Method and apparatus for personal skin treatment

1. A skin treatment device for personal use, said device comprising:

a means for cooling operatively adapted to create air flow within the device;

an optical radiation providing module, wherein the optical radiation providing module comprises:

a source of optical radiation;

a reflector configured to reflect the emitted optical radiation through at least one dielectric coated protective window, wherein the at least one dielectric coated protective window is located adjacent an open longitudinal section of the reflector and forms with the reflector an air-conducting channel bound on one side by the reflector and on the other side by the dielectric coated protective window, wherein the reflector is an elongated tubular or prismatic case having a curved or polygonal cross section, wherein the reflector is configured to have air passage openings that extend longitudinally down the apex of the reflector located about the apex of the reflector and along the longitudinal axis of said reflector and to allow air flow from the cooling means inside the reflector in a direction substantially perpendicular to the source of optical radiation;

air exhaust openings located at the open butt ends of the reflector such that air flow from the cooling means into the air-conducting channel of the reflector provides cooling for the source of optical radiation; and

at least one additional window positioned substantially parallel to the at least one dielectric coated protective window such that the at least one additional window is substantially thermally isolated from the at least one dielectric coated protective window,

wherein air flow from the cooling means directed in between the at least two parallel windows provides additional thermal isolation; and

a means for continuously displacing the device across a segment of skin such that the displacement direction is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the optical radiation reflected through the at least two parallel windows of the optical radiation providing module, wherein the means for continuously displacing monitors the rate of displacement of the device and influences the amount of optical radiation emitted by the optical radiation source.

2. The optical radiation providing module according to claim 1 , further comprising at least a pair of RF electrodes operatively configured to provide RF current.

3. The optical radiation providing module according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the air exhaust openings is equal to or greater than the surface of air passage openings in the reflector.

4. The skin treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical radiation providing module is a disposable cartridge.

5. The skin treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the means for cooling are one of a group consisting of a fan and a blower.

6. The skin treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the means for cooling is operatively configured to create air flow along the source of optical radiation.

7. The skin treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the means for cooling is operatively configured to create air flow between the at least two parallel windows.

8. The skin treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the source of optical radiation is one of a group consisting of an incandescent lamp, an LED, a laser diode, a solid state laser, a gas laser and a Xenon IPL lamp.

9. The skin treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the dielectric coated protective window filters and defines, at least in part, the spectrum of the optical radiation emitted through the at least two windows.

10. The skin treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the means for continuously displacing the device comprises at least one of a group consisting of a DC motor with a gear, a peristaltic piezoceramic motor and a caterpillar driven by a piezoceramic motor.

11. The skin treatment device according to claim 2 , wherein the RF electrode is one of a group consisting of a metal strip and a metal coated nonconductive material, and wherein the RF electrode has an elongated body arranged along at least one side of the at least one additional window.

12. The skin treatment device according to claim 2 , wherein the RF electrode is at least one of a group of uncoated or dielectric coated electrodes.

13. A method for cooling an optical radiation providing module and thermally isolating an optical radiation source in said optical radiation providing module, said method comprising:

forming an first air-conducting channel by attaching at least one dielectric coated protective window to a reflector of an optical radiation providing module, wherein the at least one dielectric coated protective window is located adjacent an open longitudinal section of the reflector, wherein the air-conducting channel is bound on one side by the reflector and on the other side by the dielectric coated protective window, wherein the reflector is an elongated tubular or prismatic case having a curved or polygonal cross section,

wherein the reflector is configured to have air passage openings that extend longitudinally down the apex of the reflector located about the apex of the reflector and along the longitudinal axis of said reflector;

forming a second air-conducting channel between the at least one dielectric coated protective window and at least one additional window positioned substantially parallel to the at least one dielectric coated protective window;

directing air flow, by a means for cooling operatively adapted to create air flow, into and out of the air-conducting channels.

14. A skin treatment device for personal use, said device comprising:

a means for cooling operatively adapted to create air flow within the device;

an optical radiation providing module capable of operating in pulsed or continuous mode, wherein when the radiation providing module operates in pulse mode it radiates a number of low power pulses interleaved between high power treatment pulses, wherein the optical radiation providing module comprises:

a source of optical radiation;

a reflector configured to reflect the emitted optical radiation through at least one dielectric coated protective window, wherein the at least one dielectric coated protective window is located adjacent an open longitudinal section of the reflector and forms with the reflector an air-conducting channel bound on one side by the reflector and on the other side by the dielectric coated protective window, wherein the reflector is an elongated tubular or prismatic case having a curved or polygonal cross section, wherein the reflector is configured to have air passage openings located that extend longitudinally down the apex of the reflector about the apex of the reflector and along the longitudinal axis of said reflector and to allow air flow from the cooling means inside the reflector in a direction substantially perpendicular to the source of optical radiation;

air exhaust openings located at the open butt ends of the reflector such that air flow from the cooling means into the air-conducting channel of the reflector provides cooling for the source of optical radiation; and

at least one additional window positioned substantially parallel to the at least one dielectric coated protective window such that the at least one additional window is substantially thermally isolated from the at least one dielectric coated protective window, wherein air flow from the cooling means directed in between the at least two parallel windows provides additional thermal isolation; and

a means for continuously displacing the device across a segment of skin such that the displacement direction is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the optical radiation reflected through the at least two parallel windows of the optical radiation providing module, wherein the means for continuously displacing monitors the rate of displacement of the device and influences the amount of optical radiation emitted by the optical radiation source.