Pulsed filament lamp for dermatological treatment
First Claim
1. A method for treating dermatological tissue using a pulsed, filament lamp light source having a broad wavelength spectrum between about 700 nanometers and about 1800 nanometers with a substantial infrared component, the method comprising the preliminary step of preheating a target tissue to an elevated temperature below a treatment temperature, the method further comprising the steps of directing the light source at target tissue and delivering a predetermined amount of light energy thereto, the lamp being pulsed with a pulse width of between about 10 and about 1000 milliseconds, wherein the light energy induces a temperature elevation in the target tissue to the treatment temperature.
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Abstract
A high energy filament lamp light source, such as a quartz tungsten halogen lamp, operated in a pulsed mode with a high voltage input, creates a particular energy output. Applications of such apparatus and methods include treatment of the dermis and/or sub-epidermal tissues for the purpose of skin recontouring, thermal destruction of hair follicles for the purpose of hair removal, and others, and a method which selectively preheats a subsurface region in targeted tissue to sub-thermal modification threshold values without significant heat damage to surrounding layers prior to further treatment.
337 Citations
39 Claims
- 1. A method for treating dermatological tissue using a pulsed, filament lamp light source having a broad wavelength spectrum between about 700 nanometers and about 1800 nanometers with a substantial infrared component, the method comprising the preliminary step of preheating a target tissue to an elevated temperature below a treatment temperature, the method further comprising the steps of directing the light source at target tissue and delivering a predetermined amount of light energy thereto, the lamp being pulsed with a pulse width of between about 10 and about 1000 milliseconds, wherein the light energy induces a temperature elevation in the target tissue to the treatment temperature.
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9. A system for thermally treating target dermatological tissue comprising:
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means for preheating a target tissue to an elevated temperature below a treatment temperature, a pulsed, filament lamp treatment light source of non-laser, infrared energy providing a broad wavelength spectrum output between about 700 nanometers and about 1800 nanometers; and a pulse width modifier for energizing the light source with a pulse width of between about 10 and about 1000 milliseconds. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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- 19. A method for treating dermatological tissue using a pulsed, non-coherent filament lamp light source, the method including a preliminary step of preheating a target tissue to an elevated temperature below a treatment temperature, the method further including the step of pulsing electric current through the filament of the source at a predetermined potential and for a predetermined time period for treatment of target tissue.
Specification