Hair treatment system

• US 8,529,560 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2007
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran, Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Jung, Edward K. Y., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, Bill
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRANDALL, LYNSEY P
• Application Number:
  US11/973,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20080091187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,168 Days
• Field of Search: 606/9
• US Class Current: 606/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• 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 2018/00476 Hair follicles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00904 Automatic detection of target tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/061 for measuring dimensions, e.g. length

Abstract

Embodiments of methods and systems for hair treatment are disclosed. According to various embodiments, light is used to shave, trim, or otherwise modify hair shafts.

Claims

1. A depilation device comprising:

a) a housing having at least one active surface and sized and configured to be held by a human hand;

b) at least one light source housed within said housing;

c) at least one lens configured to modify light from said at least one light source to produce at least one beam each having a short, narrow beam waist of limited spatial extent, said at least one beam exiting said at least one active surface such that said beam waist occurs at a first specified distance range from said at least one active surface;

d) a proximity sensor mounted in said housing and configured for detecting when said at least one active surface of said housing is within a second specified distance range from a skin surface and generating a sensor signal;

e) control circuitry configured to process said sensor signal from said proximity sensor and generate a laser drive signal responsive to said sensor signal indicating that said at least one active surface is within said second specified distance range; and

f) a light source driver configured to activate said at least one light source responsive to said laser drive signal;

wherein said first specified distance range is less than said second specified distance range;

and wherein said light source driver is configured to activate said at least one light source when said proximity sensor indicates that said at least one active surface is within about 50 and about 1000 μ

m of said skin surface.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one light source comprises a laser, a laser diode, or a light-emitting diode.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one lens is a high numerical aperture lens.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said control circuitry includes a microprocessor configured to process said sensor signal from said proximity sensor and to generate said laser drive signal.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one lens has a numerical aperture of between about 0.5 and about 0.98.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one lens has a numerical aperture of between about 0.64 and about 0.87.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one lens has a numerical aperture of between about 0.71 and about 0.82.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one lens has an f-number of between about 1.2 and about 11.3.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one lens has an f-number of between about 1.68 and about 3.46.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one lens has an f-number of between about 2 and about 2.86.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one light source comprises an Nd:

YAG laser.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one light source comprises a laser array.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one motion sensor capable of detecting motion of said at least one active surface across a skin surface.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said motion sensor includes at least one of an optical sensor, an electromechanical sensor and a mechanical sensor.