Research Project
2422126
The aim of this research proposal is to develop a UV-B light source and a fiber optic delivery system (optical fiber comb) that delivers light to the psoriatic scalp of patients. Currently, used treatment methods for psoriasis using UV-B are not applicable to the scalp because hair typically blocks the light from reaching the affected skin. This new method overcomes this problem by using a "comb" that has optical fibers which deliver light directly to the skin. A custom light source will provide sufficient UV-B light to the comb to perform treatment in a reasonably short period of time. This simple idea can provide a new treatment modality for psoriasis of the scalp, a disease that affects approximately two million people in the United States alone. Successful completion of this project will result in a new medical device that will be tested in a clinical trial prior to commercialization. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: Psoriasis of the scalp affects approximately two million people in the U.S. alone. Patients will require their own light combs, replaceable after 100-200 uses, that could be used in a physician's office. In a conservative scenario, assuming that 1/3rd of affected patients were treated only in a physician's office where one device might be used for 100 patients, 6,600 units would be needed in addition to several hundred thousand combs per year. Many patients would desire their own light source for convenience.
