JP2005211689A - Laser depilating device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an economical, effective, and safe depilating device for cosmetology by using a semiconductor laser diode and appropriately adjusting the energy level of laser beams. <P>SOLUTION: A condenser lens 15 is fitted in front of a light emission surface of the semiconductor laser diode LD with a light output of 500 mW-2,000 mW and a peak wavelength of 700 nm-1,000 nm, and an emission time adjusting means 23 is provided for adjusting the energy level of laser beams. The emission time adjusting means 23 is operated to adjust the energy level to an appropriate value, and a skin surface is irradiated with the laser beams. Protein is denatured in the hair papilla and sebaceous glands to suppress the growth of the hair. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a cosmetic laser hair removal apparatus that performs a hair removal treatment using a semiconductor laser diode.

Hair grows by a factor of hair called keratin, which is a type of protein, supplied from the dermal papilla at the base and the sebaceous glands in the middle of the pores.
Laser hair removal is intended to suppress hair growth by irradiating the skin surface with laser light and causing protein degeneration in the hair papilla and sebaceous glands to stop the supply of keratin.

When laser light is irradiated on a living body, Joule heat is generated. Depending on the energy level, the living body is carbonized (400 ° C or higher), evaporated (100 ° C or higher), blood coagulation (68 ° C or higher), It causes photothermal reactions such as protein denaturation (above 42 ° C.) and activation (below 40 ° C.) (in parentheses indicate the temperature of living tissue).
When the temperature of the living tissue exceeds 42 ° C, the living body undergoes protein degeneration and the cells die. When the number of dead cells increases, the biological tissue cannot be restored.
For this reason, in order to perform hair removal effectively and safely, it is necessary to appropriately adjust the intensity of the laser beam to be irradiated so that the temperature of the living tissue does not greatly exceed 42 ° C.

Laser hair removal is surely effective if a powerful laser device for medical use is used, but a laser device for medical use cannot be handled unless it is an expert and is very expensive.
For this reason, since hair removal using a medical laser device is expensive and requires long-term treatment, there are significant economic burdens and time constraints.
In addition, since there is a psychological resistance to hair removal as a medical practice, generally there is a strong demand for hair removal with an esthetic sense more easily.

  Therefore, in the present invention, a semiconductor laser diode that anyone can handle is used instead of a powerful laser for medical use, and furthermore, the energy level of the laser beam is adjusted appropriately, so that it is economical, effective, and safe for cosmetic use. It was made for the purpose of providing a laser hair removal apparatus.

  In order to achieve this object, the present invention is configured as follows.

That is, the semiconductor laser diode used in the present invention has an optical output of 500 mW to 2000 mW and a peak wavelength of 700 nm to 1000 nm, and a condensing lens is attached in front of the light emitting surface of such a semiconductor laser diode.
A light emission time adjusting means is provided for adjusting the energy level of the laser light.
Then, by operating the light emission time adjusting means to adjust the energy level to an appropriate value and irradiating the skin surface with laser light, protein degeneration is caused in the hair papilla and sebaceous glands to suppress hair growth.

As described above, the laser hair removal apparatus of the present invention attaches a condenser lens in front of the light emitting surface of a semiconductor laser diode having an optical output of 500 mW to 2000 mW and a peak wavelength of 700 nm to 1000 nm, and sets the irradiation time of the semiconductor laser diode. Irradiation time setting means is provided.
Therefore, according to the present invention, since a semiconductor laser having a low output is used, there is no risk of causing damage to the skin, and it is suitable for a laser hair removal device for cosmetics where safety is most important. Further, it is economical because a cheap semiconductor laser is used as compared with other laser devices.
Furthermore, by changing the wavelength of the semiconductor laser, it is possible to deal with various colors of skin.
Further, since the laser beam concentration and light output are adjusted, the emission time is set, and the energy level of the laser beam is adjusted to a level suitable for hair removal, the hair removal can be performed effectively and safely.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a laser hair removal apparatus embodying the present invention.
The laser hair removal apparatus includes a probe 1 and a control box 2.
The control box 2 has an operation panel P disposed on the front surface, and controls the compressor 21 that sucks and discharges air, the power supply unit 22 of the laser diode LD, and controls the switching of air suction and discharge and lighting of the laser diode LD. The control circuit 23 is built in, and the cable 3 and the power cord 4 are connected to the rear surface.

  On the operation panel P, the power switch is turned on / off, the pulse output is adjusted, the light emission time is set, the treatment time is set, and the treatment mode is set.

  The pulse output is adjusted by operating the power supply unit 22 of the laser diode LD. Turning on / off the power supply to the diode LD to emit laser light in a pulsed manner. If the on-time of this pulse output of the laser light is changed to adjust the duty ratio of the pulse, the intensity of the laser light is reduced. Can be adjusted.

When the laser beam is strengthened, the pulse on-time is lengthened to increase the lighting time per unit time, and when it is weakened, the pulse on-time is shortened to shorten the lighting time per unit time. When the output is maximized, the power supply is kept on and the output is continuous. The pulse frequency is set in the range of 5 to 100 Hz.
As described above, the light emission of the laser diode LD is a pulse output (or continuous output), but this pulse output is intermittent and pauses in the middle. If, for example, the duration of pulse output, that is, the light emission time is set to 5 seconds using the light emission time setting means, the laser diode LD emits light in pulses (or continuously) for 5 seconds. When 5 seconds have elapsed, the light emission is stopped, and after a predetermined pause time (for example, 3 seconds), the light emission is again performed for 5 seconds, and the light emission and pause cycle is repeated. Thus, the danger of causing temporary damage to the skin can be avoided by putting the rest time in the middle. The light emission time can be adjusted in the range of 1 to 9 seconds.

In actual hair removal, the intensity of pulse output and the light emission time are combined in accordance with the color and thickness of the hair. For example, when removing black and thick hair, the pulse duty ratio is increased to increase the pulse output, while the light emission time is shortened. Thereby, it is possible to reliably suppress the growth of hair by irradiating with a strong laser beam, and to avoid damaging the skin more than necessary. On the other hand, when hair is removed with gold, the duty ratio of the pulse is reduced to increase the light emission time. Thereby, a weak laser beam is irradiated for a long time, and hair removal is performed while suppressing damage to the skin. In either case, the energy level applied to the skin is almost the same level, but the biological effect on the skin is different, and laser irradiation suitable for the type of hair can be realized.
In this way, treatment is performed while alternately repeating light emission and pause with a predetermined pulse output, but the overall time setting for the treatment does not damage the skin due to prolonged use, so that the timer is used normally. Set an appropriate count value for 5 to 60 minutes.

For the treatment mode setting, one of “laser irradiation only”, “laser irradiation and suction”, or “laser irradiation and air blowing” is selected.
The cord 3 contains an air tube 31 and a lead wire 32. The probe 1 and the compressor 21 are connected by the air tube 31, and the probe 1, the power supply unit 22, the control circuit 23, and the like are connected by the lead wire 32.
The probe 1 has a shape in which the head is bent in an L shape, a push switch S is disposed on the side surface of the case 11, and a screw cylinder 12 is fixed to the front surface of the case 11.

A suction cap 13A or a spray cap 13B shown in FIG. 4 is attached to a screw screw formed on the outer periphery of the screw cylinder 12 in a replaceable manner.
The suction cap 13A and the spray cap 13B are both made of transparent acrylic so that it can be seen from the outside where the laser beam is irradiated on the skin.
A ring-shaped skin pad 14 made of ABS resin is attached to the inside of the suction cap 13A.
The blowing cap 13B is provided with an air blow-through portion 13b by notching a part of the opening edge at the tip.
A spherical condenser lens 15 is fitted in the head of the case 11.
Since the laser light is parallel and does not diffuse and has excellent light collecting properties, the lens 15 is focused to one point.
The suction cap 13A and the spray cap 13B act as a spacer that keeps the distance from the lens 15 to the skin constant, and adjust the energy density of the laser light applied to the skin by changing the distance by turning the screw. be able to.
A heat sink 16 is provided so as to contact the inner surface of the head of the case 11.
A transmission hole 41 through which laser light is transmitted and a ventilation hole 42 through which air passes are formed in the axial center and outer edge of the heat sink 16, and the laser diode LD is fixed to the back of the transmission hole 41.

The laser light from the laser diode LD is focused on the skin pad 14 or the axial center of the opening surface of the spray cap 13B by the lens 15 disposed in front.
The laser diode LD is a PN junction diode using a compound semiconductor such as GaAs (gallium arsenide), and is excited by applying a current to the diode to cause laser oscillation.
A semiconductor laser diode has excellent features such as small size and light weight, good oscillation efficiency, direct modulation by current, long life, mass production, and low price.
Further, by changing the component ratio of the material and the kind of constituent atoms, diodes of laser light having different wavelengths can be obtained.
If the wavelength of the laser light is different, the dyes that respond to this will also be different, so if the wavelength of the semiconductor laser diode is changed, it can be applied to various colors of skin.

  The semiconductor laser diode used in the present invention has a peak wavelength of 700 nm to 1000 nm and an optical output of 500 mW to 2000 mW. Within this range, the thermal efficiency is good and a sufficient photothermal reaction is caused to the skin. At the same time, it is not strong enough to damage the living tissue, and there is no risk of causing damage to the skin.

In addition to the thermal reaction for hair removal, laser light includes photoelectric reaction, photomagnetic reaction, photodynamic reaction, photochemical reaction, photoimmune reaction, photoenzymatic reaction, and these reactions are related to photobiological activity. It promotes the metabolism of living tissue and improves skin blood circulation, and it is difficult to be absorbed by moisture and blood, so it has excellent skin penetration.
If the light output is insufficient, a plurality of laser diodes LD can be arranged and arranged so that their focal points are gathered in one place, and can be used for hair removal.

The heat sink 16 diffuses heat generated during operation of the laser diode LD by heat conduction to suppress a decrease in light emission performance.
For this reason, it casts with aluminum or its alloy with good heat-conduction efficiency, and provides several dummy through-holes to improve heat dissipation efficiency.
An air tube 31 connected to the compressor 21 is introduced into the case 11, and the open end of the air tube 31 is looked behind the heat sink 16.
Further, lead wires 32 connecting the laser diode LD and the power source 22 are introduced into the case.

FIG. 5 shows a piping diagram of the compressor 21.
In the pipe connection, the proximal end sides of the pair of branch pipes 31a and 31b are respectively connected to the intake port 21a and the exhaust port 21b, and one end of the distal end side of the branch pipes 31a and 31b is connected to the air via the on-off valves V1 and V3, respectively. It connects to the tube 31 and the other end is opened via the open / close valves V2 and V4, respectively.
The pipe connection is configured as described above. As shown in FIG. 6, when the probe 1 is sucked, the on-off valves V1 and V4 are opened and V2 and V3 are closed.
On the contrary, when the probe 1 is sprayed, the on-off valves V1 and V4 are closed and V2 and V3 are opened.
In a simple apparatus that performs spraying without suction, instead of the branch pipe 31a, a straight pipe without an on-off valve is piped, one end of the branch pipe 31b is connected to the air tube 31 via the on-off valve V3, and the other end Is opened via the on-off valve V4.

Similarly, in a device that performs only suction without spraying, instead of the branch pipe 31b, a straight pipe without an on-off valve is piped, and one end of the branch pipe 31a is connected to the air tube 31 via the on-off valve V1, and the like. The end is opened via the on-off valve V2.
Laser irradiation is performed while repeating light emission and pause for the entire treatment time set within a range of 5 to 60 minutes.
One light emission time is set within a range of 1 to 9 seconds, and the light emission is paused for 3 seconds between light emission, and air is blown during this pause period.
Thus, since the air is blown out while the laser diode LD is turned off, the cooling efficiency in the probe 1 is increased.
If suction or air blowing is specified in the treatment mode, suction or air blowing is performed in parallel with laser irradiation.
The laser hair removal apparatus of the present invention is configured as described above. When performing a treatment, first, the operation panel P is operated to adjust the light output, set the irradiation time, set the treatment time, set the treatment mode, etc. Do.

Next, a hair removal cream is applied to the treatment site to dissolve and remove hair outside the skin.
When performing suction, the suction cap 13A is attached to the tip of the probe 1, and the position of the skin contact portion 14 is adjusted by turning a screw screw.
Then, the push switch S is pressed with the tip of the probe 1 pressed against the skin surface.
As a result, the skin surface is sucked and adsorbed to the skin pad 14 and irradiated with laser light.
When laser light is emitted for a set emission time, for example, 5 seconds, laser light emission is stopped for 3 seconds, and air is blown out from the tip of the probe 1 during the pause.
As a result, the skin surface is separated from the skin contact portion 14, and during this time, the probe 1 is moved to the next treatment position.

Repeat the above operation throughout the set treatment time.
When air is blown, a blowing cap 13B is attached to the tip of the probe 1, and the position of the opening surface is adjusted by turning a screw screw.
Then, the push switch S is operated by pressing the tip of the probe 1 against the skin surface.
As a result, air is blown from the tip of the probe 1 and laser light is emitted.
Thereafter, the laser beam irradiation is stopped for 3 seconds, and air is blown out from the tip of the probe 1 during this period.
Repeat the above operation for the set treatment time.

When the air is blown out, the skin surface irradiated with the laser light is appropriately cooled to prevent overheating, so that a sufficient photothermal action can be given to the skin.
As shown in FIG. 7, when the skin after removing the hair H with the hair removal cream is irradiated with laser light, the laser light is absorbed by the melanin A in the epidermis and generates heat.
This heat causes protein denaturation in the skin tissue, thereby condensing sebaceous glands B and dermal papilla C and reducing pores.
Since the sebaceous glands B and the dermal papilla C are also damaged in this way, the tissue of the hair follicle D becomes hard, new hair is difficult to grow, and hair growth is suppressed.

It is a block diagram of the laser hair removal apparatus which implemented this invention. It is a front view of the probe of the laser hair removal apparatus which implemented this invention. FIG. 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 2. It is a perspective view of the blowing cap of the laser hair removal apparatus which implemented this invention. It is a piping connection figure of the compressor of the laser hair removal apparatus which implemented this invention. It is a time chart of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the condition which irradiated the laser beam to skin.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Probe 11 Case 12 Short cylinder 13 Suction cap 13 'Outflow cap 14 Skin contact surface 15 Ball lens 16 Heat sink 2 Control box 21 Compressor 22 Power supply 23 Control circuit 3 Cable 4 Power supply cord 31 Air tube 32 Lead wire LD Laser diode P Operation panel S push switch V open / close valve

Claims (1)

A condenser lens is attached in front of the light emitting surface of a semiconductor laser diode having an optical output of 500 mW to 2000 mW and a peak wavelength of 700 nm to 1000 nm, and
Emission time setting means for setting the emission time of the semiconductor laser diode,
Thus, a laser hair removal apparatus characterized by irradiating the skin surface with the laser light of the semiconductor laser diode and causing protein degeneration in the hair papilla and sebaceous glands to suppress hair growth.

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