Photothermal structure for biomedical applications, and method therefor

• US 6,530,915 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2000
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MidCap Funding III, LLC, Nitto Denko Corporation
• Original Assignee: Altia Technology (Altia Group), Spectro Incorporated (Spectro Scientific, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yang, Difei, Eppstein, Jonathan A., Hatch, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shay, David M.
• Application Number:
  US09/622,427
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 606/3, 606/9, 606/10, 606/132, 606/28, 607/88, 607/89, 607/96, 600/309, 600/310, 600/316
• US Class Current: 606/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00172 Pulse trains, bursts, intermittent continuous operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters

Abstract

A photothermal structure designed for the uniform application of a photothermal material, such as, for example, a dye or a pigment, to a tissue, e.g., the stratum corneum. In one embodiment, the photothermal structure comprises photothermal material combined with a carrier, such as, for example, an adhesive or an ink, and the resulting combination is applied to a substrate, such as, for example, an inert polymeric substrate to form a photothermal structure. In another embodiment, the photothermal structure comprises photothermal material incorporated into a film-forming polymeric material.

Claims

1. A photothermal structure for treating tissue, comprising:

(a) a quantity of photothermal material; and

(b) a film material containing a substantially uniform suspension of the photothermal material.

2. The photothermal structure of claim 1, and wherein the film material is made of one of polyesters, polyimides, polyethylenes, polypropylenes, acrylics, cellulose and derivatives thereof.

3. The photothermal structure of claim 2, wherein the photothermal material is a dye or pigment.

5. The photothermal structure of claim 1, and further comprising a layer of priming material between the substrate and the carrier.

6. The photothermal structure of claim 1, wherein the photothermal material is a dye or a pigment.

7. The photothermal structure of claim 1, wherein the carrier is one of a solid polymer, adhesive, gel and ink.

4. A photothermal structure for treating tissue, comprising:

(a) a quantity of photothermal material;

(b) a carrier which is combined with the photothermal material such that the photothermal material is substantially uniformly dissolved or suspended therein; and

(c) a substrate to which the carrier-photothermal material combination is applied.

8. A method for treating tissue comprising the steps of:

(a) applying a photothermal structure including a quantity of photothermal material to the tissue; and

(b) subjecting said photothermal structure to electromagnetic radiation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of applying comprises applying a film incorporating a substantially uniform suspension of the photothermal material.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is in a wavelength range from about 10 nm to about 50,000 nm.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of subjecting comprises emitting electromagnetic radiation from a polychromatic light source.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of subjecting comprises emitting electromagnetic radiation from a laser.

13. The method of claim 8, and further comprising the step of introducing a permeant into said opening.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of applying comprises applying a substrate to which is applied a carrier in which the quantity of photothermal material is substantially uniformly dissolved or suspended.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of applying comprises adhering the substrate to the tissue.

16. The method of claim 8, and further comprising the step of withdrawing body fluids from an opening created by thermal ablation of the tissue.

17. The method of claim 16, and further comprising the step of determining the concentration of at least one analyte in the body fluids.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of determining comprises determining the concentration of glucose.