Self-contained, eye-safe hair-regrowth-inhibition apparatus and method

• US 7,250,045 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2004
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Channel Investments, LLC
• Original Assignee: SpectraGenics, Inc. (Channel Investments, LLC)
• Inventors: Island, Tobin C., Grove, Robert E., Weckwerth, Mark V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, III; Henry M
• Application Number:
  US10/783,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20040167501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: 606/9, 607/89
• US Class Current: 606/17
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00026 Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue
• 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 2017/00747 Dermatology
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00752 Hair removal or transplantation
• 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 2018/00904 Automatic detection of target tissue
• 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 hair-regrowth-inhibiting apparatus is disclosed which is cordless and sufficiently compact as to be hand-held. A self-contained housing is configured for gripping by a person'"'"'s hand for cordless manipulation in a hair-regrowth-inhibiting procedure. A light source and electrical circuit are contained within the housing. The circuit includes one or more batteries for energizing the light source to produce output light pulses. A light path within the housing includes an aperture through which eye-safe light pulses are propagated out of the housing having properties sufficient for at least temporary hair-regrowth inhibition. A diffuser is disposed along the light path to reduce the integrated radiance to an eye-safe level.

Claims

1. A dermatologic apparatus comprising

a self-contained housing having an output aperture and configured to be held in a person'"'"'s hand for manipulation to perform a hair removal dermatologic procedure,

a light source within the housing for providing light of pulse duration t in the range of 4-100 J/cm² and having sufficient fluence at the output aperture to effect hair removal at a target area on a human,

a drive circuit within the housing for powering the light source, and

an optical diffuser within the housing for diffusing the light so that the light emitted from the output aperture has an integrated radiance in Jcm⁻

2sr<sup>−

1</sup> less than 10t^1/3 when the wavelength of the light is 600 to 700 nm, less than 10*10<sup>(λ

-700)/515</sup>t^1/3 when the wavelength λ

of the light is 700 to 1060 nm, and less than 50t^1/3 when the wavelength of the light is 1060 to 1200 nm where t is less than 10 seconds.

2. The dermatologic apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one battery within the housing for energizing the drive circuit.

3. The dermatologic apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a connector adapted to connect to an external power source for energizing the drive circuit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a heat removing element for contacting a region of the epidermis and removing heat from the epidermis during treatment and wherein the temperature of the heat removing element is at or above a normal temperature of the person'"'"'s skin when the skin is not being treated with the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the heat removing element comprises a sapphire window.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the heat removing element further comprises a thermoelectric heat exchanger.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the heat removing element further comprises a fan.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing is configured to permit the person holding the housing to perform the dermatologic procedure on himself or herself.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light source provides pulses of light.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a mixer for distributing the light from the light source substantially uniformly across an input to the diffuser.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diffuser is a bulk transmissive diffuser.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diffuser is a reflective diffuser.

11. The apparatus of 10 wherein the drive circuit comprises a direct drive circuit.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the housing and its contents has a total weight of no more than one kilogram and a total volume of no more than 1500 cm³.

15. A dermatologic apparatus comprising

a self-contained housing having an output aperture and configured to be held in a person'"'"'s hand for manipulation to perform a hair removal dermatologic procedure,

a light source comprising a plurality of diode lasers within the housing for providing light pulses of duration t in the range of 4-100 J/cm² and having sufficient fluence at the output aperture to effect hair removal at a target area on

a human,

a drive circuit within the housing for powering the light source,

a mixer for distributing the light from the light source substantially uniformly across an outlet of the mixer,

a transmissive diffuser within the housing which receives the light from the outlet of the mixer for diffusing the light pulses so that the light emitted from the output aperture has an intecirated radiance in Jcm⁻

2sr<sup>−

1</sup> less than 10t^1/3 when the wavelength of the light is 600 to 700 nm. less than 10*10<sup>(λ

-700)/515</sup>t^1/3 when the wavelength λ

of the light is 700 to 1060 nm, and less than 50t^1/3 when the wavelength of the light is 1060 to 1200 nm where t is less than 10 seconds, and

at least one battery within the housing for energizing the drive circuit.

16. A dermatologic apparatus comprising

a self-contained housing having an output aperture and configured to be held in a person'"'"'s hand for manipulation to perform a hair removal dermatologic procedure,

a light source within the housing for providing light in the range of 4-100 J/cm² and having sufficient fluence at the output aperture to effect hair removal at a target area on a human,

a drive circuit within the housing for powering the light source with pulses of duration t, and

an optical diffuser within the housing for diffusing the light so that the light emitted from the output aperture has an integrated radiance in Jcm⁻

2sr<sup>−

1</sup> less than 10t^1/3 when the wavelength of the light is 600 to 700 nm, less than 10*10<sup>(λ

-700)/515</sup>t^1/3 when the wavelength λ

of the light is 700 to 1060 nm, and less than 50t^1/3 when the wavelength of the light is 1060 to 1200 nm where t is less than 10 seconds,

a sapphire window positioned at the output aperture for contacting the epidermis of a person undergoing treatment, and

a thermoelectric heat exchanger within the housing in thermal communication with the sapphire window for removing heat from the epidermis during treatment.

17. The dermatologic apparatus of claim 16 further comprising at least one battery within the housing for energizing the drive circuit.

18. The dermatologic apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a connector adapted to connect to an external power source for energizing the drive circuit.

19. A dermatologic apparatus comprising

a self-contained housing having an output aperture and configured to be held in a person'"'"'s hand for manipulation to perform a hair removal dermatologic procedure,

a light source within the housing for providing light pulses in the range of 4-100 J/cm² and having sufficient fluence at the output aperture to effect hair removal at a target area on a human,

a drive circuit within the housing for powering the light source with pulses of duration t,

a diffuser within the housing for diffusing the light pulses so that the light emitted from the output aperture has an integrated radiance in Jcm⁻

2sr<sup>−

1</sup> less than 10t^1/3 when the wavelength of the light is 600 to 700 nm, less than 10*10<sup>(λ

-700)/515</sup>t^1/3 when the wavelength λ

of the light is 700 to 1060 nm, and less than 50 t^1/3 when the wavelength of the light is 1060 to 1200 nm where t is less than 10 seconds, and

at least one battery within the housing for energizing the drive circuit.

20. The dermatologic apparatus of claim 19 wherein the light source is a plurality of diode lasers.

21. The dermatologic apparatus of claim 20 wherein the plurality of diode lasers is a plurality of diode laser bars each having a plurality of emitters.

22. The dermatologic apparatus of claim 19 wherein the light source is a flashlamp.

23. The dermatologic apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a mixer interposed between the light source and the diffuser for distributing the light pulses substantially uniformly across an input to the diffuser.

24. The dermatologic apparatus of claim 19 further comprising heat removal means for removing heat from a patient'"'"'s skin during performance of the dermatologic procedure.