Device for optically stimulating collagen formation in tissue

1 . A polarization based medical device for optically stimulating the formation of collagen in tissue, for the purpose of enhancing wound healing, comprising:

a) a light source for providing a beam of light;

b) a polarizer for polarizing said beam of light;

c) a first beam shaping optics which direct said polarized beam of light to a spatial light modulator;

d) a second beam shaping optics for directing said polarized beam from said spatial light modulator to said tissue; and

e) wherein a spatially controlled pattern of polarized light can be directed onto said tissue, thereby affecting the orientation and formation of collagen within said tissue relative to one or more wounds of said tissue.

2 . A device as in claim 1 wherein said spatially controlled pattern of polarized light is applied to affect said collagen orientation and formation around the edges of said wounds.

3 . A device as in claim 2 wherein said spatially controlled pattern of polarized light is applied nominally parallel to said edges of said wounds.

4 . A device as in claim 1 wherein said spatial light modulator comprises an array of pixels, which modulate the polarization state of said beam of light in accordance with applied drive signals.

5 . A device as in claim 1 wherein said second beam shaping optics image said spatial light modulator to said tissue.

6 . A device as in claim 1 wherein said modulator is transmissive.

7 . A device as in claim 1 wherein said modulator is transmissive liquid crystal display.

8 . A device as in claim 1 wherein said light source comprises a lamp, or one or more LEDs, or one or more laser sources, or a combination thereof.

9 . A device as in claim 1 wherein said polarizer is a wire grid.

10 . A device as in claim 1 wherein a spatially variable mask is provided to control the locations where the light is and is not applied to said tissue.

11 . A polarization based medical device for optically stimulating the formation of collagen in tissue, comprising:

a) a light source for providing a beam of light;

b) a polarizer for polarizing said beam of light;

c) a first beam shaping optics which direct said polarized beam of light to a spatial light modulator;

d) a second beam shaping optics for directing said polarized beam from said spatial light modulator to an area of interest within said tissue; and

e) wherein a spatially controlled pattern of polarized light can be directed onto said tissue, thereby affecting the orientation and formation of collagen within said tissue.

12 . A device as in claim 11 wherein said spatially controlled pattern of polarized light is applied to affect said collagen orientation and formation around the edges of one or more pre-existing wounds present in said tissue, for the purpose of enhancing the healing of said wounds.

13 . A device as in claim 11 wherein said spatially controlled pattern of polarized light is applied to affect said collagen orientation and formation within said tissue, such that a portion of said collagen is remodeled to be more closely aligned to the collagen of proximal tissues to said tissues.

14 . A device as in claim 13 wherein the directionality of collagen, as described by Langer's lines for said proximal tissues, is used as a guide to the alignment of said collagen in said proximal tissues, and then as a guide to said collagen remodeling.

15 . A device as in claim 11 wherein said spatial light modulator comprises an array of pixels, which modulate the polarization state of said beam of light in accordance with applied drive signals.

16 . A polarization based medical device for optically stimulating the formation of collagen in tissue, for the purpose of enhancing wound healing comprising:

a) a light source for providing a beam of light;

b) a polarizer for polarizing said beam of light;

c) a beam shaping optics which direct said polarized beam of light to a spatial light modulator and to an area of interest within said tissue, such as to one or more pre-existing wounds; and

d) wherein the polarization orientation of said polarized beam of light is spatially controlled relative to said wounds, for the purpose of affecting the orientation of formation of collagen within said tissue.

17 . A device as in claim 16 wherein said spatially controlled polarization orientation of said polarized beam of light is applied to affect said collagen orientation and formation around the edges of said wounds present in said tissue.

18 . A device as in claim 16 wherein said spatially controlled polarization orientation of said polarized beam of light is applied to affect said collagen orientation and formation within said tissue, such that a portion of said collagen is remodeled to be more closely aligned to the collagen of proximal tissues to said tissues.

19 . A device as in claim 18 wherein the directionality of collagen, as described by Langer's lines for said proximal tissues, is used as a guide to the alignment of said collagen in said proximal tissues, and then as a guide to said collagen remodeling.

20 . A device as in claim 16 wherein said spatial light modulator comprises an array of pixels, which modulate the polarization state of said beam of light in accordance with applied drive signals.

21 . A polarization based medical device for optically stimulating the formation of collagen in tissue, for the purpose of enhancing wound healing, comprising:

a) a light source for providing a beam of light;

b) a polarizer for polarizing said beam of light;

c) a beam shaping optics which direct said polarized beam of light to an area of interest within said tissue; and

d) wherein the polarization orientation of said polarized beam of light is spatially controlled relative to said wounds, for the purpose of affecting the orientation of formation of collagen.

22 . A device as in claim 21 wherein said spatially controlled polarized beam of light is applied in a pattern around the edges of said wounds.

23 . A device as in claim 22 wherein said spatially controlled pattern of polarized light is applied nominally parallel to said edges of said wounds.

24 . A device as in claim 22 wherein said spatially controlled polarized beam of light is applied to said wounds during the remodeling phase of wound healing, such that a portion of said collagen is remodeled to be more closely aligned to the collagen of proximal tissues to said tissues.

25 . A device as in claim 24 wherein the directionality of collagen, as described by Langer's lines for said proximal tissues, is used as a guide to the alignment of said collagen in said proximal tissues, and then as a guide to said collagen remodeling.

26 . A polarization based medical device for illuminating tissue with spatially variant polarized light, comprising:

a) an illumination optical system, comprising a light source, having one or more light emitters, illumination beam shaping optics, polarizing optics, and a spatial light modulator for providing spatially variant polarized illumination light;

b) an optical detection system, comprising an optical detector array which receives image light;

c) a beamsplitter for re-directing either said illumination light or said image light such that said spatially variant polarized illumination light and said image light traverse a common optical path between said beamsplitter and said tissue; and

d) an imaging lens for directing said spatially variant polarized illumination light to said tissue and collecting image light from said tissue.

27 . A polarization based medical device as in claim 26 wherein said spatial light modulator comprises an array of pixels, which modulate the polarization state of said beam of light in accordance with the applied drive signals.

28 . A device as in claim 26 wherein said spatially variant polarized illumination light is applied to affect collagen orientation and formation of one or more pre-existing wounds of said tissue, in order to enhance wound healing.

29 . A device as in claim 28 wherein said spatially variant polarized illumination light is applied around the edges of said wounds.

30 . A device as in claim 29 wherein said spatially variant polarized illumination light is applied nominally parallel to said edges of said wounds.

31 . A device as in claim 28 wherein the directionality of collagen, as described by Langer's lines, relative to proximal tissues to said wounds, is used as a guide to the alignment of said collagen in said proximal tissues, and then as a guide to affecting said collagen orientation and formation.

32 . A device as in claim 28 wherein a spatially variable mask is provided to control the locations where the light is and is not applied to said tissue.

33 . A method for providing light therapy treatment for the purpose of affecting collagen formation in tissue and thereby enhancing wound healing, comprising:

a) providing a polarized light beam from a light source,

b) directing said polarized light beam onto one or more wounds of said tissue; and

c) spatially varying the application of said polarized light relative to the edges and center of said wounds.

34 . A method as in claim 33 wherein said spatially varying application of said polarized light to said wounds and said tissue is changed in accordance with the status of said wounds over time.

35 . A method optically stimulating the formation of collagen in tissue to enhance wound healing comprising:

a) providing a polarized light beam having a first orientation;

b) directing said polarized light beam with said first orientation onto said wound to form a first collagen layer; and

c) directing said polarized light beam with a second orientation onto said wound to form a second collagen layer.