Patent ID: 7950396

Claim:
A method of treating otitis externa comprising: (a) applying a photosensitizing composition to treatment site within ear cavity where microbes causing otitis externa are located; (b) inserting at least a portion of a light delivery device into the cavity; and (c) applying light to the treatment site at a wavelength absorbed by the photosensitizing composition so as to inhibit or eliminate the microbes and/or to reduce inflammation at the treatment site but without causing physiological damage to host tissue within the ear cavity; wherein (i) the light is delivery by the light delivery device to the treatment site; (ii) the light delivery device is in light communication with a light source via a waveguide; (iii) the photosensitizing composition comprises of toluidine blue at a concentration ranges from about 0.001 wt % to about 1 wt %; and (iv) the wavelength ranges from about 600 nm to 670 nm.