Apparatus for tissue treatment

• US RE38,670 E1
• Filed: 10/11/2001
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medart A/S (Energist Limited)
• Original Assignee: Asah Medico A/S
• Inventors: Balle-Petersen, Olav, Asah, Bjarne
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda C. M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris-Ogugua, Sonya
• Application Number:
  US09/973,464
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 606/3, 606/8-19, 607/88-91
• US Class Current: 606/9
• 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 2017/00057 Light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00747 Dermatology
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00458 Deeper parts of the skin, e.g. treatment of vascular disorders or port wine stains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0047 Upper parts of the skin, e.g. skin peeling or treatment of wrinkles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00476 Hair follicles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00904 Automatic detection of target tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2025 with a pilot laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/20359 by movable mirrors, e.g. galvanometric
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/373 using light, e.g. by using optical scanners
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0644 Handheld applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0617 Hair treatment

Abstract

An apparatus for tissue treatment is provided, comprising a light emitter for emission of a first light beam, director for directing the first light beam towards a target area to be treated, detector for detecting at least one tissue parameter at the target area, and first light beam controller for controlling at least one parameter without interruption of the propagating light beam. The tissue parameter may be selected from the group of texture, elasticity, size and shape. The apparatus may be used for ablating a thin epidermal layer of the derma of a patient and also marks on the tissue such as marks from chloasma, liver spots, red spots, tattoos, blood vessels just below the surface, etc. as well as warts, wounds, hair follicles, etc. may be ablated or treated.

Claims

1. A handpiece for an apparatus for tissue treatment, comprising:

an input adapted to receive a first beam-outlet end of a first optical fiber for alignment of the first optical fiber with an axis of the handpiece so that a first light beam emitted from the first beam-outlet end is transmitted substantially along the axis;

first movable deflection means for variable deflection of the first light beam emitted from the beam-outlet end;

an output for emission of the deflected first light beam towards a target area of tissue to be treated;

first deflection control means for controlling the first movable deflection means in such a way that the first light beam is deflected along a predetermined path across the target area to be treated;

detector means for detecting the type of tissue a the target area; and

first light beam control means for controlling parameters of the first light beam emitted towards the target area in response to the detected type of tissue whereby various types of tissue can automatically be treated differently.

2. The handpiece according to claim 1, wherein the detector means comprises light detectors for detection of intensity of light emitted from tissue at the target area.

3. The handpiece according to claim 1, wherein the detector means comprises infrared detectors for detection of temperature of tissue at the target area.

4. The handpiece according to claim 1, wherein the detector means comprises a detector array for detection of an image formed on the array.

5. The handpiece according to claim 4, further comprising image processing means for processing the image detected by the detector array.

6. The handpiece according to claim 5, wherein a size of a spot of light illuminated by the first light beam is calculatable by the imaging means.

7. The handpiece according to claim 6, further comprising:

output optics for focusing the first light beam onto the surface of tissue to be treated and movably positioned at the output of the handpiece; and

focus control means for adjusting the position of the output optics in response to the value of the calculated spot size.

8. The handpiece according to claim 1, wherein the first movable deflection means comprises a first mirror that is rotatable around a first axis.

9. The handpiece according to claim 8, wherein the first movable deflection means further comprises a second mirror that is rotatable around a second axis.

10. The handpiece according to claim 9, wherein the first axis is substantially perpendicular to the second axis.

11. The handpiece according to claim 10, wherein the first movable deflection means is controllable by the first deflection control means to deflect the first light beam to scan the target surface area line by line.

12. The handpiece according to claim 1, further comprising tissue type storage means for storage of coherent data sets of signal values provided by the detector means at predetermined positions along the predetermined path of the first light beam and the corresponding positions of the deflecting means thereby mapping tissue parameters as a function of relative positions along the path in the storage means.

13. The handpiece according to claim 12, wherein the first light beam control means is adapted to control parameters of the first light beam during a second scan of the light beam along the predetermined path in accordance with the coherent data sets stored in the tissue type storage means.

14. The handpiece according to claim 1, further comprising a first probing light source for illuminating tissue at the target area and wherein light that is reflected from the illuminated tissue is detectable by the detector means.

15. The handpiece according to claim 14, further comprising a second probing light source for illuminating tissue at the target area and wherein the first and second probing light sources emit light of different wavelengths.

16. The handpiece according to claim 15, wherein each of the first and second probing light sources comprises a light emitting diode.

17. The handpiece according to claim 16, wherein the first probing light source comprises a light emitting diode for emission of light in a red wavelength range.

18. The handpiece according to claim 16, wherein the second probing light source comprises a light emitting diode for emission of light in a green wavelength range.

19. The handpiece according to claim 14, wherein the type of tissue is characterized by intensity of the light that is reflected from the illuminated tissue.

20. The handpiece according to claim 1, further comprising user interface means for selection of parameters of the handpiece.

21. The handpiece according to claim 20, wherein the parameters comprise a scan velocity.

22. The handpiece according to claim 20, wherein the parameters comprise a first light beam intensity.

23. The handpiece according to claim 20, wherein the parameters comprise a size of the target surface area.

24. The handpiece according to claim 20, wherein the parameters comprise a shape of the target surface area.

25. The handpiece according to claim 1, wherein the input is further adapted to receive a second beam-outlet end of a second optical fiber for transmission of a visible second light beam to the handpiece and for alignment of the second optical fiber with the axis of the handpiece so that the visible second light beam emitted from the second beam-outlet end is transmitted substantially in parallel with the axis, and further comprising second movable deflection means for variable deflection of the visible second light beam in such a way that the first and the second light beams emitted from the output of the handpiece illuminate substantially the same area of a target surface.

26. The handpiece according to claim 25, wherein the first and the second movable deflection means are identical.

27. The handpiece according to claim 25, further comprising second deflection control means for controlling the second movable deflection means and for controlling the second movable deflection means in such a way that the visible second light beam is scanned around at least a part of a circumference of the target surface area thereby indicating the size, shape and position of the target surface area.

28. The handpiece according to claim 27, wherein the shape of the target surface area is polygonal and the second deflection control means is further adapted to control the second moving means in such a way that the visible second light beam is scanned along one edge of the polygon.

29. The handpiece according to claim 1, further comprising a distance member connected to the handpiece at the output with fastening means and for indicating the desired distance between a patient and the output.

30. The handpiece according to claim 29, wherein the fastening means comprises a magnet so that the distance member can readily be disconnected from the handpiece.

31. The handpiece according to claim 1, wherein the first light control means executes either a fade-in or fade-out scan pattern in response to the tissue type determined by the detector means.

32. The handpiece according to claim 31, wherein the fade-in and fade-out scan patterns are effected by varying the intensity of the first light beam.

33. The handpiece according to claim 1, wherein the deflection control means executes either a fade-in or fade-out scan pattern in response to the tissue type determined by the detector means.

34. The handpiece according to claim 33, wherein the fade-in and fade-out scan patterns are effected by varying the scan speed of the first light beam.