Apparatus and method for treatment of foot and nail diseases

• US 9,375,586 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pavel V. Efremkin
• Original Assignee: Pavel V. Efremkin
• Inventors: Efremkin, Pavel V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crandall, Lynsey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pahakis, Manolis
• Application Number:
  US14/216,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20140288621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0045 Foot
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0046 Toe
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/0085 Devices for generating hot or cold treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 35/006 for the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/5375 1,4-Oxazines, e.g. morpholine
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 33/14 Alkali metal chlorides; Alkaline earth metal chlorides
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0007 having means for enhancing the permeation of substances through the epidermis, e.g. using suction or depression, electric or magnetic fields, sound waves or chemical agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0468 non-physiological
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/005 Parameter used as control input for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/40 Applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling microwave apparatus A61N5/00; Applying radio-frequency signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0626 Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0645 Applicators worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0654 Lamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0661 ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/022 Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/062 : Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0624 : for eliminating microbes, germs, bacteria on or in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 : using laser light

Abstract

An apparatus for treatment of fungal infections and/or other foot skin disorders, comprises a shoe-type housing having a substantially hollow interior forming a treatment chamber, a supporting platform disposed within the hollow chamber; so that a foot of a patient positioned within the treatment chamber is supported by the platform, so that nails are disposed at the lower level of the front part of the chamber, whereas the heel of the foot is being elevated a rear part thereof. A delivery and control assembly for the aqueous solution is provided. At least one light delivery arrangement is disposed within or in the vicinity of the treatment chamber.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treatment of a skin medical condition, comprising:

a shoe shaped housing having a hollow interior forming a treatment chamber configured to receive a foot of a patient;

at least one energy delivery arrangement configured to deliver skin treatment energy to said hollow interior of said housing and to the foot in position within the treatment chamber;

a circulation assembly for circulating an aqueous solution within the treatment chamber, the circulation assembly configured to provide a level of the aqueous solution in the treatment chamber to partially or fully submerge the foot within the treatment chamber in the aqueous solution;

one or more sensors within the treatment chamber configured to detect one or more skin parameters from the group consisting of skin melanin concentration, skin hemoglobin concentration, and skin water content;

a power and control unit configured to control the circulation assembly and the at least one energy delivery arrangement, wherein the power and control unit is configured to control a duration of exposure of the foot to the aqueous solution and an amount of the skin treatment energy to be delivered to the foot based on the one or more skin parameters of the foot detected by the one or more sensors and to control the level of the aqueous solution to allow for full or partial washing of the foot within the treatment chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the treatment chamber extends between a toe receiving front part and a heel receiving rear part of the housing,

the housing further comprising a supporting platform disposed within the hollow chamber wherein an inclined top surface of the platform is positioned at an acute angle relative to a bottom of the apparatus,

the treatment chamber is supported by the platform and is respectively angled by the inclined top surface of the supporting platform, wherein the front part of the treatment chamber is disposed lower than the rear part of the treatment chamber.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the circulation assembly is disposed within at the supporting platform.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power and control unit comprises at least one cylinder with a piston movable within the cylinder and a control means for controlling delivery of the aqueous solution to the treatment chamber.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a top surface of the supporting platform is formed from a resilient material capable of adapting to a specific shape of the foot, and a gel layer is provided below the resilient top surface of the platform.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein an inner area of the treatment chamber is covered by a flexible material transparent to light radiation, the flexible material forming a disposable envelope positioned within the treatment chamber and being configured to cover the foot positioned therein.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a cooling arrangement formed within the interior of the supporting platform for reducing a temperature of the aqueous solution within the treatment chamber, and

a solution reservoir,

wherein the cooling arrangement and the interior of the treatment chamber form part of the circulation assembly allowing the aqueous solution to circulate within the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said at least one energy delivery arrangement comprises a light source selected from a group consisting of lasers, light emitting diodes, incandescent sources, fluorescent sources, and a combination thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one energy delivery arrangement further comprises:

an energy source is in power communication with the light source, and

a energy delivery controller for controlling the amount of light delivered from the light source to the treatment chamber.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the light source is a laser including a target thermal feedback arrangement to control intensity of the laser.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a blood pressure sensor is provided within the treatment chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy delivery arrangement is configured to provide different levels of radiation for different zones of treatment based on the one or more skin parameters.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a resilient light transparent pocket disposed at the front area of the treatment chamber including a circulation loop containing a cooling fluid, the cooling fluid circulating within the circulation loop of the light transparent pocket to cool the nails and improve transmission of laser irradiation energy to the nails.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a detecting arrangement for detecting irradiation reflected from the foot.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the detecting arrangement is functionally associated with the power and control unit, and is configured to detect a predetermined condition within the treatment chamber and to generate a signal directed to the power and control unit;

upon receipt of said signal from said detecting arrangement, said power and control unit produces a correcting signal directed to the circulation loop containing the cooling fluid for activation thereof to adjust the condition in the treatment chamber.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the detecting arrangement is selected from the group consisting of photoelements, photoresistors and photodiodes.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said housing is custom formed to accommodate specific foot configurations of a specific patient.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a blood pressure sensor within the treatment chamber, wherein a surface of the treatment chamber configured to receive a sole of the foot is inclined so that a toe receiving part of the treatment chamber is lower than a heel receiving part of the treatment chamber.

19. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a detector provided to detect irradiation in the treatment chamber, upon reaching a predetermined condition in the treatment chamber the detector generates a signal directed to the power and control unit to energize the circulation assembly.