Method and apparatus for photothermal treatment of tissue at depth
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for treating at least a selected region at depth of a patient while protecting tissue above the selected region, comprising:
- an optical radiation source for delivering infrared optical radiation at a power density of between about 0.2 W/cm2 and about 50 W/cm2 to the patient'"'"'s skin, said power density varying at least in part as a function of the depth of said selected region;
a water filter to at least attenuate wavelengths from said optical radiation source which are selectively absorbed by water; and
a cooling mechanism configured to cool tissue.
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Abstract
The present invention provides method and apparatus for treating tissue in a region at depth by applying optical radiation thereto of a wavelength able to reach the depth of the region and of a selected relatively low power for a duration sufficient for the radiation to effect the desired treatment while concurrently cooling tissue above the selected region to protect such tissue. Treatment may be enhanced by applying mechanical, acoustic or electrical stimulation to the region.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. Apparatus for treating at least a selected region at depth of a patient while protecting tissue above the selected region, comprising:
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an optical radiation source for delivering infrared optical radiation at a power density of between about 0.2 W/cm2 and about 50 W/cm2 to the patient'"'"'s skin, said power density varying at least in part as a function of the depth of said selected region; a water filter to at least attenuate wavelengths from said optical radiation source which are selectively absorbed by water; and a cooling mechanism configured to cool tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. Apparatus for treating at least a selected region at depth of a patient while protecting tissue above the selected region, comprising:
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an optical radiation source for delivering optical radiation at a power density of between about 0.2 W/cm2 and about 50 W/cm2 to the patient'"'"'s skin, said power density varying at least in part as a function of the depth of said selected region; a water filter to at least attenuate wavelengths from said optical radiation source which are selectively absorbed by water; a cooling mechanism configured to cool tissue; and a mechanism for removing heat from said water filter.
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19. A method for treating at least a selected region at depth of a patient'"'"'s body while protecting tissue above the selected region, comprising:
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(a) selectively delivering optical radiation generated by a narrow spectral source at a power density between approximately 0.2 W/cm2 and 50 W/cm2 to the patient'"'"'s body above said selected region, said power density varying at least in part as a function of the depth of said selected region, said optical radiation being applied to said selected region for at least approximately 2 seconds; and (b) concurrently cooling patient tissue above said selected region to a temperature below that of the selected region. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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36. A method for treating at least a selected region at depth of a patient'"'"'s body while protecting tissue above the selected region, comprising:
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(a) selectively delivering radiation to the patient'"'"'s body above said selected region to heat the region; (b) concurrently cooling patient tissue above said selected region to a temperature below that of the selected region; and (c) applying at least one of vibrating, massaging, skin tensioning, acoustic and electrical stimulation to said region. - View Dependent Claims (56)
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43. A method for treating at least a selected region at depth of a patient'"'"'s body while protecting tissue above the selected region, comprising:
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(a) selectively delivering optical radiation at a power density between about 0.5 W/cm2 and about 5 W/cm2 to the selected region, said optical radiation being applied to said selected region for at least approximately 2 seconds; and (b) concurrently cooling patient tissue above said selected region to a temperature below that of the selected region.
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44. Apparatus for treating at least a selected region at depth of a patient while protecting tissue above the selected region, comprising:
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a narrow spectral optical radiation source for delivering infrared radiation at a power density of between approximately 0.2 W/cm2 and 50 W/cm2 to the patient'"'"'s skin for a duration between two seconds and two hours, both said power density and said duration increasing with increased depth for said selected region; and a cooling mechanism for cooling tissue above said selected region to a temperature below that of said selected region. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46)
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47. Apparatus for treating at least a selected region at depth of a patient while protecting tissue above the selected region, comprising:
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a narrow spectral optical radiation source for delivering radiation of a wavelength between 600 nm and 1850 nm and at a power density of between approximately 0.2 W/cm2 and 5 W/cm2 to the patient'"'"'s skin, the wavelength and the power density both varying as a function of the depth of the selected region; and a cooling mechanism for cooling tissue above said selected region to a temperature below that of said selected region.
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48. Apparatus for treating at least a selected region at depth of a patient while protecting tissue above the selected region, comprising:
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a narrow spectral optical radiation source for delivering radiation of a wavelength between about 600 nm and about 1850 nm, at a power density of between approximately 0.2 W/cm2 and 50 W/cm2 to the patient'"'"'s skin for a duration between about two seconds and two hours, the wavelength, duration and power density all varying as a function of the depth of the selected region; and a cooling mechanism for cooling tissue above said selected region to a temperature below that of said selected region. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method for treating subdermal fat at depth of a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
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(a) selectively delivering radiation at a power density between approximately 0.2 W/cm2 and 50 W/cm2 to a selected region of subdermal fat of the patient'"'"'s body for a duration of about two seconds to about two hours, both said power density and said duration varying with the depth of said selected region; and (b) concurrently cooling patient tissue above said selected region to a temperature below that of the selected region. - View Dependent Claims (54)
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55. A method for treating at least a selected region at depth of a patient'"'"'s body while protecting tissue above the selected region, comprising:
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(a) selectively delivering radiation of a wavelength between about 600 nm and about 1850 nm and at a power density between approximately 0.2 W/cm2 and 5 W/cm2 to the patient'"'"'s body above said selected region, both said power density and wavelength varying as a function of the depth of said selected region; and (b) concurrently cooling patient tissue above said selected region to a temperature below that of the selected region.
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Specification