METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACNE TREATMENT USING LOW INTENSITY LIGHT THERAPY

• US 20100174222A1
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Original Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Inventors: McDaniel, David H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,227,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00765 Decreasing the barrier function of skin tissue by radiated energy, e.g. using ultrasound, using laser for skin perforation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22085 light-absorbing A61B2017/22087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00476 Hair follicles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1807 using light other than laser radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 41/0057 Photodynamic therapy with a photosensitizer, i.e. agent able to produce reactive oxygen species upon exposure to light or radiation, e.g. UV or visible light; photocleavage of nucleic acids with an agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 41/0071 PDT with porphyrins having exactly 20 ring atoms, i.e. based on the non-expanded tetrapyrrolic ring system, e.g. bacteriochlorin, chlorin-e6, or phthalocyanines
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0606 Mouth
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0642 Irradiating part of the body at a certain distance
• 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 2005/0662 Visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0617 Hair treatment
• 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: A61P 17/10 Anti-acne agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 31/04 Antibacterial agents

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for treatment of skin disorders. More particularly, the disclosed invention is directed toward the reduction of acne and acne related bacteria using low-intensity light therapy. In an illustrative embodiment, skin containing acne bacteria is treated with a series of pulses of light from a light emitting diode. The LED has a dominant emissive wavelength of about 660 nm and an energy output of about 4 m W. The acne bacteria-containing tissue is exposed to pulses from the light source about 100 times for about 250 milliseconds per pulse, with an interpulse interval of about 100 milliseconds.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

exposing tissue containing acne bacteria to at least one source of light having emissions at a wavelength from about 300 nm and about 1400 nm;

operating the at least one source of light at a power output of about 20 mW or lower; and

observing a reduction in acne bacteria present on or in the tissue.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the acne bacteria is present in or on the tissue selected from the group consisting of sebaceous oil glands, sebaceous ducts, sebocytes, supporting tissue thereof, and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the source of light is a narrowband, multichromatic electromagnetic radiation.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the narrowband, multi chromatic electromagnetic radiation has a dominant emissive wavelength of from about 390 nm to about 1400 nm.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the dominant emissive wavelength is selected from the group consisting of 400 nm, 420 nm, 430 nm, 445 nm, 475 nm, 590 nm, 635 nm, 655 nm, 660 nm, 670 nm, 780 nm, 785 nm, 810 nm, 830 nm, 840 nm, 860 nm, 904 nm, 915 nm, 980 nm, 1015 nm, 1060 nm, 1260 nm, and 1400 nm.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising applying a photomodulation enhancing agent to the tissue containing or surrounding the acne bacteria.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said photomodulation enhancing agent comprises a composition have an active agent selected from the group consisting of at least one of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin F, Retin A (Tretinoin), Adapalene, Retinol, Hydroquinone, Kojic acid, a growth factor, echinacea, anantibiotic, an antifungal, an antiviral, a bleaching agent, an alpha hydroxy acid, a beta hydroxy acid, salicylic acid, antioxidant triad compound, a seaweed derivative, a salt water derivative, an antioxidant, a phytoanthocyanin, epigallocatechin-3-ganate, a phytonutrient, a botanical product, a herbaceous product, a hormone, an enzyme, a mineral, a genetically engineered substance, a cofactor, a catalyst, an antiaging substance, insulin, trace elements (including ionic calcium, magnesium, etc), minerals, Rogaine, a hair growth stimulating substance, a hair growth inhibiting substance, a dye, a natural or synthetic melanin, a metalloproteinase inhibitor, proline, hydroxyproline, an anesthetic substance, chlorophyll, copper chlorophyllin, chloroplasts, carotenoids, bacteriochlorophyll, phycobilins, carotene, xanthophyll, anthocyanin, and derivatives, subcomponents, and analogs of the above, both natural and synthetic, and mixtures thereof.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the photomodulation enhancing agent is selected from the group consisting of chlorophyll, carotenoids, bacteriochlorophyll, phycobilins, porphyrins, derivatives thereof, and mixtures thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising subjecting the photomodulation enhancing agent to a penetration enhancing procedure prior to exposing said photomodulation enhancing agent to said source of electromagnetic radiation.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the penetration enhancing procedure comprises a procedure selected from the group consisting of enzyme peel, microderm abrasion, solvent stripping, tape stripping, scrubbing, laser ablation, laser vaporization, chemical peeling, electrical stimulation, laser treatments using high peak power and short pulse durations, ultrasound, or combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the penetration enhancing procedure comprises microdermabrasion.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the penetration enhancing procedure comprises exposing said photomodulation enhancing agent to ultrasound.

13. The method of claim 4 wherein the source of narrowband, multichromatic electromagnetic radiation is a light emitting diode.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the energy output of the light emitting diode is from about 0.5 mW to about 20 mW.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the energy output of the light emitting diode is about 4 mW.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the light emitting diode has a dominant wavelength selected from 400 nm, 420 nm, 430 nm, 445 nm, 475 nm, 590 nm, 635 nm, 655 nm, 660 nm, 670 nm, 780 nm, 785 nm, 810 nm, 830 nm, 840 nm, 860 nm, 904 nm, 915 nm, 980 nm, 1015 nm, 1060 nm, 1260 nm, and 1400 nm.

17. A method, comprising:

exposing acne bacteria to at least one source of narrowband, multichromatic electromagnetic radiation having at least one dominant emissive wavelength between about 300 nm and about 1400 nm and a power output of from about 0.5 mW to about 20 mW continuously for a time of from about 0.5 minutes to about 60 minutes.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the tissue is continuously exposed to the source of narrowband, multi chromatic electromagnetic radiation for a time of about 15 minutes.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the energy output of the source of narrowband, multichromatic electromagnetic radiation is about 4 mW.

20. The method of claim 17 comprising applying a photomodulation enhancing agent to the tissue containing or surrounding the acne bacteria.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said photomodulation enhancing agent comprises a composition have an active agent selected from the group consisting of at least one of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin F, Retin A (Tretinoin), Adapalene, Retinol, Hydroquinone, Kojic acid, a growth factor, echinacea, an antibiotic, an antifungal, an antiviral, a bleaching agent, an alpha hydroxy acid, a beta hydroxy acid, salicylic acid, antioxidant triad compound, a seaweed derivative, a salt water derivative, an antioxidant, a phytoanthocyanin, epigallocatechin-3-ganate, a phytonutrient, a botanical product, a herbaceous product, a hormone, an enzyme, a mineral, a genetically engineered substance, a cofactor, a catalyst, an antiaging substance, insulin, trace elements (including ionic calcium, magnesium, etc), minerals, Rogaine, a hair growth stimulating substance, a hair growth inhibiting substance, a dye, a natural or synthetic melanin, a metalloproteinase inhibitor, proline, hydroxyproline, an anesthetic substance, chlorophyll, copper chlorophyllin, chloroplasts, carotenoids, bacteriochlorophyll, phycobilins, carotene, xanthophyll, anthocyanin, and derivatives, subcomponents, and analogs of the above, both natural and synthetic, and mixtures thereof.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the photo modulation enhancing agent is selected from the group consisting of chlorophyll, carotenoids, bacteriochlorophyll, phylocibins, porphyrins, derivatives thereof, and mixtures thereof.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising subjecting the photomodulation enhancing agent to a penetration enhancing procedure prior to exposing said photomodulation enhancing agent to said source of electromagnetic radiation.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the penetration enhancing procedure comprises a procedure selected from the group consisting of enzyme peel, microderm abrasion, solvent stripping, tape stripping, scrubbing, laser ablation, laser vaporization, chemical peeling, electrical stimulation, laser treatments using high peak power and short pulse durations, ultrasound, or combinations thereof.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the penetration enhancing procedure comprises microdermabrasion.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the penetration enhancing procedure comprises exposing said photo modulation enhancing agent to ultrasound.

27. A method, comprising:

exposing acne bacteria to at least one source of narrowband, multi chromatic electromagnetic radiation having at least one dominant emissive wavelength between about 300 nm and about 1400 nm and a power output of from about 0.5 mW to about 20 mW, wherein the source of narrowband, multichromatic electromagnetic radiation is pulsed at least 2 times.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the tissue is exposed to about 2 to about 2000 pulses from the source of narrowband, multichromatic electromagnetic radiation.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein each pulse is from about 1 millisecond to about 1000 milliseconds.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein each pulse is separated by from about 1 to about 1000 milliseconds.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the source of narrowband, multichromatic electromagnetic radiation is pulsed about 100 times for about 250 milliseconds per pulse with a separation of about 100 milliseconds between each pulse.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the energy output of the source of narrowband, multichromatic electromagnetic radiation is about 4 mW.

33. The method of claim 27 comprising applying a photomodulation enhancing agent to the tissue containing or surrounding the acne bacteria.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said photomodulation enhancing agent comprises a composition have an active agent selected from the group consisting of at least one of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin F, Retin A (Tretinoin), Adapalene, Retinol, Hydroquinone, Kojic acid, a growth factor, echinacea, an antibiotic, an antifungal, an antiviral, a bleaching agent, an alpha hydroxy acid, a beta hydroxy acid, salicylic acid, antioxidant triad compound, a seaweed derivative, a salt water derivative, an antioxidant, a phytoanthocyanin, epigallocatechin-3-ganate, a phytonutrient, a botanical product, a herbaceous product, a hormone, an enzyme, a mineral, a genetically engineered substance, a cofactor, a catalyst, an antiaging substance, insulin, trace elements (including ionic calcium, magnesium, etc), minerals, Rogaine, a hair growth stimulating substance, a hair growth inhibiting substance, a dye, a natural or synthetic melanin, a metalloproteinase inhibitor, proline, hydroxyprolire, an anesthetic substance, chlorophyll, copper chlorophyllin, chloroplasts, carotenoids, bacteriochlorophyll, phycobilins, carotene, xanthophyll, anthocyanin, and derivatives, subcomponents, and analogs of the above, both natural and synthetic, and mixtures thereof.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the photomodulation enhancing agent is selected from the group consisting of chlorophyll, carotenoids, bacteriochlorophyll, phycobilins, porphyrins, derivatives thereof, and mixtures thereof.

36. The method of claim 33 further comprising subjecting the photomodulation enhancing agent to a penetration enhancing procedure prior to exposing said photo modulation enhancing agent to said source of electromagnetic radiation.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the penetration enhancing procedure comprises a procedure selected from the group consisting of enzyme peel, microderm abrasion, solvent stripping, tape stripping, scrubbing, laser ablation, laser vaporization, chemical peeling, electrical stimulation, laser treatments using high peak power and short pulse durations, ultrasound, or combinations thereof.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the penetration enhancing procedure comprises microdermabrasion.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein the penetration enhancing procedure comprises exposing said photomodulation enhancing agent to ultrasound.