Device and method of treating fungal nail infections

1. A portable finger or toe clip device ( 101 ) for treating fungal nail infections, comprising:

an irradiator ( 102 ) configured to irradiate a treated area;

a light source comprising at least two blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) ( 121 ) and at least one pulsed red laser light source ( 122 ), housed within said irradiator and arranged in a geometric array configured to at least partially overlap said treated area;

a power source; and,

a controller interconnecting said power source and said at least two blue LEDs and said at least one pulsed red laser,

said controller configured to control said irradiator such that light radiation from said light source is generated by a combination of light emitted from said at least two blue LEDs at a wavelength between 390 nm and 500 nm and light emitted from said at least one pulsed red laser at a wavelength of between 600 nm and 950 nm in a repetitive mode according to a predetermined frequency scheme;

wherein said frequency scheme comprises a first sequence of frequencies increasing continuously over a first predetermined period of time ( 505 ) from a first frequency to a second greater frequency, followed by a second sequence of frequencies decreasing continuously over a second predetermined period of time ( 506 ) from said second frequency to said first frequency.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein said at least two blue LEDs are configured to emit light characterized by a wavelength of 470 nm ±10%.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein said pulsed red laser light light source provides a power level of 25 W ±10%.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein said irradiator is usable for nail therapy, pain treatment and in parallel therapy of skin surrounding said fungal infection.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein said pulsed red laser light source is configured to emit light at a wavelength of 905 nm ±10%.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein said first frequency is 100 Hz ±10% and said second frequency is 3000 Hz ±10%.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following is true:

said red light source irradiates during a first irradiation period, said blue light source irradiates during a second irradiation period, said first and second irradiation periods at least partially overlapping; and,

said irradiator is used for irradiating said red light and/or said blue light according to a frequency scheme including a first sequence of frequencies increasing continuously from a first frequency to a second, greater, frequency, and a second sequence of frequencies decreasing continuously from the second frequency to the first frequency.

8. A method of using a device for irradiating an infected fungal nail comprising:

providing a portable finger or toe clip device ( 101 ) for treating fungal nail infections, comprising:

an irradiator ( 102 ) configured to irradiate a treated, area;

a light source at least two blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) ( 121 ) and at least one pulsed red laser light source ( 122 ), housed within said irradiator;

a power source; and,

a controller interconnecting said power source and said at least two blue LEDs and said at least one pulsed red laser, said controller configured to control said irradiator such that light radiation from said light source is generated by a combination of light emitted from said at least two blue LEDs at a wavelength between 390 nm and 500 nm and at light emitted from said at least one pulsed red laser at a wavelength of between 600nm and 950 nm in a repetitive mode according to a predetermined frequency scheme;

providing a frequency scheme;

positioning said irradiator upon said treated area at a position suitable to irradiate at least part of said nail; and

positioning said irradiator upon said infected nail at a position suitable to irradiate at least part of said infected nail; and,

operating said irradiator to irradiate light of at least said two blue LEDs and at least one said pulsed red laser light source on at least a portion of said irradiated area;

wherein:

said step of irradiating said area comprises radiating said output of said blue LEDs at a wavelength of between 390 nm and 500 nm and said pulsed red laser light source at a wavelength of between 600 nm and 950 nm, respectively, in a repetitive mode according to said frequency scheme; and,

said step of providing a frequency scheme comprises providing a frequency scheme comprising a first sequence of frequencies increasing continuously over a first predetermined period of time from a first frequency to a second greater frequency, followed by a second sequence of frequencies decreasing continuously over a second predetermined period of time from said second frequency to said first frequency.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said step of irradiating said area to be treated comprises irradiating by blue light characterized by a wavelength of 470 nm ±10%.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein said step of irradiating said area to be treated comprises irradiating by IR light characterized by a wavelength of 905 nm ±10%.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein said first frequency is 100 Hz ±10%, and said second frequency is 3000 Hz ±10%.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein said step of irradiating by said blue LED is performed during a first irradiation period, and said irradiating by said pulsed red laser is performed during a second irradiation period, and said first and second irradiation periods are at least partially overlapping.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

said device further comprises a lower gripping element and an upper gripping element opposed to one another;

said lower and upper gripping element are pivotally attached to a spring portion to keep the clip closed around a toe or finger; and,

said clip incorporates said at least two blue LEDs and said at least one pulsed red laser light source mounted in said clip for irradiating light toward said nail when the clip is closed around said toe or said finger.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein said device further comprises a replaceable transparent separator placeable between said irradiator and said area to be treated, said separator configured for preventing transmission of fungal infection from said area to be treated to another area.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following is true:

said at least two blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) ( 121 ) and at least one pulsed red laser light source ( 122 ) are arranged in a geometric array characterized by a configuration selected from the group consisting of polygonal, square, triangular, hexagonal, spherical, hemispherical, cylindrical, circular, elliptical, rectangular, T-shaped, bow tie shaped; and,

said at least two blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) ( 121 ) and at least one pulsed red laser light source ( 122 ) comprise a total of at least four light sources arranged in a pyramidal array.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following is true:

said geometric array of said at least two blue LEDs and at least one pulsed red laser is adjustable for optimizing at least one variable selected from the group consisting of: positions of said at least two blue LEDs and at least one pulsed red laser, intensities of said at least two blue LEDs and at least one pulsed red laser, and distances between said at least two blue LED and at least one pulsed red laser; and,

said distance between said at least one pulsed red laser and said at least two blue LEDs is 6.9 mm ±10%.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein said blue LED is characterized by a beam divergence of 9 ×25 degrees ±10%.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein said pulsed red laser is characterized by a beam divergence of 120 degrees ±10%.

19. The device of claim 1 , wherein said fungal infection is selected from the group consisting of distal lateral subungual Onychomycosis (DLSO), white superficial Onychomycosis (WSO), proximal subungual Onychomycosis (PSO), endonyx Onychomycosis (EO), and candidal Onychomycosis.

20. The device of claim 1 , wherein said device is configured to provide at least one synergistic effect that traverses said infected nail and functionally inhibits, destroys, or arrests growth of fungal spores, said synergistic effect selected from the group consisting of synergistic therapeutic effects, synergistic anti-microbial effects, and synergistic anti-inflammatory effects.

21. The device of claim 1 , additionally comprising a magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field around the treated area for enhancing treatment to the fungal nail infection.

22. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following is true:

said first sequence of frequencies increases continuously and linearly over said first predetermined period of time from said first frequency to said second greater frequency; and, said second sequence of frequencies decreases continuously and linearly over said second predetermined period of time from said second frequency to said first frequency.

23. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the following is true:

said step of providing a frequency scheme comprises providing a frequency scheme comprising a first sequence of frequencies increasing continuously and linearly over said first predetermined period of time from said first frequency to said second frequency; and,

said step of providing a frequency scheme comprises providing a frequency scheme comprising a second sequence of frequencies decreasing continuously and linearly over said second predetermined period of time from said second frequency to said first frequency.

24. The device of claim 1 , wherein said pulsed red laser is configured to emit light so as to create a frequency comb.

25. The method of claim 8 , wherein said step of irradiating said treated area comprises irradiating said treated area with light emitted from said pulsed red laser as a frequency comb.