PHOTOTHERAPY DEVICE

Abstract

A phototherapy device which obtains an advantageous therapeutic effect and suppresses side effects at least to a certain degree by irradiation of diseased sites with therapeutic radiation with a spectrum in the UV-B radiation wavelength range that is continuous at least in the wavelength range of at most 303 nm with a lower boundary wavelength value of at least 297 nm. The phototherapy device has a light source which emits light with a spectrum having an emission peak in the wavelength range from 300 nm to 315 nm and which is continuous in the wavelength range of this emission peak at least up to 295 nm; and a radiation emission window in which the light from the light source is incident and via which the therapeutic radiation is emitted with a spectrum with a lower boundary value in the wavelength range from 297 nm to 303 nm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the arrangement of one example of the phototherapy device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2( a) is a schematic front view of the light irradiation unit of the phototherapy device as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2( b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2( c) is a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to that of FIG. 2(b) but showing the arrangement in the state in which the frame is open;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section along the tube axis of one example of a XeCl excimer lamp which is used in the phototherapy device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic of the arrangement of a power source device for operating the XeCl excimer lamp shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plot of the spectrum of the light source radiation which is emitted from the XeCl excimer lamp which is used in the phototherapy device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 6 is a plot of the spectrum of the light source radiation in a phototherapy device with a light source which uses a metal halide lamp;

FIG. 7 is a plot of the spectrum of the therapeutic radiation which is emitted via an optical filter in a phototherapy device with a light source which emits light source radiation as shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a plot of the spectrum of UV-B radiation according to experimental examples;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the wavelength range from 290 nm to 305 nm of the spectrum according to FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a plot of the spectrum of the UV-B radiation according to another experimental example;

FIG. 11 is a graph representing the apoptosis of white blood cells observed in the experimental examples;

FIG. 12 is a graph representing the DNA damage observed in the experimental examples; and

FIG. 13 is a graph representing the therapeutic gain in relative terms observed in the experimental examples.

Claims

1. Phototherapy device for irradiation of diseased sites with therapeutic radiation with a spectrum in the wavelength range of UV-B radiation, comprising means for irradiating diseased sites with a continuous spectrum of therapeutic radiation comprising radiation in a wavelength range between at least 297 nm and at most 303 nm.

2. Phototherapy device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the means for irradiating comprises: a light source which emits light source radiation which has a spectrum which has an emission peak in a wavelength range from 300 nm to 315 nm and which is continuous in the wavelength range from this emission peak at least up to 295 nm; anda radiation emission window in which the light source radiation from the light source is incident and via which the therapeutic radiation is emitted, andwherein the therapeutic radiation which is emitted via the radiation emission window has a spectrum with a lower boundary value which is in the wavelength range from 297 nm to 303 nm.

3. Phototherapy device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lower boundary value of the spectrum of the therapeutic radiation is in the wavelength range between at least 297 nm and at most 300 nm.

4. Phototherapy device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the light source comprises a XeCl excimer lamp.

5. Phototherapy device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the light source comprises a metal halide lamp or a fluorescent lamp.

6. Phototherapy device in accordance with claim 2, further comprising means for controlling the radiation which controls the lower boundary value of the spectrum of the light source.

7. Phototherapy device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the means for controlling the radiation is an optical filter.

8. Phototherapy device in accordance with claim 7, wherein the optical filter forms said radiation emission window.