Patent ID: 7713265

Claim:
Apparatus for medically treating a tattoo of a patient comprising a scanned light beam unit, wherein the scanned light beam unit includes a light beam source assembly, a scanner, at least one light detector, and a controller, wherein the light beam source assembly is adapted to emit light pulses at different wavelengths, wherein the controller is operatively connected to the light beam source assembly and the scanner, and wherein the controller is adapted: to control the scanned light beam unit to illuminate a first light-pulse-sized region of the tattoo using the light beam source assembly at different wavelengths and at relatively low power; to use the at-least-one light detector to detect a least-reflecting wavelength of the illumination of the first light-pulse-sized region of the tattoo; and to control the scanned light beam unit to medically treat the first light-pulse-sized region of the tattoo using the light beam source assembly at a wavelength substantially equal to the detected least-reflecting wavelength of the illumination of the first light-pulse-sized region of the tattoo and at relatively high power to at least reduce the pigmentation of the first light-pulse-sized region of the tattoo.