JP2003126276A - Medical and cosmetic laser irradiator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a handy laser irradiator having a safety device not irradiating laser even if a switch is operated with an irradiation opening directed toward the eye, retaining the distance between the laser irradiation opening and a body side irradiated surface constant, and keeping the angle perpendicular at all times. SOLUTION: The laser irradiator irradiates the skin with laser light for medical and cosmetic purposes. The hand-held body is comprised of an inner cylinder in which laser light is introduced by an optical guide means from a built-in laser generator or a separate laser generator, and a laser light irradiation opening is formed at the tip and an outer cylinder slidably storing the inner cylinder. The inner cylinder is springily urged by a spring so as to project by a prescribed amount from the opening of the tip of the outer cylinder, makes the irradiation opening at the tip of the inner cylinder butt the skin, and pushes the outer cylinder in the direction of relative slide of the inner and outer cylinders against the springing force of the spring, and a switch to turn on the electric circuit of the laser light generator by the sinking of the inner cylinder into the outer cylinder is arranged between the inner and outer cylinders.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medical / cosmetic laser irradiation apparatus, and more particularly, it is a handy type laser irradiation apparatus used for removing bruise and stains on the skin, and treatment of waste hair (hair removal). Safety device, so-called
Regarding switch mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, "laser hair removal" has been attracting attention as "permanent hair removal" regarding waste hair treatment. The treatment of this waste hair generally includes, for example, pulling out the hair with tweezers, shaving the hair with a razor, and cauterizing the hair follicle with an electric needle. And, while there is something that can be done by myself at home, there is a problem that it is painful and time consuming, and that one has to shave almost every day. Must be done by a specialized institution, but accurately inserting a thin needle through a narrow pore requires a high level of skill, which is a difficult task, and it is difficult to train skilled staff.

"Laser hair removal" was developed in such a situation. This laser hair removal uses a laser with a wavelength called near-infrared, which concentrates only on the black pigment (melanin). When this is irradiated, laser energy passes through the surface of the skin and concentrates on the black hair roots Produces high fever. This high heat cauterizes the hair follicles in contact with the hair root.

In order to cauterize just enough, it is important to set the distance from the light source to the skin to be constant, and if the distance is longer than the set distance, the light rays are attenuated and the effect is reduced. Shortening can also cause skin burns due to excessive energy. As a device for keeping the distance from the light source to the skin constant, Japanese Patent Application No. 11-13
1891, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-201726, Japanese Patent Application No. 1
The inventions proposed in 0-250556 and the like are mentioned.

By the way, the hair does not grow perpendicularly to the skin, but grows by sleeping obliquely. Therefore, when the non-contact type irradiation is performed in which the irradiation port of the laser beam is separated from the skin surface, the laser beam cannot be effectively irradiated to the corresponding portion, and there is a problem in efficiency. Therefore, as a result of various studies, the hair follicle part in the deep part was pressed by pressing the laser beam irradiation port against the skin to make the hair follicle part including the oblique hair roots in a substantially horizontal state and irradiating the laser beam in that state. It has been found that it is possible to effectively irradiate a laser beam. The structure is implemented in a commercial laser hair removal device used by a specialist. In addition to the purpose of hair removal, laser light is used for the purpose of improving skin pigmentation, blush, and the like. At the time of these irradiations, the distance and angle between the irradiation opening of the laser beam and the surface to be irradiated on the body side are always a constant distance,
And it is important that the irradiation is always at a right angle. Even if the output from the light source is the same, if the distance and the angle are different, the effect is not uniform, and side effects such as burns may occur.

[0006]

That is, the hair follicle portion can be made substantially horizontal by pressing the laser beam irradiation port against the skin surface, and the distance from the light emitter to the subcutaneous hair follicle portion is short. Therefore, a higher effect can be expected with the same output. In other words, there is a merit that the same effect can be expected even if the output is reduced. Therefore, the development of a home-use handy type equipped with the above configuration was considered, but the problem is that if a child touches it, the irradiation mouth is turned to the eyes,
If you look into the irradiation port, just turn on the hand switch.
If N, the laser beam is emitted.

As a matter of course, when the laser beam is applied in the above-mentioned state, in the worst case, the eyes are blind. Therefore, a home-use handy type requires a safety device that is not required for business use.
The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the above-described conventional technique, and an object of the present invention is to operate a switch in a handy type laser irradiation device with the irradiation port facing the eye. Another object of the present invention is to provide a laser irradiation device equipped with a safety device that is not irradiated with a laser beam. Another object of the present invention is laser irradiation capable of irradiating the laser beam with a distance and angle between the irradiation port of the laser beam and the surface to be irradiated on the body side at a constant distance and always at a right angle to the surface to be irradiated. To provide a device.

[0008]

The technical means taken by the present invention to achieve the above object is a laser irradiation device for irradiating the skin with a laser beam for the purpose of medical treatment or beauty, and a handheld body is used. , A laser generator built-in or / or a laser beam introduced from a separate laser generator by optical guide means to form an irradiation port at the tip, and an outer cylinder slidably accommodating the inner cylinder. The inner cylinder is elastically urged by a spring so that the irradiation opening at the tip of the inner cylinder protrudes from the tip opening of the outer cylinder by a predetermined amount, the irradiation opening at the tip of the inner cylinder is brought into contact with the skin surface, and the outer cylinder is repulsed by the spring of the spring. A switch for turning on the electric circuit of the laser beam generator when the inner and outer cylinders are pressed against each other in a direction in which the inner and outer cylinders slide relative to each other and the inner cylinder is retracted into the inner and outer cylinders. It is characterized by a structure arranged between them.

In addition, the hand-held body accommodates the laser beam generator and forms an irradiation port at the tip, and when the ring surrounding the irradiation port comes into contact with the skin, the electric circuit of the generation device is turned on. It consists of an inner cylinder equipped with a switch and an outer cylinder that slidably accommodates the inner cylinder. The inner cylinder is spring-loaded so that the irradiation port at the tip of the inner cylinder protrudes from the tip opening of the outer cylinder by a predetermined amount. When the outer cylinder is urged, the irradiation opening at the tip of the inner cylinder comes into contact with the skin surface, and the outer cylinder resists the elastic force of the spring.
A second switch that turns on the electric circuit of the laser beam generator by pressing the outer cylinder in a relative sliding direction and immersing the inner cylinder in the outer cylinder is disposed between the inner and outer cylinders, and It is characterized in that the laser beam is emitted only when both the first and second switches are turned on.

In this type of laser hair removal device, the contraindicated site for laser irradiation is the orbit. In the first aspect, since the laser beam is irradiated only after the inner cylinder is immersed in the predetermined position in the outer cylinder, the laser beam cannot be irradiated toward the cornea of the eyeball. Of course, even if you try to remove the hair from the eyelid with your eyes closed, a strong force against the spring is necessary for the inner tube to retract into the outer tube. Apply such a strong force to the eyelid. Is impossible because it is painful.
Therefore, it is impossible to try to remove hair around the orbit.

Also, even if a child playfully looks into it, it will hurt and will not be pressed until the switch is turned on. It is turned on and the laser beam is emitted. However, although the above-mentioned state is concerned, in the means of claim 2, even if it is pressed against the lens of glasses (glass lens or plastic lens), the first
Since the switch is not turned on, the laser beam is not emitted.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the following examples are examples embodying the present invention, and the present invention can be modified without changing the gist of the present invention. Although not limited, FIG. 1 shows a laser irradiation device in which the laser generator is arranged in addition to the handheld main body. In the figure, 1 is a handheld main body equipped with a laser irradiation port, which is handheld. The main body 1 of the formula is connected to a laser generator 2 via an optical guide means 3 in which optical fibers are bundled, and the laser generator 2 is configured to be controlled by a controller 4.

The hand-held main body 1 has a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter suitable for being held and operated in a hand, and an inner cylinder 1a into which an optical guide means 3 connected to a laser generator 2 is introduced and its inner part. The outer cylinder 1b is configured to accommodate and hold the cylinder 1a slidably along the axial direction. A stepped small-diameter cylindrical portion 5 is continuously formed at the front end of the inner cylinder 1a, and the stepped small-diameter cylindrical portion 5 penetrates an annular edge 6 projecting inside the front end of the outer cylinder 1b to the front. At the tip of the stepped small-diameter tubular portion 5, a conical tip 7 for collecting the laser introduced into the inner tube 1a at the center of the inner tube 1a is attached, and the tip 7 of the tip 7 is attached. A lens (sapphire glass) 8 is attached to the opening. When the shape of the front opening 7 is a quadrangular pyramid, the irradiation can be performed without overlapping and without gaps.

The tip portion 7 is held so as to project forward from the tip of the outer cylinder 1b, and the projecting edge 7'of the tip portion 7'is retained.
A coil spring 9 is elastically mounted between the coil spring 9 and the annular edge 6 of the outer cylinder 1b. As a result, the inner cylinder 1a is urged toward the front end opening side of the outer cylinder 1b by the elastic force of the coil spring 9,
The front opening 7 is held in a state of protruding from the front end opening of the outer cylinder 1b, and an external force stronger than the elastic force of the coil spring 9 is applied to the inner cylinder 1b.
When it acts on the irradiation opening (front opening) of a, the coil spring 9 is compressed and retracted into the outer cylinder 1b (see FIG. 2).

In addition, the inner cylinder 1 is provided on the rear outer surface of the inner cylinder 1a and the rear inner surface of the outer cylinder 1b which constitute the hand-held main body 1.
When a is retracted in the outer cylinder 1b by a predetermined amount against the elastic force of the coil spring 9, the electric circuit of the laser generator is turned on, and when the inner cylinder 1a projects from the tip of the outer cylinder 1b, the laser Switch 10 for turning off the electric circuit of the generator
Is provided. The switch 10 is a contact-type switch that is turned on by making contact and turned off by being separated. One member 10a of the switch faces the inner cylinder 1a, and the other member 10b of the switch faces the outer cylinder 1b. It is arranged. When the switch 10 is turned on, the electric circuit of the control device 4 is turned on, and the laser generator 2 is configured to generate a laser of a predetermined pulse. The laser generator 2 and the controller 4 may be housed in a single case.

The switch 10 is a laser generator 2
Connected to a programmable microprocessor of the control unit 4 which is connected to the control unit 4 for firing the laser pulses in the pre-programmed sequence. This control device 4 can irradiate a target skin with a large number of laser pulses having different laser energy generation intervals. The pulse repetition rate (delay between pulses) is preferably less than the thermal relaxation time of the hair to be hair-removed and longer than the thermal relaxation time of the skin. Further, the controller 4 can be used to control the pulse width, and the fluence of the laser (unit: J / m ² ) is adjusted for optimum processing. The laser processing parameters such as laser pulse sequence, fluence, and pulse width are then selected for optimal processing depending on the type of skin, hair, etc. to be processed.

The above-mentioned laser is a laser having a wavelength called near-infrared light, which is concentrated only on a black pigment (melanin). When this laser is irradiated, the laser energy passes through the surface of the skin and is concentrated on the hair root to momentarily generate high heat. . This high heat cauterizes the hair follicles and papillae that are in contact with the hair root. However, melanin is scattered throughout the skin, not just the hair roots. In order to cauterize only the melanin of the hair root without raising the temperature of the melanin other than the hair root, the duration of one laser beam is 10
/ 1000 seconds or more is required, and this is generally called a long pulse. If the duration of one laser beam is 5/1000 seconds or less, melanin scattered on the skin may be destroyed and serious burns may occur.

Accordingly, the laser beam used in the present invention preferably has a pulsed laser beam wavelength of from about 500 nm (nanometers) to about 900 nm, and most preferably a pulsed laser beam wavelength of from about 650 nm to about 650 nm. It is 800 nm. As the laser, for example, alexandrite laser, long pulse alexandrite laser, diode
A laser, a ruby laser, etc. are mentioned. The cause of skin pigmentation is also the increase of melanin granules from the epidermis to the dermis, and the same wavelength as that of the above laser for hair removal is used for this treatment. On the other hand, since the cause of the reddish face is the expansion of capillaries, a wavelength of 500 nm to 600 nm which is a wavelength absorbed by oxyhemoglobin is preferably used. For the purpose of improving pigmentation and blush, the duration of one laser beam is shorter than that for the purpose of hair removal, but even if the wavelength, duration, and output are set correctly, the laser beam That is, the distance and angle between the irradiation opening of the body and the surface to be irradiated on the body side must be constant. Longer distances are less effective, shorter distances may cause burns. Further, since the maximum effect is obtained when the irradiation angle is a right angle, the effect is inferior when the laser beam set at a right angle is obliquely irradiated.

As a switch for controlling ON / OFF of the electric circuit, the switch 10 arranged between the inner cylinder 1a and the outer cylinder 1b is used as a second switch, and the tip of the inner cylinder 1a is further connected. A ring 11 surrounding the lens 8 at the front opening 7
Touch switch 12 that turns on when touches the skin
The laser beam may be emitted only when both the first switch (touch switch 12) and the second switch (switch 10) are turned on.

With the above structure, a power switch (not shown) is arranged at a predetermined position of the handheld main body 1, and even if the power switch is turned on and held in the hand, the inner cylinder 1 of the main body 1 is held.
The laser beam is not emitted from the front opening 7 (irradiation opening) at the tip of a. That is, holding the hand-held main body 1 in the hand, the tip of the front end 7 of the inner cylinder 1a protruding from the tip of the outer cylinder 1b is pressed against the skin surface to be treated, and the inner cylinder 1a is repelled by the coil spring 9. Immerse in the outer cylinder 1b against the force,
When the immersion of the inner cylinder 1a reaches a predetermined amount, one member 10a of the switch 10 attached to the inner cylinder 1a and the other member 10b of the switch 10 attached to the outer cylinder 1b come into contact with each other,
The switch 10 is turned on. When the switch 10 is turned on, the electric circuit of the laser generator 2 is turned on, and a predetermined laser beam is emitted according to a set sequence.
In addition to the switch 10 (second switch) described above, a ring 11 that surrounds the lens 8 at the front opening 7 of the inner cylinder 1a,
Touch switch 1 that turns on when the ring touches the skin
2 as a first switch, and the first switch (touch switch 12) and the second switch (switch 1).
When the electric circuit of the laser generator 2 is turned on only when both 0) are turned on, the irradiation of the laser beam is further restricted. Thereby, the irradiation of the laser beam can be prevented except when the user intends.
In addition, since the laser beam is emitted when the inner cylinder is immersed in the outer cylinder by a predetermined amount and the switch is turned on as described above, the distance between the laser beam irradiation port and the irradiation surface is always constant, and Irradiation is always perpendicular to the irradiation surface.

[0021]

The medical / cosmetic laser irradiating device of the present invention has the structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tip of the main body is pressed against the skin surface, and the internal switch is turned on to turn on the built-in switch. Alternatively, the electric circuit of the laser generator does not turn on unless both the above switches and the switches that work when the tip of the inner cylinder contacts the skin are turned on. Therefore, even if you operate the switch with the irradiation port facing your eyes,
It is possible to provide a laser irradiation device that can be safely used without being irradiated with a laser beam. Further, since the laser beam can be applied to the irradiated surface at a constant distance and at a right angle to the irradiated surface, it is possible to effectively improve the pigmentation of the skin and blushing other than the hair removal treatment. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a laser irradiation apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a state diagram when a laser beam is applied.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a front opening portion of the inner cylinder.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Handheld body 1a ... Inner cylinder 1b ... Outer cylinder 2 ... Laser generator 3 ... Optical guide means 4 ... Control device 10 ... Switch (first switch) 12 ... Switch (second switch)

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Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A laser irradiation device for irradiating a skin with a laser beam for the purpose of medical treatment or beauty, wherein a handheld main body has a built-in laser generator or / or a laser beam emitted from a separate laser generator by optical guide means. The inner cylinder has a laser beam irradiation opening formed at its tip and an outer cylinder slidably accommodating the inner cylinder. It is elastically urged by a spring so that it protrudes, the irradiation opening at the tip of the inner cylinder contacts the skin surface, and the outer cylinder moves in a direction in which the inner and outer cylinders relatively slide against the elastic force of the spring. A medical / cosmetic laser irradiating device, characterized in that a switch for turning on an electric circuit of the laser beam generating device when the inner cylinder is pressed into the outer cylinder to be immersed therein is arranged between the inner and outer cylinders. 2. A laser irradiating device for irradiating a skin with a laser beam for the purpose of medical treatment or beauty treatment, wherein a handheld main body has a laser beam generator incorporated therein and / or a laser beam emitted from a separate laser beam generator by an optical guide means. And an inner cylinder having a first switch for turning on an electric circuit of the generator when a laser beam irradiation opening is formed at the tip and a ring surrounding the irradiation opening comes into contact with the skin. The inner cylinder is elastically urged by a spring so that the irradiation port at the tip of the inner cylinder protrudes from the tip opening of the outer cylinder by a predetermined amount. And the outer cylinder is pressed against the elastic force of the spring in a direction in which the inner and outer cylinders slide relative to each other, and the inner cylinder is retracted into the outer cylinder, so that the electric circuit of the laser beam generator. Second switch to turn on Position the switch between the inner and outer cylinders and
A laser irradiation device for medical and cosmetic use, wherein a laser beam is emitted only when both the second switch and the second switch are turned on. 3. An electric circuit of the laser beam generator comprises a first switch composed of a touch sensor arranged around the irradiation opening at the tip of the inner cylinder, and a first switch operated by relative sliding of the inner and outer cylinders. The medical / cosmetic laser irradiation device according to claim 2, wherein the laser irradiation device comprises two switches.