Abstract:
Apparatus and methods disclosed herein operate to produce high peak power light output, to deliver the light output to a portion of skin in a dermatological setting, to deliver a flow of cool gas or air to the skin for cooling purposes, to monitor skin temperature during the delivery of light to the portion of skin, and to adjust the light power in real time such as to enhance the tradeoff between treatment efficacy and skin damage.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIMS  
       [0001]    This disclosure claims the benefit of the filing date of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/204,888, filed on Jan. 13, 2009, and titled “Multipurpose Intense Pulse Light Device.” 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]    Various embodiments described herein relate to medical devices and techniques including apparatus and methods associated with electromagnetic irradiation of tissue in clinical dermatology using an intense pulsed-light (IPL) radiation source. 
       BACKGROUND INFORMATION  
       [0003]    Lamps, lasers, and other sources of electromagnetic radiation are increasingly being used for skin treatments. The absorption of light energy by a target within skin and the resulting coagulation of the target can produce desired clinical results. In particular, light has been utilized to remove unwanted hair, eliminate leg veins, remove tattoos, and remove or reduce acne vulgaris and skin lesions. Non-laser pulsed light treatments use intense pulsed light (IPL) to coagulate a target cellular structure using a photo selective process. The skin is protected from thermal injury as it is allowed to cool between and/or during pulses of light while high temperature is induced in the target. 
         [0004]    One of the advantages of incoherent light based systems over laser systems is that it is possible to efficiently obtain a suitable light energy flux over a larger area. Quickly and uniformly exposing a large treatment area reduces treatment time. Treatment of a particular target tissue type may be enhanced by utilizing a suitable set of wavelengths. A single wide-band IPL device may be adapted for a selected treatment type by changing bandpass filters and thereby selecting the indicated set of wavelengths. 
         [0005]    Limitations exist as to acceptable radiation fluence levels used for various dermatological treatments. Excessive levels may cause damage to the epidermis or epidermis-dermis junction. Consequently, epidermal cooling may be used when high level irradiation is required for successful clinical treatment. Currently, protection of the epidermis is achieved by cooling the skin surface by a cold sapphire window or spraying the skin with a short cryogen spurt. 
         [0006]    The U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,907, to N. Tankovich, HAIR REMOVAL DEVICE AND METHOD, describes a hair removal method based on darkening the hair and hair color to enhance absorption of light by the follicles, to improve efficacy. The problems with this method are there is no skin cooling to protect the epidermis and to reduce discomfort during treatments. 
         [0007]    The U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,380 to Eckhouse et al., METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DEPLIATION USING PULSED ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION, describes a hair removal apparatus based on one flashlamp. In this invention a gel is disposed on the surface of the tissue and the window is in contact with the gel. Contact cooling reduces the speed that the handpiece can move across the skin thereby limiting the maximum speed of treatments. Furthermore; the lack of multiple flashlamps severely limits the spot size to less than 10 sq. cm per pulse of light that the Eckhouse device is able to treat at the proper fluence levels. 
         [0008]    The U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,475 to Altshuler et al, HEAD FOR DERMATOLOGY TREATMENT, describes the use of continuous wave radiation as apposed to a pulsed light system. This device is not capable of producing high peak powers to achieve sufficient peak temperature in a short time duration, which severely limits its use in a wide variety of skin conditions. 
         [0009]    The U.S. Pat. No. 7,097,639 B1 to Almeida, DUAL FILTER MULTIPLE PULSE PHOTO-DERMATOLOGICAL DEVICE . . . , describes the optimum fixed specification wavelength distribution pattern for the treatment of various skin conditions by adjusting the intensity of light and delay between pulses. Skin cooling for the treatment area is not recommended. One deficiency of such device is that the generated light is not distributed evenly. Further, the lack of skin cooling severely limits the use of the device for dark skin, and the proposed algorithm is not adaptable for different skin types in any given treatment session. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a skin treatment system according to various example embodiments. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a portion of a handpiece associated with a skin treatment system according to various example embodiments. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a partially cut-away side perspective view of the handpiece according to various example embodiments. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4   a  is a partially cut-away side view of the handpiece according to various example embodiments. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 4   b  and  4   c  are Four-Lamps and Six-Lamps configuration within handpiece. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a partially cut-away side perspective view of the handpiece according to various example embodiments. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram according to various example embodiments. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a controller associated with the skin treatment system according to various example embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a skin treatment system  100  according to various example embodiments. Embodiments herein may be suitable for dermatological skin treatment including but not limited to skin rejuvenation and/or to the removal of unwanted hair, tattoos, acne, and vascular and pigmentation lesions. In some embodiments, the skin treatment system  100  includes a computer  1 , energy storage capacitor banks  2 , a pulse cooling device  3 , a main motherboard  4 , and a handpiece adapter  26 . Computer  1  manages communications with the handpiece  20  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) and main motherboard  4 . Such communications are effected via Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface and communication software in some embodiments. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a portion of a handpiece  200  associated with the skin treatment system  100  according to various example embodiments. The handpiece  200  includes a flashlamp array  30  to provide light radiation for treatment. Light emitted from the flashlamp array  30  may be filtered by an internal filter  12  to output wavelengths from 420 to 1100 nanometers (nm) at maximum fluences in excess of 50 Joules/cm 2 . An array of falshlamp can produce 50 Joules/cm 2  into large spot size of 15 cm 2  or more. The choice of 3 or more falshlamps produce fluences in the 50 Joules/cm 2  in large spot sizes of 15 cm 2  or more. 
         [0020]    An infrared sensor  29  within the housing  21  of the handpiece  200  may be positioned at an angle to facilitate skin temperature measurements. The apertures and other components of the infrared sensor  29  are described in detail further below. In  FIG. 2 , the outputs of thermistor  26  (not shown in  FIG. 2 ), measuring temperature of incoming air, thermistor  27  (not shown in  FIG. 2 ), measuring temperature of the air directed for skin cooling, thermistor  28  (not shown in  FIG. 2 ), measuring outgoing air temperature, and infrared sensor  29 , measuring skin temperature, are measured by the main computer  1  to form a baseline for treatment. The main computer  1  uses the temperature information to control the treatment parameters. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a partially cut-away side perspective view of the handpiece  200  according to various example embodiments. The handpiece  200  may include a handpiece cover  20 , an optical housing  21 , a display  23 , a trigger switch  22 , and an automatically recognizable external filter  31 . The handpiece  200  is activated by the trigger switch  22 . The parameters can be modified by push buttons  42 ,  43 , and  44 . Apparatus  20  includes a handpiece circuit  24  (not shown in  FIG. 3 ) that controls and ssynchronizes communications with the main computer  1  and monitors sensors utilized in the handpiece  200 . Apparatus  20  includes a display  23  for providing useful information including but not limited to skin type setting, skin temperature, filter type, and fluence levels being delivered to the skin. The control electronics, flashlamp power cables, and cold air are combined and connected to the handpiece  20  via an umbilical hose  25 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 4   a  is a partially cut-away side view of the handpiece  200  according to various example embodiments. The handpiece  200  includes a housing  21  and an array of flashlamps  30  to provide light radiation for treatment. The flashlamp array  30  includes flashlamp set  26  and flashlamp set  27 , the latter controlled by two separate energy delivery unit  2  as shown in  FIG. 6 , module  74  and module  75 . 
         [0023]      FIGS. 4   b  and  4   c  are Six-Lamp and Four-Lamp configurations within optical housing  21 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  is a partially cut-away side perspective view of the handpiece  200  according to various example embodiments. The handpiece cover  20 , as discussed above, includes an airflow channel  505  to direct cool air  40  to the skin and airflow channel  41  to cool the flashlamp assembly  30 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 6  is a block flow diagram illustrating a method  600  according to various example embodiments. The method  600  includes performing parallel processing of the information for handpiece  20 , monitoring and controlling energy stored in capacitor bank  2 , and dumping energy into the bank of flashlamps via IGBT&#39;s  74  and  75 . The power supply  78  converts the 220 volts alternating current (AC) into the capacitor bank direct current (DC) voltage in the range of 160-750 volts. The high voltage contactor  72  isolates the system from the ignition voltages during flashlamp start up process. Pulse cooling fan inside the HP adapter module  26 , utilizing a high power blower, is controlled by the main computer  1 . Different skin types change the algorithm to alternate the different flashlamp banks. The higher the skin type index result into lower initial peak powers ramping to the highest peak power at the end of the alternating pulse series. The alternating control of flashlamp bank produces decaying, flat or increasing rate of peak power pulse series when a series of light pulses are delivered to skin. 
         [0026]      FIG. 7  is a flow diagram of the computer software utilized in this invention.  FIG. 7  includes a high level Graphical User Interface (GUI), which interacts with the operator. The Patient Module  55  in  FIG. 7  is responsible for recording, maintaining and updating patient parameters used during treatments with corresponding pictures, notes and voice recordings. The Skin Type Module  56  in  FIG. 7  determines the patient skin type based on his/her medical background and skin reaction information. The Treatment Module  57  in  FIG. 7  sets parameters, interfaces with Microcontrollers, and activates the handpiece based on the parameters appropriate for that treatment indication. 
         [0027]    The components and modules described herein may include hardware circuitry, optical components, multi-processor circuits, memory circuits, software program modules and objects encoded in a computer-readable medium and capable of being executed by a processor (but excluding non-functional descriptive matter), firmware, and combinations thereof, as desired by the architect of the skin treatment system  100  and as appropriate for particular implementations of various embodiments. 
         [0028]    The apparatus, systems, and methods of various embodiments may be useful in applications other than the skin treatment system  100 . Thus, various embodiments of the invention are not to be so limited. The illustration of the skin treatment system  100  is intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments. It is not intended to serve as a complete description of all the elements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use of the structures described herein. 
         [0029]    The novel apparatus and systems of various embodiments may comprise or be incorporated into a variety of electronic systems, such as televisions, cellular telephones, personal computers (e.g., laptop computers, desktop computers, handheld computers, tablet computers, etc.), workstations, radios, video players, audio players (e.g., MP3 (Motion Picture Experts Group, Audio Layer 3) players), vehicles, medical devices (e.g., heart monitor, blood pressure monitor, etc.), set top boxes, and others. Some embodiments may include a number of methods. 
         [0030]    It is noted that the activities described herein may be executed in an order other than the order described. The various activities described with respect to the methods identified herein may also be executed in repetitive, serial, and/or parallel fashion. 
         [0031]    A software program may be launched from a computer-readable medium in a computer-based system to execute functions defined in the software program. Various programming languages may be employed to create software programs designed to implement and perform the methods disclosed herein. The programs may be structured in an object-oriented format using an object-oriented language such as Labview, Java or C++. Alternatively, the programs may be structured in a procedure-oriented format using a procedural language, such as assembly or C. The software components may communicate using well-known mechanisms, including application program interfaces, inter-process communication techniques, and remote procedure calls, among others. The teachings of various embodiments are not limited to any particular programming language or environment. 
         [0032]    The apparatus, systems, and methods described herein may operate to irradiate skin at predetermined wavelength spectra and to cool the skin during a predetermined time interval. Skin irradiation and cooling levels may be coordinated while measuring skin temperature to increase patient comfort levels. 
         [0033]    By way of illustration and not of limitation, the accompanying figures show specific embodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. The embodiments illustrated are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may be used and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This Detailed Description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense. The breadth of various embodiments is defined by the appended claims and the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
         [0034]    Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein individually or collectively by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit this application to any single invention or inventive concept, if more than one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments and other embodiments not specifically described herein will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. 
         [0035]    The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b) requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In the preceding Detailed Description, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted to require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may be found in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.