Ophthalmic phototherapy device and associated treatment method

• US 9,592,405 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2016
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Photospectra Health Sciences, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Photospectra Health Sciences, Inc.
• Inventors: Dotson, Robert S, Merry, Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Downey, John
• Application Number:
  US15/050,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20160166849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 606 4- 6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0025 characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/102 for optical coherence tomography [OCT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1241 specially adapted for observation of ocular blood flow, e.g. by fluorescein angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00868 Ciliary muscles or trabecular meshwork
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00872 Cornea
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00891 Glaucoma
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00 Methods or devices for treatment of the eyes; Devices for putting-in contact lenses; Devices to correct squinting; Apparatus to guide the blind; Protective devices for the eyes, carried on the body or in the hand caps with means for protecting the eyes A42B1/018; visors for helmets A42B3/22; retractors A61B17/02; manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; appliances to aid invalids to move about A61H3/00; exercisers for the eyes A61H5/00; eye baths A61H35/02; sunglasses or goggles having the same features as spectacles G02C
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0079 using non-laser electromagnetic radiation, e.g. non-coherent light or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/008 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0643 Applicators, probes irradiating specific body areas in close proximity
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0644 Handheld applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0651 Diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0662 Visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0663 Coloured light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0613 Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0622 Optical stimulation for exciting neural tissue

Abstract

An ophthalmic phototherapy device and associated phototherapy treatment method for promoting healing of damaged or diseased eye tissue. The ophthalmic phototherapy device includes a light emitting mechanism for transmitting light of at least one preselected wavelength to the eye tissue. The ophthalmic phototherapy method includes directing light of at least one wavelength for a selected period of time to a portion of damaged or diseased eye tissue, whereby the light transmitted to the damaged or diseased eye tissue stimulates cellular activity in the eye tissue to promote healing.

Claims

1. A method for treating inflammatory eye disease inside an eye of a patient, said method comprising:

during a treatment session with a phototherapy device having one or more arrays of LED(s), low power laser source(s), or any combination thereof, directing, for a first preselected period of time, a first light of at least a first wavelength into the eye of the patient to expose at least a portion of an affected eye tissue inside the eye to said first light, wherein said first light has a first preselected brightness; and

during the treatment session, directing, for a second preselected period of time, a second light of at least a second wavelength into the eye of the patient to expose said portion of said affected eye tissue to said second light, wherein said second light has a second preselected brightness, wherein said first wavelength is different from said second wavelength, and further wherein said first and second wavelengths are selected from wavelengths of light corresponding to near infra-red, yellow and red light.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second lights are directed into the eye of the patient in a manner comprising at least one of sequentially or in combination or in a pulsed format.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second lights are directed into the eye sequentially and wherein the first preselected period of time is different than said second preselected period of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second lights are directed into the eye in combination and said first and second preselected periods of time are the same.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first wavelength is within the range of approximately 577 to 597 nm and the second wavelength is within the range of approximately 640 nm to 700 nm.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first wavelength consists of red or yellow light and said second wavelength consists of near infra-red light.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, during the treatment session, exposing said portion of said eye tissue to a third light of at least a third wavelength for a third preselected period of time, said third light having a third preselected brightness, wherein said third wavelength is different from said first and second wavelengths.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said first, second and third lights are directed into the eye of the patient in a manner comprising at least one of sequentially or in combination or in a pulsed format.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said first, second and third lights are directed into the eye sequentially and wherein the first preselected period of time is different than said second and third preselected periods of time.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said first, second and third lights are directed into the eye in combination and said first, second and third preselected periods of time are the same.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein each of said first, second and third wavelengths are selected from wavelengths of light corresponding to near infra-red, yellow and red light.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein one of the first, second and third wavelengths is between approximately 577 nm and 597 nm, and wherein another of the first, second and third wavelengths is between approximately 640 nm and 700 nm.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second lights are each produced by said one or more arrays of LED(s), low power laser source(s), or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein said first, second and third lights are each produced by said one or more arrays of LED(s), low power laser source(s), or a combination thereof.

15. A method for treating diseased eye tissue of a patient having an inflammatory eye disease, said method comprising:

during a treatment session with a phototherapy device having one or more arrays of LED(s), low power laser source(s), or any combination thereof, exposing said diseased eye tissue to a first light of at least a first wavelength between approximately 490 nm and 810 nm for a first preselected period of time, said first light having a first preselected brightness; and

during the treatment session, exposing said diseased eye tissue to a second light of at least a second wavelength for a second preselected period of time, said second light having a second preselected brightness, wherein said first wavelength is different from said second wavelength.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first and second lights are directed into the eye of the patient in a manner comprising at least one of sequentially or in combination or in a pulsed format.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said first and second lights are directed into the eye sequentially and wherein the first preselected period of time is different than said second preselected period of time.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said first and second lights are directed into the eye in combination and said first and second preselected periods of time are the same.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said second light consists of near infra-red light.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said first light consists of red or yellow light and said second wavelength consists of near infra-red light.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein said first light consists of red light and said second light consists of yellow light.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein said first light consists of a combination of red and yellow light, and said second light consists of near infra-red light.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising, during the treatment session, exposing said eye tissue to a third light of at least a third wavelength for a third preselected period of time, said third light having a third preselected brightness, wherein said third wavelength is different from said first and second wavelengths.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said first, second and third lights are directed into the eye of the patient in a manner comprising at least one of sequentially or in combination or in a pulsed format.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein each of said first, second and third lights are selected from near infra-red, yellow and red light.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein said first, second and third lights are each produced by said one or more arrays of LED(s), low power laser source(s), or a combination thereof.

27. A method for treating diseased eye tissue inside an eye of a patient having an inflammatory eye disease, said method comprising:

during a treatment session with a phototherapy device having one or more arrays of LED(s), low power laser source(s), or any combination thereof, directing, for a first preselected period of time, a first light of at least a first wavelength into the eye of the patient to expose at least a portion of said diseased eye tissue to said first light, wherein said first light has a first preselected brightness;

during the treatment session, directing, for a second preselected period of time, a second light of at least a second wavelength into the eye of the patient to expose said portion of said diseased eye tissue to said second light, wherein said second light has a second preselected brightness; and

during the treatment session, directing, for a third preselected period of time, a third light of at least a third wavelength into the eye of the patient to expose said portion of said diseased eye tissue to said third light, wherein said third light has a third preselected brightness, and

further wherein each of said first, second and third wavelengths are selected from wavelengths of light corresponding to near infra-red, yellow and red light.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said first, second and third lights are directed into the eye of the patient in a manner comprising at least one of sequentially or in combination or in a pulsed format.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said first, second and third lights are directed into the eye sequentially and wherein the first, second and third preselected periods of time are each different from one another.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein said first, second and third lights are directed into the eye in combination and said first, second and third periods of time are the same.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein said first wavelength is within the range of approximately 577 to 597 nm and the second wavelength is within the range of approximately 640 nm to 700 nm.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein said first, second and third lights are each produced by said one or more arrays of LED(s), low power laser source(s), or a combination thereof.