method of claim 79 wherein the providing step includes distributing light substantially uniformly across the optical outlet.