High pressure neon arc lamp
First Claim
1. A neon arc lamp comprising:
- a translucent housing having a substantially cylindrical bore wherein the ratio of the diameter of the bore to the length of the bore is in the range from about 1;
10 to about 1;
30; and
a quantity of substantially pure neon gas contained within the bore and having a pressure of about 500 Torr to about 22,000 Torr.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A high pressure neon arc lamp and method of using the same for photodynamic therapies is provided. The high pressure neon arc lamp includes a housing that encloses a quantity of neon gas pressurized to about 500 Torr to about 22,000 Torr. At each end of the housing the lamp is connected by electrodes and wires to a pulse generator. The pulse generator generates an initial pulse voltage to breakdown the impedance of the neon gas. Then the pulse generator delivers a current through the neon gas to create an electrical arc that emits light having wavelengths from about 620 nanometers to about 645 nanometers. A method for activating a photosensitizer is provided. Initially, a photosensitizer is administered to a patient and allowed time to be absorbed into target cells. Then the high pressure neon arc lamp is used to illuminate the target cells with red light having wavelengths from about 620 nanometers to about 645 nanometers. The red light activates the photosensitizers to start a chain reaction that may involve oxygen free radicals to destroy the target cells. In this manner, a high pressure neon arc lamp that is inexpensive and efficiently generates red light useful in photodynamic therapy is provided.
9 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A neon arc lamp comprising:
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a translucent housing having a substantially cylindrical bore wherein the ratio of the diameter of the bore to the length of the bore is in the range from about 1;
10 to about 1;
30; and
a quantity of substantially pure neon gas contained within the bore and having a pressure of about 500 Torr to about 22,000 Torr. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A photosensitive drug activation device comprising:
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a high pressure neon arc lamp configured to generate light having wavelengths between about 625 nanometers and about 645 nanometers, wherein neon gas within the high pressure neon arc lamp has a pressure in the range from about 500 Torr to about 22,000 Torr; and
a pulse generator configured to pass voltage through the high pressure neon arc lamp in the range from about 24 kilovolts to about 30 kilovolts. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for activating photosensitizers using incoherent light having wavelengths from about 625 nanometers to about 645 nanometers, the method comprising:
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administering a photosensitizer to a patient;
allowing the photosensitizer to be absorbed by target tissue of the patient; and
illuminating the target tissue using a high pressure neon arc lamp comprising substantially pure neon having a pressure in the range of about 500 Torr to about 22,000 Torr to initiate generation of an oxygen free radical to destroy the target tissue. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification