WO2008054280A1

WO2008054280A1 - Treatment of surface tissue with a diffusing laser head

Info

Publication number: WO2008054280A1
Application number: PCT/SE2007/000936
Authority: WO
Inventors: Markus Eriksson
Original assignee: Markus Eriksson
Priority date: 2006-10-30
Filing date: 2007-10-24
Publication date: 2008-05-08
Also published as: SE0602270L

Abstract

Device to make laser treatments more effective by applying laser light to surface tissue through a diffusing head, where as the diffusing head has a diffuse spreading of the laser light directly into the tissue through the treatment area.

Description

Treatment of surface tissue with a diffusing laser head

The invention in question refer to a device that inhances surface laser treatments of humans or animales by spreading the laser light in a specific direction without a large loss of power distribution.

On the market common devices of similar character has been treating symptoms since the sixties and and seventies and have since then been a tool for profesionals in the medical service. The method have many namnes and some of the more common are LLLT (low level laser therapy) and photobiomodulation. When treating with laser light it is common to use the laser light directly from the source without modification, which in some treatments can be a problem. Some of the modifications can be seen in patent US 2006/0047330 and US 2004/0036975. In patent 2006/0047330 is the problem with to high power distribution, which can burn the patient, solved by using diffusing and attenuating materials to spread the laser light eaven at a certain distance from the patient. The problem is when there is air between the laser product and the patient, because some of the laser light is reflected at the skin of the patient and will not contribute to the treatment. The more the materials between the laser source and the patient, the greater the loss of laser light. The downside of spreading the laser light on a large surface of the skin is that the power distribution is many times decreased which is negative in laser treatments . For treatment of large skin surfaces there are devices that automatically scan the laser light which is both effective and relieving for the therapist but the downside is that such devices are often large and expensive. Another method is to spread the laser light and in that way treat a large area but this is reducing the effect of the treatment because the power distribution is reduced. Patenet US 2004/0036975 has encountered the problem that high power laser light is potentiel dangerous to the eyes and body. This method is suitable for high power lasers and its purpose is only to reduce injuries.

The porpose of this invention is to make a diffusing head distribute low power laser light to surface tissue, whith direct contact whith the skin, to achieve a effective and harmless treatment whith an effective penetration depth.

The benefits of this invention is that the laser produkt with a diffusing head is arranged directly to the patients skin which enhances the treatment results without the use of high power laser light. The diffusing laser head can be mounted on a excisting laser product or as a part in a laser product. The diffusing head consists of a diffusing material which is at least some part transparent to the laser light used.

The invention is described in attached drawings in which

figure 1 describes how a diffusing laser head is spreading laser light. The incomming laser light (1) passes the diffusing head (2) and is diffused (3) .

figure 2 shows different examples of different shapes of a diffusing head and incoming laser light.

Figure 3 shows howe the laser light (4) is spread in the diffusing head (5) which is in contact whith the treatment surface (6) and how the laser light is spread in the tissue (7) . A large part of the laser light has an effect on the surface and on shallow tissue, also on the surrounding tissue not in direct contact with the diffusing head. Because the treatment is performed with contact between the diffusing head and the skin, the treatment surface is shaped after the shape of the diffusing head.

Figure 4 shows how a collimated laser beam (8) is spread in the tissue (9) after passing the treatment surface (10) . Some part of the laser light is reflected at the treatment surface (11) . Without a diffusing head the laser light have a large penetrating depth and a smaller part is effective at the surface.

Figure 5 shows how a wide laser beam (12) is spread in tissue (13) after passing the treatment surface (14) and a part of the laser light has reflected at the treatment surface (15) . The laser light has an active effect on the surface and on surface tissue but a small spreading of the laser light to surrounding tissue. The power distribution of the laser light is low due to the wide laser beam.

Claims

What is claimed is

1. Device to provide laser light at treatments of surface tissue through a diffusing head at human or animal, distinguished by that the diffusing head is held in contact to treatment surface at which the laser light is spread diffused directly into the tissue with the wavelength between 650 - 850 nm and a power less than 1 watt.

2. The device according to claime 1, distinguished by that the diffusing head have at least a transparent or a semi transparent material through which the laser light passes for the diffusing effect and that the diffusing head have a part that is pressed against the treating area that the skin is formed after to achieve the spreading of laser light on a larger area and to increase the pressure to the skin.