Laser treatment method for removing pigmentations, lesions, and abnormalities from the skin of a living human

• US 5,217,455 A
• Filed: 08/12/1991
• Issued: 06/08/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cynosure Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cynosure Incorporated
• Inventors: Tan, Oon T.
• Primary Examiner(s): ASCHENBRENNER, PETER
• Application Number:
  US07/743,797
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 606/9, 606/2, 606/3, 606/13, 128/898
• US Class Current: 606/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00761 Removing layer of skin tissue, e.g. wrinkles, scars or cancerous tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00769 Tattoo removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00636 Sensing and controlling the application of energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/036 abutting on tissue or skin

Abstract

A laser treatment method is provided which removes pigmentations, lesions, and abnormalities from the skin of a living human. The methodology comprises a carefully controlled irradiation of the chosen treatment site on the skin of a living human; avoids the creation of cosmetically disfiguring scars; and eliminates the typical hypopigmentation as well as the pitting and other changes in skin texture normally accompanying conventionally known laser treatment techniques.

Claims

1. A laser treatment method for removing a tattoo from the skin of a living human, said method comprising the steps of:

irradiating on a first occasion a chosen treatment site on the skin of a living human of about 1-100 millimeters in diameter with a beam of pulsed light from a laser delivery system, said pulsed light having a wavelength from about 600-1,100 nanometers, fluences of about 1-20 Joules per square centimeter, and a pulse duration of about 10-300 nanoseconds;

maintaining said irradiation to disrupt the tattoo on the chosen treatment site on the skin of the living human until a color change endpoint on the skin surface is achieved by said laser light treatment while largely avoiding the destruction of normal skin structures and cells;

allowing the skin at said irradiated treatment site to heal for a time period not less than about 7 days and not more than about 70 days; and

then

irradiating on at least one subsequent occasion the chosen treatment site on the skin of the living human with another pulsed beam of laser light having a wavelength from about 600 to 1,100 nanometers, fluences of about 1-20 Joules per square centimeter, and a pulse duration of about 10-300 nanoseconds, said subsequent irradiation occasion being repeated as necessary to achieve substantial clearance of the chosen treatment site on the skin.

2. The laser treatment method as recited in claim 1 wherein said irradiation of the chosen treatment site on the skin is controlled to avoid causing whiteness and pitting of the skin.

3. The laser treatment method as recited in claim 1 wherein said irradiation on the first occasion employs a lesser fluence value than said irradiation on said subsequent.

4. The laser treatment method as recited in claim 1 wherein said irradiation on said first occasion employs a greater fluence valve than said irradiation on said subsequent occasion.

5. The laser treatment method as recited in claim 1 wherein said irradiation employs laser light having a wavelength of from 750-800 nanometers.

6. The laser treatment method as recited in claim 1 further comprising additional irradiations on subsequent occasions of the chosen treatment site on the skin of the living human, each of said irradiations employing pulsed laser light having a wavelength of about 600-1,000 nanometers, fluences of about 1-20 Joules per square centimeter, and a pulse duration of about 10-300 nanoseconds.

7. The laser treatment method as recited in claim 1 further comprising applying a topical antibiotic preparation to the chosen treatment site on the skin after each irradiation occasion.

8. A laser treatment method for removing a tattoo from the skin of a living human, said method comprising the steps of:

irradiating on a first occasion a chosen treatment site on the skin of a living human of about 1-100 millimeters in diameter with a beam of pulsed light from a laser delivery system, said pulsed light having a wavelength from about 600-1,100 nanometers, fluences of about 1-20 Joules per square centimeter, and a pulse duration of about 10-300 nanoseconds;

maintaining said irradiation of the chosen treatment site to disrupt the tattoo on the skin of the living human until a color change endpoint on the skin surface is achieved by said laser light treatment while largely avoiding the destruction of normal skin structures and cells;

allowing the skin at said irradiated treatment site to heal for a time period not less than about 7 days and not more than about 70 days; and

then

irradiating on multiple subsequent occasions the chosen treatment site on the skin of the living human with another pulsed beam of laser light having a wavelength from about 600 to 1,100 nanometers, fluences of about 1-20 Joules per square centimeter, and a pulse duration of about 10-300 nanoseconds, said subsequent irradiation occasions being repeated as necessary to achieve substantial clearance of the chosen treatment site on the skin.