METHOD AND DEVICE FOR STIMULATING BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES

Abstract: The method and device is designed for biostimulation (for example wound-healing, acupuncture, rheumatologic and cosmetic purposes). The device includes a light source connected to a power supply, the light source consists of one or more light emitting diodes. The said light emitting diodes which have advantageously polarized light or are equipped with a polarizer are connected to a power supply which includes a modulator.

Description: METHOD A2JD DEVICE FOR ST_D-_CJIATI2TG BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES The subject matter of the invention is /"- 5 a method and device for stimulating biological processes, for example for wound-healing, acu¬ puncture, rheumatology and cosmetic purposes. It is known that for treating wounds slow in healing lasers may be used in clinical practice. 10 Such lasers are generally He-lTe or Ar-ion lasers. During treatment the laser light beam is directed to the wound by means of appropriate optical de¬ vices, and by moving the beam, the whole surface of the wound is swept. Several contradictory theories 15 have been put forward to explain the biologically stimulating effect of the laser light but at present no generally accepted scientific interpretation is available. The publications mostly provide only the results of the treatments and only a few attempts 20 were made to decide to which specific feature of the laser is the biostimulative effect due. On the basis of the results published, a general work is for example, "Der Laser" by Endre MΞSTER CSpringer Verlag, 1981), laser beam treatment has greater potential 25 applications in clinical practice than have so far been taken advantage of. • ^t should however be said that-certain factors obstruct the general employment of laser treatment in clinical practice. One of these fac- 30 tors is that continuously working lasers having appropriate beam diameter and efficiency are expen¬ sive, the other factor is that, these lasers have intricate structural set up and their operating vol¬ tage is high therefore their handling requires spe- - 2 - cific knowledge. Another drawback is that as there are technical limits of increase the beam diame¬ ter in cases if you wish to ensure the generally -a used power density of 2-10 mW/cnr for any single 5 treatment so the sweeping of wounds of bigger sur¬ face requires due foresight. When treating wounds slow in healing successful experiments were per ormed by means of projection machines equipped with a polarizer and 0 an infra-red cutting filter in addition to the usu¬ al optical system CBazsό, Yarju, Szego, Rόzsa, Apai: "Employment of incoherent polarized wide-band light beam for facilitating wound healing" KFKI 1981-73., Budapest). Although such projection machines are 5 not as expensive as lasers, they are large, they generally require cooling, and they work with low efficiency. The aim of this invention was to produce a device which stimulated biological processes at 0 least to the same extent as the devices known so far but which is simple in structure, is inexpensive, small-sized, reliable, has a long life as well as being efficient and thus can widely be used in addi¬ tion to medical applications for cosmetic purposes 25 and for treatment at home. The invention overcome the drawbacks of currently available devices by utilizing one or more light emitting diodes C EDs) as light source. LEDs give advantageously polarized light or may be equip- 0 ped with a polarizer. These LEDs are equipped with a power supply including a modulator. Larger surfaces can advantageously be ir¬ radiated by utilizing additional LEDs, for example by arranging them in matrix which enable uniform and OMH rapid treatment of the whole surface without sweeping. In contrast to the practice until now that filtered the infra-red rays, LEDs working in the infra-red range can advantageously be applied as well, espe- cially for the treatment of the tissues which are deep below the skin - as a result of the increased penetration depth. The equipment embodies a power supply with a modulator by means of which the LEDs can emit light pulse series enabling high peak power of the pulses at low average power. In the case of lasers used for similar purposes such modulation can be realized only in a narrower power range and with complicated and expensive equipment. It may be advantageous to use LEDs with polarized light or to use a polarizer in front of the non-polarized LEDs. For the latter case a pola¬ rizer prism, polarizer plate or a glass plate placed at appropriate angles CBrewster angle) can be used as the polarizer. The said invention is thus simple and safe, low in price, has great reliability and long life therey enabling the general use of the equip¬ ment and its employment for treatment at home or for cosmetic purposes. OMPI

Claims: C L I M S 1. Method for stimulating biological processes mainly for wound-healing, acupuncture, rheumatologic and cosmetic purposes c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d i n that the light of light emitting diodes is used for radiation treatments. 2. Device for stimulating biological processes mainly for wound-healing, acupuncture, rheumatologic and cosmetic purposes, containing a light source connected to a power supply c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y the light source consisting of one or more light emitting diodes. 3« The device described in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y the embodi¬ ment of LED CLΞDS) with polarized light or by it Cthem) being equipped with a polarizer. 4. The device described in claims 1 and 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y the LED C EDs) being connected to a power supply. 5. The device described in claims 2-4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the LEDs are arranged in form of matrix. OMPI

Inventors: APAI PAL, KISS ARPAD, KROO NORBERT, ROZSA KAROLY, RUBIN GYOERGY, APAI, PAL, KISS, ARPAD, KROO, NORBERT, ROZSA, KAROLY, RUBIN, GYOERGY
Applicants: MTA KOEZPONTI FIZ KUTATO INTEZ, MTA KOEZPONTI FIZIKAI KUTATO INTEZETE
Application year: 1984
Main classification: A61N5
IPC codes: A61N5