KR20180004669A - Apparatus for Treating Dry Eyes Using Low Level Laser Therapy - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating a dry eye syndrome using low-output laser therapy, which comprises: a low-output laser generator; a laser transfer member (100) having both terminals respectively connected to the low-output laser generator and a contact lens (200); and an optical contact unit (200) composed of a contact lens coming into contact with the eye surface of a subject to be treated to radiate the low-output laser generated by the low-output laser generator, or which comprises: a power device; and an optical contact unit connected through an electrical wire (110) to the power device and composed of a contact lens (200) having laser generation members (300) attached thereto at predetermined intervals to radiate low-output laser when mounted on the eye surface of a subject to be treated. According to the present invention, functions of lacrimal glands, meibomian gland and goblet cells can be activated to stimulate secretion of water, mucin and fat, thereby stabilizing a tear layer and inhibiting inflation and pain, so that the dry eye syndrome can be treated.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating dry eye syndrome using low power laser therapy,

More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for treating dry eye syndrome using a low-power laser therapy, and more particularly, to a device for treatment of dry eye syndrome using low power laser therapy, The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating dry eye syndromes using a low power laser therapy method capable of activating cell functions and promoting secretion of water, mucin and fat to stabilize the tear layer and inhibit inflammation and pain to treat dry eye syndrome.

Tears are present on the cornea (black chord) and conjunctiva (whiteness) in the eye, and they keep the surface of the eye constant so that the light is constantly transmitted. It gently lubricates the surface of the cornea and conjunctiva to provide an effect on the cornea, and it also acts as a sterilizing agent to wash away the cornea and conjunctival debris. The tear layer consists of three layers composed of three components: oil, water, and mucin, which are secreted by lacrimal gland, meiwa spring, and goblet cells, respectively.

The first layer, the lipid layer, is the outermost part of the tear layer and is composed of various lipids and is secreted from the myobasal gland. Oil-like properties prevent the evaporation of the underlying water layer and maintain the surface morphology. It also acts as a lubricant between the cornea and the eyelid. The meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), a symptom of yellowish oil from the inside of the eyelid, is an abnormality in this area that causes oil to be secreted and not function as a lipid layer.

The second aqueous layer occupies about 90% of the tear layer and is located at the center, the thickest part. The aqueous layer supplies the oxygen and nutrients needed by the cornea, an aneurismal tissue, and removes foreign matter through the flow and drainage of tears.

The third mucin layer is located at the bottom of the tear layer and is composed of mucin components secreted into the goblet cells of the septum. Mucins exist as secreted mucins and membrane mucins. These mucins play a role in supporting the aqueous layer in combination with moisture in the tear layer.

Dry eye syndrome is a disorder in which the tear layer becomes unstable due to various causes, and inflammation occurs in the eyes, resulting in pain and decreased visual acuity. Patients with dry eye syndrome are less able to function in lacrimal glands, myeol spring, and goblet cells.

Dry eye syndrome has been treated with steroid eye drops (fluorometholone 0.1%), immunosuppressants (cyclosporine 0.5%) or eyedrops to promote mucin secretion (diaphorose 3%) to suppress inflammation. However, the treatment of chronic ocular dryness is limited only by the suppression of inflammation and mucin secretion, and the disease called dry eye syndrome is a disease which includes pain caused by ocular surface inflammation, water, mucin, fat secretion, Since it is a complex and comprehensive disease, there is a problem that it is difficult to treat by treating only one factor.

Recently, a method of treating dry eye syndrome using high energy IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) has been developed (Rolando Toyos et al ., Photomedicine and Laser Surgery Vol. 33, No. 1, 2015 pp. 41-46). IPL treatment is intended to treat eyelid capillary vasodilatation in patients with dry eye syndrome, which is manifested by dysmenorrheal dysfunction, to prevent the progression of mastoid spring dysfunction due to inflammation and inhibit the proliferation of eyelid germs. It is difficult to restore the function of the damaged eyebrows already, and it is difficult to expect treatment effects on dry eye syndromes other than canine spring dysfunction such as Shoggran disease and lack of tear production.

On the other hand, low level laser therapy (LLLT) has been developed to treat various diseases and is being used in various disease fields (Myron L. Welbarsht, J. Laser applications (1994) 6, 170-172). Photochemical action on plants can be seen in carbon assimilation. It is known that light is irradiated to living organisms, and ATP is produced by the optical action, and the cells are activated. That is, irradiation of a living body with laser light of a low energy level that does not damage biological cells activates the physiological function of the living body and enhances the natural healing power of the affected part. The biochemical action of light is determined by the wavelength, polarization, intensity, etc. of light. It is known that light with an energy of about 100 mW is most effective for the human body in the range of 600-1000 μm.

Such light can be generated by using a He-Ne laser, a semiconductor laser, or a YAG laser. Particularly, in terms of size and price, a semiconductor laser is advantageous, and GaAs (904 nm), GaAlAs (780-820-870 nm, InGaAlP However, it has been reported that instead of such a laser, it is also possible to use the emitted light of an LED, which is especially adopted in a product which emphasizes manufacturing cost. Because it is not a coherent light, it can not focus below a certain beam width. If it can produce light in the range of 600-1000 μm but not polarization, and can guarantee the intensity of about 100 mW / cm, A similar effect can be obtained.

Currently, the most active area of LLLT therapy is pain relief. He-Ne laser has been developed continuously after laser acupuncture has been shown to have a great effect on acupuncture in acupuncture.

Currently, it is confirmed that not only acupuncture but also the direct examination of the affected part can obtain a great effect for healing the disease as well as the pain, and the application field thereof is greatly expanded. In particular, LLLT is not only excellent for various chronic diseases known as conventional difficulties, but also has a therapeutic effect as it is essentially non-operative, non-invasive, has little pain and side effects, and the medical burden is extremely small There are landmark advantages.

However, the treatment apparatus using LLLT has the following problems.

First, it is suitable for acupuncture therapy where irradiation diameter of the treatment instrument is narrow within a few centimeters and it is necessary to irradiate a certain point, but it is not suitable when it is necessary to perform a wide range of irradiation. In particular, when a large area of biological cells is activated by irradiating light on a broader surface rather than acupuncture, such as promoting healing of a surgical site after surgery, treatment of a wide range of inflammation, or the like, It is not possible to use it as a conventional device in cases where the patient needs to be treated directly or by a visionary, such as a disease in the buttocks or genital area.

Second, light of a short wavelength of 600-700 ㎛ is generally absorbed into hemoglobin and long wavelength of about 1,000 ㎛ is absorbed into fat and water to activate the cell of the part, so it is effective to adjust it to the most suitable wavelength according to the lesion . However, since the wavelength and output of the generated light are determined depending on the semiconductor material and the structure of the semiconductor, the laser diode can not be arbitrarily adjusted to a wavelength or an output optimized for a specific disease or a lesion. Therefore, it is necessary to make an array by combining two or three kinds of semiconductor lasers or LEDs having different characteristics and switchover them from the outside.

Thirdly, when a plurality of laser semiconductors are used, the production cost of the seat is increased. Therefore, in order to save costs, it is necessary to adopt a method of using an LED having a wavelength similar to that of a semiconductor laser even though the effect is somewhat reduced.

As a result of intensive efforts to study the treatment of dry eye syndrome, the present inventors have found that when a contact lens connected to an optical fiber or a contact lens with a laser-generating LED is mounted between a conjunctival conjunctiva and a conjunctiva, The present inventors confirmed that it is very effective in activating the functions of lacrimal gland, lepidium spring, and goblet cell to promote the secretion of water, mucin and fat to stabilize the tear layer and inhibit inflammation and pain to treat dry eye syndrome. It was completed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for treating dry eye syndrome.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a laser processing apparatus comprising: (A) a low power laser generating device; (B) a laser moving member (100) having both ends connected to the low power laser generator and the context lens (200); And an optical contact part (200) constituted by a contact lens (200) which is in contact with the eyeball surface of the treatment object and radiates a low-power laser generated in the low-power laser generator, the eyeball disease treatment device .

(A) a power supply device; And a contact lens (200) connected to the power source device through a wire (110) and having a laser generating member (300) attached thereto at regular intervals to emit a low - power laser beam when mounted on an eyeball surface of a treatment object, The present invention provides an apparatus for treating an eye disease using a low power laser therapy method including an optical contact portion composed of a light source,

The effect of treating the dry eye syndrome by stimulating the secretion of water, mucin and fat by activating the function of the lacrimal gland, mei spring gland and goblet cell by irradiating the low power laser according to the present invention to stabilize the tear layer and suppress inflammation and pain have.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of application to an eye for treating dry eye syndrome using an apparatus for treating an eye disease according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of application to an eye for treating dry eye syndrome using an apparatus for treating an eye disease according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are graphs showing intensity of light according to LED devices and wavelengths used in an eye disease treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an experimental schedule for treating dry eye syndrome using an eye disease treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.
FIG. 6 is a graph showing the results of inspecting the amount of eyes for confirming the therapeutic effect of dry eye syndrome and a result thereof in one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a photograph of the result of the smoothness test of the C-curl pattern of the cornea for confirming the therapeutic effect of dry eye syndrome in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a photograph and a graph of corneal opacity according to alkaline dyeing to confirm the therapeutic effect of dry eye syndrome in one embodiment of the present invention.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. In general, the nomenclature used herein is well known and commonly used in the art.

In the present invention, a low power laser is used to accelerate cell proliferation, cleavage, and function, and to suppress inflammation and pain. A contact lens connected with an optical fiber or a contact lens with a laser- When placed in the middle of the conjunctiva and irradiated with a low-power laser, it activates the function of the lacrimal gland, the myeol spring, and the goblet cell to stabilize the tear layer by promoting the secretion of water, mucin and fat and to treat inflammation and pain, It is very effective in terms of

Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides a laser processing apparatus comprising: (A) a low power laser generating device; (B) a laser moving member (100) having both ends connected to the low power laser generator and the context lens (200); And an optical contact part (200) constituted by a contact lens (200) which contacts the eyeball surface of the treatment object and radiates a low-power laser generated in the low-power laser generator, , Is shown in Fig.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power supply apparatus comprising: (A) a power supply device; And a contact lens (200) connected to the power source device through a wire (110) and having a laser generating member (300) attached thereto at regular intervals to emit a low - power laser beam when mounted on an eyeball surface of a treatment object, The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating an eye disease using a low power laser therapy method,

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof.

FIG. 1 shows a dry eye treatment apparatus for outputting a low-output laser according to an embodiment of the present invention. A low output laser beam is irradiated to a surface of the eye to be brought into contact with a glaucoma membrane to form a lacrimal gland 4, 3). In addition, a low-power laser is irradiated on the surface of the eyeball to suppress the pain associated with dry eye syndrome.

Ophthalmologic dryness can be preferably treated in ophthalmic diseases using the therapeutic apparatus according to the present invention.

In the apparatus for treating eye diseases according to an embodiment of the present invention, the low power laser generating apparatus is a light source generating apparatus for generating a laser.

The 904nm wavelength IR laser penetrates the skin surface to treat skin necrosis, burns and other skin diseases. A semiconductor laser with a wavelength of 630 ~ 650nm penetrates to the vicinity of the deep 45nm of the skin to treat pain. As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a gallium arsenide (GaAs) semiconductor laser can be used as an example of an IR semiconductor laser, has a maximum peak output of 27 watts (W), operates in a frequency range of 1 Hz to 5 KHz, And can be designed to have an output of 125 mWatt. As an example of a semiconductor laser having a wavelength of 630 to 650 nm according to the present invention, an output of 5 mWatt can be used.

In the present invention, when a semiconductor laser having a wavelength of 630 to 650 nm and an IR laser having a wavelength of 904 nm are used together, the intensity of the laser beam irradiated to the skin is increased by the interference effect of the light wavelength, and only one semiconductor laser having a wavelength of 630 to 650 nm A remarkable synergistic effect can be expected as compared with the case of using. Generally, low-frequency laser treatment of 1 KHz or less is preferable for pain, and high-frequency laser treatment of 3 KHz or more is preferable for inflammation.

In the present invention, the laser moving member 100 is formed of an optical fiber. An optical fiber is an optical fiber in which light having a high refractive index is used for a central portion and glass having a low refractive index is used for an outer portion so that light passing through the central portion of the glass is totally reflected. Quartz glass, plastic, etc., is made of elongated and elongated fibers, and the center of the fiber is made to have a proper refractive index distribution so that light can be propagated. The energy loss is very low and the data loss rate is low and there is little external influence. Preferably, silicon oxide (SiO ₂ , silica) fibers can be used.

In the present invention, the laser generating member 300 may be an LED (Light Emitting Diode), an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode), an LD (Laser Diode), or a micro LED. The laser generating member 300 may further include a current sensor for measuring the current with respect to the laser and controlling the power supply of the laser generating member when the measured rectification exceeds the threshold value range.

In the present invention, the wavelength range of the laser generating member 300 may be 600 to 1000 nm, preferably 700 to 900 nm, and more preferably 700 to 800 nm.

When the wavelength range of the laser generating member 300 is less than 600 nm, there is a problem of retinal damage. When the wavelength of the laser generating member 300 is more than 1000 nm, cataracts and retinal damage are disadvantageous.

When treating a disease using the therapeutic apparatus according to the present invention, the optical contact unit 200 is positioned between the conjunctive conjunctiva and the conjunctiva, and the irradiation condition is 200 mWatt / cm ² or less depending on the patient's disease condition and individual condition Lt; ² > or less, preferably 10 to 20 mWatt / cm < ² > In addition, if it exceeds 20 mWatt / cm < ² >, there is a problem that thermal damage to the eyeball may occur.

The diameter of the contact lens 200 may be 15.0 to 26.0 mm, preferably 18.0 to 25.0 mm, and more preferably 23.0 to 25.0 mm. The diameter of the contact lens 200 may be selected from the group consisting of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) A rigid gas permeable lens, and the like. When the diameter of the contact lens is less than 15.0 mm, there is a problem that the goblet cells of the conjunctiva and the main spring can not be sufficiently covered. When the diameter exceeds 26.0 mm, the conjunctival lens is too large to be placed in the conjunctival sac.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples. It is to be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and that the scope of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments.

[Example]

Example  1: Low power laser based eye disease treatment device LED and dry eye disease

An LED of 740 nm (Figs. 3 and 4) was used.

After scopolamine injection into c57BL6 mice (2.5 mg / mL), the chamber was placed in an air-blowing chamber for 18 hours each day. Tear volume was measured from day 10, and the amount of tears compared to the control group was confirmed. 740nm LED was treated with irradiation energy of 20mW than 0.9J / cm ² on the eye. C57BL6 mouse was used to confirm the onset of dry eye syndrome with scopolamine, and 740nm LED was irradiated for 10 days at three days intervals. The experimental schedule is shown in Fig.

Example  2: Confirmation of tear secretion amount after LED irradiation

The amount of snow was measured by the Zone-quick method, and the amount of tears was expressed in terms of the thread length by placing the yarn in which the color changed when the water came in front of the tear drop (Fig. 6 (a)).

As shown in the graph of FIG. 6 (b), it was observed that the amount of tear secretion after LED irradiation was remarkably increased.

Example  3: Cornea after LED irradiation C-curl  Patterned Smooth  Confirm

It was observed that the C-curl pattern became smooth after the LED irradiation.

As shown in FIG. 7, it can be seen that the periphery is smooth when the C-curl pattern in the middle is seen in the middle, but it is confirmed that the cornea causing dry eye syndrome is not smooth and has a rugged C shape eye). However, after the LED irradiation, the cornea of normal wetting is constituted and it is observed that the C curl becomes smooth.

Example  4: After LED irradiation Alkane  Corneal opacity after staining

Corneal opacity was significantly decreased after LED irradiation in the corneal haze test by alkaline dyeing.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the cornea is stained with alkaline blue, corneal damage can be confirmed by staining with a cyan color when the cornea is damaged. Corneal damage was found as dry eye syndrome, but a large part of the cornea was regenerated after LED irradiation, indicating smooth boundary.

In conclusion, it was confirmed that irradiation of LED by low power laser based eye disease treatment device is effective for corneal damage and lacrimal repair by dry eye syndrome.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will appreciate that such specific embodiments are merely preferred embodiments and that the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto will be. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention will be defined by the claims and their equivalents.

1: Eyelid 2: May spring
3: Dendritic cell 4: Tear gland
5: lens 6: cornea
100: laser shifting member 110: wire
200: optical contact part 300: laser generating member

Claims (8)

Low power laser based eye disease treatment devices including:
(A) a low output laser generator;
(B) a laser moving member (100) having both ends connected to the low output laser and the contemporary lens (200); And
(C) an optical contact (200) composed of a contact lens that contacts a surface of an eye of a treatment subject and emits a low-power laser generated in the low-power laser generator.
Low power laser based eye disease treatment devices including:
(A) Power supply; And
(B) a contact lens (200) connected to the power supply through a wire (110) and having a laser generating member (300) attached at regular intervals to radiate a low - power laser when mounted on an eyeball surface of a treatment object Configured optical contact.
The eye treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ophthalmic disease is dry eye syndrome.
[3] The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the laser generating member is an LED (Light Emitting Diode), an OLED or a micro LED.
The eye treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the optical contact portion is positioned between the spherical conjunctiva and the conjunctiva.
The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the laser is a low power laser having a power of 200 mWatt / cm ² or less.
The eye treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the diameter of the contact lens is 23.0 to 25.0 mm.
The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the contact lens is selected from the group consisting of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and an oxygen permeable hard lens.

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