Patent Application
20160279436
This invention generally relates to a phototherapy apparatus, and more specifically to a phototherapy apparatus with precise dosage control for the delivery of a clinically safe and effective dose to target tissues.
Phototherapy is a medical and veterinary technique which uses laser, light emitting diode (LED) or other types of light sources to restore, stimulate or inhibit cellular function, and prevent cell death. Recently, this technique has been widely used for treating soft tissue injury, chronic pain, and promoting wound healing for both human and animal targets.
Typically, the phototherapy procedure involves radiating light energy in the ultraviolet (UV), visible, near infrared, or infrared wavelength onto or into the patient's skin. It is highly desirable to precisely control the dose of light energy that is applied on a specific treatment area to achieve a safe and effective therapeutic effect. However, none of the existing phototherapy apparatus could provide this feature due to the following reasons. First, the therapeutic light generally has a non-uniform beam profile, e.g., the light intensity varies significantly from the center to the edge of the light beam. Thus the treatment area inevitably receives uneven dosages. Second, some therapeutic light (e. g. near infrared light) is invisible to the human eyes. In these cases, an aiming beam in the visible wavelength is generally provided to guide the therapy, i.e., to provide the user with a location for the invisible therapeutic light. However, due to their being generated by different light sources in wavelength and output power, the aiming beam generally has an intensity profile different from that of the therapeutic light, which prevents it from providing precise dosage guidance to the clinician or practitioner. Third, the practitioner or clinician usually needs to scan the therapeutic light beam to cover a large treatment area, making it even harder to track the exact dose delivered to any specific region of the area.
There thus exists a need for an improved phototherapy apparatus, which can provide real time monitoring of the delivered light dosage on the subject surface of the biological tissue for assisting the practitioner or clinician in precisely controlling the phototherapy procedure.
It is the overall goal of the present invention to solve the above mentioned problems and limitations, and provide a phototherapy apparatus with precise dosage control. The phototherapy apparatus incorporates means for tracking any combination of the following: position, direction of motion, velocity, or acceleration of the therapeutic light beam over the treatment area. The delivered light dosage is calculated based on these parameters and the intensity of the laser beam.
The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
Before describing in detail embodiments that are in accordance with the present invention, it should be observed that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of method steps and apparatus components related to a phototherapy apparatus with precise dosage control. Accordingly, the apparatus components and method steps have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
In this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
Referring to
The disclosed phototherapy apparatus can be used in other fields as well, such as photo-dynamic therapy, where the light source is used to activate a photosensitizing drug, or in aesthetic treatments such as acne treatment, wrinkle removal, skin-tightening, etc.
In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. The numerical values cited in the specific embodiment are illustrative rather than limiting. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present invention. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.
