Eye-Safe Dermatologic Treatment Apparatus and Method
A dermatologic treatment apparatus is disclosed which includes one or more housings with at least one housing configured for manipulation in a dermatologic treatment procedure, a light source, and an electrical circuit. The circuit energizes the light source to produce output light pulses. A light path includes an aperture through which eye-safe light pulses are propagated having properties sufficient for providing efficacious treatment. An optical diffuser is disposed along the light path to reduce the integrated radiance to an eye-safe level. The apparatus produces an output fluence not less than 4 J/cm 2 .
1 - 78 . (canceled)
79 . A method for performing a hair-removal procedure on a human comprising the steps of
directing an optical outlet at a target area of a human,
providing a light source generating collimated light of 4-100 J/cm 2 across the optical outlet and having sufficient fluence to effect a hair-removal dermatological treatment; and
diffusing the light so that the light emitted from the optical outlet is eye safe.
80 . The method of claim 79 wherein the fluence is sufficient that the hair removal is permanent.
81 . The method of claim 79 wherein the light source generates pulses of light.
82 . The method of claim 79 wherein the light is primarily within a spectral band of 500 nm to 1100 nm.
83 . The method of claim 81 wherein the pulses have a pulse duration between 10 milliseconds and 1 second.
84 . The method of claim 79 wherein the light source is divergent.
85 . The method of claim 79 wherein the providing step includes distributing light substantially uniformly across the optical outlet.