Laser treatment/ablation of skin tissue

• US 6,086,580 A
• Filed: 12/05/1997
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Galderma Research And Development Snc (Galderma Holding SA)
• Original Assignee: Centre International de Recherches Dermatologiques Galderma
• Inventors: Pitre, Franck, Sumian, Chryslain, Mordon, Serge, Buffard, Karine, Bouclier, Martine
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Application Number:
  US08/986,145
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 606/3, 606/9
• US Class Current: 606/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0047 Upper parts of the skin, e.g. skin peeling or treatment of wrinkles
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/062 Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 using laser light

Abstract

Mammalian skin is treated and advantageously smoothed, for example to remove wrinkles, lines, warts and scars therefrom, by topically applying thereto a composition which comprises at least one laser-absorbing chromophore formulated into a physiologically acceptable carrier, diluent or vehicle therefor, and laser-irradiating the skin thus treated with an intensity sufficient to locally convert the light energy into heat energy in the applied composition and advantageously effecting tissue ablation of the surface of the treated skin, said applied composition and the thickness thereof having an absorbance at the emission wavelength of the laser such that the light energy transmitted into the skin generates no undesired irreversible tissue or cell damage.

Claims

1. A method for treating mammalian skin in need of such treatment, comprising topically applying to said skin a composition which comprises at least one laser-absorbing chromophore formulated into a physiologically acceptable carrier, diluent or vehicle therefor, wherein the resultant chromophore containing formulation is formulated such that said chromophores do not penetrate the skin, and laser-irradiating said skin thus treated with an intensity sufficient to locally convert the light energy into heat energy in the applied composition, said applied composition and the thickness thereof having an absorbance at the emission wavelength of the laser such that the light energy transmitted into the skin generates no undesired irreversible tissue or cell damage, said laser-irradiating effecting tissue ablation of the surface of said treated skin, and wherein said method further comprises overcoating said chromophore composition with a film-forming composition which does not absorb lignt at the wavelength of the laser.