Patent ID: 8240312

Claim:
A selective photochemical method of treating microbial diseases in local infections by selectively damaging specific bacteria, said method comprising step of emitting for a time period of up to 3 minutes a beam of a blue light towards the tissue to be treated; said beam of a blue light characterized by (i) wavelength from 400 to 550 nanometers; (ii) energy density in the range of 0.5 to 234 J/cm 2 ; thereby forming reactive oxygen species (ROS) and selectively damaging said specific bacteria; said energy density is provided such that an irreversible thermal damage to said tissue during and after said step of emitting blue light is prevented; wherein said step of emitting said blue light beam is performed without (i) any exogenous photosensitizers; and, (ii) any thermal coagulation of said bacteria.