Improved hand-held laser device for skin treatment

ES 2 359 618 T3

DESCRIPTION

Improved portable laser device for skin treatment.

Technical field

This invention relates generally to devices employing lasers. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved portable laser light generating device.

Previous technique

Low energy laser therapy (LLLT) is used in the treatment of a wide variety of conditions. LLLT improves wound healing, reduces edema, and alleviates pain of various etiologies, including the successful postoperative application of liposuction to reduce inflammation and pain. LLLT is also used during liposuction procedures to facilitate fat removal by releasing intracellular fat into the interstitium. It is also used in the treatment and repair of injured tendons and muscles.

LLLT uses low-level laser energy, that is, the treatment has a dosing rate that does not cause an immediate detectable increase in the temperature of the treated tissue or macroscopically visible changes in the tissue structure. Consequently, the treated and surrounding tissue is not heated or damaged. There are a number of variables in laser therapy including the wavelength of the laser beam, the area struck by the laser beam, laser energy, pulse width, duration of treatment, and tissue characteristics.

The success of each therapy depends on the relationship and combination of these variables. For example, liposuction can be facilitated with a regimen that uses a given wavelength and duration of treatment, while pain can be treated with a regimen that uses a different wavelength and duration of treatment, and inflammation a third regimen. Specific devices for each type of therapy are known in the art. Such a device is disclosed in US patent 6013096 (Tucek), which describes a portable pencil for emitting a generally flat light beam to form a linear point, i.e. a line of laser light, on the skin of a patient. The laser beam treatment apparatus disclosed in EP-A-1112758 (Yayama) generates a plurality of laser beams of different colors and projects them onto a single point on the skin of a patient. DE 198 32 904 (Michels) discloses a device according to the preamble according to claim 1.

It is often desirable to treat a patient for multiple types of problems during a single treatment. Because specific therapies require a different regimen, treating multiple problems today requires multiple laser devices. It is desirable to provide a device that allows multiple types of treatments with a single device. It is also desirable to be able to provide multiple treatments simultaneously with a single device.

Therefore, an objective of this invention is to provide a laser device that allows multiple types of treatments. It is another objective to provide a single device that provides these treatments simultaneously. It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus that can simultaneously emit multiple beams of laser light. It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus that can simultaneously emit laser light in multiple different pulse widths. It is a further objective of this invention to provide an apparatus that can simultaneously emit laser light in multiple beam shapes and spot sizes. It is a particular objective of this invention to provide a portable laser device for providing low-level laser treatments that can be used to simultaneously facilitate liposuction, treat postoperative inflammation, and postoperative pain.

Description of the invention

This invention is an improved portable laser device as defined in claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the device are defined in the dependent claims.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is an electrical schematic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic view of the optical arrangement of the linear dot shape of the preferred embodiment.

Figure 3 is a schematic view of the optical arrangement of the circular dot shape of the preferred embodiment.

Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of the application of low-level laser radiation to a human using the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Best mode of carrying out the invention

ES 2 359 618 T3

With reference to the drawings, a portable laser device designated generally 10 is illustrated. The device includes a plurality of laser power sources, a power source, an optical arrangement, a stylus, and a control circuit.

Figure 1 shows the preferred embodiment in which a first laser power source 11 and a second power source 12 are connected to a power source 13. The power supply preferably provides direct current, such as that provided by a battery, although it may instead provide alternating current such as that provided by conventional building current which is then converted to direct current. Separate control means 15, 16 are connected to the laser energy sources 11, 12 respectively and actuate on / off switches to control the period of time in which the laser light is generated. These laser energy sources can be energized independently or simultaneously which, throughout this specification, refers to actions that generally occur at the same time.

Sources of laser energy for use in low-level laser therapy are known in the art.

They include helium-neon lasers that have a wavelength of 632 nm and semiconductor diode lasers with a wide wavelength range between 600-800 nm. The laser energy sources in the preferred embodiment are two semiconductor laser diodes that produce light in the red range of the visible spectrum, with a wavelength of approximately 635 nm.

Other wavelengths suitable for other particular applications are used. Although many LLLT regimens include visible laser light, it is advantageous to use at least one laser beam in the UV / visible energy spectrum so that the operator can see the laser light as it strikes the patient's body and the treated area can be defined. easily. Solid state and tunable semiconductor laser diodes can also be used to achieve the desired wavelength.

Different therapy regimens require diodes of different wattages. Preferred laser diodes use less than one watt of power, each to simultaneously facilitate liposuction, treat postoperative inflammation, and postoperative pain. Diodes of various other wattages can also be employed to achieve the desired laser energy for the given regime. Furthermore, the patients can be humans or animals, and different therapy regimens are used depending on the species of the patient.

The control means 21, 22 are connected to the laser energy sources 11, 12, respectively, to form a control circuit that controls the duration of each emitted laser light pulse, which is referred to herein as the pulse width. When there are no pulses, a continuous beam of laser light is generated. Pulse widths from 0.01 ms to infinity (ie, a continuous beam) can be used to achieve the desired effect on the patient's tissue. The goal of the LLLT regimen is to deliver laser energy to the target tissue using a pulse width short enough to sufficiently energize the target tissue and avoid thermal damage to the adjacent tissue.

Each laser beam 41, 42 exits the laser and is irradiated through the optical arrangements 31, 32, respectively, which produce beam spots 51, 52 respectively of certain shapes. The beam spot is the size and cross-sectional shape of the emitted beam as it exits the optical array. For example, a circular cross-section laser beam creates a circular beam spot when laser light strikes the patient's skin. If the emitted laser light is in the visible range, a circular spot can be seen on the patient's skin. In the preferred embodiment, the first laser beam passes through an optical arrangement that generates a beam of substantially linear cross section, resulting in a line of laser light that is seen on the skin of the patient. The second laser passes through an optical arrangement that generates a beam of circular cross section, resulting in a circular dot shape that is seen on the skin of the patient.

As shown in FIG. 2 the first optical arrangement 31 of the preferred device includes a collimating lens 34 and a line generating prism 36. Collimating lens 34 and line generator prism 36 are arranged in series with respect to laser energy source 11. The collimating lens 34 and the line generator prism 36 receive and transform the generated beam of laser light into the laser light line L. Alternatively, a suitable mechanical or electrical arrangement could be substituted for optical arrangement 31.

As shown in FIG. 3 the second optical arrangement 32 of the preferred device includes a collimating lens 34. As with the first optical arrangement, the collimating lens 34 is arranged in series with respect to the laser energy source 12. Collimating lens 34 receives and transforms the generated beam of laser light into a circular beam spot of laser light C. Alternatively, a suitable mechanical or electrical arrangement could be substituted for optical arrangement 32 to achieve a desired dot shape.

The device can use as many laser and optical arrangements as necessary to obtain the desired emission and point shapes.

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In order to direct the laser light to the desired area on a patient, the laser light is emitted from a portable, lightweight pointer referred to herein as a pencil 61. See Figure 4. The pencil 61 is preferably an elongated hollow tube defining an interior cavity shaped to be easily held in a user's hand. The sources 5 11, 12 of laser energy are mounted in the interior cavity of the pen. The stylus can take any shape that allows direct laser light as needed such as tubular, T-shaped, substantially spherical, or rectangular (like a television remote control device).

Although what is currently considered a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, 10 those skilled in the art will understand that various changes and modifications can be made, and that equivalents can be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the actual scope. of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention, but the invention will include all embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims.