Ophthalmic phototherapy method

• US 9,974,971 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2017
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Downey, John R
• Application Number:
  US15/783,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20180050221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 221 Days
• Field of Search: 606 4- 6
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/102 for optical coherence tomography [OCT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/12 for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes A61B3/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1241 specially adapted for observation of ocular blood flow, e.g. by fluorescein angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B
• 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 9/0079 using non-laser electromagnetic radiation, e.g. non-coherent light or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0626 Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0644 Handheld applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0663 Coloured light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0613 Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 using laser light

Abstract

Provided herein are ophthalmic phototherapy devices and associated phototherapy methods for promoting healing of damaged or diseased eye tissue. An ophthalmic phototherapy device includes a light emitting mechanism for transmitting light of at least one preselected wavelength to the eye tissue. An 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 providing phototherapy to an eye tissue in an eye of a patient, the 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 to the eye of the patient to expose at least a portion of the eye tissue in the eye of the patient to the first light, wherein the 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 to the eye of the patient to expose the portion of the eye tissue to the second light, wherein the second light has a second preselected brightness, wherein the first wavelength is different from the second wavelength, and further wherein the 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 the first and second lights are directed to the eye of the patient in a manner comprising at least one of sequentially, in combination, or in a pulsed format.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second lights are directed to the eye of the patient sequentially, and wherein the first preselected period of time is different than the second preselected period of time.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second lights are directed to the eye of the patient in combination, and wherein the first and second preselected periods of time are the same.

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

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

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

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

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first, second, and third lights are directed to the eye of the patient sequentially, and wherein the first preselected period of time is different than the second and third preselected periods of time.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first, second, and third lights are directed to the eye of the patient in combination and at least two of the first, second, and third preselected periods of time are the same.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the 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 the eye tissue comprises retinal tissue.

14. A method for providing phototherapy to an eye tissue of a patient, the 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, to the eye tissue, a first light of at least a first wavelength between approximately 490 nm and 810 nm for a first preselected period of time, the first light having a first preselected brightness; and

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

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second lights are directed to the eye tissue in a manner comprising at least one of sequentially, in combination, or in a pulsed format.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second lights are directed to the eye tissue sequentially, and wherein the first preselected period of time is different than the second preselected period of time.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second lights are directed to the eye tissue in combination, and wherein the first and second preselected periods of time are the same.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the second light consists of near infra-red light.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the first light consists of red or yellow light and the second light consists of near infra-red light.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the first light consists of red light and the second light consists of yellow light.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the first light consists of a combination of red and yellow light, and the second light consists of near infra-red light.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising, during the treatment session, directing, to the eye tissue, a third light of at least a third wavelength for a third preselected period of time, the third light having a third preselected brightness, wherein the third wavelength is different from the first and second wavelengths.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first, second, and third lights are directed to the eye tissue in a manner comprising at least one of sequentially, in combination, or in a pulsed format.

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

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the eye tissue comprises retinal tissue.

26. A method for providing phototherapy to an eye tissue inside an eye of a patient, the 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 to the eye of the patient to expose at least a portion of the eye tissue in the eye of the patient to the first light, wherein the 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 to the eye of the patient to expose the portion of the eye tissue to the second light, wherein the 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 to the eye of the patient to expose the portion of the eye tissue to the third light, wherein the third light has a third preselected brightness,

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

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first, second, and third lights are directed to the eye of the patient in a manner comprising at least one of sequentially, in combination, or in a pulsed format.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the first, second, and third lights are directed to the eye of the patient sequentially, and wherein the first, second, and third preselected periods of time are each different from one another.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the first, second, and third lights are directed to the eye of the patient in combination, and wherein the first, second, and third periods of time are the same.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the first wavelength is within a range of approximately 577 to 597 nm and the second wavelength is within a range of approximately 640 nm to 700 nm.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the eye tissue comprises retinal tissue.