Patent Application
20200138540
Light energy sources, whether incoherent such as LEDs or Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), or coherent, such as a carbon dioxide (CO2) gas laser, Nd:YAG or Er:YAG solid state lasers, fiber or diode lasers, have been used for various applications such as surgical, dermatological and/or aesthetic treatments on areas of skin and various external and internal body organs and tissues. However, using energy sources for application to skin surface areas, particularly in the vicinity of the eye, such as the eyelids and adjacent regions of the face, also referred to as ocular and periocular/circumocular areas, may raise safety concerns. For example, heat dissipation from IPL can cause detrimental damage, either temporary or permanent, to various ocular structures, such as the cornea which is the organ responsible for approximately 70% of the human eye refraction power.
In one embodiment, a removable tip for an energy light producing handpiece is provided. The removable tip comprises a hollow conduit/cavity configured to surround a light guide in the handpiece; a support extension having a length longer than a length of the hollow conduit/cavity; and a shielding extension coupled to the support extension at an angle less than 180 degrees and located distally to the hollow conduit/cavity. The shielding extension is configured to be inserted behind an eyelid and extend to the fornix, the shielding extension comprised of a thermally insulative material.
Understanding that the drawings depict only exemplary embodiments and are not therefore to be considered limiting in scope, the exemplary embodiments will be described with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:
In accordance with common practice, the various described features are not drawn to scale but are drawn to emphasize specific features relevant to the exemplary embodiments.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific illustrative embodiments. However, it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical, mechanical, and electrical changes may be made. Furthermore, the method presented in the drawing figures and the specification is not to be construed as limiting the order in which the individual steps may be performed. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
The embodiments described below enable safe irradiation of regions of skin covering or surrounding the eye, using various therapeutic energy light sources, such as those mentioned above. In particular, the embodiments described below provide a shield between ocular structures to be protected and the target tissue as described below. Thus, the embodiments described below provide increased protection of sensitive ocular organs as compared to other systems which rely on external protection, such as the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,886,748.
The handpiece 102 may include a light guide or crystal 120 for directing the light energy. Handpiece 102 may include an internal light source which is controlled by the control console 110. Internal light sources may be of different types such as LEDs, lamps, diode lasers, fiber lasers or solid state lasers, to name but a few. Multiple sources, whether from the same type or from different types, may be combined into a single handpiece. Light sources located within handpiece 102 have the advantage of using multiple simple umbilical sheaths 108 lacking optical components. In yet another configuration, external light sources may be used. External light sources may be solid state lasers, fiber lasers or gas lasers which may be located in control console 110. In this embodiment, of external light sources, requires the use of an umbilical sheath 108, which among other things, can deliver the light energy from control console 110 to the handpiece 102.
The handpiece 102 may include a conduit/cavity 116 configured to guide the light or accommodate a light guiding element. Different types of light energy sources, such as those mentioned above, may be guided and delivered onto the target tissue in different manners. In one embodiment of the present invention, the handpiece may include a lamp which is configured to generate an intense pulsed light (IPL). In this embodiment a crystal light guide 120 is placed within the handpiece conduit/cavity 116. The crystal light guide 120 may have different lengths and cross sectional geometry. The crystal light guide 120 may have a uniform cross section or the cross section of the light guide 120 may be tapered in order to increase the energy fluence at the spot of treatment. The light guide 120 may also have the same shape and cross section which best conforms to the target tissue area. For example, the light guide 120 may have the same shape as the entire target area so that a single pulse of light may cover the entire treatment target area. A curved crescent-like shape is one which may cover the entire lower eyelid. The light guide 120 may be permanently affixed to the handpiece or may be removably affixed to the handpiece to allow the physician to select the best light guide 120 suited for the patient and treatment area. The light guide 120 may be configured to establish a direct contact with the target tissue or the light guide 120 may treat the target tissue without direct contact. The same light guide 120 may be used in a contact mode or a non-contact mode using an affixing mechanism which supports both configurations.
The light guide 120 may also be configured as a hollowed conduit to deliver light energy in free space to the target tissue. In yet another configuration the light guide may comprise an optical fiber or a bundle of optical fibers. The handpiece 102 may be configured to move the optical fiber in a predetermined pattern such that the fiber will scan at least a portion of the target tissue. Or the handpiece 102 may be configured to scan a light beam through free space over a target tissue using controllable optical elements. A beam splitter may be used in order to create fractional treatment to the target tissue.
The handpiece also includes a removable tip 104. In particular, in some embodiments, the tip 104 is disposable. The size and shape of the tip 104 may vary according to the size and shape of the handpiece 102 to which it is attached. For example, in some embodiments, the tip 104 is configured to be compatible with a small handpiece configured for precise digital manipulation such as the handpiece described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,886,748. However, it is to be understood that other handpiece shapes and configurations can be used in other embodiments. For example, a handpiece having a shape and configuration similar to the handpiece described and shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,845 or D643530 can be used in other embodiments.
The tip 104 is physically equipped with a shielding extension 106 which provides protection of sensitive ocular organs. For example, the shielding extension 106 may be configured to create a mechanical separation of the target tissue (e.g. an eyelid) from adjacent posterior structures (e.g. cornea or sclera) and can be used by a medical professional to create an artificial gap or distance between the respective tissues, as described in more detail below. In addition, the shielding extension 106 is made of or coated with thermally insulative materials that prevent thermal energy from dissipating or transferring to other structures which are not the intended target tissue. Furthermore, the tip 104 is made from materials that are biocompatible with ocular tissue such as, but not limited to, collagen and polymer materials that are known to one of skill in the art. Hence, the tip 104 presents minimal to no risk of abrasive damage to the ocular tissue.
An exemplary tip is described in more detail with respect to
In some embodiments in which the length 303 varies from one to tip to another, the length 301 between the shielding extension 306 and the tube 316 is fixed for each tip. For example, the length 301 can be based on the average thickness of an upper or lower adult eyelid. In other embodiments, the length 303 is fixed from one tip to another and the length 301 varies to correspond with desired distances between the surface tissue and the conduit 316.
The shielding extension 306 is configured to be inserted between the ocular conjunctiva and the palpebral conjunctiva and to extend to the fornix. Hence, the length 305 of the shielding extension 306 is based on an average depth of an adult fornix in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the length 305 of the shielding extension can vary from one tip to another such that a medical professional can select a shielding extension having a length appropriate for a given patient. Since the shielding extension extends to the fornix, the shielding extension 306 is also referred to herein as a fornix shield.
In addition to the thermal properties discussed above, the shielding extension 306 is configured to be sufficiently flexible that it can be deformed to define irregular surfaces when inserted. For example, it can deform to the contours of the ocular tissue of a given patient. Thus, the shielding extension 306 is able to prevent energy not absorbed by the target area from reaching tissue behind the target area. In addition, although the angle 307 between the shielding extension 306 and the support extension 318 is depicted as a right angle in
In some embodiments, the shielding extension 506 may also be constructed from at least two layers, as shown in
At block 710, the handpiece delivers light to the ocular and/or periocular treatment areas, such as on an external surface of the eyelid. The handpiece is configured to generate the heat needed for a given treatment. For example, the light can be used to treat a variety of ophthalmic and/or dermatological conditions, such as but not limited to, meibomian gland dysfunction (e.g. dry eye), wrinkles, and lesions in the skin. The light applied by the handpiece is determined based on the condition to be treated. For example, the heat generated to treat meibomian gland dysfunction is generated at a level sufficient to stimulate the meibomian gland and/or decrease palpebral telangiectasia. Thus, the level of heat for treating meibomian gland dysfunction is not necessarily the same as the level to remove wrinkles. In either case, the shielding extension provides thermal protection to the ocular tissue behind the target treatment tissue. In addition, the physical separation created by force exerted on the tip adds another level of protection to the ocular tissue. Thus, the embodiments of the tip described herein provide increased protection of ocular tissue. Furthermore, the tips provide a hygienic solution for protecting the sensitive ocular tissue due to the single-use disposable characteristic of the tip in some embodiments.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement, which is calculated to achieve the same purpose, may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/232,968, filed Dec. 26, 2018, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/117,218, filed Aug. 30, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,426,564, issued on Oct. 1, 2019, which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/069,660, filed Mar. 14, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,085,814, issued on Oct. 2, 2018, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/707,834, filed Dec. 7, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,333,370, issued on May 10, 2016, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/567,859, filed Dec. 7, 2011, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15069660 | Mar 2016 | US |
| Child | 16117218 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16232968 | Dec 2018 | US |
| Child | 16595711 | US | |
| Parent | 16117218 | Aug 2018 | US |
| Child | 16232968 | US | |
| Parent | 13707834 | Dec 2012 | US |
| Child | 15069660 | US |
