Abstract:
A method of treating diabetes including activating a laser system, wherein the laser system emits a composite laser beam with more than one wavelength, and directing the composite laser beam over at least one of a pancreas, a thyroid, a foot, and a thoracic spine to treat diabetes.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application 62/081,536, filed Nov. 18, 2014, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The disclosure generally relates to diabetic treatment using lasers. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
         [0004]    Diabetes (i.e., diabetes mellitus) is a metabolic disease in which sufferers are unable to process excess blood sugar. The inability to process excess blood sugar may come from inadequate insulin production by the body, the improper response of the body&#39;s cells to insulin, or a combination of both. If left untreated, diabetes can cause serious bodily damage and even death. For example, unmanaged diabetes can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as permanently damage blood vessels. Damaged blood vessels may lead to loss of eyesight, kidney failure, and nerve damage. 
         [0005]    There are three main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to process excess sugar. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body&#39;s cells fail to respond to insulin properly (i.e., the cells develop a kind of insulin resistance). The third type is gestational diabetes, which may develop in pregnant women. Depending on the type of diabetes and the seriousness of the condition, physicians may prescribe various treatment regimens. These treatment regimens typically include dietary changes, exercise programs, and medication (e.g., insulin injections, oral medication). Unfortunately, diabetes medications may be expensive and have undesirable side effects such as insulin resistance, weight gain, liver disease, etc. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The embodiments discussed below disclose a laser system and method that use laser light to stimulate cells in order to treat diabetes. Laser light consists of discrete wavelengths of coherent light from a narrow portion of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum (EMR). In general, it is amplified light that is monochromatic, collimated, and/or polarized that is then concentrated on a specific location (e.g., tissue). As will be explained below, some laser light is able to penetrate the skin surface with little or no heating of the biological tissue. As the laser light penetrates the skin surface, the laser light provides bio-stimulating energy to the body&#39;s cells enabling the cells to heal, regulate pain, grow, produce insulin, etc. Indeed, laser light therapy appears to restore biological systems to stable conditions (e.g., homeostasis). 
         [0007]    It is believed that the energy from the laser system, in the form of photons, is absorbed by photo acceptor sites on a cell membrane. As the photonic energy is absorbed, the photonic energy triggers the cell&#39;s biochemical pathways, which initiate the transmission of a variety of signals that then start, inhibit, or accelerate a variety of biological processes. For example, laser light may enhance receptor-mediated movement across the cell membrane, which enables the cell to repair the cell&#39;s enzyme systems and re-establish the proper balance of proteins, ions, and/or carbohydrates within the cell. In some embodiments, laser light may increase the transport of ions, including calcium ions, across the cell membrane increasing the cell&#39;s ability to transmit signals. Laser light may also increase the levels of adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) produced by the mitochondria of the cell. Specifically, the laser light may stimulate cytochromes (e.g., porphyrin) to produce singlet oxygen. Singlet oxygen in turn facilitates ATP creation. The increase in ATP enables more energy transportation within cells, which stimulate higher levels of cellular activity. In other words, increased ATP production increases cellular growth factors and higher levels of protein synthesis enabling cellular repair and functioning (e.g., produce insulin, etc.). 
         [0008]    As will be discussed in detail below, the laser system produces a composite beam of laser energy emitted at wavelengths of approximately 532 nm (e.g., 500-594 nm), 808 nm (e.g., 780-980 nm), and 1064 nm (e.g., 1050-1300 nm) that uniquely stimulates the body&#39;s cells (e.g., pancreatic beta cells) to treat diabetes (e.g., produce insulin, absorb insulin). However, some embodiments may include a laser system that includes a combination of the three wavelengths (e.g., approximately 532 nm, 808 nm, and 1064 nm) that uniquely stimulate the body&#39;s cells to treat diabetes. In operation, it is believed that the composite beam penetrates deeply into biological tissue (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more inches) without diverging; thus, enabling each component of the composite beam to simultaneously strike the same target tissue and at the same angle. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    Various features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying figures in which like characters represent like parts throughout the figures, wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a laser system; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a patient receiving diabetic treatment with a laser system; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an embodiment of a method for treating diabetes with a laser system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. These embodiments are only exemplary of the present invention. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a laser system  8 . The laser system  8  may include a housing  10  that houses various components of the laser system  8 . Components of the laser system  8  may include a power source  12  (e.g., batteries, standard plug-in electrical connection, or a combination thereof) that couples to a driver board  14  (e.g., 500 mW-5 W driver board). In operation, the power source  12  powers the driver board  14 , which then powers a laser diode  16  (e.g., 808 nm laser diode). The diode  16 , emits a first beam  18  (e.g., approximately 808 nm) through a microlens  20  and into a first crystal  22  (e.g., yttrium vanadate (NDYV04) crystal). As the first beam  18  passes through the first crystal  22 , a portion of the first beam  18  changes into a second beam  24  (e.g., approximately 1064 nm) with a different wavelength. The second beam  24  and an unchanged portion of the first beam  18  then pass through a second crystal  26  (e.g., potassium titanium oxide (KTP) crystal) to form a third beam  28  (e.g., approximately 532 nm). The second crystal  26  then emits an unchanged portion of the first beam  18 , an unchanged portion of the second beam  24 , and the third beam  28  as a composite laser beam  30  (e.g., resultant composite laser beam) with the three different wavelengths (e.g., approximately 532 nm, 808 nm, and 1064 nm). After exiting the second crystal  26 , the composite laser beam  30  passes through a collimating lens  32 , and then out of the laser system  8  through an aperture  34  (e.g., single aperture). In some embodiments, the laser system  8  may not include a focusing lens in order to produce a more diffuse beam. A more diffuse beam may minimize the thermal effects from higher wavelength portions of the composite laser beam  30 . 
         [0015]    As illustrated, the laser system  8  may include an on/off switch  36  that enables an operator to control power transmission. Thus, enabling a user to regulate the duration of the treatment. In some embodiments, the laser system  8  may include a controller  38  that controls operation of the laser system  8 . The controller  38  may include a processor  40  specifically programmed to execute instructions stored (e.g., programs) on a memory  42  to control the power source  12 , driver board  14 , and/or display  44 . For example, the controller  38  may pulse the composite beam (e.g., 1 Hz to 5 kHz), change power (e.g., 500 mW to 5 W), implement a specific treatment protocol, etc. In some embodiments, the laser system  8  may provide feedback through a display, meters, and/or gauges  44  that enable a user to understand an operating condition of the laser system  8 . For example, the display, meters, and/or gauges  44  may display a status of the laser system  8  including the wavelengths of emitted light, power level, treatment regimen, timer, pulse frequency, etc. 
         [0016]    While the laser system  8  includes a single laser diode  16 , some embodiments may include multiple diodes  16  (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more). For example, the laser system  8  may include a diode for each desired wavelength (e.g., approximately 532 nm, 808 nm, and 1064 nm) and a beam combiner that then combines the beams from the different diodes into a composite laser beam. In operation, the laser system  8  may enable selective activation and power output from each of the diodes  16 . For example, some treatment regimens may call for more laser light from a specific wavelength (e.g., approximately 532 nm, 808 nm, or 1064 nm). In these situations, a user or the controller  38  may increase the power of a particular diode  16  and/or use the remaining diodes  16  for less time during a treatment. 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a patient receiving diabetic treatment with the laser system  8 . As explained above, the laser system  8  treats diabetes. In some embodiments, the laser system  8  may be directed/focused over a specific portion of the body (e.g., pancreas, thyroid, thoracic spine, feet, etc.) to treat diabetes. For example, by focusing the composite beam  30  onto or in vicinity of the pancreas, the laser system  8  may stimulate increased production of insulin by the body. Likewise, by focusing the composite beam  30  onto the thyroid, the laser system  8  may stimulate the thyroid&#39;s ability to manage energy, protein production, etc. 
         [0018]    In some embodiments, the laser system  8  may be a wearable system worn by a patient  60  around a specific portion of the body (e.g., like an insulin pump). For example, the laser system  8  may be worn by the patient  60  in vicinity of the pancreas using a strap or other wearable device. In some embodiments, the patient may wear a diabetes treatment system  62  that includes the laser system  8  coupled (e.g., wired, wirelessly) to one or more diabetes sensors or monitors  64  (e.g., epidermal glucose sensor, subcutaneous glucose sensor). In operation, the controller  38  may receive input from the diabetes sensor  64  regarding the glucose levels of the patient  60 . If the glucose levels of the patient  60  are high, the controller  38  activates the laser system  8  to produce the composite laser beam  30 . The composite laser beam  30  then stimulates insulin production by the pancreas, which reduces blood sugar levels. 
         [0019]    As explained above, the controller  38  may include stored laser treatment regimens. These regimens may be based on specific glucose levels, patient size (e.g., amount of fat tissue between the laser system  8  and a target tissue), time since last treatment, etc. For example, the detection of high glucose levels may trigger an extensive laser treatment (e.g., longer duration, more intense laser beam, or a combination thereof) by the laser system  8 . Similarly, moderate levels of glucose may trigger a less extensive laser treatment (e.g., shorter duration, less intense laser beam, etc.) by the laser system  8 . In some embodiments, the regimen may include waiting a predetermined time period before starting the laser treatment again and/or the laser system  8  may wait for another glucose measurement before restarting the laser treatment. 
         [0020]    As explained above, laser treatment by the laser system  8  may vary in duration, power, intensity, location, and distance from the patient  60 . For example, one treatment regimen may involve irradiating the pancreas, thyroid, foot, thoracic spine, etc. in a scanning pattern approximately one inch away from a patient&#39;s skin with a composite laser beam  30  at approximately three hundred sixty mW and pulsed at approximately thirty Hz for approximately two minutes. The regimen may then irradiate the pancreas, thyroid, foot, thoracic spine, etc. with a continuous composite laser beam  30  for approximately one minute at approximately three hundred sixty mW. However, this is only an exemplary treatment regimen and other regimens may increase or decrease the power, frequency of pulses, time, distance, laser movement pattern, etc. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is an embodiment of a method  66  for treating diabetes with a laser system  8 . The method begins by transmitting a signal from one or more diabetes sensors and/or monitors  64  (step  68 ). In some embodiments, the diabetes sensors and/or monitors  64  may transmit signals periodically, when requested by a user, and/or a combination thereof. For example, the diabetes sensors or monitors  64  may transmit a signal every hour, every six hours, before scheduled meal times, after scheduled meal times, etc. A controller (e.g., controller  38 ) receives the signal from the one or more sensors or monitors  64  (step  70 ) and then processes the signal using a processor (e.g.,  40 ) (step  72 ). The processor may be specifically programmed to execute instructions stored on a memory (e.g.,  42 ) to determine what kind of glucose level the signal represents as well as other steps in the method  66 . 
         [0022]    If the signal represents a normal glucose level, the method returns to transmitting and receiving signals from one or more diabetes sensors  64  (steps  68  and  70 ). If the signal represents a glucose level above one or more threshold levels (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more), the processor determines the type of laser treatment regimen that will bring the glucose levels to a normal and/or acceptable level (step  74 ). For example, if the processor determines that the glucose levels are above a first threshold level but below a second threshold level, the processor may determine that a first treatment regimen among one or more treatment regimens (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 treatment regimens) will bring the glucose level to a normal and/or acceptable level. In some embodiments, if the glucose level is above the second threshold level but below a third threshold level, the processor may determine that a second treatment regimen should be used. Similarly, some embodiments may include additional treatment regimens (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more treatment regimens) that treat one or more glucose threshold levels (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more thresholds). As explained above, treatment regimens may differ in time, motion of laser, laser intensity, frequency of laser pulses, laser wavelengths, and/or amount of time the target is exposed to different wavelengths. Once the type of laser treatment has been determined the controller controls the laser treatment system  8  with the processor (step  76 ). After finishing the treatment, the method  66  returns to transmitting and receiving signals from one or more diabetes sensors (steps  68 ,  70 ) to determine whether the user would benefit from additional laser treatments. 
         [0023]    While the invention may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.