Hand held skin treatment device
View Patent ↗A hand held, home use, device for treatment of skin, comprising: a housing exhibiting an opening therein and forming an air cavity when the opening is placed in contact with the skin; an incandescent type bulb secured within the housing and arranged to irradiate the skin with infra-red radiation and heat air within the formed air cavity, the incandescent type bulb exhibiting a filament; and a control and driving circuitry in electrical communication with the incandescent type bulb and operative to output a train of pulses exhibiting an on time when current is driven through the filament and an off time when current is not driven through the filament, the off time greater than or equal to the on time, the off time being of a duration such that the infra-red radiation irradiating the skin falls, during the off time, to no less than 25% of its maximum value.
1. A hand held device for treatment of skin, the device comprising:
a housing exhibiting an opening therein and forming an air cavity enclosing a volume of air when said opening is placed in contact with the skin;
an incandescent type bulb exhibiting a filament, said incandescent bulb secured within said housing and arranged to output heat, visible light and infrared radiation responsive to current flow through said filament, said housing arranged to:
allow said infrared radiation output by said incandescent type bulb to irradiate the skin; and
heat air within said formed air cavity responsive to the heat output by said incandescent type bulb, wherein the heated air within said formed air cavity forms a temperature gradient between said incandescent type bulb and the skin via said opening thereby heating the skin; and
a control and driving circuitry in electrical communication with said incandescent type bulb and operative to output a train of pulses exhibiting an on time when current is driven through said filament and an off time when current is not driven through said filament, said off time greater than or equal to said on time, said off time of a duration such that said infra-red radiation irradiating the skin falls, during said off time, to no less than 25% of its maximum value, and wherein the visible light output of said incandescent type bulb falls to a near zero value during said off time.
2. A hand held device according to claim 1 , wherein said off time is greater than or equal to twice said on time.
3. A hand held device according to claim 1 , wherein said off time is greater than or equal to thrice said on time.
4. A hand held device according to claim 1 , wherein said on time is less than 150 milliseconds.
5. A hand held device according to claim 1 , wherein said incandescent type bulb exhibits a nominal color temperature output of about 2000° Kelvin.
6. A hand held device according to claim 1 , wherein said incandescent type bulb exhibits a nominal color temperature output of about 2000°-2300° Kelvin.
7. A hand held device according to claim 1 , wherein said incandescent type bulb exhibits a nominal luminous output of 200-800 lumens.
8. A hand held device according to claim 1 , wherein said incandescent type bulb exhibits a nominal luminous output of 250-400 lumens.
9. A hand held device according to claim 1 , wherein said incandescent type bulb is a halogen bulb.
10. A hand held device according to claim 1 , wherein said pulsed light output exhibits an average energy per pulse of no more than 2 Watts/cm 2 when measured at said skin and averaged over a single one of said on time and said off time.
11. A hand held device according to claim 1 , wherein said pulsed light output exhibits an average energy per pulse of no more than 0.6 Watts/cm 2 when measured at said skin and averaged over a single one of said on time and said off time.
12. A hand held device according to claim 1 , wherein said control and driving circuitry maintains said train of pulses for a period of 5-45 seconds thereby defining a treatment, said treatment exhibiting no more than 25 Joules/cm 2 when measured at said skin.
13. A hand held device according to claim 1 , wherein said control and driving circuitry maintains said train of pulses for a period of 5-25 seconds thereby defining a treatment, said treatment exhibiting no more than 8 Joules/cm 2 when measured at said skin.
14. A hand held device according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor in communication with said control and driving circuitry, secured to said housing and arranged to sense a temperature associated with the skin,
said control and driving circuitry being further operative responsive to an output of said temperature sensor to increase said off time of said train of pulses in the event said sensed temperature exceeds a predetermined value.
15. A method of treating skin, said method comprising:
providing a housing exhibiting an opening therein and forming an air cavity enclosing a volume of air when said opening is placed in contact with the skin;
providing an incandescent type bulb comprising a filament and outputting visible light, heat and infra-red radiation responsive to current flow through the filament, said provided incandescent bulb secured within said provided housing and arranged to irradiate the skin with the output infra-red radiation and further arranged to heat air within said formed air cavity, wherein the heated air within said formed air cavity forms a temperature gradient between said incandescent type bulb and the skin via said opening thereby heating the skin; and
pulsing said provided incandescent type bulb with a train of pulses exhibiting an on time when current is driven through said filament and an off time when current is not driven through said filament, said off time greater than or equal to said on time, said off time being of a duration such that said infra-red radiation irradiating the skin falls, during said off time, to no less than 25% of its maximum value, and wherein the visible light output of said incandescent type bulb falls to a near zero value during said off time.
16. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said off time is greater than or equal to twice said on time.
17. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said off time is greater than or equal to thrice said on time.
18. A method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
providing a housing exhibiting an opening therein and forming an air cavity enclosing a volume of air when said opening is placed in contact with the skin; and
arranging said provided incandescent type bulb within said housing so as to irradiate the skin with said infra-red radiation and heat air within said formed air cavity when pulsed.
19. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said on time is less than 150 milliseconds.
20. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said provided incandescent type bulb is a halogen bulb.
21. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said provided incandescent type bulb exhibits a nominal color temperature output of about 2000° Kelvin.
22. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said incandescent type bulb exhibits a nominal color temperature output of about 2000°-2300° Kelvin.
23. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said provided incandescent type bulb exhibits a nominal luminous output of 200-800 lumens.
24. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said provided incandescent type bulb exhibits a nominal luminous output of 250-400 lumens.
25. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said provided, wherein said pulsed light output exhibits an average energy per pulse of no more than 2 Watts/cm 2 when measured at said skin and averaged over a single one of said on time and said off time.
26. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said provided, wherein said pulsed light output exhibits an average energy per pulse of no more than 0.6 Watts/cm 2 when measured at said skin and averaged over a single one of said on time and said off time.
27. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said train of pulses is maintained for a period of 5-45 seconds, defining a treatment.
28. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said train of pulses is maintained for a period of 5-25 seconds, defining a treatment.
29. A method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
sensing a temperature associated with the skin; and
increasing said off time of said train of pulses in the event said sensed temperature exceeds a predetermined value.