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 dermatologic treatment apparatus, comprising:
a light source providing pulses of light having an output fluence of 4-100 J/cm 2 at a target area of a patient and having sufficient fluence to cause hair removal at the target area;
an optical apparatus for distributing light from the light source substantially uniformly across an input of a diffuser, wherein the diffuser diffuses the light sufficiently to cause the apparatus to be eye-safe during treatment while maintaining sufficient fluence to cause hair removal at the target area of the patient;
a contact sensor configured to detect contact with the skin; and
control circuitry configured to enable the light source in response to the contact sensor detecting contact with the skin;
wherein the diffuser and the contact sensor act as independent eye safety features.
80 . The dermatologic treatment apparatus of claim 79 , wherein the diffuser has substantially the same area as the input.
81 . The dermatologic treatment apparatus of claim 79 , wherein the diffuser is larger in area than the input.
82 . The apparatus of claim 79 , wherein the light source is divergent.
83 . The apparatus of claim 79 , wherein the optical apparatus distributes light from the light source across substantially all of the diffuser.
84 . The apparatus of claim 79 , wherein a principal optical axis of light emitted by the light source striking the diffuser is not parallel to the normal of the surface of the diffuser.
85 . The apparatus of claim 85 , wherein the light source comprises one or more laser diode bars.
86 . The apparatus of claim 82 , wherein the light source comprises one or more diode lasers.
87 . A dermatologic treatment apparatus, comprising:
a light source providing coherent light of 4-100 J/cm 2 at a target area of a human and having sufficient fluence to effect a hair-removal dermatological treatment at the target area;
an optical apparatus, having an outlet, that communicates the fluence substantially across the outlet;
an optical diffuser that diffuses the light so that the light emitted from the apparatus is eye safe during the hair removal dermatological treatment;
a contact sensor configured to detect contact with the skin; and
control circuitry configured to enable the light source in response to the contact sensor detecting contact with the skin;
wherein the optical diffuser and the contact sensor act as independent eye safety features.
88 . The dermatologic treatment apparatus of claim 87 , wherein the fluence is sufficient that the hair removal is permanent.
89 . The apparatus of claim 87 , wherein the optical diffuser comprises at least one of a group including a transmissive diffuser and a reflective diffuser.
90 . The apparatus of claim 87 , wherein the optical diffuser is a transmissive diffuser and comprises a bulk scattering diffuser medium.
91 . The apparatus of claim 87 , wherein the optical apparatus distributes the light substantially uniformly across the outlet.
92 . The apparatus of claim 87 , wherein the light is primarily within a spectral band of 500 nm to 1100 nm.
93 . The apparatus of claim 87 , wherein the light source includes one or more diode lasers.
94 . The apparatus of claim 87 , wherein a principal optical axis of light emitted from the light source striking the diffuser is not parallel to the normal of the surface of the diffuser.
95 . The apparatus of claim 94 , wherein the light source comprises one or more laser diode bars.
96 . The apparatus of claim 87 , wherein the light source provides pulses of light.
97 . A method for performing a hair-removal procedure on a human using a lens-less device comprising a divergent light source, an optical outlet, a diffuser, and a hollow cylindrical mixer, the method comprising:
directing the optical outlet of the lens-less device at a target area of a human;
activating the divergent light source to emit a divergent beam of light toward the optical outlet;
the hollow cylindrical mixer increasing a spatial uniformity of the divergent light from an input end of the mixer to an output end of the mixer; and
the diffuser diffusing the light so that the light emitted from the optical outlet of the lens-less device is eye safe; and
wherein the light emitted from the optical outlet of the lens-less device has a fluence of 4-100 J/cm2 across the optical outlet and sufficient fluence to effect a hair-removal dermatological treatment.