Patent ID: 8470010

Claim:
A method for treating a spider vein comprising identifying a targeted treatment site where a spider vein exists, identifying an intravenous injection site offering venous access to the targeted treatment site spaced at a distance from the targeted treatment site, providing a prescribed volume of a photosensitizing agent in solution that, when exposed to a source of light energy at a selected wavelength, generates singlet oxygen and free radicals without generating heat, injecting the prescribed volume of the photosensitizing agent in solution at the intravenous injection site, waiting a prescribed time period to allow the photosensitizing agent in solution to circulate and be carried by blood into contact with endothelial tissue of an inner wall of the spider vein, applying light energy at the selected wave length to the targeted treatment site by a device inserted into the body in proximity to the targeted treatment site, the light energy having a wavelength that activates the photosensitizing agent to generate singlet oxygen and reactive oxygen radicals that disrupt normal cell functions and cause intentional endothelial tissue cell death in the inner wall of the spider vein and evoke a healing process without affecting non-endothelial tissue cells; and allowing the healing process to shut and shrink the spider vein in the targeted treatment site.