Method for treating a patient having a spinal cord injury using phototherapy

• US 8,328,857 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Henry M Jackson Foundation For The Advancement of Military Medicine Incorporated, United States Department Of Health And Human Services
• Original Assignee: Henry M Jackson Foundation For The Advancement of Military Medicine Incorporated, United States Department Of Health And Human Services
• Inventors: Anders, Juanita J., Ilev, Ilko K., Waynant, Ronald W., Byrnes, Kimberly R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory A
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRANDALL, LYNSEY P
• Application Number:
  US12/713,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20100152820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 607/88
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0651 Diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0613 Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 using laser light

Abstract

A method of treating spinal cord injury (SCI) includes transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of a spinal environment of the patient with light having a power density of at least about 0.01 mW/cm² at the portion of the spinal environment.

Claims

1. A method of treating a patient having a spinal cord injury comprising a contusion or compression, the method comprising:

identifying a target site of the contusion or compression within a spinal environment of the patient;

positioning a light source at a position between 2 cm and 20 cm from the skin surface overlying the target site; and

modulating at least one physiological activity of the patient by transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of the spinal environment of the patient at the position with light from the light source, the light having a power density of at least 0.01 mW/cm² at the portion of the spinal environment, wherein the spinal environment comprises the spinal cord, the spinal vasculature, the meninges, and the cerebrospinal fluid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the light has a wavelength in a range between 580 nanometers and 850 nanometers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of the spinal environment of the patient is sufficient to promote axonal regeneration.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of the spinal environment of the patient is sufficient to modulate immunological activity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of the spinal environment of the patient is sufficient to reduce Wallerian degeneration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of the spinal environment of the patient is sufficient to modulate gene expression.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of the spinal environment of the patient is sufficient to modulate Schwann cell activity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of the spinal environment of the patient is sufficient to modulate the blood-brain barrier.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of the spinal environment of the patient is sufficient to modulate neovascularization.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of the spinal environment of the patient is sufficient to modulate astroglial scar formation.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of the spinal environment of the patient is sufficient to modulate growth factor production with respect to the spinal cord.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the light has a wavelength in a range between about 770 nanometers and 820 nanometers.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of a spinal environment of the patient with light having a power density of at least 0.01 mW/cm² at the portion of the spinal environment for about 7 to 21 consecutive days.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of a spinal environment of the patient with light having a power density of at least 0.01 mW/cm² at the portion of the spinal environment within 24 hours after the spinal cord injury occurs.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning a light source between 2 cm and 20 cm from the skin surface overlying the target site comprises positioning the light source between 2 cm and about 20 cm caudal from the skin surface overlying the target site so as to irradiate a portion of the spinal cord caudal to the target site along a path of expected axonal regrowth.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning a light source between 2 cm and 20 cm from the skin surface overlying the target site comprises positioning the light source between 2 cm and about 20 cm rostral from the skin surface overlying the target site so as to irradiate a portion of the spinal cord rostral to the target site along a path of expected axonal regrowth.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning a light source between 2 cm and 20 cm from the skin surface overlying the target site comprises:

positioning the light source at a first position between 2 cm and about 20 cm caudal from the skin surface overlying the target site and irradiating a first portion of the spinal environment on a path of expected axonal regrowth; and

positioning the light source at a second position between 2 cm and 20 cm caudal from the skin surface overlying the target site and irradiating a second portion of the spinal environment on the path of expected axonal regrowth.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein positioning a light source between 2 cm and 20 cm from the skin surface overlying the target site further comprises positioning the light source at a third position between 2 cm and 20 cm rostral from the skin surface overlying the target site and irradiating a third portion of the spinal environment.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning a light source between 2 cm and 20 cm from the skin surface overlying the target site comprises positioning the light source at a plurality of positions along a linear path of expected axonal regrowth and irradiating the spinal environment from the multiple positions, each successive position being at a distance caudal to the previous position.

6. A method of treating a patient having a spinal cord injury comprising a contusion or compression, the method comprising:

identifying a location of the contusion or compression within a spinal environment of the patient;

positioning a light source at a first position on the skin surface overlying the location;

transcutaneously delivering a neuroregenerative effective amount of light energy to the location using the light source at the first position, wherein the neuroregenerative effective amount of light energy has a power density of at least 0.01 mW/cm²;

positioning the light source at a second position on the skin surface that is between 2 cm and 20 cm caudal to the first position; and

transcutaneously delivering a neuroregenerative effective amount of light energy to a portion of the spinal cord using the light source at the second position, wherein the portion of the spinal cord is caudal to the location along a linear path of expected axonal regrowth.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the neuroregenerative effective amount of light energy has a wavelength in a range between 630 nanometers and 904 nanometers.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein transcutaneously delivering a neuroregenerative effective amount of light energy to the location comprises determining a surface power density of the light energy at a skin surface sufficient to deliver light energy having a power density of at least about 0.01 mW/cm² to the location.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein the neuroregenerative effective amount of light energy has a power density of at least 0.1 mW/cm².

19. The method of claim 6, wherein the light has a wavelength in a range between 770 nanometers and 820 nanometers.

25. The method of claim 6, wherein the spinal cord injury comprises a contusion and wherein the identified location of the spinal cord injury is a location of the contusion.