Patent ID: 9554856
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61N

Claim:
1. An apparatus for irradiating a tissue surface, said apparatus comprising an optical assembly, said assembly configured to be coupled by an optical transmission device to a light source, wherein the optical assembly comprises: a) a light-transmitting contact surface configured to transmit light to the tissue surface; b) a sapphire light guide plate having a light input surface at a lateral surface, said light guide plate adapted to receive light from the optical transmission device, the light propagating through the light guide plate; c) a reflecting plate separated from the proximal surface of the light guide plate; d) an extraction space defined by the proximal surface of the light guide plate and the reflecting plate; e) extraction features within the extraction space, the extraction features formed such that light reflected from the extraction features is transmitted to the tissue surface through the light-transmitting contact surface in a uniform distribution, the extraction features being in direct physical contact with the reflecting plate, the extraction features comprising a mixture of a binding material and inorganic crystalline microparticles, said microparticles having an index of refraction substantially greater than that of sapphire and a diameter of approximately 1 micron or larger, and where the binding material comprises a polymer and inorganic crystalline nanoparticles, said nanoparticles having an index of refraction substantially than that of sapphire and a diameter of approximately 25 to 50 nm or smaller, such that the binding material has an index of refraction approximately equal to the index of refraction of sapphire; and f) a housing enclosing at least a portion of the light guide plate and the reflecting plate and having an opening at the lateral input surface of the light guide plate.