Patent ID: 8685010

Claim:
An apparatus for light treatment of soft tissue, comprising at least two opposed optical assemblies, each coupled by an optical transmission device to a light source, wherein each assembly comprises: a) a light-transmitting contact surface adapted to transmit the light to the soft tissue; b) a light guide plate having a light input surface at a lateral surface, said light guide plate adapted to receive light from the optical transmission device, the light propagating through the light guide plate; c) extraction features formed on a proximal surface of the light guide plate by application of material to the proximal surface of the light guide plate; d) a reflecting plate separated from the proximal surface of the light guide plate, said reflecting plate being in direct physical contact with the extraction features on the proximal surface of the light guide plate; and e) an extraction space defined by the proximal surface of the light guide plate and the reflecting plate, wherein the light guide plate, the extraction features, the reflecting plate, and the extraction space are adapted to transmit light reflected from the extraction features to the soft tissue through the light-transmitting contact surface in a substantially uniform distribution, and are housed in an optical assembly housing, the assembly further comprising: f) a cooling layer adjacent to a base interior surface of the optical assembly housing, and adjacent to a lateral interior surface of the optical assembly housing, such that heat is conducted from the light-transmitting contact surface through the extraction features to the cooling layer.