Apparatus for pre-surgical skin treatment
A presurgical skin treatment device uses blue light (415 nm) coupled with a real-time, skin-positioned dose sensor to provide precise dosing within a range of eradicating C. acnes while reducing skin irritation. Practical incorporation into surgical procedures is provided by a threshold detection providing an indication that correct dose levels have been obtained and/or in an ambulatory device incorporated into a sterile bandage/shield that can be removed immediately prior to surgery.
1 . An apparatus for pre-surgical skin treatment comprising:
an array of LEDs providing 415 nm blue light over an area of at least 50 square centimeters and positionable to treat a patient's skin at a skin area;
a light sensor positionable adjacent to the skin of the skin area to receive and integrate 415 nm of blue light received by the skin from the array of LEDs to provide a dose measurement of received light and provide an output indicating when a required dose of at least 50 joules per square centimeter has been received at a desired treatment time;
a timer for measuring elapsed time and having a predetermined maximum time limit greater than the desired treatment time;
an electrical switching circuit communicating with a single activation operator operable only once to connect the array of LEDs to the power, wherein the switching circuit responds to the single activation operator to set an integration of dose and the timer to zero only once, and wherein the electrical switching circuit operates to disconnect the array of LEDs from the power in both cases when either: the output indicates the required dose has been exceeded or the timer has reached the predetermined time limit;
wherein the output is adapted to remain unchanged after the switching circuit disconnects the array of LEDs; and
further including a human readable display receiving the output and indicating the required dose has been obtained.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 further including an adhesive positioned to attach the light sensor to the skin.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light sensor includes a solid-state light sensor and a filter preferentially transmitting 415 nm blue light to the solid-state light sensor.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light sensor provides an output at a time when the dose first exceeds 70 joules per square centimeter.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the array of LEDs is mounted to a flexible substrate communicating with an adhesive for attaching the substrate to conform to the skin.
6 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the light sensor is attached to the flexible substrate to receive light from at least one LED of the array of LEDs.
7 . The apparatus of claim 6 further including a battery communicating with the adhesive for adhesive attachment with the flexible substrate to the skin.