Apparatus and method for treating rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis

• US 5,511,563 A
• Filed: 02/18/1994
• Issued: 04/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald A. Diamond
• Original Assignee: Donald A. Diamond
• Inventors: Diamond, Donald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEFFLEY, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US08/198,297
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 606/2, 606/3, 606/9, 606/10, 606/11, 606/12, 606/13, 606/16, 606/17, 606/18, 128/898, 607/88, 607/89
• US Class Current: 128/898
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0644 Handheld applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/06 using light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning

Abstract

An apparatus and method for irradiating an inflamed joint of a patient having rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis are presented. A noncoherent source of radiation having a predetermined wavelength range is utilized to transilluminate affected tissues of the subject for a predetermined duration. The radiation source has sufficient intensity and is applied for sufficient duration to reducing inflammation and substantially halt disease progression.

Claims

1. A method of treating an inflamed joint of a patient having rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, comprising the steps of:

providing a source of noncoherent radiation having an output wavelength between 640 and 800 nm and an incident power of 40 to 200 mW/cm² ; and

irradiating an epidermal surface transversely to transilluminate the inflamed joint with the radiation for a time sufficient to reduce the inflammation of the joint, the time generally in the range of 10 to 20 minutes.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating penetration of the radiation by coating the epidermal surface with mineral oil prior to irradiating the epidermal surface.

3. A method of treating an inflamed joint of a patient having rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, comprising the steps of:

providing a source of radiation and optical means that produces first a converging, then a diverging, beam with a predetermined bandwidth that includes a wavelength range of 640 to 800 nm;

filtering all wavelengths in the convergent, then divergent, beam that lie outside the wavelength range;

directing the filtered beam at an epidermal surface transverse to the inflamed joint; and

reducing the joint inflammation by irradiating the inflamed joint with the filtered beam with an incident power of 40 to 200 mW/cm² to reduce the inflammation, the irradiation presenting the epidermal surface with a total incident energy.

4. The method recited in claim 3, further comprising:

limiting the total incident energy of the radiation to 150 J/cm².

5. A method of treating rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritic inflammation in the body of a subject, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a radiation source that produces first a converging, then a diverging beam with wavelengths having a bandwidth in the range of 640 to 800 nanometers;

converging the beam;

filtering all wavelengths outside the wavelength bandwidth while the beam is converging then diverging;

directing the filtered radiation at the epidermis of the subject adjacent the arthritic inflammation; and

reducing the arthritic inflammation by maintaining the radiation output at an incident power on the order of between about 40 to 200 milliwatts per square centimeter for a time sufficient to provide an effective treatment but not to exceed 150 joules per square centimeter when the output of the radiation source transilluminates the affected soft tissues.