Photopatterning of skin

• US 8,562,657 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• 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., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Myhrvold, Nathan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, Bill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crandall, Lynsey
• Application Number:
  US12/005,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20080145326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,125 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 607/88
• 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 2018/00904 Automatic detection of target tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/20351 Scanning mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/205547 Controller with specific architecture or programmatic algorithm for directing scan path, spot size or shape, or spot intensity, fluence or irradiance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0436 Shielding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/049 against light, e.g. laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/26 Optical properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/42 Colour properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/434 Luminescent, Fluorescent; Optical brighteners; Photosensitizers
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/438 Thermochromatic; Photochromic; Phototropic
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/81 Preparation or application process involves irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/91 Injection
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/02 characterised by special physical form
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/0208 Tissues; Wipes; Patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/042 Gels
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/046 Aerosols; Foams
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/06 Emulsions
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0076 : Tattooing apparatus apparatus for marking animals A01K11/00; vaccine applicators having needles or other puncturing means A61B17/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/062 : Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 17/00 : Drugs for dermatological disorders
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 1/02 : Preparations containing skin colorants, e.g. pigments preparations in powder form A61Q1/12
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 1/025 : Semi-permanent tattoos, stencils, e.g. "permanent make-up"

Abstract

Methods and systems for treating skin for aesthetic or health purposes are described. According to various embodiments, photoresponsive materials and light are delivered in a controlled fashion to produce a patterned distribution of a material in the skin.

Claims

1. A method of producing a patterned distribution of a material within a skin region, comprising:

delivering a photoresponsive material to a skin region of a subject in a first pattern; and

delivering targeted light to the skin region in a second pattern, said second pattern overlapping partially with said first pattern, wherein photoresponsive material in the areas of overlap between said first pattern and said second pattern undergoes photomodification to form an overlap pattern of modified photoresponsive material within said skin region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering the photoresponsive material to the skin region includes topically delivering the photoresponsive material to the skin region.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering the photoresponsive material to the skin region includes injecting the photoresponsive material into the skin region.

4. The method of claim 1, including delivering targeted light to said skin region in said second pattern by delivering targeted light to a plurality of locations in said skin region according to said second pattern.

5. The method of claim 4, including delivering targeted light to said plurality of locations by delivering targeted light to said plurality of locations under software control.

6. The method of claim 4, including delivering targeted light to said plurality of locations by delivering targeted light to said plurality of locations under microprocessor control.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering targeted light to said skin region in said second pattern includes delivering targeted light to said skin region according to a decorative pattern.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering targeted light to said skin region in said second pattern includes delivering targeted light to said skin region according to a pattern corresponding to one or more structures in said skin region.

9. The method of claim 2, including topically delivering said photoresponsive material to said skin region in the form of an aerosol, cream, emulsion, gel, liquid, fluid, gas, vapor, lotion, patch, powder, or combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 3, including delivering said photoresponsive material to said skin region by injecting said photoresponsive material below the stratum corneum of said skin region with the use of a microneedle array.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said modified photoresponsive material is visible under natural light.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said modified photoresponsive material is visible under ultraviolet light.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said modified photoresponsive material is fluorescent.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said modified photoresponsive material is a pigment, dye, pharmaceutical compound, or cosmetic material.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering targeted light to said skin region includes delivering targeted light having wavelength content, time-averaged flux and/or fluence sufficient to cause a photo cross-linking reaction of said photoresponsive material.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering targeted light to said skin region includes delivering targeted light having wavelength content, time-averaged flux and/or fluence sufficient to cause a photochromic reaction of said photoresponsive material.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering targeted light to said skin region includes delivering targeted light having wavelength content, time-averaged flux and/or fluence sufficient to cause a photodimerization reaction or other photopolymerization reaction of said photoresponsive material.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering said photoresponsive material to said skin region of a subject includes delivering a photochromic material.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering said photoresponsive material to said skin region of a subject includes delivering a photodynamic therapy agent.