KR20210152091A - Apparatus for laser theraphy and method for laser theraphy using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A laser treatment device which is used in laser therapy and is equipped with a cooling function, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a laser module for irradiating the skin with laser beams; a sensor for detecting a temperature of the skin surface before the skin is heated by the laser beams so as to obtain skin temperature information; a cooling module including a nozzle for spraying a coolant to the skin surface and a coolant condition controller for controlling the temperature of the coolant by applying thermal energy to the coolant; and a control module which allows the laser module to irradiate the skin with the laser beams, controls the cooling module to start spraying the coolant on the skin before laser irradiation starts, controls at least one of an injection amount and a temperature of the coolant based on the skin temperature information while the coolant is being sprayed, detects whether the temperature of the skin surface reaches a first setting temperature, and starts laser irradiation when the temperature of the skin surface has reached the first setting temperature.

Description

Laser treatment device and method thereof

The present invention relates to a laser treatment apparatus and a treatment method therefor, and more particularly, to a laser treatment apparatus having a cooling system and a treatment method therefor.

In general, a laser treatment device is widely used for treatment or treatment of skin beauty, vascular lesions, hair removal, warts, and the like. In particular, since interest in skin beauty is rapidly increasing in modern society, interest in or research on laser treatment devices is increasing.

However, due to the nature of laser treatment, since a laser that outputs high energy in a very short time is used on the skin of the living body, thermal energy is accumulated in a specific area of the skin, and there is a possibility that additional heat damage other than the purpose of the treatment may occur. In addition, since the procedure is performed on the principle of heat ablation of a specific area of the skin by outputting high energy in a short time, there is a high possibility of pain caused by thermal collapse.

For this purpose, laser treatment has been carried out in a way that combines cooling with laser irradiation. In the case of the conventional cooling, there have been methods using contact, non-contact, and air gas. In particular, in the case of the conventional spray cooling, a strong pressure when the coolant is sprayed is applied to the internal components and the internal components are worn. There was a problem that durability problem and cost according to the after service (AS) were required. Additionally, in the case of spray cooling, since the injection of the coolant is essentially dependent on the operator's experience, side effects such as skin damage and pain still exist.

Therefore, there is a need for research into a laser treatment device and a treatment method having a cooling system for preventing heat damage and relieving pain.

One object of the present invention is to provide a laser treatment device and a treatment method having a jet cooling system.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laser treatment device and a treatment method used to control the temperature of a coolant by measuring the 'temperature' of the skin, which is a direct factor of skin damage.

One object of the present invention is to provide a laser treatment apparatus and method for finely controlling the temperature or flow rate of a coolant based on the measured skin temperature.

One object of the present invention is to provide a laser treatment apparatus and a treatment method thereof having a cooling system for cooling before, during, and after laser irradiation by the laser treatment apparatus.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a laser treatment apparatus and a treatment method having a spray-type cooling system that prevents a sudden pressure increase when a coolant is sprayed.

One object of the present invention is to provide a laser treatment device and a treatment method having a spray-type cooling system for solving and/or preventing errors in skin temperature measurement that may occur during laser irradiation.

The apparatus for laser treatment having a cooling system disclosed in the present application includes: a laser module for irradiating a laser to the skin of a patient; a sensor for detecting the temperature of the surface of the patient's skin before, during or after being heated by the laser; Using an inlet that receives coolant from a coolant storage unit, a nozzle that sprays the coolant on the skin, a conduit connecting the inlet and the nozzle, and a valve positioned on the conduit and short-circuiting the inlet and the nozzle a flow controller for controlling the amount of coolant injected; and a coolant condition controller for applying thermal energy to the coolant using a thermoelectric element positioned between the flow controller and the nozzle, wherein the coolant is injected into the laser a cooling module for cooling the surface of the skin before or during or after being heated by the heating; and obtaining skin temperature information through the sensor, and controlling the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed by adjusting the thermal energy applied to the coolant in the coolant condition controller based on the skin temperature information to control the temperature of the coolant being heated by the laser. It may include; a control module for adjusting the temperature of the surface of the skin to reduce the damage to the surface of the.

The apparatus for laser treatment having a cooling system disclosed in the present application includes: a laser module for outputting a laser to the skin of a patient for laser treatment; a sensor for measuring the temperature of the skin; a nozzle for spraying a coolant on the skin; a coolant condition controller for controlling at least one of a temperature and an amount of the coolant; and acquiring at least one of first skin information and second skin information through the sensor, wherein the first skin information includes at least the skin temperature at or before the start of laser output of the first shot, and the second The skin information includes at least the skin temperature at or after the end of the laser output of the first shot, and when the laser treatment of the second shot is performed after the laser treatment of the first shot is performed, the first skin and a control module configured to adjust at least one of a temperature and an amount of the coolant based on at least one of the information and the second skin information.

A method for laser treatment with a cooling system disclosed in the present application includes, through a laser module, irradiating a laser to the skin of a patient; measuring, via a sensor, the temperature of the skin before, during or after being heated by the laser; Using an inlet that receives coolant from a coolant storage unit, a nozzle that sprays the coolant on the skin, a conduit connecting the inlet and the nozzle, and a valve positioned on the conduit and short-circuiting the inlet and the nozzle Injection of the coolant is performed through a cooling module comprising a flow controller that adjusts the amount of coolant injected, and a coolant condition controller that applies thermal energy to the coolant using a thermoelectric element positioned between the flow controller and the nozzle. cooling the surface of the skin before or during or after being heated by the laser through And through the control module, by controlling the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed by obtaining skin temperature information from the sensor and adjusting the thermal energy applied to the coolant in the coolant condition controller based on the skin temperature information, heating by the laser It may include adjusting the temperature of the surface of the skin in order to reduce damage to the surface of the skin.

A method for laser treatment with a cooling system disclosed in the present application includes, through a laser module, outputting a laser to the skin of a patient; measuring the temperature of the skin through a sensor; spraying coolant on the skin through a nozzle; adjusting at least one of a temperature and an amount of the coolant through a coolant condition controller; At least one of first skin information and second skin information is obtained from the sensor through the control module, wherein the first skin information includes at least the skin temperature at or before the start of laser output of the first shot, , the second skin information includes at least the skin temperature at or after the end of the laser output of the first shot; and when performing the laser treatment of the second shot after performing the laser treatment of the first shot, the temperature of the coolant based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information through the control module and adjusting at least one of the amount; may include.

The apparatus for laser treatment having a cooling system disclosed in the present application is used for laser therapy and is a laser treatment apparatus equipped with a cooling function, comprising: a laser module for irradiating a laser to the skin of a patient; a sensor for acquiring skin temperature information by detecting the temperature of the patient's skin surface before being heated by the laser; a cooling module comprising: a nozzle for spraying a coolant on the skin surface; and a coolant condition controller for controlling a temperature of the coolant by applying thermal energy to the coolant; and performing laser irradiation on the skin through the laser module, controlling the cooling module to start spraying the coolant on the skin before the laser irradiation, and based on the skin temperature information while spraying the coolant adjusting at least one of the injection amount and temperature of the coolant, detecting whether the temperature of the skin surface reaches a first set temperature, and when the temperature of the skin surface reaches the first set temperature, the laser irradiation It may include; a control module that initiates the.

The apparatus for laser treatment having a cooling system disclosed in the present application is used for laser therapy and is a laser treatment apparatus equipped with a cooling function, comprising: a laser module for irradiating a laser to the skin of a patient; a sensor for acquiring skin temperature information by detecting the temperature of the patient's skin surface before being heated by the laser; a cooling module comprising: a nozzle for spraying a coolant on the skin surface; and a coolant condition controller for controlling a temperature of the coolant by applying thermal energy to the coolant; and a notification module providing a notification to guide a user in providing the laser therapy for the skin. a trigger for obtaining a user input related to the laser irradiation; and performing laser irradiation on the skin through the laser module, controlling the cooling module to start spraying the coolant on the skin before the laser irradiation, and based on the skin temperature information while spraying the coolant At least one of the injection amount and temperature of the coolant is adjusted, and when the temperature of the skin surface reaches a first set temperature, the notification is output through the notification module, and after the notification is output through the laser module, the user It may include; a control module for outputting the laser according to the input received.

The method for laser treatment with a cooling system disclosed in the present application is a laser treatment method for performing cooling and laser irradiation on the skin of a patient, and by detecting the temperature of the skin surface of the patient using a sensor, skin temperature information to obtain; adjusting the temperature of the coolant by applying thermal energy to the coolant based on the skin temperature information through the coolant condition controller; spraying the coolant on the skin surface of the patient before the laser irradiation through a nozzle; detecting whether the temperature of the skin surface reaches a first set temperature; outputting a notification indicating that the temperature of the skin surface has reached the first set temperature by using the notification module; When the temperature of the skin surface reaches the first set temperature, it may include starting the laser irradiation to the skin through a laser module.

The apparatus for laser treatment having a cooling system disclosed in the present application is used for laser therapy and is a laser treatment apparatus equipped with a cooling function, comprising: a laser module for irradiating a laser to the skin of a patient; a sensor for detecting the temperature of the skin surface of the patient to obtain skin temperature information; a cooling module including a flow rate control unit controlling an injection amount of the coolant sprayed to the skin based on the skin temperature information and a coolant condition control unit controlling a temperature of the coolant; and a control module for controlling the cooling module so that the coolant is sprayed to the skin during a spraying section including a pre-cooling section that is started at least at a point in time prior to the point in time at which the laser is irradiated; The cooling module adjusts at least one of a temperature and an injection amount of the coolant so that the temperature of the skin surface becomes a first set temperature in at least a part of the pre-cooling section, wherein the first set temperature reflects at least a part of the laser It may be set above the temperature at which ice is formed on the surface of the skin.

The apparatus for laser treatment having a cooling system disclosed in the present application is used for laser therapy and is a laser treatment apparatus equipped with a cooling function, comprising: a laser module for irradiating a laser to the skin of a patient; a sensor for detecting the temperature of the skin surface of the patient to obtain skin temperature information; Flow rate control unit for controlling the injection amount of the cryogen sprayed on the skin based on the skin temperature information and a cooling module comprising a coolant condition control unit for controlling the temperature of the cryogenic agent; And at least the pre-cooling (pre-cooling) section that starts at a time earlier than the time of irradiating the laser and the inter-cooling section corresponding to the section on which the laser is irradiated to the skin during the injection section including the Including; a control module for controlling the cooling module so that the cryogenic agent is injected; In the cooling module, the temperature of the skin surface becomes a first set temperature in the pre-cooling section, and the temperature of the skin surface in the inter-cooling section is At least one of the temperature and injection amount of the cryogenic agent is adjusted to be a second set temperature, wherein the second set temperature is a temperature at which the cryogenic agent in a solid state that reflects at least a portion of the laser on the path to which the laser is irradiated is formed It can be set above.

The apparatus for laser treatment having a cooling system disclosed in the present application is used for laser therapy and is a laser treatment apparatus equipped with a cooling function, comprising: a laser module for irradiating a laser to the skin of a patient; a sensor for detecting the temperature of the skin surface of the patient to obtain skin temperature information; The cryogen sprayed on the skin based on the skin temperature information -The cryogen is sprayed in the form of a spray containing at least one of a solid state, a liquid state, and a gaseous state - is sprayed by applying thermal energy a cooling module for controlling the gaseous state ratio of the cryogenic agent; And at least the pre-cooling (pre-cooling) section that starts at a time earlier than the time of irradiating the laser and the inter-cooling section corresponding to the section on which the laser is irradiated to the skin during the injection section including the Including; a control module for controlling the cooling module so that the cryogenic agent is injected; the control module uses the cooling module so that the gaseous state ratio of the cryogenic agent in the inter-cooling section is equal to or greater than a preset value Thermal energy can be applied to

The method for laser treatment with a cooling system disclosed in the present application is a laser treatment method for performing cooling and laser irradiation on the skin of a patient, and by detecting the temperature of the skin surface of the patient using a sensor, skin temperature information to obtain; Thermal energy to a cryogen sprayed to the skin based on the skin temperature information using a thermoelectric element - The cryogen is sprayed in the form of a spray containing at least one of a solid state, a liquid state, and a gaseous state to authorize; irradiating a laser to the patient's skin using a laser module; adjusting the temperature of the cryogenic agent so that the temperature of the skin surface becomes a first set temperature in a pre-cooling section that starts at a time prior to the time point of irradiating the laser to the skin; In an inter-cooling section corresponding to the section to which the laser is irradiated, the temperature of the skin surface is a second set temperature - The second set temperature reflects at least a portion of the laser on the path to which the laser is irradiated It may include; to adjust the temperature of the cryogenic agent to be - set above the temperature at which the cryogen in a solid state is formed.

The apparatus for laser treatment having a cooling system disclosed in the present application includes: a laser module for irradiating a laser to the skin of a patient; a sensor for measuring the temperature of the skin before, during or after being heated by the laser; a nozzle for spraying a coolant on the skin; a coolant state controller for controlling thermal energy applied to the coolant by using a thermoelectric element; and controlling that the coolant is sprayed through the nozzle during an injection section including an inter cooling section corresponding to the section irradiating the laser, a pre-cooling section before the inter-cooling section, and a post-cooling section after the inter cooling, In order to cool the skin to a target temperature, the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed is adjusted based on the temperature of the skin through the coolant condition controller, and the temperature of the blood vessels at which blood vessels under the skin are not constricted during the pre-cooling period and and a control module that adjusts the target temperature to a corresponding skin temperature, and adjusts the target temperature to a skin temperature corresponding to the temperature of the blood vessel at which the blood vessel contracts during at least a part of the post-cooling period.

A method for laser treatment with a cooling system disclosed in the present application includes, through a laser module, irradiating a laser to the skin of a patient; measuring, via a sensor, the temperature of the skin before, during or after being heated by the laser; spraying a coolant to the skin through a nozzle; adjusting the thermal energy applied to the coolant through a coolant condition controller using a thermoelectric element; and through the control module, the coolant is supplied through the nozzle during the injection section including the inter-cooling section corresponding to the section in which the laser is irradiated, the pre-cooling section before the inter-cooling section, and the post-cooling section after the inter-cooling. The temperature of the coolant to be sprayed is adjusted based on the temperature of the skin in order to cool the skin to a target temperature through the coolant condition controller, and the blood vessels under the skin are not constricted during the pre-cooling section. adjusting the target temperature to a skin temperature corresponding to the temperature of the blood vessel, and adjusting the target temperature to a skin temperature corresponding to the temperature of the blood vessel at which the blood vessel contracts during at least a part of the post-cooling section have.

According to the embodiment of the present specification, the sensor unit can measure the 'temperature' of the skin, which is a direct factor of skin damage, and use it to control the temperature of the coolant, thereby minimizing the possibility of skin damage.

According to the embodiment of the present specification, the skin temperature can be finely controlled by the coolant condition adjusting unit finely adjusting the temperature or flow rate of the coolant based on the measured skin temperature.

According to the embodiment of the present specification, the flow rate control unit can finely control the skin temperature by finely adjusting the flow rate of the coolant based on the measured skin temperature.

According to the embodiment of the present specification, before the start of laser irradiation and/or during laser irradiation, the spray-type cooling system performs cooling, thereby minimizing skin damage due to heat.

According to the embodiment of the present specification, the injection-type cooling system performs cooling after the end of laser irradiation, thereby minimizing pain.

According to the embodiment of the present specification, in each section such as before, during, and after laser irradiation, the injection-type cooling system performs cooling with a coolant having optimal physical properties, so that the treatment can be flexibly performed according to various types of treatment and purpose of treatment. can do.

According to the embodiment of the present specification, by controlling the current applied to the coolant state adjusting unit to adjust the temperature of the coolant or the amount of the coolant, a sudden pressure increase when the coolant is sprayed can be prevented. In addition, it is possible to prevent abrasion of the parts of the injection unit by applying a strong pressure due to the injection of the coolant. In addition, it is possible to reduce the cost of after service (AS) due to wear.

According to the embodiment of the present specification, it is possible to correct or prevent an error in temperature measurement by the sensor unit during laser irradiation, thereby minimizing the possibility of skin damage during laser irradiation.

1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a laser treatment device having a cooling system disclosed herein.
2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a laser treatment device having a cooling system disclosed herein.
3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation according to an embodiment of a laser treatment apparatus having a cooling system disclosed herein.
4 is a graph showing changes in the skin surface temperature and the target temperature controlled according to an exemplary embodiment of the driving method of the laser treatment device disclosed in the present application.
5 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a driving method of the disclosed laser treatment apparatus of the present application.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a pre-cooling and laser irradiation method according to an embodiment of the laser treatment method disclosed in the present application.
7 is a flowchart illustrating an intercooling and laser irradiation method according to an embodiment of the laser treatment method disclosed in the present application.
8 is a flowchart illustrating a post-cooling and laser irradiation method according to an embodiment of the laser treatment method disclosed in the present application.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of correcting the measured skin surface temperature according to an embodiment of the laser treatment method disclosed in the present application.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a case in which a laser is irradiated to a first shot with respect to a first spot.
11 is a diagram illustrating laser irradiation of a second shot to a first spot after a predetermined time has elapsed after the laser irradiation of the first shot is completed with respect to the first spot.
12 is a flowchart illustrating a driving method in the case of irradiating a plurality of laser shots to a first spot.
13 is a diagram illustrating irradiation of a laser with respect to a first spot.
14 is a diagram illustrating laser irradiation on a second spot after a predetermined time has elapsed after the laser irradiation is completed on the first spot.
15 is a flowchart illustrating a driving method in the case of irradiating a laser to a plurality of spots.
16 is a flowchart illustrating a method of irradiating a laser during cooling according to an embodiment of the present invention.
17 is a view showing that an interfering material is formed on the skin surface as the skin is cooled, according to an embodiment of the present specification.
18 is a diagram illustrating a method of preventing the formation of an interfering material during cooling, according to an embodiment of the present specification.
19 is a view showing a method of performing cooling on the skin surface in the spray section including the frost protection section, according to an embodiment of the present specification.
20 is a diagram illustrating that an interfering material is generated on a laser path irradiated to the skin, according to an embodiment of the present specification.
21 is a diagram illustrating a method of preventing an interfering material from being formed on a laser path during cooling, according to an embodiment of the present specification.
22 is a diagram illustrating a method of controlling a coolant temperature to prevent generation of an interfering substance according to an embodiment of the present specification.
23 is a flowchart of a vascular lesion treatment and/or treatment method of the laser treatment device disclosed herein.
24 is a graph illustrating a change in skin surface temperature controlled according to an exemplary embodiment of a method for treating/treating vascular lesions of the laser treatment device disclosed in the present application.

The above-described objects, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, since the present application may have various changes and may have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be exemplified in the drawings and described in detail below.

In the drawings, the thicknesses of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity, and an element or layer is also referred to as “on” or “on” another component or layer. It includes all cases where another layer or other component is interposed in the middle as well as directly on top of another component or layer. Throughout the specification, like reference numerals refer to like elements in principle. In addition, components having the same function within the scope of the same idea shown in the drawings of each embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions thereof will be omitted.

If it is determined that a detailed description of a known function or configuration related to the present application may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present application, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, numbers (eg, first, second, etc.) used in the description process of the present specification are only identification symbols for distinguishing one component from other components.

In addition, the suffixes "module" and "part" for the components used in the following embodiments are given or mixed in consideration of only the ease of writing the specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles by themselves.

In the following examples, the singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the following embodiments, terms such as include or have means that the features or components described in the specification are present, and the possibility that one or more other features or components will be added is not excluded in advance.

In the drawings, the size of the components may be exaggerated or reduced for convenience of description. For example, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily indicated for convenience of description, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to the illustrated bar.

In cases where certain embodiments may be implemented otherwise, a specific process sequence may be performed different from the described sequence. For example, two processes described in succession may be performed substantially simultaneously, or may be performed in an order opposite to the order described.

In the following embodiments, when a film, region, or component is connected, other films, regions, and components are interposed between the films, regions, and components as well as when the films, regions, and components are directly connected. and indirectly connected.

For example, in the present specification, when it is said that a film, a region, a component, etc. are electrically connected, not only the case where the film, a region, a component, etc. are directly electrically connected, other films, regions, components, etc. are interposed therebetween. Indirect electrical connection is also included.

According to an embodiment of the present specification, in the laser treatment device used for laser therapy and provided with a cooling function, a laser module irradiating a laser to the patient's skin, the patient before being heated by the laser A cooling module comprising a sensor that detects the temperature of the skin surface to obtain skin temperature information, a nozzle that sprays a coolant on the skin surface, and a coolant condition controller that controls the temperature of the coolant by applying thermal energy to the coolant; and The laser is irradiated to the skin through the laser module, but the cooling module is controlled to start spraying the coolant on the skin before the laser radiation, and based on the skin temperature information while spraying the coolant Adjust at least one of the injection amount and temperature of the coolant, detect whether the temperature of the skin surface reaches a first set temperature, and when the temperature of the skin surface reaches the first set temperature, the laser irradiation A laser treatment device including a starting control module may be provided.

Here, the cooling module may control the temperature of the coolant so that the temperature of the skin surface after the laser irradiation reaches a second set temperature different from the first set temperature.

Also, here, the cooling module may control the temperature of the coolant so that the temperature of the skin surface becomes the first set temperature in a preset section before the laser irradiation.

Also, when the laser irradiation is started, the cooling module may stop spraying the coolant on the skin surface.

Also, the cooling module may spray the coolant on the skin surface so that the temperature of the skin surface becomes a set temperature different from the first set temperature after the laser irradiation is finished.

Also, here, the laser treatment device includes a trigger for receiving a user input, and the control module, upon receiving the user input, sprays the coolant on the skin surface through the cooling module and operates the laser through the laser module can be investigated

Here, the laser treatment device includes a first trigger receiving a first user input instructing cooling of the skin surface and a second trigger receiving a second user input instructing laser irradiation, and the control module includes: It is possible to receive the first user input and inject the coolant to the skin surface through the cooling module, and receive the second user input to irradiate the laser through the laser module.

Also, here, when the first user input is not received and the second user input is received, the control module may prohibit the laser from being irradiated to the skin.

Also, here, the laser treatment device includes a trigger for receiving a user input instructing the laser irradiation, and the control module receives the user input and performs the laser irradiation on the skin, but the temperature of the skin surface is the When the first set temperature is not reached, it is possible to prohibit the laser from being irradiated to the skin.

Also, here, the cooling module maintains spraying the coolant on the skin surface during the spraying section, and the spraying section may include a section in which the laser module irradiates the laser to the skin surface.

According to another embodiment of the present specification, in the laser treatment device used for laser therapy and provided with a cooling function, a laser module irradiating a laser to the patient's skin, the patient before being heated by the laser A cooling module comprising a sensor that detects the temperature of the skin surface to obtain skin temperature information, a nozzle that sprays a coolant on the skin surface, and a coolant condition controller that controls the temperature of the coolant by applying thermal energy to the coolant; and A notification module that provides a notification to guide a user in providing the laser therapy to the skin, a trigger that obtains a user input related to the laser irradiation, and the laser module perform laser irradiation on the skin However, before the laser irradiation, the cooling module is controlled to start the injection of the coolant to the skin, and while the coolant is sprayed, at least one of the injection amount and the temperature of the coolant is adjusted based on the skin temperature information, A control module for outputting the notification through the notification module when the temperature of the skin surface reaches a first set temperature, and outputting the laser according to the user input after the notification is output through the laser module A laser treatment device may be provided.

Here, the control module may prohibit the laser irradiation when the user input is received in a state where the temperature of the skin surface is equal to or higher than the first target temperature.

Also, here, the notification may include at least one of a visual notification, an audible notification, and a tactile notification.

According to another embodiment of the present specification, in the laser treatment method for performing cooling and laser irradiation on the skin of a patient, detecting the temperature of the skin surface of the patient using a sensor to obtain skin temperature information, Through a coolant condition controller, heat energy is applied to the coolant based on the skin temperature information to control the coolant temperature, and the coolant is sprayed on the patient's skin surface before the laser irradiation through a nozzle, and the temperature of the skin surface detects whether or not has reached the first set temperature, and outputs a notification indicating that the temperature of the skin surface has reached the first set temperature using a notification module, and the temperature of the skin surface is the first set temperature When the temperature is reached, a laser treatment method of starting the laser irradiation to the skin through a laser module may be provided.

The present specification relates to a laser treatment device having a cooling system and a treatment method therefor. According to an embodiment of the present specification, a laser device having a cooling system may irradiate a laser to a target area of the skin and perform cooling on the skin surface.

Here, the laser treatment may refer to any action intended to promote skin beauty or skin treatment by applying light energy to an object to be treated and converting the light energy into thermal energy to the object to be treated. For example, it may mean to cause heat ablation by accumulating thermal energy in a target to be treated with laser light energy.

The laser used for laser treatment may be any type of laser that can be used for skin treatment, and a Long Pulse Laser or Short Pulse Laser may be used depending on the treatment type.

Specifically, the laser used for the laser treatment may be determined in consideration of the absorption wavelength band of the target target of the laser treatment and surrounding tissues, the location (eg, depth) in the skin, and the like. With respect to the wavelength of the laser, in general, the longer the wavelength of the laser, the deeper the penetration depth into the skin. However, since the penetration depth is affected by the absorption rate of the target as well as the simple wavelength, the laser must be selected in consideration of the absorption wavelength of the target. In addition, if the light having a high absorption rate of the surrounding material is used, the laser may be absorbed by the surrounding material before the operation of the target object, so that it may not be possible to sufficiently apply heat to the target object. For example, melanin is distributed in a shallow depth near the epidermis of the skin, and because it absorbs a lot of light in a short wavelength band, in the case of laser treatment targeting melanin, the wavelength is relatively short and the absorption rate for melanin is high. It is preferable to use a laser. In addition, in the case of a wavelength of 600 nm or less, it is well absorbed by the capillaries, and in the case of a wavelength of 1200 nm or more, it is well absorbed by moisture in the skin. In other words, the laser used for laser treatment should be selected in consideration of the absorption rate of the treatment target, the location (eg depth) in the skin, and the absorption rate of the surrounding tissue.

In addition, the target described in this specification means a target to be treated. Specifically, the target area refers to a specific area or tissue of the skin to be subjected to skin treatment, and is an area or tissue in which thermal energy by laser is intensively applied and the treatment is performed through heat ablation, and the target is the skin , internal and external tissues of the body, various cells, blood, saliva, and the like, and may be part of the components constituting the body of the patient.

Also, the skin surface may refer to an area of the surface of the skin positioned in a laser path when a laser is irradiated to the target area. That is, the skin surface may be a region located on the upper layer of the skin rather than the target region. Also, the target region may be located on the skin surface, in which case the target region and the skin surface may refer to substantially the same region. However, when the target area is located in a different area under the skin surface, it is clarified that the target area of the skin and the skin surface refer to different areas.

Also, the skin and the skin surface described herein are described as different concepts. Specifically, the skin may be a concept including all of the skin surface, epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue, whereas the skin surface is an external surface tissue of the body and is used as a concept meaning the upper layer of the skin. In other words, skin is used herein as a more inclusive concept than skin surface.

In addition, 'cooling' as used herein means to reduce the temperature of the object to be cooled by absorbing thermal energy of the object to be cooled by applying cooling energy to the object to be cooled through a coolant. For example, cooling may apply cooling energy to an object to be cooled in a manner of 'spraying' a coolant to the object to be cooled. As another example, cooling may apply cooling energy to an object to be cooled by applying cooling energy to a cooling medium and 'contacting' the cooling medium to the object to be cooled. As another example, cooling energy may be applied to a target to be cooled by 'spraying' air gas. In other words, it should be understood as a comprehensive concept including all methods of applying cooling energy to the object to be cooled (eg, contact type, non-contact type (or injection type), air gas injection type, etc.). However, in a preferred embodiment disclosed herein, a coolant may be sprayed onto the skin surface to cool the skin surface through a non-contact method, in particular, a spray method.

Here, the 'object to be cooled', that is, the target to be cooled may be various. For example, when a laser treatment is performed on a patient, the object to be cooled may be a part of the configuration of the patient's body, including the skin, internal and external tissues of the body, various cells, blood, saliva, etc. where the laser treatment is performed. have. In other words, in the present specification, the target to be cooled should be understood as a comprehensive concept including all areas to be subjected to laser treatment. In particular, when cooling a part of the patient's body by spraying a coolant, the coolant is generally sprayed on the skin surface. Cooling energy can be applied up to In this case, it should be understood as a comprehensive concept including not only the skin surface but also the skin tissue in the area inside the skin surface.

Also, in the present specification, the term 'coolant' may include any material capable of applying cooling energy to an object to be cooled. For example, the coolant may include a cryogen including a liquid phase and/or a gas phase, a coolant, a refrigerant, and the like. As another example, the coolant may include materials further comprising a solid phase. For example, 'coolant' is a phase or phase of any material that can apply cooling energy, such as carbon dioxide, liquid nitrogen, nitrogen dioxide, HFC-based materials, methane, PFC, SF6, cooling water, and cooling gas. It should be understood as a comprehensive concept including a combination of these. In a preferred embodiment disclosed herein, the coolant may be carbon dioxide. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and any material that is not harmful to the skin and can lower the skin temperature may be used as a coolant for the laser treatment device of the present specification.

In addition, the cooling section in which cooling is performed will be referred to as a 'spray section' hereinafter. The injection section has a temporal linear relationship with the laser irradiation section, a pre-cooling section (or a cooling section before irradiation), an inter-cooling section (or a cooling section during irradiation), post cooling (post-cooling section) -cooling) section (or cooling section after irradiation). The pre-cooling section refers to an injection section located earlier on the time axis than the start time of the laser irradiation section. The intercooling section refers to an injection section overlapping at least a portion of the laser irradiation section on the time axis. The post-cooling section refers to an injection section located later on the time axis than the completion point of the laser irradiation section. In other words, the injection section is implemented as a section other than the laser irradiation section and a section at least partially included in the laser irradiation section, and the section other than the laser irradiation section is a pre-cooling section and a post-cooling section according to the temporal relationship with the laser irradiation section. , and a section at least partially included in the laser irradiation section may be an inter-cooling section. In some embodiments, the laser irradiation section and the inter-cooling section may be referred to as substantially the same section. For example, if cooling is continuously performed from a laser irradiation start time to a laser irradiation completion time, the laser irradiation section and the intercooling section may mean substantially the same section.

In this case, there may be a case in which the laser is continuously irradiated with a plurality of pulses at short time intervals (eg, nanosecond and microsecond time unit intervals). In this case, the laser irradiation section may refer to a laser irradiation section from an output start time of the first laser pulse to an output end time of the last laser pulse. In other words, in the case of a procedure in which a plurality of pulses of laser is irradiated with a nanosecond time unit interval and a microsecond time unit interval, the laser output of the plurality of pulses may be used in substantially the same sense as the laser output of 'one group'. Therefore, the laser irradiation period may mean from the start time of the first pulse among the plurality of pulses to the end time of the last pulse.

In addition, the meaning of applying cooling energy may be used in substantially the same sense as absorbing thermal energy from an object to be cooled. Also, the meaning of absorbing thermal energy from the object to be cooled may be used in substantially the same meaning as applying negative energy to the object to be cooled. That is, the meaning of applying cooling energy can be used substantially the same as applying negative energy.

Similarly, the meaning of applying thermal energy can be used substantially the same as applying negative energy.

The laser treatment device with a cooling system disclosed herein can be used for skin treatment, specifically, skin treatment such as vascular lesions, warts, acne, and pigmentation and hair removal, hair loss, wrinkle removal, spot reduction, localized fat It can be used for cosmetic purposes such as reduction. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be used in all fields where the laser can be used.

The present invention relates to a laser treatment device with a cooling system. According to an embodiment of the present specification, a laser treatment apparatus having a cooling system may irradiate a laser to a target area of the skin and perform cooling on the skin surface. In this case, after cooling the skin surface, the laser may be irradiated to the target area, cooling may be performed on the skin surface during laser irradiation, and cooling may be performed on the skin surface after laser irradiation is completed. Preferably, the cooling of the skin surface may be performed in a manner that a coolant is sprayed.

Hereinafter, a configuration of a laser treatment apparatus having a cooling system according to an embodiment of the present specification will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 .

1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a laser treatment device having a cooling system disclosed herein. 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a laser treatment apparatus 100 having a cooling system disclosed herein.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the laser treatment apparatus 100 having a cooling system includes a laser module 1100 and a cooling module 1200, a storage unit 1500, or a tank, and a tube 1600, or a conduit). may include

The laser module 1100 may generate a laser and output the laser to a target area of the skin 10 . The laser module 1100 may include a laser generator 1110 and a laser irradiator 1120 . In the laser generator 1110 , when a voltage is applied, electrons are emitted from the electron emission source, and the electrons move according to an electric field and collide with an electrode to generate a laser. The laser irradiation unit 1120 may output the laser generated by the laser generating unit 1110 in the direction of the target area of the skin 10 .

The cooling module 1200 may apply cooling energy to the skin by spraying the coolant on the skin. Here, the cooling module 1200 may adjust the cooling energy applied to the skin 10 . Specifically, the cooling module 1200 may adjust the cooling energy applied to the skin 10 by adjusting the characteristics of the coolant to be sprayed. Here, the properties of the coolant may include physical properties such as temperature, amount, pressure, and speed of the coolant. As such, the cooling module 1200 may prevent or minimize damage to the skin surface by laser treatment by adjusting the physical properties of the coolant. Also, the cooling module 1200 may adjust the temperature of the coolant to minimize pain caused by the laser by lowering the activity of nociceptors by adjusting the physical properties of the coolant.

In addition, the cooling module 1200 may cool the temperature of the skin surface using a cooling method such as an injection type, a contact type, or an air gas injection type.

In addition, the cooling module 1200 may include a flow rate control unit 1210 , a coolant state control unit 1220 , and an injection unit 1230 .

The flow rate control unit 1210 of the cooling module 1200 may adjust the flow rate of the coolant supplied to the coolant state control unit 1220 or the injection unit 1230 . The coolant condition control unit 1220 may adjust the temperature, pressure, and/or flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed, and the sprayer 1230 may spray the coolant toward the skin surface.

The storage unit 1500 may accommodate a coolant. Specifically, the storage unit 1500 may accommodate the coolant in a thermodynamic state including a liquid state. In addition, the storage unit 1500 may be implemented in the form of a cartridge or a tank. The storage unit 1500 may accommodate a larger mass than the coolant injected from the injection unit 1230 . Through this, the pressure in the storage unit 1500 can be stably maintained, and there is an effect that a coolant having a larger mass can be accommodated than when the gaseous state is included in the same volume.

Although the storage unit 1500 is illustrated as being located outside the handpiece of the laser treatment apparatus 100 in FIG. 1 , it may be implemented to be located inside the handpiece of the laser treatment apparatus 100 . For example, when the storage unit 1500 is implemented as a tank, the storage unit 1500 may be located outside the handpiece of the laser treatment apparatus 100, but when the storage unit 1500 is implemented as a cartridge, Depending on circumstances, the storage unit 1500 may be located inside the handpiece of the laser treatment apparatus 100 .

In addition, the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present specification may further include a tube 1600 connecting the storage unit 1500 and the inlet of the cooling module 1200 . In addition, although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , components of the cooling module 1200 may be connected through a pipe. For example, an inlet of the cooling module 1200 and one side of the coolant condition control unit 1220 may be connected through a pipe, and the other side of the coolant condition control unit 1220 and one side of the injection unit 1230 The sides can also be connected via a tube.

In addition, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may include at least one tube. The tube may be used to form a flow path to eject the coolant discharged from the storage unit 1500 in the laser treatment apparatus 100 to the outside through the injection unit 1230 .

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may include a tube involved in forming a flow path between the outlet of the coolant of the storage unit 1500 and the inlet of the flow rate control unit 1210 . In other words, at least one tube may be disposed between the outlet of the coolant of the storage unit 1500 and the inlet of the flow control unit 1210 .

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may include a pipe involved in forming a flow path between the inlet and/or outlet of the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 from the outlet of the flow rate adjusting unit 1210 .

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may include a tube involved in forming a flow path between the inlet and/or outlet of the injection unit 1230 from the outlet of the flow rate control unit 1210 .

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may include a tube involved in forming a flow path between an inlet and/or an outlet of the injection unit 1230 from the outlet of the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 .

The coupling method of the laser module 1100 and the cooling module 1200 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present specification may be implemented in various ways. For example, the laser module 1100 and the cooling module 1200 may be implemented as an add-on type. Alternatively, the laser module 1100 and the cooling module 1200 may be implemented as a standalone type.

The stand-alone type may refer to a type capable of independently performing the laser treatment method according to an embodiment of the present specification without a separate external equipment.

The add-on type may refer to a form capable of performing the laser treatment according to an embodiment of the present specification in cooperation with an external facility. The add-on cooling system may be provided in a form in which some components are excluded from the stand-alone cooling system. For example, an add-on type cooling system may be implemented except for the laser module. In this case, the laser treatment method according to an embodiment of the present specification may be performed as an external facility irradiating a laser and an add-on type cooling system cooperate.

Hereinafter, the above-described cooling module 1200 will be described in more detail.

Referring back to FIG. 2 , the cooling module 1200 may include a flow rate control unit 1210 , a coolant state control unit 1220 , and an injection unit 1230 . In addition, the cooling module 1200 may further include an inlet that receives the coolant from the storage unit 1500 for accommodating the coolant.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the flow rate control unit 1210 may be implemented as a valve. The valve may perform a function of regulating the flow and flow rate of the coolant. The valve may perform a function of draining or blocking the coolant passing through the valve. Alternatively, the valve may perform a function of adjusting the degree of outflow of the coolant passing through the valve.

The valve according to an embodiment of the present application may be controlled according to a specific signal. The valve may be opened and closed in response to an electronic signal generated by the control module 1400 . As a specific example, the valve may be an electromagnetic valve (eg, a solenoid valve), but is not limited thereto.

The valve according to an embodiment of the present application may be controlled according to a mechanical structure and movement of a fluid. The valve may be opened and closed according to the pressure formed by the fluid moving along the flow path in the laser treatment apparatus 100 may be performed. As a specific example, the valve may be a hydraulic valve (eg, a pressure control valve), but is not limited thereto.

The valve according to an embodiment of the present application may be controlled according to a user's input. The valve may be placed in an open state or in a closed state by the user. As a specific example, the valve may be a manual valve (eg, a globe valve), but is not limited thereto.

For example, the flow rate control unit 1210 may be located between the inlet of the cooling module 1200 and the coolant condition control unit 1220 . In this case, the flow rate control unit 1210 may control the amount of coolant supplied from the inlet of the cooling module 1200 to the coolant condition control unit 1220 . For example, the valve is positioned between the inlet of the cooling module 1200 and the coolant condition control unit 1220 to control the amount of coolant supplied from the inlet of the cooling module 1200 to the coolant condition control unit 1220 . can Specifically, in the open state of the valve, the coolant is movable from the inlet of the cooling module 1200 to the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 , and in the closed state of the valve, the coolant is supplied to the cooling module 1200 . It may be in a state in which movement from the inlet to the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 is restricted. In addition, the amount of coolant that can move from the inlet of the cooling module 1200 to the coolant state control unit 1220 can be adjusted by adjusting the valve opening time or opening cycle.

As another example, the flow rate control unit 1210 may be located between the coolant state control unit 1220 and the injection unit 1230 in the cooling module 1200 . In this case, the flow rate control unit 1210 may adjust the amount of coolant supplied from the coolant state control unit 1220 to the spray unit 1230 . For example, the valve may be positioned between the coolant condition control unit 1220 and the injection unit 1230 to control the amount of coolant supplied from the coolant condition control unit 1220 to the injection unit 1230 . Specifically, in the open state of the valve, the coolant is movable from the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 to the injecting unit 1230, and in the closed state of the valve, the coolant is transferred to the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 It may be in a state in which movement from the to the injection unit 1230 is restricted. In addition, the amount of the coolant that can move from the coolant state control unit 1220 to the injection unit 1230 may be adjusted by adjusting the opening time or the opening period of the valve. In other words, by adjusting the opening time of the flow rate control unit 1210, the amount of coolant supplied to the injection unit 1230 can be adjusted, and the amount of coolant that is ultimately sprayed can be adjusted to control the temperature of the skin surface. have.

For example, the flow control unit 1210 may be implemented as a solenoid valve, and the solenoid valve is electrically connected to the control module 1400 and the input unit, so that a signal generated as a user operates the input unit is transmitted to the control module ( 1400), and the control module 1400 controls the solenoid valve to open based on this, thereby controlling the inflow or outflow of the coolant.

For example, the flow rate control unit 1210 may be implemented as a solenoid valve. In this case, the solenoid valve is a valve by a pulse width modulation (PWM) method according to an electrical signal of the control module 1400 . An operation of controlling the inflow or outflow of the coolant may be performed by adjusting the opening period of the . Specifically, the solenoid valve may automatically open a plurality of opening/closing operations according to a protocol preset by the control module 1400 to open the valve only for a certain portion of the treatment time. In this case, the opening cycle of the valve may be a regular cycle or an irregular cycle.

Referring back to FIG. 2 , the cooling module 1200 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 may include a coolant state adjusting unit 1220 . The coolant state adjusting unit 1220 according to an embodiment of the present application may perform a function of adjusting the physical state of the coolant. In other words, the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 may perform a function of adjusting the physical state of the coolant in the laser treatment apparatus 100 . That is, the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 may perform a function of adjusting the physical state of the coolant moving in the cooling module 1200 such as the flow rate adjusting unit 1210 and/or the spraying unit 1230 . .

In an embodiment, the coolant condition control unit 1220 may adjust the temperature and/or pressure of the coolant. The coolant condition control unit 1220 may heat the coolant. Alternatively, the coolant condition control unit 1220 may cool the coolant. Alternatively, the coolant state control unit 1220 may maintain the temperature of the coolant by heating and/or cooling according to the state of the coolant. Alternatively, the coolant condition control unit 1220 may maintain the pressure of the coolant by heating and/or cooling according to the condition of the coolant.

In an embodiment, the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 may adjust the speed and/or pressure of the coolant. The coolant condition control unit 1220 may provide a space in which the coolant expands, thereby reducing the speed of the coolant and reducing the pressure of the coolant. Alternatively, the coolant condition control unit 1220 may provide a space in which the coolant is compressed, thereby increasing the speed of the coolant and increasing the pressure of the coolant.

In an embodiment, the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 may perform an operation of adjusting the flow rate of the coolant. For example, when the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition control unit 1220 is increased, the degree of freedom of the coolant flowing through the coolant condition control unit 1220 is increased, and thus static pressure is increased. This can be implemented to reduce the flow rate of the coolant. Conversely, when the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition control unit 1220 is reduced, the degree of freedom of the coolant flowing through the coolant condition control unit 1220 is reduced and, accordingly, the static pressure is reduced. It may be implemented to increase the flow rate of the coolant.

The coolant state control unit 1220 according to an embodiment of the present application may include an element capable of supplying thermal energy. The coolant state control unit 1220 may generate thermal energy.

The coolant state control unit 1220 may generate thermal energy using chemical energy or may generate thermal energy using electrical energy. In addition, the coolant state control unit 1220 may generate thermal energy using a Joule-Thomson method using condensed gas.

Alternatively, the coolant state control unit 1220 may supply thermal energy using a thermoelectric element such as a Peltier element. When the coolant state control unit 1220 is a thermoelectric element, when a current is applied to the thermoelectric element, the first surface of the thermoelectric element may absorb heat due to the Peltier effect, and the second surface of the thermoelectric element may generate heat.

According to an embodiment of the present application, there may be provided a laser treatment apparatus 100 in which a surface corresponding to the second surface of the thermoelectric element is disposed to be in thermal contact with a flow path that moves to the coolant, and in this case, the The thermoelectric element may function as the coolant state control unit 1220 .

Referring back to FIG. 2 , the cooling module 1200 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 may include an injection unit 1230 . The injector 1230 according to an embodiment of the present application may perform a function of injecting the fluid in the cooling module 1200 to the outside. The injection unit 1230 may perform a function of discharging the coolant that has passed through the flow rate control unit 1210 and/or the coolant state control unit 1220 to the outside.

The injection unit 1230 according to an embodiment of the present application may be implemented as a nozzle. The nozzle may perform a function of allowing the coolant flowing in at least one area in the cooling module 1200 to be ejected into the free space and reach the area of the skin surface. In addition, the injection unit 1230 may be implemented to include a nozzle structure capable of optimizing the Joule-Thomson effect. Specifically, the nozzle has a nozzle that is narrower than the flow path through which the high-pressure coolant flows therein. As the flow path is opened, the high-pressure coolant is guided to the nozzle along the flow path, and is discharged through the nozzle. The coolant may be implemented to be sprayed in a cooled state through the nozzle due to the Joule-Thomson effect.

The coolant sprayed through the spraying unit 1230 is sprayed in a cooled state by a Joule-Thomson effect. Here, the Joule-Thomson effect is a phenomenon in which the temperature decreases when the compressed gas expands. The temperature changes in relation to the thermodynamic phase consisting of pressure and temperature, and it is a phenomenon that is applied when liquefying air or cooling through a refrigerant. When an diaphragm such as an orifice is inserted into the fluid flow path, the temperature of the fluid decreases behind the diaphragm. When gas is free-expanded, that is, when it expands adiabatically without exchanging work with the outside, the internal energy hardly changes. Due to the Joule-Thomson effect, the coolant sprayed through the injection unit 1230 is cooled due to a sudden pressure drop, and when the coolant is sprayed on the treatment site, the coolant comes into contact with the treatment site and the coolant is applied to the treatment site. By taking away the heat from the area, cooling of the treated area can proceed.

The coolant ejected into the free space may be in a gas, liquid and/or solid phase. In other words, the coolant may be in a gas phase, a liquid phase, a solid phase, or a mixture in which at least two coolants are distributed together. In one example, when the coolant is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), the ejected coolant may be distributed in a mixture of gas and solid. In another example, when the coolant is nitrogen (N2), the ejected coolant may be distributed as a mixture of gas and liquid.

In addition, the nozzle may have abrasion resistance properties. In other words, the nozzle may be formed of a material that is less damaged by friction. For example, the nozzle may be formed of an aluminum alloy, a steel alloy, stainless steel, or a copper alloy, but is not limited thereto.

Also, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the spraying unit 1230 may further include a spraying portion limiting portion for limiting the reaching area present on the skin surface of the coolant discharged from the spraying portion 1230 . In addition, a guide portion may be further included to prevent the coolant from reaching an area other than the reaching area.

Referring back to FIG. 2 , according to an embodiment of the present application, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may include a sensor unit 1300 . The sensor unit 1300 may perform a function of sensing information such as the temperature of the skin surface, the temperature of the coolant, the temperature of the components of the cooling module 1200, or any suitable combination thereof.

The sensor unit 1300 may include a first temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the area of the skin surface.

In addition, the sensor unit 1300 may include a second temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the coolant condition control unit 1220 and/or the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition control unit 1220 .

In addition, the sensor unit 1300 may include a third temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed from the injection unit 1230 .

The first temperature sensor unit may measure the temperature of the area of the skin surface to be irradiated with the laser, the area of the skin surface to which the laser is irradiated, or the area of the skin surface where the laser irradiation is completed. Preferably, the first temperature sensor unit may measure the temperature near the center of the target area of the skin surface (eg, the area of the skin surface on the laser path). The first temperature sensor unit may be configured to measure a region other than the center of the target region of the skin surface, but the temperature near the center of the target region has the highest degree of temperature increase by laser output, and thus reaches the skin damage temperature Measuring the temperature near the center of the target area of the skin surface can minimize the possibility of skin damage because it is more likely to do so.

In this case, the first temperature sensor unit may be configured as a non-contact temperature sensor. According to an embodiment of the present application, the separation distance between the laser treatment apparatus 100 and the skin surface may be variable. In this case, the non-contact temperature sensor measures the central region of the target region of the skin surface according to the separation distance. The angle can be adjusted to do so. For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 of the present invention may further include a cooling distance maintaining unit adjustable by a plurality of distances (eg, 1 cm, 2 cm and 3 cm), wherein the cooling distance maintaining unit is the non-contact temperature sensor and It may be implemented such that the installation angle of the non-contact temperature sensor is adjusted in order to irradiate the center of the target area of the skin surface according to the set distance of the cooling distance maintaining unit by mechanically interlocking.

The second temperature sensor unit may measure the temperature of the coolant condition control unit 1220 and/or the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition control unit 1220 . For example, when the coolant condition control unit 1220 is a thermoelectric element such as a Peltier element, when a current is applied to the thermoelectric element, the first surface of the thermoelectric element absorbs heat due to the Peltier effect, and the second surface of the thermoelectric element Fever may occur. At this time, since thermal energy generated or absorbed by the thermoelectric element is different depending on the current value applied to the thermoelectric element, the second temperature sensor unit measures at least one temperature of the first surface or the second surface of the thermoelectric element. can be configured to measure. Since the thermal energy applied or absorbed by the coolant condition control unit 1220 is one of the direct variables in the temperature of the target area of the skin surface, by measuring the temperature of the coolant condition control unit 1220, the target area of the skin surface It is possible to acquire data that can finely control the temperature.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the coolant condition control unit 1220 applies to the coolant based on information on the current value measured by measuring the current applied to the thermoelectric element and the temperature of the coolant measured by the third temperature sensor to be described later. The amount of heat energy produced can be measured.

The third temperature sensor unit may be configured to measure the temperature of the coolant sprayed from the injection unit 1230 . Since the temperature of the coolant sprayed from the sprayer 1230 is one of the direct variables in controlling the temperature of the target area of the skin surface, by measuring the temperature of the coolant sprayed from the sprayer 1230, the target area of the skin surface It is possible to acquire data that can finely control the temperature. However, the third temperature measuring unit is not limited to measuring the temperature of the coolant sprayed from the spraying unit 1230, and the coolant that moves through the flow path at any location inside the cooling module 1200 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 Even if it is configured to measure the temperature of the skin surface, it is obvious that the object of the present invention for finely controlling the temperature of the target area of the skin surface can be achieved.

Referring back to FIG. 2 , the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application may include a control module 1400 . In this case, the control module 1400 may further include a memory in which existing treatment information, temperature information such as the temperature of the coolant, the temperature of the skin surface, and treatment protocol information are stored.

The control module 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application may control the overall operation of the laser treatment apparatus 100 . For example, the control module 1400 loads and executes a program for the operation of the cooling module 1200 from a memory, or generates a control signal for controlling the laser irradiation from the laser irradiation module 100 or through an input unit. A triggering signal may be received from the user and transmitted to the laser module 1100 , the cooling module 1200 , and the sensor unit 1300 .

The control module 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application may control the operation of the laser treatment apparatus 100 . For example, the control module 1400 may control the laser irradiation by the laser module 1100 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 . In addition, the control module 1400 may control the physical properties of the coolant by the cooling module 1200 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 and control an operation in which the coolant is sprayed. In addition, the control module 1400 may control the operation of the sensor unit 1300 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 to sense the temperature of the skin surface, the temperature of the coolant, and the like.

The control module 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application may control the driving of the laser generating unit 1110 and the laser irradiation unit 1120 of the laser module 1100 .

The control module 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application may control the driving of the flow rate control unit 1210 . As a more specific example, the control module 1400 may control the opening and closing of the flow rate control unit 1210 , and may control the opening and closing of the flow rate control unit 1210 to have a repeating cycle if necessary.

Also, the control module 1400 may control the opening/closing time of the flow rate control unit 1210 . Through this, the control module 1400 may control the amount of cooling energy applied to the target region of the skin surface by adjusting the flow rate of the coolant supplied to the spray unit 1230 .

The control module 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application may control the operation of the coolant state control unit 1220 . For example, the control module 1400 may control whether or not the coolant condition control unit 1220 is driven (eg, whether the power of the coolant condition control unit 1220 is turned on or off), and if necessary, the flow rate On-off of the coolant state control unit 1220 may be controlled in consideration of the connection with whether the control unit 1210 (eg, valve) is opened or closed. In particular, when the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 is a thermoelectric element (eg, a Peltier element), the control module 1400 may control the amount of current applied to the thermoelectric element. Through this, it is possible to control the amount of heat energy applied to the coolant from the thermoelectric element by controlling the degree of heat absorption on the first surface and the heat generation on the second surface of the thermoelectric element.

Here, the increase in the amount of thermal energy applied to the coolant by the coolant condition control unit 1220 (eg, thermoelectric element) is substantially the same as the increase in the temperature of the coolant passing through the flow path in the coolant condition control unit 1220 . The reduction in the amount of heat energy applied to the coolant by the coolant condition control unit 1220 (eg, thermoelectric element) means that the temperature of the coolant passing through the flow path in the coolant condition control unit 1220 is reduced and substantially can be the same as

According to another embodiment of the present application, the control module 1400 controls the first surface of the thermoelectric element to generate heat by reversing the direction of the current applied to the thermoelectric element, and controls so that heat absorption occurs on the second surface of the thermoelectric element. can do. In this case, the coolant flowing through the coolant temperature controller 1220 may be 'cooled' by absorbing heat from the second surface of the thermoelectric element. Therefore, if a thermoelectric element is applied to the coolant temperature controller 1220, the control module 1400 adjusts the direction of the current applied to the thermoelectric element to heat the coolant passing through the coolant temperature controller 1220. may or may not be cooled.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the common control module 1400 is illustrated as controlling the laser module 1100 and the cooling module 1200 , but is not limited thereto, and the laser treatment device 100 includes a plurality of control modules. Including, the first control module may control the operation of the laser module 1100, the second control module may be configured to control the operation of the cooling module (1200). In this case, the first control module and the second control module are configured to be electrically connected, so that laser irradiation and coolant injection are performed in consideration of the linkage between the laser module 1100 and the cooling module 1200 .

The control module 1400 may be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU) or a similar device according to hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the control module 1400 may be implemented as a controller or a processor. The control module 1400 may be provided in the form of an electronic circuit that performs a control function by processing electrical signals in hardware, and may be provided in the form of a program or code for driving a hardware circuit in software.

So far, the components of the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application have been looked at. However, the laser treatment apparatus 100 of the present application does not have to include only the above components, and although not shown separately, an input unit for receiving a user input, an output unit such as a display for outputting specific information to the user, the above It goes without saying that a filter for filtering impurities in the coolant flowing through the laser treatment device 100 may be further included.

In addition, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may have a separate power supply unit or may receive power from the outside by wire or wirelessly, and may have a separate switch for controlling the power supply unit.

Hereinafter, a connection relationship between components of the laser treatment apparatus 100 and a specific operation of the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application will be described in detail.

See FIG. 3 . 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation according to an embodiment of the laser treatment apparatus 100 having a cooling system disclosed herein. The laser module 1100 may irradiate a laser to the target of the skin 10 , and the cooling module 1200 may inject a coolant to the area including the target and the skin surface of the skin 10 . In FIG. 3 , the coolant is sprayed from the cooling module 1200 when the laser is output from the laser module 1100 , but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the cooling module 1200 sprays the coolant before the laser is output. Alternatively, the coolant may be sprayed after the time when the output of the laser is finished.

Also, the sensor unit 1300 may measure the temperature of the skin surface according to the irradiation of the laser and/or the injection of the coolant. In addition, the sensor unit 1300 may measure a change in the temperature of the skin surface according to the irradiation of the laser and/or the injection of the coolant.

In addition, each of the laser module 1100 , the cooling module 1200 , and the sensor unit 1300 is electrically connected to the control module 1400 , so that the control module 1400 and each of the electrical signals can be transmitted or received. . The control module 1400 may control the operation of the laser module 1100 , the cooling module 1200 , and the sensor unit 1300 through electrical signals.

When the laser module 1100 irradiates the laser toward the target area, the control module 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application determines the temperature of the skin surface, which is the path of the laser, by the first temperature sensor unit of the sensor unit 1300 . can be controlled to measure. At this time, the first temperature sensor unit of the sensor unit 1300 may measure the skin surface temperature before, during, and after laser irradiation, and the detected skin surface temperature may be transmitted to the control module 1400 .

For example, the control module 1400 and the first temperature sensor unit of the sensor unit 1300 are electrically connected, and the temperature of the skin surface measured by the first temperature sensor unit is transmitted to the control module 1400 , the control module It may be stored after being received at 1400 .

The coolant state control unit 1220 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application may adjust the temperature and/or pressure and/or flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed. In this case, the coolant state control unit 1220 may adjust the temperature and/or pressure of the coolant by adjusting the thermal energy applied to the coolant. In this case, the sensor unit 1300 may further include a second temperature sensor unit for measuring the degree of thermal energy applied to the coolant by the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 . The second temperature sensor unit includes the amount of change in the temperature of the coolant condition control unit 1220 or the amount of change in the temperature of the coolant passing through the coolant condition control unit 1220 (eg, coolant in the inlet and outlet of the coolant condition control unit 1220 ). change in temperature) and the like to measure the degree of thermal energy applied to the coolant. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the purpose of measuring the degree of thermal energy applied to the coolant by the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 is achieved by another method of measuring the intensity of the current applied to the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 . You can do it.

At this time, the temperature of the coolant condition control unit 1220 detected by the second temperature sensor unit (eg, the temperature of the first and second surfaces of the thermoelectric element) or the temperature of the coolant passing through the coolant condition control unit 1220 Temperature information such as a change amount may be transmitted to the control module 1400 .

For example, the control module 1400 and the second temperature sensor unit of the sensor unit 1300 are electrically connected, and the temperature information measured by the second temperature sensor unit is transmitted to the control module 1400 , and the control module 1400 . ) can be stored after being received.

In addition, the injection unit 1230 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application may inject a coolant. In this case, the coolant sprayed from the spraying unit 1230 may be configured to be sprayed at the temperature and flow rate of the coolant controlled by the coolant state control unit 1220 and/or the flow rate control unit 1210 . At this time, the sensor unit 1300 may further include a third temperature sensor unit capable of measuring the temperature of the coolant sprayed from the injection unit 1230, and the temperature of the coolant detected by the third temperature sensor unit is controlled by the control module ( 1400).

For example, the control module 1400 and the third temperature sensor unit of the sensor unit 1300 are electrically connected, and the temperature information of the injected coolant detected by the third temperature sensor unit is transmitted to the control module 1400, It may be stored after being received by the control module 1400 .

The control module 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application opens and closes the flow rate control unit 1210 based on the temperature information detected by the first to third temperature sensor units received and stored in the control module 1400 . It is possible to control the time or the current applied to the coolant state control unit 1220 .

The control module 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application may be electrically connected to the flow rate control unit 1210 , and the control module 1400 provides temperature data detected by the first temperature sensor unit to the third temperature sensor unit. Based on this, the flow rate of the supplied coolant can be precisely controlled by controlling the opening/closing cycle or opening/closing time of the flow rate control unit 1210 . In addition, the data on the opening/closing cycle and the opening/closing time of the flow control unit 1210 may be measured with a timer, etc., and the data on the opening/closing cycle and the opening/closing time of the flow rate control unit 1210 measured by the timer are stored in the control module ( 1400) and may be stored. The data on the opening/closing cycle and opening/closing time of the flow control unit 1210 stored in the control module 1400 are combined with the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant to control the temperature and/or flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed. can be the basis for The control module 1400 may control the temperature and/or flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed based on the data on the opening/closing cycle and the opening/closing time of the flow rate controller 1210 , the temperature of the skin surface, the temperature of the coolant, and the like.

In addition, the control module 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application may be electrically connected to the coolant state control unit 1220, and the control module 1400 is detected by the first temperature sensor unit to the third temperature sensor unit. It may be configured to control the thermal energy applied to the coolant by the coolant condition control unit 1220 and/or the flow rate of the coolant passing through the coolant condition control unit 1220 based on the one temperature data. In addition, information on the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition control unit 1220 may be measured by the second temperature sensor unit, and the coolant condition control unit 1220 measured by the second temperature sensor unit 1220 . Information on the thermal energy applied to the device may be transmitted to and stored in the control module 1400 . The information on the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant state control unit 1220 stored in the control module 1400 is combined with the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant, and then the temperature and/or flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed. can be the basis for controlling In other words, the control module 1400 controls the temperature and/or flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed based on the information on the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant state control unit 1220 , the skin surface temperature and the coolant temperature, etc. can do.

The control module 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application controls the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant state control unit 1220 and/or controls the opening/closing time, the opening/closing cycle, and whether the flow rate control unit 1210 is opened or closed. can do. Through this, the control module 1400 may control the flow rate of the sprayed coolant to control the 'temperature of the skin surface'. At this time, the control module 1400 detects by the first temperature sensor unit and detects at least one of the existing skin surface temperature information stored in the control module 1400 and the second to third temperature sensor units, and the control module 1400 The temperature of the coolant to be sprayed can be controlled by using the temperature information stored in the . Additionally, the control module 1400 may control the 'temperature of the skin surface' by controlling the spray unit 1230 to spray the coolant toward the skin surface at a controlled temperature on the skin surface.

For example, the temperature of the coolant sprayed by the coolant condition controller 1220 using temperature information based on the degree of thermal energy applied to the coolant may be stored by the control module 1400 for every procedure. In addition, information on the temperature of the skin surface, which is adjusted according to the temperature of the sprayed coolant, may also be stored in the control module 1400 . In other words, the control module 1400 uses the stored temperature information to determine how much heat energy, etc., to be applied to the coolant from the coolant condition control unit 1220 in order to control the temperature of the skin surface to a specific temperature. Information can be stored and analyzed. The control module 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application may control the temperature of the skin surface by controlling the temperature of the 'coolant' using the above-described temperature information.

In addition, the control module 1400 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to the present application considers whether the laser irradiation section and the coolant spray section overlap the thermal energy applied to the coolant and/or the opening/closing time of the flow rate controller 1210 You can control your back.

For example, in the case of pre-cooling before laser irradiation, the control module 1400 receives the skin surface temperature information from the sensor unit 1300 and adjusts the skin surface temperature in the 'laser irradiation section' to damage the skin surface. The temperature of the coolant sprayed before the start of laser irradiation may be adjusted by adjusting the thermal energy applied from the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 to control the temperature below the critical temperature. At this time, the control module 1400 controls the temperature of the coolant sprayed in the pre-cooling section P1 so that the temperature of the skin surface is below the critical temperature at which the skin surface temperature is damaged in consideration of the skin surface temperature rise value caused by the laser in the laser irradiation section. can do.

In addition, in the section where the laser is irradiated, the control module 1400 receives the temperature information of the skin surface by laser irradiation from the sensor unit 1300 and adjusts the thermal energy applied from the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 to the laser irradiation. The temperature of the coolant sprayed in the section can be adjusted. At this time, the temperature of the coolant may be adjusted by the control module 1400 so that the skin surface temperature by laser irradiation is controlled below a critical temperature at which the skin surface is damaged.

In addition, in the case of post-cooling after laser irradiation, the control module 1400 receives the skin surface temperature information from the sensor unit 1300 and adjusts the thermal energy applied from the coolant condition control unit 1220, The temperature of the coolant sprayed after the end of the laser irradiation section can be adjusted. At this time, the temperature of the coolant may be adjusted by the control module 1400 to be controlled to a temperature that minimizes pain in the skin 10 .

4 is a graph showing changes in the skin surface temperature and the target temperature controlled according to an exemplary embodiment of the driving method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application. Here, "T_surface" of FIG. 4 may refer to the temperature of the skin surface in the present specification. In addition, "T_target" of FIG. 4 may refer to the temperature of the target of the present specification. In addition, “T_damage” of FIG. 4 may refer to a skin damage temperature in the present specification. Also, “T_desired” in FIG. 4 may refer to a target target temperature of the present specification. In addition, “P1”, “P2”, and “P3” of FIG. 4 may refer to a “pre-cooling section”, “inter-cooling section”, and “post-cooling section” of the present specification, respectively. In addition, "Ts1", "Ts2", and "Ts3" of FIG. 4 may refer to a "first set temperature", "second set temperature", and "third set temperature" of the present specification, respectively.

According to an embodiment of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application, the control module 1400 may adjust the injection section of the coolant to include at least a part of the laser irradiation section through the flow rate adjusting unit 1210 . For example, in the case of Figure 4, the coolant injection section is composed of a pre-cooling section (P1), an inter-cooling section (P2) of the laser irradiation section, and a post-cooling section (P3), the inter-cooling section (P2) is laser irradiation It includes at least a part of the section, and may be substantially the same as the laser irradiation section.

Also, the control module 1400 may adjust the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed through the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 based on skin temperature information (eg, skin surface temperature, target temperature, etc.) of the coolant spraying section. Through this, it is possible to adjust the temperature of the skin surface in order to reduce damage to the skin surface by the laser. For example, referring to FIG. 4 , the second set temperature Ts2 may be set so that the skin surface temperature in the laser irradiation section is controlled to be less than or equal to the skin damage temperature, and accordingly, it is adjusted through the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 . The coolant may be sprayed at the temperature of the coolant.

According to an embodiment of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application, the control module 1400 may adjust the injection section of the coolant to include at least a part of the laser irradiation section through the flow rate adjusting unit 1210 . At this time, the coolant state control unit 1220 is configured to provide different thermal energy to the coolant in the injection section (eg, the pre-cooling section (P1) and/or the post-cooling section (P3)) other than the laser irradiation section of the coolant and the injection section of the laser irradiation section can be authorized.

For example, referring to FIG. 4 , the injection section may include a pre-cooling section (P1), an inter-cooling section (P2, laser irradiation section), and a post-cooling section (P3), and the injection section, particularly the inter-cooling section ( P2) may be adjusted to include at least a part of the laser irradiation section. At this time, the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition control unit 1220 in the laser irradiation section and the injection section other than the laser irradiation section, for example, in the pre-cooling section (P1) and/or the post-cooling section (P3) The thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant state control unit 1220 may be different.

According to an embodiment of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application, the difference between the skin surface temperature and the skin damage temperature in the laser irradiation section is relative to the difference between the skin surface temperature and the skin damage temperature in the section other than the laser irradiation. can be small as Accordingly, the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition controller 1220 in the laser irradiation section may be less than the heat energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition controller 1220 in the section other than the laser irradiation section. In other words, the temperature of the coolant sprayed in the laser irradiation section may be lower than the temperature of the coolant sprayed in sections other than the laser irradiation section.

For example, referring to FIG. 4 , the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 in the laser irradiation section is in a section other than the laser irradiation section (for example, the pre-cooling section P1 and the post-cooling section) In (P3)), it may be less than the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition control unit. In other words, since the temperature rise of the skin 10 by the laser output may be relatively higher in the laser irradiation section than in the section other than the laser irradiation section, the coolant condition adjusting unit ( 1220) by controlling a small amount of thermal energy applied to the coolant, it is possible to control the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed to be lower in the laser irradiation section.

However, the above-mentioned content is merely an example, and the coolant condition is adjusted based on the difference between the skin surface temperature and the skin damage temperature measured by the sensor unit 1300 , regardless of whether it corresponds to the laser irradiation section or not. The thermal energy applied to the coolant from the unit 1220 may be configured to be regulated.

According to an embodiment of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application, the injection section may include a first time point TP1 and a second time point TP2. The first time point (TP1) is a time within the injection section, a first section before the laser irradiation section (eg, pre-cooling section (P1)) or a second section after the laser irradiation section (e.g., post-cooling section (P3)) ) may be included. The second time point TP2 may be a time point included in the laser irradiation section. At this time, the coolant state control unit 1220 applies a first thermal energy to the coolant at a first time point TP1 of the injection section, and applies a second heat energy to the coolant at a second time point TP2 of the laser irradiation section. However, the second thermal energy may be less than the first thermal energy.

For example, referring to FIG. 4 , a first time point TP1 is a time included in the pre-cooling section P1 of the injection section, and the second time point TP2 is a laser irradiation section and an inter-cooling section P2 of the injection section. ) may be included. At this time, since the temperature rise occurs due to laser irradiation at the second time point TP2 , the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 is higher at the first time point TP1 than at the second time point TP2 . It is possible to control the temperature of the coolant injected by adjusting it to be large so that it is relatively low in the injection section of the laser irradiation section.

According to an embodiment of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application, the injection section may include a first time point TP1 and a second time point TP2. The first time point (TP1) is a time within the injection section, a first section before the laser irradiation section (eg, pre-cooling section (P1)) or a second section after the laser irradiation section (e.g., post-cooling section (P3)) ) may be included. The second time point TP2 may be a time point included in the laser irradiation section. In this case, when the skin surface temperature at the first time point TP1 is lower than the skin surface temperature at the second time point TP2 , the control module 1400 receives the first thermal energy at the first time point TP1 . However, at the second time point TP2 , the second thermal energy 'less than the first thermal energy' may be applied. The control module 1400 may adjust the thermal energy applied to the coolant at the first time point TP1 and the second time point TP2 through the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 , respectively.

In FIG. 4 , the first set temperature (Ts1), the second set temperature (Ts2), and the third set temperature (Ts3) are all shown as different temperatures, but is not limited thereto, and the first set temperature (Ts1), the second set temperature At least two or more of the temperature Ts2 and the third set temperature Ts3 may be the same. Alternatively, the first set temperature Ts1, the second set temperature Ts2, and the third set temperature Ts3 may be set to be the same. This will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 .

In addition, in FIG. 4, the pre-cooling section (P1), the inter-cooling section (P2), and the post-cooling section (P3) are all illustrated as being included, but it is not limited thereto, and the pre-cooling section (P1) according to the purpose of the treatment, the type of treatment, etc. ), the coolant may be sprayed to include only some of the inter-cooling section P2 and the post-cooling section P3.

In the above, the laser module 1100, the cooling module 1200, the sensor unit 1300, the control module 1400, the storage unit 1500, the tube ( 1600) has been described. This is to clearly state that it can be performed by analogy with the driving method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 having a cooling system to be described below.

5 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a driving method ( S1000 ) of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application.

The laser treatment method (S1000) of the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application includes measuring the temperature of the skin surface and the temperature of the coolant (S1100); determining a coolant temperature or an injection amount (S1200); and spraying the coolant ( S1300 ).

In the laser treatment method (S1000) according to an embodiment of the present application, when the treatment is started, the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant is measured (S1100), and in consideration of the measured temperature and the preset temperature, the coolant The step of determining the temperature or the injection amount (S1200) may proceed. In addition, according to the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant determined in step S1200, the step of spraying the coolant (S1300) may proceed.

According to an embodiment, the set temperature may be set before the step S1000 starts (or before the step S1100).

The set temperature may be a target temperature for controlling the temperature of the skin surface. Alternatively, it may be a target temperature at which the temperature of the injected coolant is to be controlled. Alternatively, it may be a target temperature for controlling the temperature of the target to be treated by the laser.

In this case, the set temperature may be directly set by the user as a specific temperature to be controlled by the temperature of the skin surface, the temperature of the sprayed coolant, and/or the target target temperature. For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application may include an input unit capable of receiving a user's input, and the user may use the input unit to obtain a skin surface temperature, a coolant temperature, and a target. At least one of the target temperatures may be input as a specific temperature to be controlled. At least one of the skin surface temperature, the coolant temperature, and the target target temperature input to the input unit may be transmitted to the control module 1400 and used as a factor to be considered for determining the coolant temperature or the injection amount in the step S1200 .

In another example, the set temperature may be set by the 'control module' 1400 in consideration of the area to be treated, the shape of the lesion to be treated, the purpose of the treatment, the type of laser to be used, and the like. For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application may include an input unit capable of receiving a user's input, and the user uses the input unit to determine the shape of a lesion to be treated, the treatment site, You can enter treatment information such as the purpose of the treatment and the type of laser you want to use. At this time, the treatment information input to the input unit is transmitted to the control module 1400, and the control module 1400, based on the received treatment information, has a temperature of at least one of a skin surface temperature, a coolant temperature, and a target target temperature. can be set to a specific value. At least one of the skin surface temperature, the coolant temperature, and the target target temperature set by the control module 1400 may be modified or confirmed by the user. At least one temperature of the skin surface temperature, the coolant temperature, and the target target temperature set from the control module 1400 is transmitted to the control module 1400 to be used as a factor to consider for determining the coolant temperature or the injection amount in the step S1200. can

In addition, in the step of setting the set temperature, at least one of the temperature of the skin surface, the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed, and the target target temperature may be set differently depending on the laser irradiation section and the spray section. In other words, in the step of setting the set temperature, the first set temperature Ts1 of the pre-cooling section P1, the second set temperature Ts2 of the inter-cooling section P2, and the third of the post-cooling section P3 A set temperature Ts3 may be set respectively. In addition, in the step of setting the set temperature, the first set temperature Ts1 of the pre-cooling section P1, the second set temperature Ts2 of the inter-cooling section P2, and the third set temperature of the post-cooling section P3 (Ts3) may be set differently. This will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 .

The input unit may be implemented on the outer surface of the laser treatment apparatus 100 , and It can be implemented in a way that can be connected to the laser treatment apparatus 100 in a separate space by wire or wirelessly communicated. For example, the input unit may be implemented in the form of a display on the outer surface of the handpiece of the laser treatment apparatus 100 . For another example, the input unit may be implemented as an external device capable of wirelessly communicating with the laser treatment apparatus 100 . However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be implemented in various ways to transmit set temperature information or treatment information to the control module 1400 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 .

As described above, it has been described that the step of setting the set temperature may be performed before the step S1000 starts, but this is only an example, and the set temperature may be set at any suitable step within the step S1000.

Hereinafter, each step will be described in detail.

Referring back to FIGS. 2 and 5 , in step S1100, the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant may be measured.

In the step (S1100) of measuring the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant, the temperature information is detected using the sensor unit 1300 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 and then the temperature information detected by the control module 1400 It can be implemented by transmitting The temperature information may include at least one of a skin surface temperature and a coolant temperature. In other words, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may measure the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant, and specifically detect the temperature information through the sensor unit 1300 .

For example, the sensor unit 1300 may include a first temperature sensor unit capable of measuring the surface temperature of the skin, and the temperature of the skin surface measured by the first temperature sensor unit is the laser treatment device 100 . It may be transmitted to the control module 1400 and stored.

For another example, the sensor unit 1300 may include a third temperature sensor unit capable of measuring the temperature of the coolant sprayed from the injection unit 1230, and the temperature of the coolant measured by the third temperature sensor unit is It may be transmitted to and stored in the control module 1400 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 .

According to FIG. 5 , although it is illustrated that the temperature information may include the temperature of the skin surface and the temperature of the coolant, the temperature information is not limited thereto, and may include temperature information related to the coolant condition control unit 1220 . . For example, the sensor unit 1300 may include a second temperature sensor unit capable of measuring the degree of thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant state control unit 1220, and the second temperature sensor unit The temperature information may be transmitted to and stored in the control module 1400 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 .

Also, according to FIG. 5 , although it is illustrated that the temperature information can include both the temperature of the skin surface and the temperature of the coolant, only the temperature of the skin surface is measured except for the temperature of the coolant. This can be taken into account in determining the temperature or the amount of injection. In other words, measuring the coolant temperature in step S1100 of FIG. 5 may be omitted.

Referring back to FIG. 5 , the laser treatment method according to an embodiment of the present application includes the step of determining the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant in consideration of the temperature measured in step S1100 and the preset set temperature (S1200) can do.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the determining of the coolant temperature or the injection amount in consideration of the measured temperature and the preset set temperature ( S1200 ) is the temperature measured in the step S1100 in determining the coolant temperature or the injection amount. can be considered In addition, in the step S1200, a preset set temperature may be considered in determining the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant. In addition, in the step S1200, the difference between the measured temperature and a preset set temperature may be considered in determining the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant.

The measured temperatures may be temperatures including at least one of the temperature of the skin surface measured by the sensor unit 1300 and the temperature of the sprayed coolant. Specifically, the temperature of the skin surface may be a stored temperature that is measured by the first temperature sensor unit and transmitted to the control module 1400 . In addition, the temperature of the coolant is the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed, and may be a temperature measured by the third temperature sensor unit and transmitted to the control module 1400 and stored therein.

The preset set temperature may be a target temperature of the skin surface temperature set in the step of setting the above-described temperature or a target temperature of the coolant. Specifically, the preset set temperature may be temperature information input by the user to the input unit. Alternatively, it may be a temperature set by the control module 1400 based on the treatment information input by the user to the input unit.

According to an embodiment of the present application, in step S1200, characteristics of the coolant such as coolant temperature or injection amount may be determined in consideration of the measured temperature and a preset set temperature. Specifically, the temperature of the coolant and/or the injection amount of the coolant may be determined by the coolant state controller 1220 or the flow rate controller 1210 controlled by the control module 1400 .

According to an embodiment, the temperature of the coolant may be adjusted by the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 controlled by the control module 1400 .

For example, the control module 1400 controls the thermal energy applied to the coolant in the coolant state control unit 1220 to adjust the temperature of the skin surface to be close to a preset temperature of the skin surface, and thus controls the 'coolant' to be sprayed. It can be implemented to control the 'temperature'. By controlling the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed, ultimately the temperature of the skin surface may be adjusted to approach a preset temperature. At this time, immediately after being sprayed from the injection unit 1230, the coolant may increase in temperature by the air existing between the injection unit 1230 and the target site, that is, outside air, so that the temperature of the injection unit 1230 is higher than the temperature of the target site. The coolant immediately after being sprayed from the . At this time, the difference between the temperature of the coolant immediately after being sprayed from the spraying unit 1230 and the temperature of the target site may vary depending on the temperature of the outside air, and as the temperature of the outside air increases, The difference between the temperature and the temperature of the target part may be large. For a specific example, the coolant condition control unit 1220 controls the coolant so that the temperature of the coolant (eg, carbon dioxide) is -20°C or less so that the temperature of the skin surface approaches the temperature range of -20°C or more and 10°C or less. It is possible to control the heat energy applied to the Alternatively, the thermal energy applied to the coolant by the coolant condition control unit 1220 so that the temperature of the sprayed coolant (eg, carbon dioxide) is 10° C. or less so that the temperature of the skin surface approaches the temperature range of -20° C. or more and 10° C. or less. can be adjusted. Preferably, the coolant condition control unit 1220 so that the temperature of the sprayed coolant (eg, carbon dioxide) is -60°C or more and -20°C or less so that the temperature of the skin surface approaches the temperature range of -20°C or more and 10°C or less. ) to control the thermal energy applied to the coolant.

Alternatively, the temperature of the coolant (eg, carbon dioxide) sprayed so that the temperature of the skin surface approaches the temperature range of -20°C or more and -10°C or less is -20°C or less. Thermal energy can be controlled. Alternatively, the coolant condition control unit 1220 applied to the coolant so that the temperature of the sprayed coolant (eg, carbon dioxide) is -10°C or less so that the temperature of the skin surface approaches the temperature range of -20°C or more and -10°C or less. Thermal energy can be controlled. Preferably, the coolant condition control unit ( 1220), it is possible to adjust the thermal energy applied to the coolant.

Alternatively, the heat applied to the coolant by the coolant condition control unit 1220 so that the temperature of the coolant (eg, carbon dioxide) sprayed so that the temperature of the skin surface approaches the temperature range of -10°C or more and 0°C or less is -10°C or less energy can be controlled. Alternatively, the heat applied to the coolant by the coolant condition control unit 1220 so that the temperature of the sprayed coolant (eg, carbon dioxide) is 0° C. or less so that the temperature of the skin surface approaches the temperature range of -10° C. or more and -10° C. or less. energy can be controlled. Preferably, the coolant condition control unit 1220 so that the temperature of the skin surface is close to the temperature range of -10°C or higher and 0°C or lower, and the temperature of the injected coolant (eg, carbon dioxide) is -60°C or higher and -25°C or lower. ) to control the thermal energy applied to the coolant.

Alternatively, the heat energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition control unit 1220 is adjusted so that the temperature of the coolant (eg, carbon dioxide) sprayed so that the temperature of the skin surface approaches the temperature range of 0° C. or more and 10° C. or less is 0° C. or less. can be adjusted Alternatively, the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition control unit 1220 is adjusted so that the temperature of the coolant (eg, carbon dioxide) is 10 degrees C or less so that the temperature of the skin surface approaches the temperature range of 0° C. or more and 10° C. or less. can be adjusted Preferably, the coolant condition control unit 1220 so that the temperature of the coolant (eg, carbon dioxide) is sprayed so that the temperature of the skin surface approaches the temperature range of 0° C. or more and 10° C. or less, and the temperature of the sprayed coolant (eg, carbon dioxide) is -55° C. or more and -25° C. or less. It is possible to control the thermal energy applied to the coolant in the

The temperature of the sprayed coolant is thermocouple at a distance of about 3mm from the spraying part when the coolant is sprayed with a spraying distance of about 25mm (distance from the spraying part to the skin surface) in order to adjust the temperature of the skin surface to a specific temperature. It may be the temperature of the coolant measured after installation.

However, this is only an example, and the temperature of the coolant sprayed can be adjusted so that the temperature of the skin surface approaches a specific temperature range, and the temperature of the coolant sprayed is determined by the measurement protocol (e.g., the injection distance and the location of the coolant temperature to be sprayed, etc.) ) may be different depending on the

According to an embodiment, the injection amount of the coolant may be adjusted by the flow rate controller 1210 controlled by the control module 1400 .

For example, the control module 1400 controls the flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed by adjusting the opening/closing time or opening/closing period of the flow rate controller 1210 to adjust the skin surface temperature to be close to a preset set temperature of the skin surface. can be implemented to By controlling the flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed, it is possible to control the degree of cooling energy applied to the skin surface. In addition, through this, ultimately, the temperature of the skin surface may be adjusted to approach a preset temperature.

According to another embodiment, the injection amount of the coolant may be controlled by the coolant state control unit 1220 .

For example, when the degree of thermal energy applied to the coolant by the coolant condition control unit 1220 is increased, that is, when the temperature of the coolant is increased, the degree of freedom of the coolant flowing through the coolant condition control unit 1220 is increased. and thus static pressure is increased, and thus the flow rate of the coolant is reduced. Conversely, when the degree of thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition control unit 1220 is reduced, the degree of freedom of the coolant flowing through the coolant condition control unit 1220 is reduced and thus static pressure is reduced. It can be implemented to increase the flow rate of the coolant. By controlling the flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed, it is possible to control the degree of cooling energy applied to the skin surface. In addition, through this, ultimately the temperature of the skin surface can be adjusted to be close to the preset temperature.

The control of the thermal energy applied to the coolant in the coolant state control unit 1220 may be implemented through a thermoelectric element such as a Peltier element, and the control module 1400 determines whether the thermoelectric element is powered and/or the thermoelectric element. By adjusting the amount of current applied to the , the amount of thermal energy applied to the coolant in the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 may be adjusted. However, this is only an example, and the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 adjusts the degree of thermal energy applied to the coolant through various operations of the above-described control module 1400 and the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 to control the temperature of the coolant or the coolant. flow can be adjusted.

In the step S1200 according to an embodiment, characteristics of the coolant may be controlled in consideration of the preset temperature and the measured temperature. The properties of the coolant may include the temperature, flow rate, pressure, speed, or any suitable combination thereof of the coolant.

For example, the properties of the coolant may be adjusted based on a difference value between a preset skin surface temperature and an actually measured skin surface temperature. Specifically, the properties of the coolant may be adjusted based on whether the measured skin surface temperature is greater than or less than a preset skin surface temperature. If the preset skin surface temperature is lower than the actually measured skin surface temperature, the control module 1400 controls the flow rate control unit 1210 and/or the coolant condition control unit 1220 to reduce the actual skin surface temperature. can be controlled For example, the control module 1400 may increase the opening/closing time of the flow rate controller 1210 to increase the flow rate of the coolant, thereby increasing the amount of energy applied to the skin surface. As another example, the control module 1400 may reduce the current applied to the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 to control the coolant temperature to decrease. On the other hand, if the preset skin surface temperature is higher than the actually measured skin surface temperature, the control module 1400 controls the flow rate controller 1210 and/or the coolant condition controller 1220 to increase the actual skin surface temperature. ) can be controlled. For example, the control module 1400 may reduce the opening/closing time of the flow rate controller 1210 to reduce the flow rate of the coolant, thereby reducing the amount of cooling energy applied to the skin surface. As another example, the control module 1400 may control the temperature of the coolant to increase by increasing the current applied to the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 .

For example, the characteristic of the coolant may be adjusted based on a difference value between a preset temperature of the 'coolant' and an actually measured temperature of the 'coolant'. Specifically, based on whether the measured temperature of the coolant is greater than or less than a preset temperature of the coolant, the properties of the coolant may be adjusted. If the preset coolant temperature is lower than the actual measured coolant temperature, the control module 1400 may control the coolant state controller 1220 to decrease the actual coolant temperature. For example, the control module 1400 may control to decrease the temperature of the coolant by reducing the current applied to the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 . On the other hand, if the preset coolant temperature is higher than the actually measured coolant temperature, the control module 1400 may control the coolant state controller 1220 to increase the actual coolant temperature to be sprayed. For example, the control module 1400 may control the temperature of the coolant to increase by increasing the current applied to the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 .

In step S1200 according to an embodiment, characteristics of the coolant, such as the temperature of the coolant and/or the flow rate of the coolant, may be adjusted according to the 'degree of difference' between the preset temperature and the measured actual temperature.

For example, when the difference between the preset skin surface temperature and the measured actual skin surface temperature is a first temperature difference and a second temperature difference 'greater' than the first temperature difference, the temperature of the coolant and/or the coolant There may be differences in detail in the control of the flow rate.

For example, the difference between the preset skin surface temperature and the measured actual skin surface temperature may mean that the first temperature difference is relatively closer to the preset skin surface temperature than the second temperature difference. have. Accordingly, in the case of the first temperature difference, the 'change amount' between the temperature of the previously injected coolant and the temperature of the coolant to be controlled and sprayed may be relatively smaller than in the case of the second temperature difference. Similarly, in the case of the first temperature difference, the 'change amount' between the flow rate of the previously injected coolant and the flow rate of the coolant to be controlled and sprayed may be relatively smaller than in the case of the second temperature difference.

On the other hand, when the difference between the preset skin surface temperature and the measured actual skin surface temperature is the second temperature difference, it may mean that the preset skin surface temperature is greater than the first temperature difference. . Accordingly, the coolant temperature and/or coolant flow rate may have to be corrected relatively more than in the case of the first temperature difference. In other words, in the case of the second temperature difference, the 'change amount' between the temperature of the previously injected coolant and the temperature of the coolant to be controlled and sprayed may be relatively larger than in the case of the first temperature difference. To this end, in the case of the second temperature difference, the 'change amount' between the current applied to the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 and the current to be controlled and applied may be relatively larger than in the case of the first temperature difference. Similarly, in the case of the second temperature difference, the 'change amount' between the flow rate of the previously injected coolant and the flow rate of the coolant to be controlled and sprayed may be relatively larger than in the case of the first temperature difference. To this end, in the case of the second temperature difference, the 'change amount' between the opening time of the flow control unit 1210 and the opening time of the flow control unit 1210 to be controlled and opened may be relatively larger than that in the case of the first temperature difference. have. Although the above-described example has been described based on the preset temperature of the skin surface and the actually measured temperature of the skin surface, it may be similarly applied to the preset temperature of the coolant and the actually measured temperature of the coolant.

In the step S1200 according to an embodiment, preferably, in consideration of the preset temperature and the actually measured temperature, the PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) control method is used to determine the coolant temperature and/or the coolant flow rate. This can be adjusted.

In the step S1200 according to an embodiment, characteristics of the coolant such as the temperature of the coolant and/or the flow rate of the coolant may be adjusted in consideration of the outside air temperature. For example, when the preset skin surface temperature is constant, it is possible to control the amount of thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition adjusting unit to be different according to the outside temperature. For a specific example, when the preset skin surface temperature is constant, when the external air temperature is in a temperature range of 10° C. or more and 25° C. or less, generally the higher the external air temperature, the more sprayed to achieve the preset skin surface temperature. The coolant temperature may be lowered. Accordingly, as the outside air temperature increases, the thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant condition adjusting unit may be adjusted to decrease.

In step S1200 according to an embodiment, the temperature and/or flow rate of the coolant may be adjusted by the control module 1400 by further considering the 'type' of the coolant as well as the measured temperature and the preset set temperature. Specifically, the control method for the temperature and/or flow rate of the coolant may be different depending on the essential physical properties of the coolant under atmospheric pressure.

For example, when carbon dioxide (CO2) is used as the coolant, the coolant of carbon dioxide may be applied to the skin surface at a relatively lower temperature than the HFC-based coolant under atmospheric pressure after being sprayed from the spraying unit 1230 . For example, when the coolant state control unit 1220 is a thermoelectric element (eg, Peltier element, etc.), the power of the thermoelectric element is turned off to spray the coolant of carbon dioxide at a temperature of about -40°C to -70°C. and can be applied to the skin surface. Specifically, the temperature of the coolant injected may be affected by the temperature of the outside air. In the case where the temperature of the outside air is between 15 and 25° C., the temperature of the carbon dioxide coolant injected with the power of the thermoelectric element turned off is about It may be a temperature of -70°C or higher and -50°C or lower. In addition, when the temperature of the outside air is 25°C to 35°C or less, the temperature of the carbon dioxide coolant sprayed in a state in which the power of the thermoelectric element is OFF may be a temperature of about -40°C or more and -60°C or less. In this case, the measured coolant injection temperature may be the temperature measured after the thermocouple is installed at a distance of about 3 mm from the injection unit. Therefore, when carbon dioxide is used as the coolant, the coolant temperature can be controlled by adjusting only the degree of 'heating' of the coolant in the coolant state control unit 1220 . In other words, since the temperature of the carbon dioxide coolant is considerably low even when there is no thermal energy applied to the coolant from the coolant state control unit 1220 (ie, no heating), the coolant state is preferably performed through 'heating'. The temperature of the coolant sprayed may be adjusted by adjusting the amount of thermal energy applied to the coolant in the control unit 1220 .

For example, when an HFC-based material is used as the coolant, when the coolant state control unit 1220 is turned off, carbon dioxide may be sprayed at a relatively higher temperature (eg, -20°C) than the coolant. This may be a relatively high temperature to control the temperature of the skin surface over a wide range of temperatures. In particular, it may be difficult to adjust the temperature of the skin surface to a temperature of about -10°C or less without additional cooling using an HFC-based coolant. Accordingly, when an HFC-based material is used as the coolant, the coolant state control unit 1220 may be driven to 'cool' the coolant as well as to heat the coolant. In particular, when the coolant state control unit 1220 is a thermoelectric element (eg, a Peltier element), when a current is applied to the thermoelectric element in the first direction, heat absorption may occur on the first surface and heat on the second surface of the thermoelectric element. . In addition, when a current is applied to the thermoelectric element in the second direction, heat may be generated on the first surface of the thermoelectric element and endothermic heat may occur on the second surface of the thermoelectric element. At this time, the flow path through which the coolant moves is configured to contact at least one of the first surface or the second surface, and the control module 1400 controls the direction in which the thermoelectric element is applied to heat or cool the coolant depending on the situation. can be

As described above, in the step S1200, the control module 1400 determines the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant in consideration of the measured temperature and the preset set temperature.

However, this is only an example, and according to one embodiment, the control module 1400 determines whether the measured actual temperature (eg, the actual temperature of the skin surface, the actual temperature of the coolant to be sprayed) corresponds to the preset temperature 'condition' It can be implemented to determine whether or not In this case, the preset temperature 'condition' may be a temperature range in which an allowable 'error range' based on the preset temperature is set.

If the measured actual temperature (eg, the actual temperature of the skin surface, the actual temperature of the sprayed coolant) corresponds to the preset set temperature condition, the control module 1400 may It is possible to determine the temperature of the coolant or the amount of injection.

If the measured actual temperature (eg, the actual temperature of the skin surface, the actual temperature of the coolant sprayed) does not correspond to the preset set temperature condition, the control module 1400 controls the coolant temperature or It may be implemented to control the flow rate of the coolant. Alternatively, the control module 1400 may be implemented to control the flow rate of the coolant through the flow rate control unit 1210 .

Referring back to FIG. 5 , the laser treatment method according to an embodiment of the present application may include spraying a coolant ( S1300 ).

In this case, in the step of spraying the coolant ( S1300 ), the coolant may be sprayed according to the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant determined in step S1200 .

In FIG. 5 , it is illustrated that the operation of the laser treatment apparatus 100 is terminated when the coolant is sprayed, but this is only an example, and when the coolant is sprayed, measuring the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant (S1100) may be implemented to be performed again to repeat a series of steps again.

According to the driving method of the laser treatment device 100 disclosed in the present application, by measuring the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant, the measured temperature information of the skin surface and/or the temperature information of the coolant is taken into account, By determining the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant, it is possible to control the temperature of the skin surface to approach a preset temperature. Through this temperature feedback, the temperature of the skin surface, which is the most direct variable of skin damage, can be stably maintained near the set temperature. In particular, by setting the set temperature lower than the skin damage temperature, there is an effect of minimizing damage to the skin.

As described above, the laser treatment method according to an embodiment of the present application has been described, and the above content may be equally applied to the laser treatment method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to another embodiment of the present application to be described later. have.

The laser treatment method by the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application includes measuring a temperature; determining the temperature of the coolant or the flow rate of the coolant; spraying coolant; and irradiating a laser.

The step of irradiating the laser may include irradiating the laser toward the target area to be treated. The laser may be generated by the laser generating unit 1110 of the laser module 1100 and irradiated by the laser irradiating unit 1120 .

Specifically, the laser module 1100 may be electrically connected to the control module 1400 to receive a laser irradiation signal from the control module 1400 to irradiate the laser.

In this case, the control module 1400 receives a laser irradiation input by a user and transmits a laser irradiation signal to the laser module 1100, so that the laser irradiation operation of the laser module 1100 may be performed. Alternatively, conditions for laser irradiation may be preset in the control module 1400 . In this case, the laser module 1100 may be controlled by the control module 1400 to irradiate the laser when a preset condition is satisfied. For example, when the temperature of the skin surface reaches a specific temperature by the cooling system, the laser module 1100 may be controlled by the control module 1400 to irradiate the laser. In this case, the specific temperature may be set in consideration of a skin damage temperature, a frost formation temperature on the skin surface, a temperature that minimizes interfering substances on the laser path, and the like. This will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 17 to 22 .

The laser treatment method by driving the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application may be configured to include a coolant injection section and a laser irradiation section.

At this time, referring to FIG. 4 , the coolant injection section may include a pre-cooling section P1 , an inter-cooling section P2 , and a post-cooling section P3 . The coolant injection section may mean a section in which cooling energy is applied to the skin surface by spraying the coolant. However, there may be a time difference between the time when the coolant is sprayed and the time when the cooling energy is applied to the skin surface. Preferably, the time difference may be a very small value, and in this case, the cooling energy is The applied section may be used with substantially the same meaning.

The pre-cooling section P1 may mean a section in which cooling energy is applied to the skin surface by a coolant before the start point of the laser irradiation section. However, although described as 'before' the start point of the laser irradiation section, if cooling energy is applied to the skin surface by the coolant at the laser irradiation start point, the laser irradiation start point may also be included in the pre-cooling section P1. The pre-cooling section (P1) is to lower the temperature of the skin surface 'in advance' to prevent the skin surface temperature from being raised by the thermal energy accumulation by laser irradiation in the laser irradiation section and reaching the skin damage temperature. can be Alternatively, the pre-cooling section P1 may be performed for the purpose of anesthetizing the skin 10 before laser irradiation.

The inter-cooling section P2 may mean a section in which cooling energy is applied to the skin surface by a coolant in the laser irradiation section. The inter cooling section P2 may also be used as a term such as an inter cooling section, a real-time cooling section, a cooling section during laser irradiation, and the like. At least a portion of the intercooling section P2 and at least a portion of the laser irradiation section may overlap on a time axis. That is, cooling in the inter-cooling section P2 and laser irradiation in the laser irradiation section may be performed at least partially simultaneously.

The intercooling section P2 is a section overlapping the laser irradiation section at least partially on the time axis, and may be a section in which the temperature of the skin surface can be explosively increased by laser irradiation. At this time, the main purpose of intercooling may be to cool the skin surface so that the skin surface temperature is controlled to be below the skin damage temperature.

The post-cooling section P3 may mean a section in which cooling energy is applied to the skin surface by the coolant after the end of the laser irradiation section. However, although it has been described as 'after' the end time of the laser irradiation section, if cooling energy is applied to the skin surface by the coolant at the end of the laser irradiation, the end time of the laser irradiation may also be included in the post-cooling section P3.

The post-cooling section (P3) is a section after the end of the laser irradiation, and may be performed for the purpose of reducing the skin surface temperature and/or the temperature of the target to a temperature within the normal range after laser treatment or for alleviating pain. .

Hereinafter, embodiments of the laser treatment driving method in the pre-cooling section (P1), the inter-cooling section (P2), and the post-cooling section (P3) will be described in detail.

The laser treatment method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application may be implemented through pre-cooling, inter-cooling, and post-cooling. In other words, the laser treatment method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application may include a pre-cooling section (P1), an inter-cooling section (P2), and a post-cooling section (P3).

Reference is made to FIGS. 4 and 6 . 6 is a flowchart (S2000) illustrating a pre-cooling and laser irradiation method according to an embodiment of the laser treatment method disclosed in the present application.

The pre-cooling includes measuring the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant (S2100); determining the temperature of the coolant or the flow rate of the coolant (S2200); And spraying the coolant (S2300); and determining whether a laser irradiation event has occurred (S2400).

In the step (S2100) of measuring the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant, the same contents of the above-described step S1100 may be applied. When describing the feature as the pre-cooling section P1, the step S2100 measures the temperature of the coolant sprayed before the start point of the laser irradiation section, and measures the temperature of the skin surface before the start point of the laser irradiation section. .

According to FIG. 6, although both the temperature of the coolant and the temperature of the skin surface are measured in step S2100, only the temperature of the skin surface is measured except for the temperature of the coolant. can be taken into account in making a decision. In other words, measuring the coolant temperature in step S2100 of FIG. 6 may be omitted.

In the step of determining the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant ( S2200 ), the same contents of the above-described step S1200 may be applied. Therefore, the following description will be focused on the characteristics of the pre-cooling section (P1).

Referring back to FIG. 6 , in the laser treatment method according to an embodiment of the present application, in consideration of the temperature measured in step S2100 and the first preset temperature, determining the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant (S2200) may include

The first set temperature Ts1 may be a target temperature for controlling the temperature of the skin surface in the pre-cooling period. Alternatively, the first set temperature Ts1 may be a target temperature for controlling the temperature of the coolant sprayed in the pre-cooling section. Alternatively, the first set temperature Ts1 may be a target temperature for controlling the temperature of the target to be treated by the laser in the pre-cooling section.

In an embodiment, the first set temperature Ts1 may be set in consideration of the degree of temperature rise of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section, the skin damage temperature, and whether or not a laser-interfering material is generated in the laser irradiation section. In addition, the first set temperature Ts1 may be set directly by the user or by selecting a value set by the control module 1400 using the procedure information and temperature information stored in the control module 1400 by the user. .

For example, in the laser irradiation section, the temperature of the skin including the target and the skin surface may increase as light energy of the laser is converted into thermal energy and accumulated in the target. In this case, if the temperature of the skin surface rises higher than the skin damage temperature in the laser irradiation section, damage to the skin surface may occur. Therefore, in the pre-cooling section (P1), even if the temperature of the skin surface rises in the laser irradiation section, in order to control the temperature of the skin surface to rise only below the skin damage temperature, the operation of lowering the temperature of the skin surface before laser irradiation is performed can be To this end, in the pre-cooling section P1 , the temperature of the skin surface may be set as the first set temperature Ts1 in consideration of the degree of temperature increase by laser irradiation and the skin damage temperature. At this time, the skin damage temperature may be different depending on the type of treatment and skin type, but in general, when the skin temperature reaches a temperature within the range of 40° C. to 60° C., damage by heat may occur. According to a preferred embodiment, when the skin temperature reaches a temperature within the range of 50° C. to 60° C., damage by heat may occur. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art may set the first set temperature Ts1 in consideration of the degree of thermal energy accumulation that may cause skin damage. For example, skin damage may occur even when the skin temperature is continuously maintained at a temperature of 40° C. or less, and in this case, the first set temperature in consideration of the time for which heat is exposed to the skin and/or the degree of heat accumulation (Ts1) may be set.

As another example, the first set temperature (Ts1) may be set in consideration of the location of the target to be treated to minimize skin damage in the laser irradiation section, the type of skin treated, the type of laser, the intensity of the laser output, etc. have. For example, the closer the position of the target to be treated is to the skin surface, the higher the degree of increase in the skin surface temperature due to laser irradiation is high. Considering this, the first set temperature Ts1 of the pre-cooling section P1 is set can be In addition, since the higher the intensity of the output of the laser to be used, the higher the amount of thermal energy accumulated in the target. Therefore, the first set temperature Ts1 of the pre-cooling section P1 is set in consideration of the intensity of the output according to the type of laser to be used. can be

As another example, the first set temperature Ts1 may be set in consideration of whether a laser-interfering material is generated in the laser irradiation section. For example, in the laser irradiation section after the pre-cooling section P1, when a laser-interfering material such as frost, ice, dry ice, water vapor, etc. remains in the laser irradiation path or the skin surface, there is a possibility that laser scattering occurs. Therefore, in the pre-cooling section P1, the first set temperature Ts1 may be set so that the laser interfering material does not remain in the laser irradiation section.

In an embodiment, the first set temperature Ts1 may be set in consideration of a treatment site, a treatment lesion, and the like. For example, when the skin is pre-cooled to a temperature corresponding to the vasoconstriction temperature condition during laser treatment for vascular lesions, there may be a problem in that the blood vessels constrict and the medium to be treated disappears. Therefore, during pre-cooling of the laser treatment on the vascular lesion, the first set temperature Ts1 may be set in consideration of the constriction temperature condition of the vascular lesion. This laser treatment method for vascular lesions will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 23 to 24 .

In an embodiment, the first set temperature Ts1 may be set differently even within the pre-cooling section P1.

For example, as described above, in the pre-cooling section (P1), the need to set the first set temperature (Ts1) relatively low in order to minimize the possibility of skin damage due to the temperature increase due to the laser irradiation in the laser irradiation section There may be a need to set the first set temperature (Ts1) relatively high in order to prevent the laser interfering material from remaining on the skin surface in the laser irradiation section.

In this case, preferably, in the second half of the pre-cooling section P1 and the section adjacent to the start point of the laser irradiation section, the first set temperature Ts1 may be set so that the laser interfering material does not remain on the skin surface. Since it is sufficient to prevent laser scattering if the laser interfering material on the skin surface does not remain only from the start of the laser irradiation section, the first set temperature (Ts1) is set only in the section immediately before the start of the laser irradiation. The temperature at which the laser interfering material does not remain can be set to prevent laser scattering.

In addition, in the section other than the second half of the pre-cooling section P1, the first set temperature Ts1 is set to be relatively low, thereby minimizing the possibility of skin damage due to laser irradiation in the laser irradiation section.

In other words, in the section except the second half of the pre-cooling section (P1) (eg, the early-middle section of the pre-cooling section (P1)), the first set temperature (Ts1) is set as low as possible to prevent skin damage in the laser irradiation section In the latter section of the pre-cooling section (P1), the first set temperature (Ts1) is set to a temperature at which laser-interfering substances do not remain on the skin surface to minimize the laser scattering problem in the laser irradiation section. have. Therefore, even within the pre-cooling section P1, the first set temperature Ts1 may be set differently.

In an embodiment, the first set temperature Ts1 may be a temperature within a specific range. Specifically, it may be a temperature range including an allowable 'error range' based on the first set temperature Ts1.

In this case, the error range of the first set temperature Ts1 may be set differently even within the pre-cooling section P1. For example, in the section immediately before the laser irradiation section included in the pre-cooling section P1, the temperature of the skin surface may be controlled to a temperature at which a laser-interfering material such as frost is not formed on the skin surface. In this case, in order to control the temperature of the skin surface to a temperature at which a laser-interfering material is not formed on the skin surface, it may be preferable to set a narrow error range. In other words, in the section immediately preceding the laser irradiation section included in the pre-cooling section P1, the error range may be set to be relatively narrow in order to precisely control the temperature of the skin surface so that frost is not formed on the skin surface. On the other hand, in the initial section of the pre-cooling section P1 separated in time from the laser irradiation section, cooling may be performed to reduce the possibility of skin damage in the laser irradiation section by lowering the temperature of the skin surface as much as possible. In this case, in the initial section of the pre-cooling section P1, since the temperature of the skin surface may be relatively less finely controlled, the error range may be set relatively wide.

In the above, it has been described that the first set temperature Ts1 may be set based on the temperature of the skin surface, but it is not limited thereto, and a specific temperature may be set based on the temperature of the coolant, which is a direct variable of the temperature of the skin surface. makes it clear that it is obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art.

The step S2200 may include determining the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant in consideration of the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant measured in the step S2100. Specifically, the control module 1400 controls the coolant condition control unit 1220 in consideration of the skin surface temperature and/or the coolant temperature measured in step S2100 to determine the coolant temperature and/or the coolant injection amount ( S2200) can be done. Alternatively, the control module 1400 may control the opening/closing period, opening/closing time, etc. of the flow rate controller 1210 to adjust the flow rate of the coolant supplied to the spraying unit 1230 to determine the amount of coolant sprayed ( S2200 ).

In the step of spraying the coolant ( S2300 ), the coolant may be sprayed according to the temperature or injection amount of the coolant determined in step S2200 .

When the coolant is sprayed in step S2300, a step (S2400) of determining whether a laser irradiation event has occurred may proceed.

The laser irradiation event may be implemented to occur according to the user's input of the laser irradiation signal. Alternatively, pre-cooling may be started and a laser irradiation event may be generated as a predetermined time elapses. Alternatively, the laser irradiation event may be implemented to occur when the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant is substantially the same as the first set temperature Ts1 set so that frost does not remain on the skin surface.

In the step of determining whether the laser irradiation event has occurred ( S2400 ), it may be determined whether the pre-cooling period P1 ends according to whether the laser irradiation event has occurred. Specifically, in step S2400, when the coolant is sprayed (S2300), the control module 1400 may be configured to determine whether a laser irradiation event has occurred or a laser irradiation event has not occurred. If the laser irradiation event has not occurred, the control module 1400 controls the laser treatment apparatus 100 so that the step of measuring the temperature of the skin surface and the coolant temperature (S2100) proceeds, so that a series of steps can be performed again. .

On the other hand, if a laser irradiation event has occurred, the control module 1400 may end the pre-cooling and control the laser treatment apparatus 100 so that the inter-cooling proceeds (C1).

However, here, it has been described that the control module 1400 'determines' whether a laser irradiation event occurs, but is not limited thereto, and when a laser irradiation event occurs, a laser irradiation signal is transmitted to the control module 1400 and the control module ( Even if the 1400 does not determine whether a laser irradiation event has occurred, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may be controlled so that inter-cooling proceeds (C1).

As described above, in the step S2200, the control module 1400 "consides" the measured temperature and the preset first set temperature Ts1, and "determines" the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant. . However, this is only an example, and according to one embodiment, the control module 1400 determines whether the measured actual temperature (eg, the actual temperature of the skin surface, the actual temperature of the coolant to be sprayed) corresponds to the first preset temperature condition. It can be implemented to "determine" whether or not. In this case, the first preset temperature condition may be a temperature range in which an allowable 'error range' based on the first preset temperature is set. Alternatively, the first set temperature condition may be any suitable condition including a condition for whether or not to be maintained for a specific time based on a specific temperature value.

If the measured actual temperature (eg, the actual temperature of the skin surface, the actual temperature of the sprayed coolant) corresponds to the first set temperature condition, the control module 1400 is configured to spray the coolant at the previously sprayed temperature or injection amount. It is possible to determine the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant to be injected.

If the measured actual temperature (eg, the actual temperature of the skin surface, the actual temperature of the coolant sprayed) does not correspond to the first set temperature condition, the control module 1400 controls the coolant level through the coolant condition control unit 1220 . It may be implemented to control the temperature or the flow rate of the coolant. Alternatively, the control module 1400 may be implemented to control the flow rate of the coolant through the flow rate control unit 1210 .

Reference is made to FIGS. 4 and 7 . 7 is a flowchart (S3000) illustrating an intercooling and laser irradiation method according to an embodiment of the laser treatment method disclosed in the present application.

The inter-cooling is performed by irradiating a laser (S3010); Measuring the temperature of the skin surface and / or the temperature of the coolant (S3100); determining the temperature of the coolant or the flow rate of the coolant (S3200); spraying the coolant (S3300); and determining whether a laser irradiation end event has occurred (S3400).

The step of irradiating the laser ( S3010 ) may be implemented such that thermal energy is applied to the target by the laser output from the laser module 1100 so that the temperature of the target to be treated is higher than or equal to the target target temperature. The target target temperature may mean a temperature that may cause heat ablation in the target.

The target target temperature may be different depending on the type of treatment and/or the type of target tissue, but generally may be a temperature within about 40°C to 60°C. Preferably, the target target temperature may be within a temperature range of about 50°C to 60°C.

However, the thermal energy accumulated in the target by the laser may be conducted or transmitted to the skin surface, and this may result in an increase in the temperature of the skin surface. At this time, if the skin surface temperature is higher than the skin damage temperature, since side effects of skin damage may be induced, measuring the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant, which will be described later (S3100); controlling the temperature of the coolant or the flow rate of the coolant (S3200); spraying the coolant (S3300); It is possible to minimize the side effects of skin damage caused by laser irradiation.

In the step of measuring the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant (S3100), the same contents of the above-described step S1100 may be applied. Referring to the characteristics of the inter-cooling section P2, in step S3100, the temperature of the coolant sprayed in the laser irradiation section may be measured, and the temperature of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section may be measured. According to FIG. 7 , although both the temperature of the coolant and the temperature of the skin surface are measured in step S3100, only the temperature of the skin surface is measured excluding the temperature of the coolant, and the temperature or injection amount of the coolant is measured in step S3200, which will be described later. can be taken into account in making a decision. In other words, measuring the coolant temperature in step S3100 of FIG. 7 may be omitted.

In the step of determining the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant ( S3200 ), the same contents of the above-described step S1200 may be applied. Therefore, hereinafter, the characteristics of the inter-cooling section P2 will be mainly described.

Referring back to FIG. 7 , in the laser treatment method according to an embodiment of the present application, in consideration of the temperature measured in step S3100 and the second preset temperature Ts2, determining the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant (S3200) may be included.

The second set temperature Ts2 may be a target temperature for controlling the temperature of the skin surface in the intercooling section P2 . Alternatively, the second set temperature Ts2 may be a target temperature for controlling the temperature of the coolant sprayed in the intercooling section P2. Alternatively, the second set temperature Ts2 may be a target temperature for controlling a target temperature of a target to be treated by a laser in the intercooling section P2.

In one embodiment, the second set temperature (Ts2) is the degree of temperature rise of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section, the temperature and target target temperature of the target in the laser irradiation section, skin damage temperature, whether or not laser interference material is generated in the laser irradiation section, etc. can be set taking into account. In addition, the second set temperature Ts2 may be set directly by the user or by selecting a value set by the control module 1400 using the procedure information and temperature information stored in the control module 1400 by the user. .

For example, the second set temperature Ts2 may be set in consideration of the degree of temperature increase of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section. The degree of increase in the temperature of the skin surface may be different depending on the type of laser related to the output and wavelength, the treatment site, the location of the treatment site, and the like. Specifically, the stronger the laser output, the higher the temperature rise of the skin surface may be, and the type and location of the target to which the laser is absorbed may be different depending on the laser wavelength. The degree of temperature increase on the skin surface may be different. In addition, the closer the treatment site is to the skin surface, the higher the temperature rise of the skin surface may be. Accordingly, the second set temperature Ts2 may be set in consideration of the above-described variables.

For example, the second set temperature Ts2 may be set in consideration of the 'target temperature' and the 'target target temperature' of the laser irradiation section. Specifically, in at least some sections of the laser irradiation section, for heat ablation of the treatment site (target), thermal energy by the laser must be applied to the treatment site so that the temperature of the treatment area is higher than the target target temperature. Accordingly, the second set temperature Ts2 for the skin surface temperature may be set so that the target temperature can sufficiently reach the target target temperature.

For example, the second set temperature Ts2 may be set in consideration of a skin damage temperature. Specifically, the temperature of the skin surface may also be increased by conduction and/or transfer of thermal energy applied to the target by the laser in the laser irradiation section. In this case, if the skin surface temperature is higher than the skin damage temperature, a side effect of skin damage may be induced. Accordingly, in order to minimize the side effects of skin damage, the second set temperature Ts2 may be set to a temperature considered to prevent the skin surface temperature from reaching the skin damage temperature.

For example, the second set temperature Ts2 may be set in consideration of whether a laser interference material (eg, a material of a solid phase) is generated on a 'laser path' during laser output. Specifically, when the coolant is sprayed from the cooling module 1200 , the coolant adiabatically expands due to the Joule-Thomson effect, so that the coolant temperature can be significantly lowered. At this time, a solid phase material may be generated from the coolant itself, and a state change may be instantaneously progressed from moisture in the surrounding atmosphere to a solid phase such as ice. If such a solid phase material is present in the laser path, it may scatter the laser and reduce the efficiency of laser treatment. Accordingly, the second set temperature Ts2 may be set to a temperature corresponding to the temperature of the coolant considered to minimize the ratio of the solid phase on the laser path.

For example, the second set temperature Ts2 may be set in consideration of whether a laser-interfering material is generated on the 'skin surface'. Specifically, when the temperature of the skin surface is controlled to 0° C. or less, a laser-interfering material such as frost may be generated on the skin surface, and the laser-interfering material may scatter the laser to prevent efficient laser treatment. Therefore, the second set temperature Ts2 may be set in consideration of the temperature at which the skin surface temperature does not generate a laser-interfering material. Preferably, the second set temperature (Ts2) may be set to a temperature higher than 0°C at which a laser-interfering material such as frost is not generated.

As an embodiment, the second set temperature Ts2 may be set differently even within the intercooling section P2. For example, in the initial section of the inter-cooling section P2, since the amount of total heat energy applied by the laser may be relatively small, in the initial section of the inter-cooling section P2, relatively on the laser path and/or at the skin damage temperature rather than the skin damage temperature. Alternatively, the generation of the laser-interfering material on the skin surface may be an important consideration in setting the second set temperature Ts2. On the other hand, since the amount of total heat energy applied by the laser may be relatively large in the second half of the intercooling section P2, the possibility of causing skin damage may be relatively high. Accordingly, in the second half of the inter-cooling section P2 , the second set temperature Ts2 may be set in consideration of relatively skin damage temperature and the like. Therefore, even within the intercooling section P2, the second set temperature Ts2 may be appropriately set differently depending on circumstances.

In an embodiment, the second set temperature Ts2 may be a temperature within a specific range. Specifically, it may be a temperature range including an allowable 'error range' based on the second set temperature Ts2. The error range of the second set temperature Ts2 may be set differently even within the laser irradiation section. For example, since the late part of the laser irradiation section has a relatively high heat accumulation due to laser treatment, and the possibility of skin damage is relatively high, the error range of the latter part of the laser irradiation section is smaller than the initial part of the laser irradiation section. It can be implemented so that the temperature of the skin surface is controlled in detail by setting it to be relatively narrower than the error range of the latter part of .

In the above, it has been described that the second set temperature Ts2 can be set based on the temperature of the skin surface, but it is not limited thereto, and a specific temperature can be set based on the temperature of the coolant, which is a direct variable of the skin surface temperature. It is clearly stated that the matter is obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Referring back to FIG. 7 , the step S3200 may include determining the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant in consideration of the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant measured in step S3100. Specifically, the control module 1400 controls the coolant condition control unit 1220 in consideration of the skin surface temperature and/or the coolant temperature measured in step S3100 to determine the coolant temperature and/or the coolant injection amount ( S3200) can be done. Alternatively, the control module 1400 may control the opening/closing period, opening/closing time, etc. of the flow control unit 1210 to adjust the flow rate of the coolant supplied to the injection unit 1230 to determine the injection amount of the coolant ( S3200 ).

In the spraying of the coolant ( S3300 ), the coolant may be sprayed according to the temperature or injection amount of the coolant determined in step S3200 .

When the coolant is sprayed in step S3300, a step (S3400) of determining whether a laser irradiation end event occurs may proceed.

The laser irradiation end event may be implemented to occur when the user terminates the input of the laser irradiation signal, and intercooling is started and the laser irradiation end event may be implemented as a predetermined time elapses. Alternatively, the laser irradiation termination event may be implemented to occur when the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant is substantially the same as the second preset temperature. Alternatively, the laser irradiation end event may be implemented such that the laser irradiation end event occurs as a predetermined time elapses based on the time when the target temperature reaches the target temperature. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the laser irradiation termination event may be implemented in any suitable manner.

In the step of determining whether the laser termination event has occurred ( S3400 ), whether the intercooling period P2 is terminated may be determined according to whether the laser termination event has occurred. Specifically, in the step S3400, when the coolant is sprayed (S3300), it is determined by the control module 1400 whether a laser irradiation end event has occurred or a laser irradiation end event has not occurred. can

If the laser irradiation end event has not occurred, the control module 1400 controls the laser treatment apparatus 100 to proceed with the step (S3100) of measuring the temperature of the skin surface and the coolant temperature, so that a series of steps can be performed again. .

On the other hand, if the laser irradiation end event occurs, the control module 1400 may control the laser treatment apparatus 100 to terminate the inter-cooling and to proceed with the post-cooling (C2).

However, here, it has been described that the control module 1400 'determines' whether or not the laser irradiation end event occurs, but is not limited thereto, and when the laser irradiation end event occurs, the laser end signal is transmitted to the control module 1400 and controlled Even if the module 1400 does not determine whether the laser irradiation end event or not, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may be controlled so that the post-cooling proceeds (C2).

As described above, in the step S3200, the control module 1400 determines the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant in consideration of the measured temperature and the second preset temperature Ts2. However, this is only an example, and according to one embodiment, the control module 1400 determines that the measured actual temperature (eg, the actual temperature of the skin surface, the actual temperature of the coolant to be sprayed) is set to the second set temperature 'condition'. It may be implemented to 'determine' whether or not it is applicable. In this case, the second preset temperature 'condition' may be a temperature range in which an allowable 'error range' based on the second preset temperature is set. Alternatively, the second set temperature condition may be any suitable condition including a condition for maintaining for a specific time based on a specific temperature value.

If the measured actual temperature (eg, the actual temperature of the skin surface, the actual temperature of the sprayed coolant) corresponds to the second preset temperature condition, the control module 1400 is configured to be sprayed with the previously sprayed coolant temperature or injection amount. It is possible to determine the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant to be injected.

If the measured actual temperature (eg, the actual temperature of the skin surface, the actual temperature of the coolant sprayed) does not correspond to the second preset temperature condition, the control module 1400 controls the coolant through the coolant condition control unit 1220 . It may be implemented to control the temperature or the flow rate of the coolant. Alternatively, the control module 1400 may be implemented to control the flow rate of the coolant through the flow rate control unit 1210 .

Reference is made to FIGS. 4 and 8 . 8 is a flowchart (S4000) illustrating a post-cooling and laser irradiation method according to an embodiment of the laser treatment method disclosed in the present application.

The post-cooling includes measuring the temperature of the skin surface and/or the temperature of the coolant (S4100); determining the temperature of the coolant or the flow rate of the coolant (S4200); spraying the coolant (S4300); and determining whether a preset time has elapsed after the end of laser irradiation (S4400).

In the step (S4100) of measuring the temperature of the skin surface and the temperature of the coolant, the same contents of the above-described step S1100 may be applied. When describing the characteristics of the post-cooling section (P3), the step S4100 measures the temperature of the coolant sprayed after the 'end' point of the laser irradiation section, and the temperature of the skin surface after the end point of the laser irradiation section can be measured That is, in step S4100, the temperature of the coolant and/or the skin surface temperature may be measured after the laser irradiation is finished. According to FIG. 8, although both the temperature of the coolant and the temperature of the skin surface are measured in step S4100, only the temperature of the skin surface is measured except for the temperature of the coolant. can be taken into account in making a decision. In other words, measuring the coolant temperature in step S4100 of FIG. 8 may be omitted.

In the step of determining the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant ( S4200 ), the same contents of the above-described step S1200 may be applied. Therefore, hereinafter, the post-cooling section (P3) will be mainly described.

Referring back to FIG. 8 , in the laser treatment method according to an embodiment of the present application, in consideration of the temperature measured in step S4100 and the third preset temperature Ts3, determining the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant (S4200) may be included.

The third set temperature Ts3 may be a target temperature for controlling the temperature of the skin surface in the post-cooling section P3. Alternatively, the third set temperature Ts3 may be a target temperature for controlling the temperature of the coolant sprayed in the post-cooling section P3. Alternatively, the third set temperature Ts3 may be a target temperature for controlling the target temperature of the target to be treated by the laser in the post-cooling section P3.

In an embodiment, the third set temperature Ts3 may be set in consideration of the degree of temperature rise of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section, the pain minimization temperature, the skin death temperature due to cooling, and the like. In addition, the third set temperature Ts3 may be set by the user directly or by selecting a value set by the control module 1400 using the procedure information and temperature information stored in the control module 1400 by the user. .

For example, the third set temperature Ts3 may be set in consideration of the degree of temperature increase of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section. Specifically, the post-cooling may be performed in order to lower the temperature of the skin surface raised by the laser output in the laser irradiation section to a temperature of normal body temperature. Therefore, in the post-cooling section P3, the coolant may be sprayed in consideration of the skin surface temperature according to the degree of temperature increase of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section, and in consideration of the above points, the post-cooling section P3 is to be controlled. The set temperature of the skin surface may be set as the third set temperature Ts3.

For example, the third set temperature Ts3 may be set in consideration of a temperature that minimizes pain of the skin surface or tissue adjacent to the target. Specifically, post-cooling can serve not only to minimize damage to the skin surface, but also to minimize pain. Accordingly, the third set temperature Ts3 of the post-cooling section P3 may be set in consideration of a temperature that minimizes pain. For example, the third set temperature may be set to a temperature of 30° C. or less, which is a temperature that lowers the activity of a pain receptor on the skin surface or a tissue adjacent to the target. Alternatively, the third set temperature Ts3 may be set to a temperature of 10° C. or less (preferably a temperature of 0° C. or more and 10° C. or less), which is a temperature that lowers the activity of pain receptors on the skin surface or tissue adjacent to the target. have.

As an example, the third set temperature Ts3 may be set in consideration of the temperature at which the skin surface or tissue of the skin dies by cooling. Specifically, for example, when the skin surface or the skin is exposed to a temperature of 0° C. or lower for a long period of time, the skin tissue may die due to frostbite. For another example, when the skin surface or the skin is exposed to a temperature of -20°C or lower, the skin tissue may be killed even if it is exposed for a short time. Therefore, in the post-cooling section P3, the third set temperature Ts3 may be set to a temperature higher than the skin surface or the temperature at which the skin is killed (eg, 0° C. or less).

In an embodiment, even within the post-cooling section P3, it may be necessary to set the third set temperature Ts3 differently depending on the section. For example, in the initial section of the post-cooling section (P3), since it is relatively close to the end time of the laser irradiation section, the degree of temperature rise of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section is important for setting the third set temperature (Ts3). could be a factor to consider. On the other hand, in the period after the initial stage of the post-cooling period P3, there may exist a situation in which the temperature for minimizing pain and the skin death temperature are relatively important consideration factors in setting the third set temperature Ts3. In this case, the third set temperature Ts3 may be set differently even in the post cooling section P3 because factors considered in the initial section and the latter section of the post cooling section P3 are different.

In the above, it has been described that the third set temperature Ts3 can be set based on the temperature of the skin surface, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It is clearly stated that it is obvious to those skilled in the art that a specific temperature can be set based on the temperature of

Referring again to FIG. 8 , the step S4200 may include determining the temperature of the coolant or the amount of injection in consideration of the skin surface temperature and/or the temperature of the coolant measured in step S4100. Specifically, the control module 1400 controls the coolant condition control unit 1220 in consideration of the skin surface temperature and/or the coolant temperature measured in step S4100 to determine the coolant temperature and/or the coolant injection amount ( S4200) can be done. Alternatively, the control module 1400 may control the opening/closing period, opening/closing time, etc. of the flow rate control unit 1210 to adjust the flow rate of the coolant supplied to the injection unit 1230 to determine the injection amount of the coolant ( S4200 ).

In the step of spraying the coolant ( S4300 ), the coolant may be sprayed according to the temperature or injection amount of the coolant determined in step S4200 .

When the coolant is sprayed in step S4300, a step (S4400) of determining whether a preset time has elapsed after the laser irradiation is terminated may proceed.

In the step (S4400) of determining whether a preset time has elapsed after the end of the laser irradiation, it can be determined by the control module 1400 whether the time for post-cooling is within a preset time after the end of the laser irradiation. have.

The preset time may be set in consideration of the degree of pain according to the type of treatment, the degree of temperature rise of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section, and the like. The preset time may mean a time during which post cooling can be performed, and since the time of post cooling may have a linear relationship with the amount of energy applied to the skin surface, the degree of pain according to the procedure, laser irradiation It may be set in consideration of the degree of temperature rise of the skin surface in the section.

For example, the degree of pain may be induced differently depending on the type of treatment or the treatment site. If the degree of pain is relatively high, the post-cooling time, that is, the preset time is set to be relatively long, It may be configured to apply a relatively large amount of cooling energy. On the other hand, if the degree of pain is relatively low, the post-cooling time, that is, the preset time may be set to be relatively short, so that a relatively small amount of cooling energy is applied to the skin surface. In other words, the preset time may be set in consideration of the degree of pain according to the procedure.

The preset time may be directly set by the user or may be set by the user selecting a value set by the control module 1400 using the procedure information and temperature information stored in the control module 1400 . In addition, the preset time may be set before the laser treatment starts (eg, before the start step of FIG. 5 ).

If the time during which the post-cooling is performed is within a preset time, the step (S4100) of measuring the temperature of the skin surface and the temperature of the coolant is implemented so that a series of steps can be performed again.

On the other hand, if the time for which the post-cooling is performed has elapsed a preset time, the control module 1400 may be implemented to terminate (E) the post-cooling.

However, here, it has been described that the control module 1400 'determines' whether or not a preset time has elapsed after the end of the laser irradiation, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It is transmitted to the module 1400 and the control module 1400 can control the laser treatment apparatus 100 so that the post-cooling ends (E), even if it does not determine whether a preset time has elapsed after the end of the laser irradiation. .

In addition, although it is illustrated in FIG. 8 that post-cooling is terminated when a preset time elapses after the laser irradiation is terminated, this is only an example, and post-cooling may be terminated even through termination of the user's coolant injection input. .

As described above, in the step S4200, the control module 1400 determines the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant in consideration of the measured temperature and the third preset temperature Ts3. However, this is merely an example, and according to one embodiment, the control module 1400 determines that the measured actual temperature (eg, the actual temperature of the skin surface, the actual temperature of the coolant to be sprayed) is set to the third set temperature 'condition'. It may be implemented to 'determine' whether or not it is applicable. In this case, the third preset temperature 'condition' may be a temperature range in which an allowable 'error range' based on the third preset temperature is set. Alternatively, the third set temperature condition may be any suitable condition including a condition for maintaining for a specific time based on a specific temperature value.

If the measured actual temperature (eg, the actual temperature of the skin surface, the actual temperature of the sprayed coolant) corresponds to the third set temperature condition, the control module 1400 is configured to spray the coolant at the previously sprayed temperature or injection amount. It is possible to determine the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant to be injected.

If the measured actual temperature (eg, the actual temperature of the skin surface, the actual temperature of the coolant sprayed) does not correspond to the third set temperature condition, the control module 1400 controls the coolant level through the coolant condition control unit 1220 . It may be implemented to control the temperature or the flow rate of the coolant. Alternatively, the control module 1400 may be implemented to control the flow rate of the coolant through the flow rate control unit 1210 .

According to the laser treatment method according to the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application, the first set temperature (Ts1) in the pre-cooling section (P1), the second set temperature (Ts2) in the laser irradiation section, and the post-cooling section At least two or more set temperatures among the third set temperatures Ts3 in (P3) may be set differently. Specifically, factors to be considered for each pre-cooling section (P1), laser irradiation section, and post-cooling section (P3) may be different. For example, the first set temperature (Ts1) may be set in consideration of the degree of temperature rise of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section, whether or not a laser-interfering material is generated in the laser irradiation section, and the second set temperature is laser irradiation It may be set in consideration of the target temperature of the section, the target target temperature, the skin damage temperature, and the like. In addition, the third set temperature Ts3 may be set in consideration of a pain minimization temperature, a skin death temperature due to cooling, and the like. At this time, since factors to be considered in each section may be different, the first set temperature Ts1, the second set temperature Ts2, and the third set temperature Ts3 may be set differently. .

For example, the first set temperature Ts1 is smaller than the second set temperature Ts2, and the third set temperature Ts3 is between the first set temperature Ts1 and the second set temperature Ts2. It can be a temperature value. Specifically, since the second set temperature (Ts2) may be a section in which the temperature of the skin surface is increased by laser irradiation, the second set temperature (Ts2) is the first set temperature (Ts1) and the third set temperature It may be set higher than (Ts3). In addition, the first set temperature (Ts1) may be set to a value smaller than the third set temperature (Ts3) in order to keep the temperature of the skin surface as low as possible before laser irradiation.

For example, the first set temperature Ts1 may be smaller than the second set temperature Ts2 , and the first set temperature Ts1 may be greater than the third set temperature Ts3 . Specifically, since the second set temperature (Ts2) may be a section in which the temperature of the skin surface is increased by laser irradiation, the second set temperature (Ts2) is the first set temperature (Ts1) and the third set temperature It may be set higher than (Ts3). In addition, the first set temperature (Ts1) is set to a temperature at which frost on the skin surface does not exist (over 0 °C) during laser irradiation, and the third set temperature (Ts3) is the temperature of the skin surface to the normal temperature as quickly as possible. It can be set to a temperature lower than 0°C to revert.

For example, the first set temperature Ts1 may be smaller than the second set temperature Ts2, and may be the same as the third set temperature Ts3. Specifically, since the second set temperature (Ts2) may be a section in which the temperature of the skin surface is increased by laser irradiation, the second set temperature (Ts2) is the first set temperature (Ts1) and the third set temperature It may be set higher than (Ts3). In addition, the first set temperature (Ts1) and the third set temperature (Ts3) may be set to any appropriate suitable temperature in consideration of the above-mentioned contents.

For example, in the laser irradiation section, the second set temperature may be set so that the temperature of the skin surface approaches the second set temperature. However, since high-output energy is applied to the skin surface in the laser irradiation section, there may be a possibility that the temperature of the skin surface is not controlled to the set second set temperature. That is, there may be a possibility that the actual skin surface temperature has a large error from the second set temperature. In this example, the second set temperature is set as low as possible regardless of the actual skin surface temperature, thereby minimizing the possibility of damage to the skin surface. In this case, the second set temperature Ts2 may be smaller than the first set temperature Ts1 and/or the third set temperature Ts3.

However, the above-described content is only an example, and in consideration of the type and purpose of the procedure, the first set temperature Ts1, the second set temperature Ts2, and the third set temperature Ts3 may be set. . For example, the first set temperature Ts1, the second set temperature Ts2, and the third set temperature may all be set to the same temperature. For another example, the first set temperature Ts1 and the second set temperature Ts2 may be set to be the same in consideration of the type and purpose of the procedure. For another example, the second set temperature Ts2 and the third set temperature Ts3 may be set to be the same in consideration of the type and purpose of the treatment.

According to the laser treatment method according to the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application, the error range of the first set temperature (Ts1) in the pre-cooling section (P1), the second set temperature (Ts2) in the laser irradiation section An error range and an error range of the third set temperature Ts3 in the post-cooling section P3 may be respectively set. For example, referring back to FIG. 4 , the temperature of the skin surface in the pre-cooling section P1 is set to be controlled to the first set temperature Ts1, but the error range R1 is set to be maintained within a certain temperature range can be

In this case, the error ranges may be directly input by the user similarly to the above-described set temperatures, or may be arbitrarily set to appropriate values in the control module 1400 .

In addition, the error ranges may be set differently according to the pre-cooling section P1, the inter-cooling section P2, the post-cooling section P3, and the like.

For example, in the intercooling section P1, the error range may be set in consideration of the type of laser, the output of the laser, the skin damage temperature, the target target temperature, etc., and the possibility of skin damage by the laser is relatively high Therefore, the error range of the set temperature may be set relatively narrow compared to other cooling sections.

On the other hand, the post-cooling section (P3) is a cooling section after the laser output is terminated, and the possibility of skin damage due to the temperature increase due to laser treatment may be relatively low compared to other cooling sections, so in the post-cooling section (P3) The error range related to the set temperature may be set relatively wide compared to other cooling sections.

According to the laser treatment method according to the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application, the pre-cooling section (P1), the laser irradiation section, and the post-cooling section (P3) in consideration of the respective treatment conditions and temperature conditions of the skin surface appropriately Because it is possible to set the set temperature of , it is possible to perform a customized treatment for each treatment situation and temperature situation, and there is an advantage that cooling can be performed more efficiently. In particular, in the pre-cooling section (P1), it is possible to prevent in advance the possibility of skin damage due to the temperature increase in the laser irradiation section by lowering the temperature of the skin surface before laser irradiation. It can be configured to be controlled below, thereby minimizing the possibility of skin damage. In addition, since the temperature of the skin surface can be controlled to a temperature capable of minimizing pain in the post-cooling section P3, there is an advantage in that pain due to the procedure can be minimized. Additionally, in the laser irradiation section, the temperature and/or flow rate of the coolant may be controlled in relation to the laser irradiation so that the temperature of the target reaches the target target temperature while maintaining the temperature of the skin surface below the skin damage temperature. Therefore, based on the above-mentioned content, it is possible to achieve the purpose of the target treatment and the purpose of the present specification for minimizing the possibility of skin damage and pain.

An error may occur in measuring the temperature when the laser is irradiated. Specifically, when the laser is irradiated in the laser irradiation section and the sensor unit 1300 senses the temperature of the skin surface at the same time, since the output of the laser is quite large, the sensor unit 1300 detects the temperature of the skin surface by the laser. may be subject to interference. Therefore, when the skin temperature is measured in the laser irradiation section, there may be a problem that an error may occur in the measured skin temperature. Hereinafter, a driving method for minimizing the error of the skin temperature measured in the laser irradiation section will be described with reference to FIG. 9 . 9 is a flowchart (S5000) illustrating a method of correcting the measured skin surface temperature according to an embodiment of the laser treatment method disclosed in the present application.

Referring to FIG. 9 , the driving method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application includes irradiating a laser ( S5100 ); measuring the temperature of the skin surface (S5200); and determining whether the measured skin surface temperature is the actual skin surface temperature (S5300). In this case, if the measured skin surface temperature is the actual skin surface temperature, the temperature feedback ( S5410 ) may be performed by adjusting the temperature of the coolant and/or the flow rate of the coolant based on the measured skin surface temperature. On the other hand, if it is determined that the measured skin surface temperature is not the actual skin surface temperature, the step of correcting the measured skin surface temperature ( S5420 ) may proceed.

Hereinafter, as a method of correcting the temperature of the skin surface measured in step S5420, a method for correcting an error or reducing the possibility of an error is presented.

In one embodiment, by using a method of correcting and estimating the temperature data of the skin surface measured by the sensor unit 1300 at the same time point as the laser irradiation time, it is possible to improve the accuracy of temperature feedback due to an error in the measured temperature. . Specifically, by using the temperature data of the skin surface according to the laser irradiation accumulated by the existing procedure, the temperature data of the skin surface measured by the sensor unit 1300 at the same time as the laser irradiation time has a small error from the actual surface temperature. correction and/or estimation may be made. For example, it is possible to analyze the temperature change trend of the skin surface due to laser irradiation based on the temperature change data of the skin surface due to laser irradiation accumulated by the existing procedure, and to match the temperature change trend of the skin surface, the error Temperature data of the likely skin surface may be corrected and/or estimated. By correcting and/or estimating temperature data having a high possibility of error as appropriate temperature data, the accuracy of temperature feedback may be improved.

When measuring the skin surface temperature using a sensor during laser irradiation, there may be a difference between the measured skin surface temperature and the actual skin surface temperature under the influence of the laser.

In an embodiment, in order to reduce such an error, the temperature measurement period of the sensor unit 1300 may be set in consideration of the relationship with the laser irradiation period. For example, when a laser is irradiated, the laser may be output at a certain period. At this time, the temperature measurement period of the skin surface of the sensor unit 1300 is set to be different from the laser output period to prevent an error in the measured skin surface temperature. or can be reduced

For example, the temperature measurement period of the sensor unit 1300 may be set shorter than the laser irradiation period. If the temperature measurement period of the sensor unit 1300 is set shorter than the laser irradiation period, the number of times the temperature of the skin surface, which is highly likely to cause an error under the influence of the laser, is different from the number of times that the temperature of the skin is not measured. This can be facilitated. Through this, the temperature feedback due to the error of the measured temperature by excluding or correcting the measured temperature of the skin surface (eg, the skin surface temperature measured at the same time as the laser irradiation time) from the data, which is highly likely to have errors due to the influence of the laser can improve the accuracy of

Here, it is exemplified that the temperature measurement period of the sensor unit 1300 is set shorter than the laser irradiation period, but is not limited thereto, and the temperature measurement period is set to the same period as the laser irradiation period or a longer period than the laser irradiation period, but laser irradiation By using a method of excluding or correcting the temperature data at the time point and the temperature measurement time progressing simultaneously, the accuracy of the temperature feedback due to the error of the measured temperature may be improved.

For example, the sensor unit 1300 may be configured to randomly measure the temperature of the skin surface. Specifically, regardless of the time and period at which the laser is output, the sensor unit 1300 randomly measures the temperature of the skin surface, so that the sensor unit 1300 simultaneously measures the temperature of the skin surface at the time the laser is output. can be reduced Through this, the accuracy of temperature feedback can be improved by reducing the probability of an error occurring in the measured temperature of the skin surface.

In addition, when measuring the skin surface temperature using a sensor during laser irradiation, there may be a difference between the measured skin surface temperature and the actual skin surface temperature under the influence of the laser. In order to reduce such an error, it may be configured to selectively filter only measured temperature data at a desired time point.

As an example, the sensor unit 1300 continuously measures the temperature of the skin surface, but excludes the temperature data measured at the time of laser irradiation from among the measured temperature data and selectively filters only the temperature data measured at a time other than the time of laser irradiation It can be configured to be The filtering may be implemented through an external device or may be implemented in the control module 1400 itself. By filtering the temperature data having a high possibility of error, the accuracy of the temperature feedback may be improved.

When measuring the skin surface temperature using a sensor during laser irradiation, there may be a difference between the measured skin surface temperature and the actual skin surface temperature under the influence of the laser.

In one embodiment, in order to prevent an error in temperature measurement of the sensor unit 1300 due to laser interference, a filter that selectively blocks only the wavelength of the laser used in the procedure may be used. Specifically, the sensor unit 1300 for measuring the temperature of the skin surface may be configured as an infrared temperature sensor. When irradiating a laser, laser light or light partially reflected from the skin surface interferes with the infrared temperature sensor. etc. may be affected. At this time, a filter capable of filtering the laser wavelength band or the wavelength band of the laser reflected light reflected on the skin surface may be attached to the infrared temperature sensor, and through this, the temperature measurement error of the sensor unit 1300 by the laser or laser reflected light can be minimized. In other words, a filter (eg, an infrared filter) may be attached to the sensor unit 1300 to prevent passage of a specific wavelength, and through this, a laser and/or a laser in the temperature measurement of the sensor unit 1300 . An error due to interference of reflected light can be minimized.

The driving method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application is a method of preventing an error in the measured temperature measurement of the skin surface, and it can be configured not to use the temperature measurement function of the sensor unit 1300 in the laser irradiation section. have. Specifically, in the laser irradiation section, interference may exist in measuring the temperature of the skin surface by the laser, and even at this time, measuring the temperature of the skin surface and providing temperature feedback may not be efficient. Therefore, it may be configured not to perform an operation of measuring the temperature of the skin surface of the sensor unit 1300 in the laser irradiation section. However, since the laser irradiation section is a section with a high possibility of skin damage, hereinafter, an additional method for preventing skin damage even if the temperature measurement operation of the sensor unit 1300 is not performed will be presented.

In one embodiment, in the driving method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application, the flow rate of the coolant sprayed to the skin surface may be set to a fixed value in the laser irradiation section regardless of the temperature of the skin surface and may be sprayed. . Specifically, in the laser irradiation section, the operation of measuring the temperature of the skin surface of the sensor unit 1300 is not performed, but even in the laser irradiation section, in order to prevent damage to the skin surface from heat energy from the laser, the coolant is By setting the flow rate to a fixed value, the coolant may be sprayed onto the skin surface. In this case, the set value of the flow rate of the coolant may be a value considered to prevent the skin surface temperature from reaching the skin damage temperature based on the procedure information and temperature information stored in the control module 1400 .

In one embodiment, in the driving method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application, in the laser irradiation section, regardless of the temperature of the skin surface, the temperature of the coolant sprayed to the skin surface can be set to a fixed value and sprayed. have. Specifically, in the laser irradiation section, the sensor unit 1300 is configured not to measure the temperature of the skin surface, but also in the laser irradiation section, the temperature of the coolant sprayed to prevent damage to the skin surface from thermal energy caused by the laser. By setting it to a fixed value, it may be implemented so that the coolant is sprayed onto the skin surface at a specific temperature value. Since the temperature of the coolant is a direct variable with respect to the temperature of the skin surface, it is possible to control the temperature of the skin surface by spraying the temperature of the coolant to a specific temperature. In this case, the set value of the temperature of the coolant may be a value that is considered to prevent the temperature of the skin surface from reaching the skin damage temperature based on the procedure information and temperature information stored in the control module 1400 .

In one embodiment, in the method of driving the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application, the value of the amount of thermal energy applied to the coolant by the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 is adjusted regardless of the temperature of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section. It can be fixed and driven. Specifically, in the laser irradiation section, the operation of measuring the temperature of the skin surface of the sensor unit 1300 is not performed, but in the laser irradiation section, in order to prevent damage to the skin surface from thermal energy from the laser, the coolant state The adjusting unit 1220 may fix the value of the amount of thermal energy applied to the coolant. To this end, by fixing the current applied to the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 , the power applied to the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 may be fixed. At this time, at least one of the current value applied to the coolant state controller 1220 , the power value applied to the coolant state controller 1220 , and the amount of thermal energy applied to the coolant is the procedure information and temperature stored in the control module 1400 . Based on the information, it may be a value that is considered so that the temperature of the skin surface does not reach the skin damage temperature.

In the above description, the case where the sensor unit 1300 does not perform the temperature measurement operation of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section has been mainly described, but in the laser irradiation section, the sensor unit 1300 measures the temperature of the skin surface while the coolant Methods of fixing the flow rate of the coolant, fixing the temperature of the coolant, or fixing the amount of heat energy applied to the coolant in the coolant condition control unit can be combined and used, and through these combinations, the temperature of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section can be It is clear to those skilled in the art that it is possible to achieve the object of the present invention to control so as not to exceed the skin damage temperature.

The driving method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application is obtained through an existing procedure in order to minimize the possibility of damage to the skin surface while preventing the occurrence of an error in the temperature of the skin surface measured by the sensor unit 1300. Based on the procedure information and/or temperature information, the skin surface temperature in the laser irradiation section, a change in the target temperature, etc. may be estimated. Specifically, the control module 1400 is configured to operate in the laser irradiation section based on the skin surface temperature, target temperature, coolant temperature, etc. obtained in an existing procedure in which the treatment information such as the treatment site to be treated and the laser type is substantially the same. may be configured to estimate and/or predict a change in temperature of

In one embodiment, when the procedure is performed through a method in which the laser is irradiated in the laser irradiation section of the existing procedure and the temperature and flow rate of the coolant are sprayed to the skin surface at specific values at the same time, the control module 1400 is obtained from the existing procedure Based on the procedure information and temperature information, it is possible to analyze changes and trends in temperature information including the skin surface temperature and/or target temperature. In this case, the control module 1400 may analyze the correlation between information such as the temperature and flow rate of the coolant, the type of laser, and the treatment site, and changes in the temperature of the skin surface and/or the target temperature. In addition, the control module 1400 controls the injection of the coolant by estimating and predicting the temperature of the skin surface and the temperature of the target and adjusting the temperature and/or the flow rate of the coolant when the same procedure as the existing procedure is performed. can be configured to In this case, the control module 1400 may be configured to control the temperature of the coolant and/or the flow rate of the coolant so that the temperature of the skin surface does not reach the skin damage temperature and the temperature of the target reaches the target target temperature.

In one embodiment, the control module 1400 may be configured to control the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed, the flow rate of the coolant, etc. have. In particular, based on the skin surface temperature and/or target temperature at the start of laser irradiation and the skin surface temperature and/or target temperature at the end of laser irradiation of the existing procedure, the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed by the control module 1400 and the coolant It may be configured to control the flow rate of In this case, the control module 1400 may be configured to control the temperature of the coolant and/or the flow rate of the coolant so that the temperature of the skin surface does not reach the skin damage temperature and the temperature of the target reaches the target target temperature.

In one embodiment, a procedure of irradiating a plurality of lasers to one target may be performed. In this case, the temperature of the coolant sprayed to the second shot and/or the flow rate of the coolant may be controlled using the skin information of the first shot. This will be described later in detail.

In one embodiment, a procedure of irradiating a laser to a plurality of targets may be performed. In this case, the temperature of the coolant sprayed to the second spot and/or the flow rate of the coolant may be controlled by using the temperature information of the first spot. This will be described later in detail.

The laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application includes a laser module for outputting a laser to the skin of a patient for laser treatment; a sensor for measuring the temperature of the skin; a nozzle for spraying a coolant on the skin; a coolant condition controller for controlling at least one of a temperature and an amount of the coolant; and acquiring at least one of first skin information and second skin information through the sensor, wherein the first skin information includes at least the skin temperature at or before the start of laser output of the first shot, and the second The skin information includes at least the skin temperature at or after the end of the laser output of the first shot, and when the laser treatment of the second shot is performed after the laser treatment of the first shot is performed, the first skin and a control module configured to adjust at least one of a temperature and an amount of the coolant based on at least one of information and the second skin information.

Here, the first skin information or the second skin information is a concept including a skin type, a skin treatment site, a skin temperature, and any appropriate information related to the skin, but hereinafter, the description is focused on examples of information on skin temperature. do.

The first skin information may be the skin temperature before or at a starting point of laser output of the first shot, and the second skin information may be the skin temperature after or after the end of laser output of the first shot.

When the laser treatment of the second shot is performed after the laser treatment of the first shot is performed, the control module 1400 of the laser treatment apparatus 100 is configured to provide information on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information. It may be provided to adjust at least one of a temperature and an amount of the coolant based on it.

According to an embodiment, the first skin information may indicate the skin temperature detected at substantially the same time as a start time of outputting the laser, and the second skin information may be substantially equal to an end time of outputting the laser. may represent the skin temperature detected at the same time point. In this case, when the laser treatment of the second shot is performed after the laser treatment of the first shot, the control module 1400 is configured based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information, It may be configured to adjust at least one of a temperature and an amount of the coolant in at least a part of the irradiation section of the laser.

According to an embodiment, when laser treatment of the second shot is performed after laser treatment of the first shot is performed, the control module 1400 determines the 'difference between the first skin information and the second skin information'. It may be configured to adjust at least one of a temperature and an amount of the coolant based on '.

According to an embodiment, when the laser treatment of the second shot is performed after the laser treatment of the first shot is performed, the control module 1400 is configured during the remaining cooling section except for the laser irradiation section of the second shot. The second shot may be configured to adjust at least one of a temperature and an amount of the coolant based on a temperature detected at the irradiated skin surface. In other words, in the laser irradiation section, the control module 1400 controls the coolant in at least a part of the laser irradiation section based on the first skin information and/or the second skin information related to the first shot. It may be configured to adjust at least one of the temperature and the amount, but in the pre-cooling section (P1) and/or the post-cooling section (P3) other than the laser irradiation section, the second shot is detected on the irradiated or irradiated skin surface. and adjust at least one of a temperature and an amount of the coolant based on the temperature.

According to an embodiment, the first shot and the second shot may be a laser output with respect to the same target. For example, when the first shot is output for the first spot, the second shot may also be output for the first spot. In other words, the laser output of the first shot and the laser output of the second shot may be performed at substantially the same location on the skin.

According to an embodiment, the first shot and the second shot may be lasers output to different targets. For example, when the first shot is output for the first spot, the second shot may also be output for the second spot. In other words, the first shot may be a laser output for a first location of the skin, and the second shot may be a laser output for a second location of the skin different from the first location.

According to one embodiment, the driving method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application may include irradiating a plurality of laser shots to one target.

According to an embodiment, the driving method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application may include irradiating one laser shot to a plurality of targets, respectively.

According to an embodiment, the driving method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application may include irradiating a plurality of laser shots to a plurality of targets, respectively.

Here, one laser shot may mean outputting one pulse. In addition, the plurality of laser shots may generally mean outputting a plurality of pulses. However, there may be cases in which a plurality of pulses are continuously output at a very short time unit (eg, nanosecond time unit) as a short pulse. In this case, one laser shot encompasses a plurality of consecutively output pulses. may mean to

Through these operations and implementation methods, there is an effect of minimizing the possibility of skin damage while at least preventing an error in measurement of the temperature of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section. Hereinafter, the above-described operation and implementation method will be described in more detail.

Reference is made to FIGS. 10 to 12 . FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a case in which a laser is irradiated to a first shot with respect to a first spot. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating laser irradiation of a second shot with respect to a first spot after a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the laser irradiation of the first shot is completed with respect to the first spot. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a driving method ( S6000 ) in the case of irradiating a plurality of laser shots to a first spot.

The driving method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application includes the steps of starting the treatment and measuring first skin information (S6100); irradiating the laser of the first shot (S6200); Measuring the second skin information (S6300); adjusting at least one of a temperature of a coolant and an amount of a coolant based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information (S6400); and laser irradiation of the second shot and spraying of coolant according to the adjusted coolant temperature or coolant amount (S6500).

According to an embodiment, in the step of measuring the first skin information ( S6100 ), the skin information of the skin surface of the target to be treated by the laser or the skin information of a region adjacent to the skin surface may be detected by the sensor unit 1300 .

The first skin information may be detected at a time point at which laser output is started or at a previous time point. Preferably, the first skin information may be skin information detected at substantially the same time as the start time of outputting the laser.

The first skin information may be a 'skin temperature' of a skin surface of a target to be treated by a laser or a region adjacent to the skin surface. For example, the first skin information may be the temperature of the skin surface before the laser is output and thermal energy is applied to the skin surface. However, the temperature of the skin surface is not limited, and the first skin information may also include the type of skin of the person to be treated, the treatment site, the location and/or depth of the target, and the like. For example, when performing a procedure for hair removal, information on the characteristics of the skin where the hair is located (eg, moisture, sensitivity, etc.) and skin information on the location or depth of the target are measured and laser irradiation of the second shot can be used as a basis for

According to an embodiment, the first skin information may be detected at a time point prior to a time point at which laser output is started. In this case, pre-cooling may be performed at a time before the time when the output of the laser is started. When pre-cooling is performed, information on the temperature and/or the flow rate of coolant sprayed for pre-cooling as well as first skin information is additionally acquired, and coolant to be sprayed together during laser irradiation of a second shot, which will be described later It can be used to control the temperature and/or the flow rate of the coolant.

In the step of irradiating the laser of the first shot ( S6200 ), a laser may be output by the laser module 1100 to a target to be treated. Preferably, irradiating the laser of the first shot may mean obtaining skin information for appropriately adjusting the temperature and/or flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed together when the laser of the second shot is irradiated . In other words, the skin information of the start time of the laser irradiation section of the first shot and the time of completion of irradiation are acquired, based on this, the temperature of the coolant so that the temperature of the skin surface does not reach the skin damage temperature during the laser treatment of the second shot. and/or to adjust the flow rate of the coolant.

According to an embodiment, in the step of measuring the second skin information ( S6300 ), the second skin information is detected by the sensor unit 1300 in the same skin surface area as the skin surface area where the first skin information is measured. can be That is, the second skin information may be measured with respect to the skin surface of the target to be treated by the laser or an area adjacent to the skin surface.

The second skin information may be detected at a point in time when laser output is completed or at a later point in time. Preferably, the second skin information may be skin information detected at substantially the same time point as when the laser output is terminated.

The second skin information may be a 'skin temperature' of a skin surface of a target to be treated by a laser or a region adjacent to the skin surface. For example, the second skin information may be the temperature of the skin surface after laser output is terminated and thermal energy is applied to the skin surface. However, it is not limited to the temperature of the skin surface, and a laser type (laser wavelength and output) in a laser irradiation section, a laser irradiation time, etc. may be detected together with the second skin information.

According to an embodiment, the second skin information may be detected at a time point at which laser output is completed or a later time point. In this case, there may be a case in which not only the laser output but also the coolant is injected together in the laser irradiation section. That is, inter-cooling may be performed. When inter-cooling is performed, information on the temperature of the coolant injected in the inter-cooling and/or the flow rate of the coolant may be additionally acquired. In addition, information on a change in the temperature of the skin surface according to the temperature and/or the flow rate of the coolant sprayed in the intercooling may be acquired. The temperature of the coolant in the intercooling, information on the flow rate of the coolant, and/or information on the change in the temperature of the skin surface are the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed before/with/after laser irradiation of the second shot to be described later and/or It can be used to adjust the flow rate of the coolant.

adjusting at least one of a temperature of a coolant and an amount of a coolant based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information (S6400); In the control module 1400, based on at least one of the detected first skin information and the second skin information, at least one of a temperature of a coolant and an amount of coolant to be sprayed together during laser irradiation of a second shot can be adjusted. have. At this time, the control module 1400 controls the temperature of the coolant and/or the flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed together during the laser irradiation of the second shot by adjusting the amount of heat energy applied to the coolant through the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 . can do. Alternatively, the control module 1400 may control the flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed together during laser irradiation of the second shot by adjusting the opening/closing time and/or the opening/closing period of the flow rate controller 1210 .

adjusting at least one of a temperature of a coolant and an amount of a coolant based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information (S6400); At the time of laser irradiation of the second shot, at least one of a temperature of a coolant and an amount of coolant to be sprayed together may be adjusted to control the temperature of the skin surface to a temperature below the skin damage temperature when the second shot is irradiated. Therefore, there is an advantage that the possibility of skin damage can be minimized.

For example, adjusting at least one of a temperature of a coolant and an amount of a coolant based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information (S6400); In , it is possible to adjust the temperature and/or the flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed together when the laser is irradiated in the second shot based on the first skin information.

For example, the temperature of the coolant and/or the flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed together during the laser irradiation of the second shot can be adjusted based on the 'temperature of the skin surface' of the treatment site at the start of the laser irradiation of the first shot. have. If the temperature of the skin surface is relatively high, the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed together at the time of laser irradiation of the second shot is set because it is highly likely to reach the skin damage temperature due to the increase in the temperature of the skin surface due to heat accumulation by the laser. It can be controlled to spray at a relatively low temperature or to spray a relatively large amount of coolant.

On the other hand, if the temperature of the skin surface is relatively low, the possibility of reaching the skin damage temperature due to the increase in the temperature of the skin surface due to heat accumulation by the laser is relatively low. By controlling the coolant temperature to be sprayed at a relatively high temperature or to spray a relatively small amount of coolant, power consumption of the coolant state control unit 1220 can be reduced and coolant can be saved.

For example, adjusting at least one of a temperature of a coolant and an amount of a coolant based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information (S6400); In , based on the 'second skin information', it is possible to adjust the temperature and/or the flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed together when the laser is irradiated in the second shot.

For example, based on the 'temperature of the skin surface' of the treatment site at substantially the same time point as the completion time of laser irradiation of the first shot, the temperature and/or coolant to be sprayed together during laser irradiation of the second shot flow rate can be adjusted. If the temperature of the skin surface at substantially the same time point as the completion time of the laser irradiation is equal to or higher than the skin damage temperature or is relatively close to the skin damage temperature, it means that the possibility of skin damage by the laser irradiation is high. The temperature of the coolant to be sprayed together during laser irradiation may be controlled to be sprayed at a relatively low temperature or to spray a relatively large amount of coolant. Therefore, the possibility of skin damage can be minimized.

On the other hand, if the temperature of the skin surface is not relatively close to the skin damage temperature, it means that the possibility of reaching the skin damage temperature due to the increase in the temperature of the skin surface due to heat accumulation by the laser is relatively low. During laser irradiation of the shot, the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed together is controlled to be sprayed at a relatively high temperature or to spray a relatively small amount of coolant, thereby reducing power consumption of the coolant state control unit 1220 and saving coolant.

For example, adjusting at least one of a temperature of a coolant and an amount of a coolant based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information (S6400); , the temperature of the coolant and/or the flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed together during laser irradiation of the second shot may be adjusted based on the first skin information and the second skin information. In some examples, the step of adjusting at least one of the temperature of the coolant and the amount of the coolant based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information (S6400); may adjust the temperature of the coolant and/or the flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed together during laser irradiation of the second shot based on the 'difference' between the first skin information and the second skin information.

For example, adjusting at least one of a temperature of a coolant and an amount of a coolant based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information (S6400); is the "difference" between the skin surface temperature of the treatment site at substantially the same time as the start time of laser irradiation of the first shot and the skin surface temperature of the treatment site at substantially the same time as the completion time of laser irradiation of the first shot Based on , the temperature and/or the flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed together during laser irradiation of the second shot may be adjusted. That is, the temperature of the coolant and/or the flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed together during the laser irradiation of the second shot may be adjusted based on the difference in the temperature of the skin surface at the start time and completion time of the laser irradiation of the first shot. If the difference in the temperature of the skin surface is relatively large, it can be interpreted as meaning that the increase in the temperature of the skin surface by laser irradiation is large, and thus the possibility of reaching the skin damage temperature is high. Therefore, in this case, the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed together at the time of laser irradiation of the second shot may be controlled to be sprayed at a relatively low temperature or a relatively large amount of coolant may be sprayed. Therefore, the possibility of skin damage can be minimized.

On the other hand, if the difference in the temperature of the skin surface is relatively small, it can be interpreted as meaning that the increase in the temperature of the skin surface due to laser irradiation is small and the possibility of reaching the skin damage temperature is low. Therefore, in this case, the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed together at the time of laser irradiation of the second shot may be controlled to be sprayed at a relatively high temperature or a relatively small amount of coolant may be sprayed. Accordingly, there is an advantage in that the power consumption of the coolant state control unit 1220 can be reduced and the coolant can be saved.

adjusting at least one of a temperature of a coolant and an amount of a coolant based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information (S6400); In addition, at least one of the coolant temperature and the coolant amount may be adjusted in consideration of a time interval between a time point at which the first shot ends and a time point at which the second shot starts.

For example, when the time interval between the end of the first shot and the start of the second shot is relatively long, the possibility that thermal energy transferred to the skin surface by the laser irradiation of the first shot will be dispersed to surrounding tissues this is high On the other hand, if the time interval is relatively short, the thermal energy remaining on the skin surface due to the laser irradiation of the first shot may be relatively high, and additional thermal energy is accumulated on the skin surface due to the laser irradiation of the second shot, so that the skin The probability of reaching the damage temperature may be relatively high. Therefore, when the time interval is relatively short, the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed together at the time of laser irradiation of the second shot may be controlled to be sprayed at a relatively low temperature or a relatively large amount of coolant may be sprayed.

In the step of injecting the coolant according to the laser irradiation of the second shot and the adjusted coolant temperature or the amount of coolant (S6500), the coolant temperature and the coolant based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information The coolant may be sprayed to the treatment site according to the temperature and/or the flow rate of the coolant adjusted in the step of adjusting at least one of the amount of coolant ( S6400 ). In this case, the coolant injection may be injected in at least a portion of the laser irradiation section of the second shot. That is, the intercooling may be performed during laser irradiation of the second shot by injecting the coolant according to the adjusted temperature of the coolant or the amount of coolant. In addition, through this cooling, it is possible to control the temperature of the skin surface in the laser irradiation section of the second shot not to reach the skin damage temperature.

However, it is not limited to intercooling, and “pre-cooling” before laser irradiation of the second shot and/or “post-cooling” after laser irradiation of the second shot is performed according to the adjusted coolant temperature or amount of coolant. Thus, it will be possible to achieve the object of the present invention to minimize the possibility of skin damage and minimize pain. In other words, in the above description, the intercooling is mainly described with respect to intercooling by adjusting at least one of the coolant temperature and the coolant amount based on the first skin information and/or the second skin information of the first shot, but the present invention is not limited thereto. At least one of a temperature of a coolant and an amount of coolant to be sprayed in pre-cooling and/or post-cooling of the second shot may be adjusted based on the first skin information and/or the second skin information of the first shot.

In the above, the procedure of irradiating a plurality of laser shots with respect to one target has been described, but the above description is not limited to irradiating a plurality of laser shots with respect to one target, and a laser for a plurality of targets to be described later The same or similar analogy can be applied to the case of investigating Hereinafter, the characteristics due to laser treatment on a plurality of targets will be mainly described.

Reference is made to FIGS. 13 and 15 . 13 is a diagram illustrating irradiation of a laser with respect to a first spot. 14 is a diagram illustrating laser irradiation on a second spot after a predetermined time has elapsed after the laser irradiation is completed on the first spot. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a driving method ( S7000 ) in the case of irradiating a laser to a plurality of spots.

The driving method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application includes the steps of starting the treatment and measuring the first skin information of the first spot (S7100); irradiating a laser to the first spot (S7200); measuring second skin information of the first spot (S7300); adjusting at least one of a temperature of a coolant and an amount of a coolant based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information (S7400); and irradiating a laser to the second spot and injecting a coolant according to the adjusted coolant temperature or coolant amount (S7500).

According to one embodiment, in the step of measuring the first skin information of the first spot ( S610 ), the skin information of the skin surface of the first target to be treated by the laser or the skin information of the area adjacent to the skin surface is transmitted to the sensor unit 1300 . can be detected by The first spot may be a different spot from a second spot to be described later. However, preferably, the first spot and the second spot may be tissues in a living body that perform the same or similar function in adjacent regions.

The first skin information may be detected at a time point at which laser output is started or a time before the 'first spot'.

In addition, the first skin information may be the skin temperature of the skin surface of the 'first spot' or a region adjacent to the skin surface. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be included in the skin type of the recipient, the treatment site, the location of the target, and the first skin information.

In the step of irradiating the laser to the first spot ( S7200 ), a laser may be output by the laser module 1100 to the first target to be treated. Preferably, when the laser is irradiated to the first spot, when the laser is irradiated to the second spot, it may mean to acquire skin information for appropriately adjusting the temperature and/or the flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed together. . In other words, the skin information of the start time and the irradiation completion time of the laser irradiation section of the 'first spot' is acquired, and based on this, the temperature of the skin surface during the laser treatment of the second spot, which is a different spot from the first spot, is measured on the skin. This may be to adjust the temperature of the coolant and/or the flow rate of the coolant so that the damage temperature is not reached.

According to an embodiment, in the step of measuring the second skin information of the first spot ( S7300 ), the second skin information is transmitted to the sensor unit 1300 in the same skin surface area as the skin surface area where the first skin information is measured. ) can be detected by That is, the second skin information may be measured at the first spot.

The second skin information may be detected at a time point when laser output is completed for the 'first spot' or at a later time point.

Also, the second skin information may be the 'skin surface temperature' of the skin surface of the 'first spot' or a region adjacent to the skin surface. However, it is not limited to the temperature of the skin surface, and a laser type (laser wavelength and output) in a laser irradiation section, a laser irradiation time, etc. may be detected together with the second skin information.

adjusting at least one of a temperature of a coolant and an amount of a coolant based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information (S7400); may adjust at least one of a temperature of a coolant and an amount of coolant to be sprayed upon laser irradiation to the second spot based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information detected with respect to the first spot. At this time, when the laser is irradiated to the second spot by adjusting at least one of the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed and the amount of coolant when irradiating the laser to the second spot, the skin surface temperature of the second spot does not reach the skin damage temperature. can be controlled not to. Through this, it is possible to minimize the possibility of damage to the skin of the second spot.

In the step (S6500) of laser irradiation and spraying a coolant to the second spot according to the adjusted coolant temperature or coolant amount, at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information detected at the first spot The coolant may be sprayed to the second spot according to the temperature of the coolant and/or the flow rate of the coolant adjusted based on one. In this case, the coolant sprayed to the second spot may be sprayed before the laser is irradiated to the second spot. Alternatively, the coolant may be sprayed to the second spot while the laser is irradiated to the second spot. Alternatively, the coolant may be sprayed to the second spot after the laser is irradiated to the second spot.

The above-described embodiment may be preferably applied to the case in which the first spot and the second spot have the same or similar treatment environment, treatment type, or method.

However, even when the treatment environment, treatment type, or treatment method of the first spot and the second spot are different, the difference between the treatment environment, treatment type, or treatment method of the first spot and the second spot is additionally taken into consideration. At least one of the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed on the second spot and the amount of the coolant may be adjusted based on at least one of the skin information and the second skin information.

For example, although not shown in FIG. 15 , when the laser treatment of the second shot is performed after the laser treatment of the first shot is performed, the third skin information of the second spot is measured by the sensor unit 1300 . can be

The third skin information may be at least skin information of the second spot before or at the start of laser output of the second shot. Also, the third skin information may be the 'skin temperature' of the skin surface of the target to be treated by the laser of the second shot or a region adjacent to the skin surface. For example, the third skin information may be the temperature of the skin surface before the laser of the second shot is output and thermal energy is applied to the skin surface corresponding to the second spot. However, the temperature of the skin surface is not limited, and the third skin information may also include the type of skin of the recipient, the treatment site, the location and/or depth of the target, and the like. For example, when performing a procedure for hair removal, information on the characteristics of the skin where the hair is located (eg, moisture, sensitivity, etc.) and skin information on the location or depth of the target are measured and laser irradiation of the second shot It can be used as a basis for adjusting the properties of the coolant.

In one embodiment, the control module 1400 is configured to provide information on at least one of the first skin information about the first shot, the second skin information, and the third skin information about the second shot acquired through the sensor unit 1300 . Based on the second shot, at least one of the temperature and the amount of coolant to be sprayed may be adjusted during the laser treatment of the second shot.

For example, the control module 1400 may adjust the temperature or amount of coolant to be sprayed during laser treatment of the second shot based on a difference between the first skin information related to the first shot and the third skin information related to the second shot. have. For example, when the skin temperature included in the first skin information is higher than the skin temperature included in the third skin information, the control module 1400 determines that the skin temperature included in the first skin information is the skin temperature included in the third skin information. It is possible to control the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed to the second spot relatively higher than the case where it is lower than the skin temperature. Alternatively, when the skin temperature included in the first skin information is higher than the skin temperature included in the third skin information, the control module 1400 determines that the skin temperature included in the first skin information is the skin temperature included in the third skin information. It is possible to control the amount of the coolant to be sprayed to the second spot relatively less than in the lower case.

As an example, the control module 1400 controls the temperature or amount of coolant to be sprayed during laser treatment of the second shot based on a 'difference' between the second skin information related to the first shot and the third skin information related to the second shot. can be adjusted For example, the difference between the skin temperature included in the second skin information and the skin temperature included in the third skin information is higher than the first difference between the skin temperature included in the second skin information and the skin temperature included in the third skin information. When the difference between skin temperatures is a second difference greater than the first difference, the control module 1400 may control the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed on the second spot to be relatively high. Alternatively, the difference between the skin temperature included in the second skin information and the skin temperature included in the third skin information is less than the first difference, the skin temperature included in the second skin information and the skin temperature included in the third skin information When the difference is a second difference greater than the first difference, the control module 1400 may control the amount of coolant to be sprayed to the second spot to be relatively small.

10 to 12 , the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed herein may be driven by a method of outputting a plurality of laser shots for one spot. Also, referring to FIGS. 13 to 15 , the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed herein may be driven by a method of outputting a laser shot to each of a plurality of spots. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be implemented by combining any principle and advantage of a method of outputting a plurality of laser shots with respect to one spot and an arbitrary principle and advantage of a method of outputting a laser shot with respect to a plurality of spots, respectively. will be.

For example, when the first shot is irradiated with respect to the first spot and treated, the second shot is performed on the first spot based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information on the first shot It is possible to adjust the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed and/or the flow rate of the coolant. In addition, based on at least one of the first skin information and the second skin information for the first shot, the temperature and/or the flow rate of the coolant to be sprayed during laser treatment on the second spot may be adjusted.

That is, it can be implemented by combining a method of outputting a plurality of laser shots to one spot and a method of outputting laser shots to a plurality of spots, respectively.

Hereinafter, a method of irradiating a laser during cooling using the laser treatment apparatus 100 equipped with a cooling system according to an embodiment of the present specification will be described with reference to FIG. 16 .

16 is a flowchart illustrating a method (S8000) of irradiating a laser during cooling according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 16 , the method of irradiating a laser while cooling is performed on the skin surface in laser treatment (S8000) includes the steps of receiving a first triggering signal (S8100), performing a cooling function (S8200), It may include receiving the second triggering signal (S8300), determining whether the laser irradiation condition is satisfied (S8400), providing a notification (S8500), and irradiating the laser (S8600).

Hereinafter, each step will be described in more detail.

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may receive a first triggering signal from the user (S8100). Here, the first triggering signal may include a triggering signal for instructing the start of laser treatment and/or a triggering signal for instructing performing cooling before laser treatment. In this case, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may include a first triggering button (or a first trigger) to receive the first triggering signal.

When the laser treatment apparatus 100 receives the first triggering signal, the cooling module may be driven to perform cooling on the skin surface (S8200). For example, the cooling module may continuously measure the temperature of the skin surface and perform cooling by periodically or continuously spraying a coolant on the skin surface so that the temperature of the skin surface becomes the first set temperature Ts1. As another example, the cooling module may cool the skin surface so that the temperature of the skin surface is within a preset temperature range based on the first set temperature Ts1. As another example, the cooling module may cool the skin surface so that the temperature of the skin surface changes with time within different set temperature ranges. In this case, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may use the skin temperature information obtained from the sensor when driving the cooling module.

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may receive a second triggering signal from the user (S8300). The second triggering signal may include a signal instructing to irradiate the laser to the skin surface. In this case, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may include a second triggering button (or a second trigger) to receive the second triggering signal. Meanwhile, the step of receiving the second triggering signal ( S8300 ) may be omitted or may be entered after the step of determining whether the laser irradiation condition is satisfied ( S8400 ), which will be described later. Through the step of receiving the second triggering signal (S8300), the user can irradiate the laser to the skin surface at a desired time.

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may determine whether the laser irradiation condition is satisfied when receiving the first triggering signal or the second triggering signal (S8400). Here, the laser irradiation condition is a condition in which the temperature of the skin surface is included in the set temperature range, a condition in which the temperature of the skin surface is maintained within the set temperature range for a predetermined time, and a condition in which a predetermined time passes after the coolant is sprayed to the skin surface may include at least one of It goes without saying that the skin surface temperature data described herein may be used to determine whether the above-described conditions are satisfied.

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may provide a notification when the laser irradiation condition is not satisfied (S8500) and perform a cooling function on the skin surface (S8200). For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may include a notification module and provide a notification indicating that the laser irradiation condition is not satisfied to the user through the notification module. The notification may be implemented in various ways, such as a visual, auditory, or tactile notification. Meanwhile, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may provide a notification indicating that the laser irradiation condition is satisfied to the user even when the laser irradiation condition is satisfied.

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may irradiate a laser to the skin surface when a laser irradiation condition is satisfied (S8600). For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may drive a laser module within a predetermined time from a point in time when the laser irradiation condition is satisfied to irradiate the laser to the skin surface. Meanwhile, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may provide a notification to the user when the laser irradiation condition is satisfied, and may irradiate the laser to the skin surface upon receiving the second triggering signal from the user.

In the method of irradiating a laser while cooling is performed on the skin surface (S8000), at least one of the above-described steps may be omitted. For example, the step of determining whether the laser irradiation condition is satisfied (S8400) and the step of providing a notification (S8500) may be omitted. Specifically, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may irradiate the laser upon receiving the second triggering signal while cooling the skin surface. Alternatively, upon receiving the first triggering signal, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may perform cooling on the skin surface and irradiate the laser when a preset time elapses or the skin surface satisfies a specific temperature condition.

Further, although not shown in FIG. 16, as described elsewhere herein, cooling may be performed on the skin surface while the laser is irradiated to the skin surface, and cooling may be performed even after the laser is irradiated. For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 controls the coolant sprayed so that the temperature of the skin surface becomes the second set temperature Ts2 while irradiating the laser to the skin, and after the laser irradiation, the temperature of the skin surface becomes the third It is possible to control the coolant sprayed so as to reach a set temperature. For another example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may stop spraying the coolant when laser irradiation is started. For another example, the laser treatment device 100 stops the coolant injection when the laser irradiation is started, and resumes the coolant injection when the laser irradiation ends, and the temperature of the skin surface is the same as or different from the first set temperature Ts1 It is possible to control the coolant to be a third set temperature.

As described above, when a predetermined condition is satisfied in a state where the skin surface is cooled continuously or periodically, a laser treatment that is safer and reduces pain caused by laser irradiation can be performed by irradiating a laser to the skin surface. have.

On the other hand, a plurality of cooling modules may be used to further improve the effect of the method ( S8000 ) of irradiating the laser during cooling. For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may include a main cooling module that continuously sprays a coolant in the injection section and an auxiliary cooling module that sprays a coolant in a preset section set based on the laser irradiation time. Here, after the auxiliary cooling module is driven to the skin surface to spray the coolant, the laser module is driven to irradiate the laser.

Here, the main cooling module and the auxiliary cooling module may be understood to be similar to the cooling module described in this specification, respectively, and may be implemented in a form that shares a part of the configuration. In addition, the main cooling module and the auxiliary cooling module may control the coolant sprayed to the skin surface using different set temperatures.

Also, here, the main cooling module and the auxiliary cooling module may be driven based on the above-described triggering signal. For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may drive the main cooling module when receiving the first triggering signal, and drive the auxiliary cooling module when receiving the second triggering signal.

In this way, the laser treatment device 100 includes a main cooling module that continuously performs cooling within the injection section and an auxiliary cooling module that temporarily performs cooling, so that the laser treatment device 100 continuously operates the laser while moving on the skin. Upon irradiation, the skin surface can be cooled more quickly.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 17 to 22 , a method of preventing the generation or formation of the interfering material 20 that prevents the laser from being irradiated to the skin will be described.

As described above, in the laser treatment, as cooling is performed before irradiating the laser to the skin, an interfering material 20 (or blocking material, reflective material) that interferes with laser irradiation or blocks at least a part of the laser may occur. have. For example, as the temperature of the skin surface is lowered by cooling, frost may occur on the skin surface, scattering or reflecting a laser irradiated to the skin surface to block at least a portion of the laser. As another example, as the temperature of the coolant sprayed on the skin surface decreases, at least a portion of the coolant may form crystals on the laser irradiation path to scatter or reflect the irradiated laser. Therefore, it is necessary to achieve more effective laser treatment by controlling the temperature of the skin surface or coolant in order to prevent the generation of the interfering material 20 in advance or to remove the generated interfering material 20 .

17 is a view showing that the interfering material 20 is formed on the skin surface as the skin is cooled, according to an embodiment of the present specification.

18 is a view showing a method of preventing the formation of the interfering material 20 during cooling, according to an embodiment of the present specification.

19 is a view showing a method of performing cooling on the skin surface in the spray section including the frost protection section (P_frost), according to an embodiment of the present specification.

Referring to FIG. 17 , the interfering material 20 may be formed on the skin surface. For example, moisture in the air or moisture or gaseous substances contained in the skin may condense as the skin is cooled, and thus the interfering material 20 may be formed. As another example, the interfering material 20 may be formed on the skin surface while the coolant sprayed for cooling the skin surface is condensed. Such an interfering material 20 may interfere with the user's field of vision in the laser treatment on the skin 10 or reflect or scatter the laser irradiated to the skin 10, thereby halving the effect of the laser treatment. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the case where the interfering material 20 is frost is mainly described, but the technical spirit of the present specification is not limited thereto, and the material and laser formed on the skin surface according to the cooling performed to obstruct the user's view. Of course, it can be similarly applied to a material that scatters or reflects the .

Referring to FIG. 18 , the frost formation prevention method ( S9000 ) includes controlling coolant injection based on a first set temperature ( S9100 ), controlling coolant injection based on the frost critical temperature ( S9200 ), and irradiating a laser and controlling injection of the coolant based on the second set temperature (S9400).

Hereinafter, each step will be described in detail.

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may control the injection of the coolant based on the first set temperature (S9100). For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may lower the temperature of the skin surface by spraying a coolant during the pre-cooling section P1 before irradiating a laser to the target to be laser treated. Here, the temperature set in the laser treatment apparatus 100 to perform cooling may include the first set temperature Ts1 described in other parts of the present specification. At this time, the first set temperature (Ts1) may be lower than or equal to the frost threshold temperature (Th1) to be described later.

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may control the coolant injection based on the critical frost temperature (S9200). For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may control the coolant injection based on the frost critical temperature Th1 before irradiating the laser to the target or the skin surface. Here, the frost critical temperature (Th1) may mean a temperature at which frost is not formed, as will be described later. This can prevent the formation of frost before the laser is irradiated to the target or skin surface.

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may irradiate a laser to the target or the skin surface (S9300). For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may control the coolant based on the frost critical temperature Th1 to cool the skin surface and then irradiate the laser. For another example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may receive a user input and irradiate a laser onto a target or skin surface. Here, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may determine whether frost is formed on the skin surface prior to outputting the laser. Specifically, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may determine whether frost is formed by measuring the temperature of the skin surface. Alternatively, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may determine that frost is not formed when the time for controlling the coolant based on the frost critical temperature Th1 is greater than or equal to a preset time. Alternatively, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may receive a user's input and determine whether frost is formed. Of course, this determination of whether frost formation is not necessarily performed.

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may control the coolant injection based on the second set temperature Ts2 ( S9400 ). For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may lower the temperature of the skin surface raised by the laser by injecting a coolant during the intercooling section P2 in which the laser is irradiated to the target or the skin surface. Here, the temperature set in the laser treatment apparatus 100 to perform cooling may include the second set temperature Ts2 described in another part of the present specification. At this time, the second set temperature (Ts2) may be higher than or equal to the frost threshold temperature (Th1).

Meanwhile, the step of controlling the injection of the coolant based on the second set temperature Ts2 ( S9400 ) may be omitted. For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may prohibit spraying of the coolant during the inter-cooling section P2 . For another example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may prohibit spraying of the coolant during the intercooling section P2 and spray the coolant on the skin after laser irradiation is finished.

Although not shown, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may control the coolant injection even in the post-cooling section P3 after laser irradiation. For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may perform cooling based on the third set temperature (Ts3) after irradiating a laser to the target or skin to partially remove the heat remaining on the skin surface or the target according to the laser irradiation. have. Here, the third set temperature (Ts3) set in the post-cooling section (P3) may be set irrespective of the frost threshold temperature (Th1). Alternatively, the third set temperature (Ts3) may be set lower than the second set temperature (Ts2) and higher than the frost threshold temperature (Th1) or set lower than the frost threshold temperature (Th1).

Referring to FIG. 19 , the laser treatment apparatus 100 may perform cooling to a critical frost temperature Th1 to prevent frost formation or remove frost before laser irradiation, and thus the surface temperature may be controlled.

As an example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may perform cooling based on the critical frost temperature Th1 during the frost prevention section (P_frost) before laser irradiation.

Here, the frost protection section (P_frost) may be disposed between the pre-cooling section (P1) and the inter-cooling section (P2) or disposed before the inter-cooling section (P2), but may be included in the pre-cooling section (P1). Alternatively, the frost protection section (P_frost) may include at least a portion of the pre-cooling section (P1) and at least a portion of the inter-cooling section (P2).

Also, here, the anti-frost section (P_frost) may be set sufficiently short to increase the cooling efficiency or set sufficiently long to increase the anti-frost efficiency. For example, the frost protection section (P_frost) length may be selected in the range of 0 to 10 seconds. Alternatively, the frost protection section (P_frost) length may be set within 0 to 20% of the pre-cooling section (P1). On the other hand, the length of the anti-frost section (P_frost) may be set in consideration of the temperature or amount of the injected coolant. In addition, here, the frost critical temperature (Th1) is a temperature at which the interfering material 20 such as frost or crystals is not generated. may include For example, the frost threshold temperature (Th1) may be set above the frost formation temperature (T_frost) at which the frost occurs. Specifically, the frost threshold temperature (Th1) may be set above 0 ℃. As another example, the frost threshold temperature Th1 may be set in consideration of the skin 10 or humidity around the skin. Specifically, when the humidity around the skin is relatively high, the frost threshold temperature Th1 may be set higher than when the humidity around the skin is relatively low. On the other hand, the frost critical temperature (Th1) may be set higher than the first set temperature (Ts1) that became the basis of the cooling at the start time of performing cooling on the skin surface.

20 is a view showing that the interfering material 20 is generated on the laser path irradiated to the skin 10, according to an embodiment of the present specification.

21 is a diagram illustrating a method for preventing the interfering material 20 from being formed on a laser path during cooling, according to an embodiment of the present specification.

22 is a diagram illustrating a method of controlling a coolant temperature to prevent generation of the interfering material 20 according to an embodiment of the present specification.

Referring to FIG. 20 , the interfering material 20 may be formed on the irradiation path of the laser irradiated to the skin 10 . For example, the interfering material 20 may be formed in the coolant injection path, and the interfering material 20 may be formed in a portion where the coolant injection path overlaps the laser irradiation path. Here, the interfering material 20 may be generated while the temperature of the coolant is lowered to a specific temperature or lower or the pressure is increased. Specifically, the interfering material 20 may be formed while at least a portion of the coolant is changed to a solid state due to adiabatic expansion or the like while the coolant in a gas or liquid state is sprayed onto the skin 10 .

As such, the interfering material 20 formed in the laser irradiation path may scatter or reflect at least a portion of the laser, so that sufficient thermal energy may not be applied to the target area, thereby reducing the efficiency of the laser treatment.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the case where the interfering material 20 formed in the laser irradiation path is dry ice is mainly described, but the technical idea of the present specification is not limited thereto. Of course, any material that scatters or reflects can be similarly applied.

Referring to FIG. 21 , the dry ice formation prevention method ( S10000 ) includes the steps of setting the first temperature T1 and the second temperature T2 based on the dry ice formation temperature T_ice ( S10100 ), the first temperature ( Controlling the coolant temperature based on T1) (S10200), irradiating a laser (S10300), and controlling the coolant temperature based on the second temperature (T2) (S10400) may be included.

Here, the coolant temperature may mean a coolant temperature before being sprayed from the laser treatment device or a coolant temperature sprayed from the laser treatment device 100 . In addition, the coolant temperature may be measured through a sensor unit included in the laser treatment apparatus or may be measured using a separate sensor.

Hereinafter, each step will be described in detail.

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may set the first temperature T1 and the second temperature T2 based on the dry ice forming temperature ( S10100 ). For example, the control module of the laser treatment apparatus 100 may set the first temperature T1 and the second temperature T2 as the temperature at which the coolant temperature is controlled while cooling the skin surface. As another example, the first temperature (T1) and the second temperature (T2) are stored as coolant temperature information used for cooling in the memory of the laser treatment apparatus 100, and the control module uses them to control the coolant during cooling. You can control the temperature. As another example, the first temperature T1 and the second temperature T2 may be set based on a user input. Here, the first temperature T1 and the second temperature T2 may be set based on a dry ice forming temperature to be described later. Specifically, the first temperature T1 may be set lower than the dry ice forming temperature and the second temperature T2 may be set higher than the dry ice forming temperature. This step may be performed or omitted before or during cooling on the skin surface.

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may control the coolant temperature based on the first temperature T1 ( S10200 ). For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may provide thermal energy to the coolant based on the first temperature T1 before laser irradiation. Specifically, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may measure the coolant temperature during cooling and control at least one of the flow rate controller and the coolant state controller so that the coolant temperature is controlled near the first temperature T1 . As another example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may perform cooling of the skin surface using a first set temperature set in consideration of the first temperature T1.

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may irradiate a laser to the target or the skin surface (S10300). For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may spray a coolant controlled based on the first temperature T1 to the skin surface to cool the skin surface, and irradiate the laser when a preset time elapses. For another example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may receive a user input and irradiate a laser onto a target or skin surface. As another example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may irradiate the laser when the temperature of the skin surface or the coolant temperature is higher than or equal to a preset temperature. Here, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may determine whether dry ice is formed on the laser irradiation path before outputting the laser. Specifically, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may measure the temperature of the coolant to determine whether dry ice is formed. Alternatively, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may receive a user's input and determine whether dry ice is formed. It goes without saying that the determination of whether the dry ice is formed is not necessarily performed.

The laser treatment apparatus 100 may control the coolant temperature based on the second temperature T2 ( S10400 ). For example, when irradiating a laser to the skin, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may perform cooling by spraying a coolant whose temperature is controlled based on the second temperature T2 to the skin surface. As another example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may perform cooling of the skin surface at a second set temperature Ts2 corresponding to the second temperature T2 while irradiating the laser to the skin.

Although not shown, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may control the coolant temperature even in the post-cooling section P3 after laser irradiation. For example, the laser treatment apparatus 100 controls the coolant based on the third temperature T3 after irradiating the laser to the target or skin, or based on the third set temperature Ts3 corresponding to the third temperature T3 The cooling may be performed to remove at least a portion of the heat remaining on the skin surface or the target according to laser irradiation. Here, the third temperature T3 set in the post-cooling section P3 may be set irrespective of the dry ice forming temperature. Alternatively, the third temperature T3 may be set lower than the second temperature T2 and higher than the dry ice forming temperature or may be set lower than the dry ice forming temperature.

Referring to FIG. 22 , the coolant temperature in the pre-cooling section P1 and the inter-cooling section P2 is controlled to be different from each other, thereby controlling the coolant temperature.

In the pre-cooling section P1 , the temperature of the coolant may be controlled to the first temperature T1 . For example, the laser treatment apparatus may sense the temperature of the coolant in the pre-cooling section P1 and control the coolant state controller or the flow rate controller so that the coolant temperature is within a preset range from the first temperature T1.

The temperature of the coolant in the inter-cooling section P2 may be controlled to the second temperature T2. For example, the laser treatment apparatus may sense the temperature of the coolant in the inter-cooling section P2 and control the coolant condition controller or the flow rate controller so that the temperature of the coolant is within a preset range from the second temperature T2.

The first temperature T1 and the second temperature T2 may be set based on the dry ice formation temperature T_ice. For example, the first temperature T1 may be lower than the dry ice formation temperature. Also, for example, the second temperature T2 may be higher than the dry ice formation temperature.

The dry ice formation temperature may refer to a temperature at which the coolant or at least a portion of the sprayed coolant forms dry ice. The dry ice forming temperature may be set in consideration of the pressure before the injection of the coolant and the pressure after the injection of the coolant (eg, atmospheric pressure). Specifically, the dry ice formation temperature may be set based on the degree to which the temperature of the coolant changes through adiabatic expansion or the like while the coolant is sprayed. For example, the dry ice forming temperature may be set at -20°C to 10°C.

On the other hand, the dry ice forming temperature may be set based on the phase ratio of the coolant to be sprayed. For example, the coolant may include a first portion having a gaseous state as it is sprayed, and a second portion including at least one of liquid droplets and solid particles, and depending on the coolant temperature, the A ratio of the first portion and the second portion may be determined. Specifically, the sprayed coolant may include at least a first portion having a gaseous state and a second portion including dry ice, and the proportion of dry ice in the sprayed coolant may be determined according to the temperature of the coolant. As another example, the injected coolant may have a solid state ratio, a liquid state ratio, and a gaseous state ratio that change with temperature. In this case, the dry ice formation temperature may be a temperature at which the dry ice ratio or the liquid and solid state ratios of the sprayed coolant become less than or equal to a preset value. Alternatively, the dry ice forming temperature may be a temperature at which a gaseous-phase ratio of the injected coolant is equal to or greater than a preset value. For example, the dry ice forming temperature may be set such that the proportion of dry ice in the coolant to be sprayed is 10% or less. As another example, the dry ice formation temperature may include a temperature at which a gaseous proportion of the injected coolant is 90% or more.

In the above, it has been mainly described that the temperature of the coolant is sensed and controlled to be included in a specific temperature range, but the technical spirit of the present specification is not limited thereto, and the laser irradiation path by controlling the first and second set temperatures Ts1 and Ts2. It is also possible to prevent the interfering material 20 from being formed thereon. For example, the laser treatment device is cooled to the skin surface based on the first set temperature (Ts1) and the second set temperature (Ts2) respectively corresponding to the first temperature (T1) and the second temperature (T2) described above can be performed. As another example, the laser treatment apparatus performs cooling to a first set temperature (Ts1) lower than the dry ice forming temperature in the pre-cooling section (P1), and higher than the dry ice forming temperature (T_ice) in the inter-cooling section (P2) Cooling may be performed to the second set temperature Ts2.

In addition, although it has been mainly described above that the interfering material 20 is formed on the laser irradiation path as at least a portion of the coolant changes phase, the technical spirit of the present specification is not limited thereto, and the interfering material ( 20 ) formed from the coolant ( 20) can be similarly applied when it is formed on the skin surface.

Meanwhile, the above-described frost formation prevention method ( S9000 ) and dry ice formation prevention method ( S10000 ) may be repeatedly performed. For example, the coolant temperature may be controlled so that dry ice is not formed on the laser irradiation path while cooling is performed to prevent the occurrence of frost on the skin surface. Specifically, the laser treatment apparatus 100 sets the first set temperature (Ts1) and the second set in consideration of the frost threshold temperature (Th1) and the dry ice formation temperature in the pre-cooling section (P1) and the inter-cooling section (P2). Based on the temperature Ts2, cooling may be performed on the skin surface, respectively. Alternatively, the laser treatment device 100 performs cooling on the skin surface based on the first set temperature Ts1 set in consideration of the frost critical temperature Th1 and the first temperature T1 in the pre-cooling section P1. And it is possible to perform cooling of the skin surface based on the second set temperature (Ts2) set in consideration of the frost critical temperature (Th1) and the second temperature (T2) in the intercooling section (P2).

In the case of treating or treating a blood vessel lesion using a laser, the blood vessel is a target tissue of the laser treatment and a medium for absorbing laser light. In other words, the treatment target for vascular lesions is blood vessels. Therefore, when a vascular lesion is treated using a laser, it should be prevented from shrinking and disappearing of a blood vessel to be treated. In addition, if blood vessels are constricted, it may be difficult for the operator to find a treatment target, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the procedure and/or treatment, and there may be a possibility that side effects may occur by irradiating the laser to a site other than the blood vessel to be treated. Therefore, when a blood vessel lesion (blood vessel lesion) is operated or treated using a laser, there is a need to prevent constriction of blood vessels.

In addition, in the case of laser treatment and/or treatment, thermal energy is accumulated in the skin by a high-power laser, so that there is a possibility of skin damage. Therefore, pre-cooling that lowers the temperature of the skin including the skin surface as much as possible 'before' laser irradiation may be performed. However, when pre-cooling is performed for a procedure and/or treatment for a vascular lesion, the skin temperature is lowered to the skin temperature at which the blood vessels constrict, so that the above-mentioned side effects may occur due to the constriction of the blood vessels. Accordingly, there is a need for a detailed and accurate laser treatment apparatus 100 and a method for performing the same, in which the skin temperature can be controlled so that blood vessels are not constricted even when pre-cooling is performed on the vascular lesions.

In general, when the skin temperature is in the range of about 2° C. or more and 18° C. or less, blood vessels may constrict. Also, when the skin temperature is about 2° C. or less, blood vessels may be relaxed by increasing blood flow to prevent tissue damage. In addition, when the skin temperature becomes about 18° C. or higher, blood vessels may relax.

According to the driving method of the laser treatment device 100 disclosed herein, the skin temperature is controlled to a temperature at which blood vessels do not contract (eg, a temperature of 18° C. or higher or a temperature of 2° C. or less), without constricting the blood vessels. It is possible to prevent skin damage due to temperature rise during laser irradiation in advance.

Hereinafter, the laser treatment apparatus 100 and the vascular lesion treatment method having the cooling system disclosed herein will be described. In this regard, any suitable principles and advantages of the components of the laser treatment apparatus 100 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 and any suitable principles and advantages of the embodiments of the driving method of the laser apparatus 100 may be applied by analogy. can Therefore, the following description will focus on the characteristics of the components of the laser treatment apparatus 100 or the method of treating the vascular lesion in the treatment and/or treatment of the vascular lesion.

According to the laser treatment apparatus 100 having a cooling system disclosed herein, the laser module 1100 for outputting a laser to the skin of a patient; a sensor unit 1300 for measuring the temperature of the skin before, during, or after being heated by the laser; a spraying unit 1230 for spraying a coolant on the skin; a coolant state control unit 1220 for controlling thermal energy applied to the coolant by using a thermoelectric element; and a control module 1400 .

According to the laser treatment apparatus 100 having a cooling system disclosed herein, the laser treatment apparatus 100 may be used to treat or treat a vascular lesion.

The laser module 1100 may generate and irradiate a laser having a wavelength in a wavelength band absorbed by a blood vessel to be treated. For example, blood vessels have high absorption for light having a wavelength in the range of 500 nm to 600 nm and in the range of 700 nm to 1200 nm. In addition, oxyhemoglobin that moves through blood vessels may have high absorption with respect to light having a wavelength within a range of 350 nm to 500 nm. Accordingly, the laser module 1100 may emit laser light having the above-described wavelength band. In addition, the laser light irradiated from the laser module 1100 may be selected in consideration of the wavelength that can penetrate to a specific depth in consideration of not only the absorption with respect to the wavelength but also the location of the blood vessel (eg, the depth in the skin).

The sensor unit 1300 may measure the temperature of 'skin' including the skin surface. Preferably, the sensor unit 1300 may measure the temperature of the skin surface. The sensor unit 1300 measures the temperature of the skin surface and transmits it to the control module 1400 , so that the control module 1400 can measure and provide information indicating whether blood vessels are constricted or relaxed. The sensor unit 1300 may preferably be implemented as a temperature sensor. However, the temperature of the skin surface is only an example, and the sensor unit 1300 may be implemented to measure various types of information that may indicate that blood vessels are constricted. For example, the various types of information may refer to various types of information that can determine whether a blood vessel contracts or relaxes, such as blood flow, blood oxygen concentration, and blood pressure according to the contraction and relaxation of blood vessels.

The coolant condition control unit 1220 may control the temperature and/or flow rate of the coolant so that the temperature of the skin surface is adjusted to a temperature corresponding to a temperature condition in which blood vessels are not constricted.

Specifically, the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 may adjust the temperature of the coolant by applying thermal energy to the coolant moving through the flow path inside the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 . At this time, the coolant condition control unit 1220 controls the temperature of the skin surface to a temperature corresponding to a temperature condition in which blood vessels do not contract, for example, a temperature of about 18° C. or higher or a temperature of about 2° C. or less. It is possible to control the temperature of the coolant to be sprayed by adjusting the thermal energy applied to the .

In addition, the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 may adjust the flow rate of the coolant by adjusting the thermal energy applied to the coolant moving through the flow path inside the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 . In this case, the coolant condition control unit 1220 may adjust the flow rate of the coolant to apply cooling energy corresponding to a temperature condition in which blood vessels are not constricted to the skin surface. The coolant state control unit 1220 may be preferably implemented as a thermoelectric element such as a Peltier element.

The spraying unit 1230 may perform an operation of spraying a coolant. At this time, in order to control the temperature of the skin surface to a temperature corresponding to the temperature condition in which blood vessels are not constricted, the coolant is injected by the spraying unit 1230 according to the temperature and/or flow rate adjusted by the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 described above. It can be sprayed onto the skin surface. The spray unit 1230 may preferably be implemented as a nozzle.

The control module 1400 includes an inter-cooling section (P2) corresponding to a section for outputting a laser, a pre-cooling section (P1) before the inter-cooling section (P2), and a post-cooling section (P3) after the inter-cooling It can be adjusted to spray the coolant through the spraying unit 1230 during the injection section including the injection section.

In addition, the control module 1400 may be configured to adjust the coolant temperature to be sprayed through the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 based on the skin temperature in order to cool the skin to a target temperature. In this case, the target temperature may be any suitable temperature corresponding to a temperature condition in which blood vessels do not contract. Preferably, the target temperature may be any suitable temperature of a temperature of 2°C or lower or 18°C or higher as the temperature of the skin surface. Preferably, the skin temperature corresponding to the temperature condition in which blood vessels are not constricted may be preset to a temperature within a temperature range of 18°C or higher to 40°C or lower. Or preferably, the skin temperature corresponding to the temperature condition in which blood vessels are not constricted may be preset to a temperature within a temperature range of -10°C or higher to 2°C or lower.

The control module 1400 is configured to adjust the coolant flow rate to be sprayed based on the skin temperature in order to cool the skin to a target temperature through the coolant condition control unit 1220 and/or a flow rate control unit 1210 to be described later. can be

Also, the control module 1400 may adjust the target temperature to a preset temperature (eg, a temperature of 18° C. or more) at which blood vessels under the skin contract during the pre-cooling period P1.

Also, the control module 1400 may adjust the target temperature to a preset temperature below a preset temperature at which blood vessels under the skin contract (eg, a temperature of 2° C. or higher) during the pre-cooling period P1.

In addition, the control module 1400 adjusts the target temperature to a skin temperature corresponding to the temperature of the blood vessels at which the blood vessels under the skin do not contract during the pre-cooling period P1, and the post-cooling period P3. The target temperature may be adjusted to a skin temperature corresponding to a temperature of the blood vessel at which the blood vessel contracts during at least a portion of the temperature. For example, during the pre-cooling section P1, the target temperature is adjusted to the skin temperature corresponding to the temperature of the blood vessel in which the blood vessel is not constricted in order to prevent the laser absorbing medium disappears and the laser treatment does not proceed as the blood vessel contracts. can be On the other hand, since the post-cooling section P3 is a section after the laser irradiation is finished, at least some sections of the post-cooling section P3 may constrict blood vessels. Accordingly, during at least a partial section of the post-cooling section P3, the control module 1400 may adjust the target temperature to a skin temperature corresponding to a blood vessel temperature at which blood vessels contract.

In addition, the laser treatment apparatus 100 having a cooling system disclosed herein may further include a flow rate control unit 1210 . The flow control unit 1210 may preferably be implemented in the form of a valve.

The flow rate control unit 1210 may adjust the flow rate and/or flow of the coolant. Specifically, the flow rate control unit 1210 may adjust the flow rate of the coolant to apply cooling energy corresponding to a temperature condition in which blood vessels are not constricted to the skin surface. By controlling the opening time, opening period, etc. of the flow control unit 1210, the flow rate and/or flow of the coolant can be adjusted, and through this, the amount of cooling energy ultimately applied to the skin surface is adjusted, The temperature may be controlled to be a temperature corresponding to a temperature condition in which blood vessels do not constrict.

The control module 1400 adjusts the injection amount of the coolant to be injected through the flow rate control unit 1210, so that, during the pre-cooling section P1, the temperature of the blood vessels under the skin is not constricted and the skin temperature corresponding to the skin temperature. You can adjust the temperature. On the other hand, the control module 1400 adjusts the injection amount of the coolant to be injected through the flow rate control unit 1210, thereby targeting the skin temperature corresponding to the temperature of the blood vessels at which the blood vessels contract during at least a part of the post-cooling section P3. You can adjust the temperature.

The control module 1400 may receive and store the temperature (eg, the temperature of the skin surface, the temperature of the coolant) measured by the sensor unit 1300, and the temperature measured by the sensor unit 1300 is the vascular relaxation temperature. It can be determined whether the corresponding temperature is applicable.

If the temperature measured by the sensor unit 1300 does not correspond to the blood vessel relaxation temperature, the control module 1400 controls the operation of the coolant state control unit 1220 and/or the flow rate control unit 1210 to determine the coolant temperature and/or the flow rate. Alternatively, the flow rate can be controlled.

Specifically, if the temperature measured by the sensor unit 1300 does not correspond to the blood vessel relaxation temperature, the control module 1400 adjusts the amount of current applied to the coolant condition control unit 1220 and/or controls the coolant condition control unit ( 1220), it is possible to adjust the temperature of the coolant by controlling whether the power is ON or OFF. Alternatively, if the temperature measured by the sensor unit 1300 does not correspond to the blood vessel relaxation temperature, the control module 1400 adjusts the amount of current applied to the coolant condition control unit 1220 and/or controls the coolant condition control unit 1220 . ), the flow rate of the coolant can be adjusted by controlling whether the power is turned ON or OFF.

For example, if the temperature measured by the sensor unit 1300 does not correspond to the blood vessel relaxation temperature, the coolant state adjusting unit 1220 applies different thermal energy to the coolant in the pre-cooling section P1 and the post-cooling section P3 . can do.

For example, if the temperature measured by the sensor unit 1300 does not correspond to the blood vessel relaxation temperature, the opening/closing cycle or opening/closing time in the pre-cooling section P1 of the flow rate control unit 1210 is determined in the post-cooling section P3. It may be controlled to be different from the opening/closing cycle or the opening/closing time.

On the other hand, if the temperature measured by the sensor unit 1300 corresponds to the blood vessel relaxation temperature, the control module 1400 may transmit a laser irradiation start signal to the laser module 1100 . The laser module 1100 may be configured to receive the laser irradiation start signal and output a laser. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the additional display of the laser treatment apparatus 100 indicates that the temperature measured by the sensor unit 1300 corresponds to a temperature corresponding to the blood vessel relaxation temperature so that the user directly inputs the laser irradiation. can

Additionally, when the laser output is started, the laser irradiation signal is transmitted to the control module 1400, and the control module 1400 receives the laser irradiation signal and the cooling module so as to inject the coolant to include at least a part of the laser irradiation section. A coolant injection signal may be transmitted to 1200 , in particular, to the injection unit 1230 . The cooling module 1200 , in particular, the injection unit 1230 may receive the coolant injection signal and spray the coolant so that at least a partial section of the laser irradiation section is included.

In addition, when the laser output is started, the laser irradiation signal is transmitted to the control module 1400, and the control module 1400 receives the laser irradiation signal and the temperature of the coolant sprayed to at least some sections of the laser irradiation section and / Alternatively, it is possible to control the amount of current applied to the coolant state control unit 1220 and/or whether power is turned on or off to control the flow rate of the coolant. Alternatively, when the laser output is started, the laser irradiation signal is transmitted to the control module 1400, and the control module 1400 receives the laser irradiation signal to control the flow rate of the coolant sprayed to at least some sections of the laser irradiation section It is possible to control the opening/closing time, the opening/closing period, and the like of the flow rate control unit 1210 .

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 23 and 24 , a vascular lesion treatment and/or treatment method of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed herein will be described in detail.

23 is a flowchart of a vascular lesion treatment and/or treatment method ( S11000 ) of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed herein.

24 is a graph illustrating changes in skin surface temperatures controlled according to an exemplary embodiment of the method for treating/treating vascular lesions of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application. Here, “T_surface1” of FIG. 24 may refer to the temperature of the skin surface according to an embodiment of the present specification. In addition, “T_surface2” of FIG. 24 may refer to the temperature of the skin surface according to an embodiment of the present specification. Also, “T_damage” of FIG. 24 may refer to a skin damage temperature in the present specification. In addition, "R2" in FIG. 24 may refer to a temperature range of the skin surface in which blood vessels of the present specification are constricted.

Referring to FIG. 23 , the method for treating/treating vascular lesions of the laser treatment apparatus 100 disclosed in the present application includes spraying a coolant and measuring the temperature of the skin surface ( S11100 ); determining whether blood vessels are relaxed based on the measured skin surface temperature (S11200); controlling the coolant temperature and/or the injection amount (S11300); laser irradiation step (S11400); and controlling the characteristics of the coolant sprayed so that the temperature of the skin surface approaches a preset set temperature (S11500).

Spraying the coolant in step S11100 may mean pre-cooling. That is, the coolant may be sprayed before the laser irradiation start time. Accordingly, the contents described in relation to the pre-cooling in FIGS. 4 to 6 may be applied by analogy.

In step S11100, the coolant may be sprayed at a temperature of the coolant corresponding to a temperature at which blood vessels are not constricted. In addition, the coolant may be sprayed at a coolant flow rate for applying cooling energy so that the temperature of the skin surface becomes a temperature at which blood vessels do not constrict.

In addition, measuring the temperature of the skin surface in step S11100 may be measured by the sensor unit 1300 . The sensor unit 1300 may measure the temperature of the skin surface and transmit data on temperature information related thereto to the control module 1400 . The data related to the temperature information of the skin surface may be used as a basis for determining whether blood vessels are relaxed in step S11200, which will be described later.

In the block diagram of step S11100 of FIG. 23, only measuring the temperature of the skin surface is shown, but this is only an example, and data on the temperature of the coolant can be transmitted to the control module 1400 by measuring the temperature of the 'coolant', , , by estimating the temperature of the 'coolant' corresponding to the temperature at which blood vessels do not contract based on information on the temperature of the coolant, it may be used as a basis for determining whether the blood vessels are relaxed in step S11200, which will be described later. In addition, based on the information on the temperature of the 'coolant', it may be used to determine the temperature of the coolant to be controlled in step S11300 to be described later or in the same vascular lesion procedure.

In addition, the flow rate of the coolant may also be measured by the sensor unit 1300 in various ways, and information related to the flow rate of the coolant is transmitted to the control module 1400, so that blood vessels are not constricted based on the information on the flow rate of the coolant. By estimating the flow rate of the coolant corresponding to the temperature that is not present, it may be used as a basis for determining whether blood vessels are relaxed in step S11200, which will be described later. In addition, based on the information related to the flow rate of the coolant, it may be used to determine the temperature of the coolant to be controlled in step S11300 to be described later or in the same vascular lesion procedure.

In step S11200, whether blood vessels are relaxed may be determined by the control module 1400 based on the temperature information related to the skin surface temperature measured in step S11100. Specifically, whether the blood vessel is relaxed may be determined based on whether the measured skin surface temperature corresponds to the blood vessel relaxation temperature (eg, a temperature of 2 degrees or less or a temperature of 18 degrees or more). In other words, whether the blood vessel constriction/relaxation can be determined based on whether the skin surface temperature is measured at the skin surface temperature (eg, a temperature other than 2°C to 18°C) corresponding to the temperature range in which the blood vessels contract. have. In addition, the control module 1400 may store information on the result of determination of vascular relaxation according to the skin surface temperature measured in step S11100 and related temperature information in step S11200 . Here, the information on the determination result of vascular relaxation may be used as a basis for controlling the temperature or injection amount of the coolant in step S11300 .

As described above, it has been described that whether blood vessels relax or not is determined based on the 'skin surface temperature', but this is only an example and may be implemented in various ways, such as measuring blood pressure, blood flow, blood oxygen concentration, and the like.

In step S11200, if the measured skin surface temperature does not correspond to the temperature corresponding to the blood vessel relaxation temperature, that is, if the measured skin surface temperature corresponds to the temperature corresponding to the vasoconstriction temperature, step S11300 may proceed.

As described above, in step S11200, it was shown that whether blood vessels are relaxed is 'determined' based on the skin surface temperature measured in step S11100. It can be implemented so that the step of ' is omitted. For example, the skin temperature may be preset to a specific temperature that does not correspond to the skin temperature range in which blood vessels are constricted (eg, R2 in FIG. 24 ), and the skin temperature may be preset before the laser treatment starts, at this time the control module 1400 may be implemented to control the temperature or injection amount of the coolant in consideration of the skin surface temperature measured in step S11100 and the preset skin temperature even without 'determining' whether the blood vessels are relaxed. Specifically, the control module 1400 can control the temperature or the injection amount of the coolant in consideration of the difference between the skin surface temperature measured in step S11100 and the preset skin temperature itself, even if it does not determine whether the blood vessel is relaxed. . In this case, the laser irradiation (S11400) may be irradiated by the user's laser irradiation input. Alternatively, the laser may be irradiated after a preset time has elapsed from the time when the coolant is started to be sprayed in step S11100.

In step S11300, the control module 1400 determines whether the temperature of the coolant measured in step S11100, information about the flow rate of the coolant, information about the temperature of the skin surface, and accordingly the blood vessel relaxation performed in step S11200 is determined. It is possible to control the temperature and/or the injection amount of the coolant based on the information.

Specifically, in step S11300, the control module 1400 may control the temperature of the coolant through the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 so that the temperature of the skin surface becomes the temperature of the skin surface corresponding to the temperature at which blood vessels do not contract. have. In this case, the temperature of the coolant may be a temperature corresponding to 2°C or less, which is a temperature of the skin surface at which blood vessels are not contracted, or a temperature of the coolant corresponding to 18°C or more. Alternatively, the control module 1400 may adjust the flow rate of the coolant through the coolant condition adjusting unit 1220 so that the temperature of the skin surface is controlled to a temperature corresponding to the temperature at which blood vessels are not constricted. By controlling the flow rate of the coolant, the cooling energy applied to the skin surface can be adjusted, so that the temperature of the skin surface can be controlled to a temperature corresponding to a temperature condition in which blood vessels are relaxed.

Also, in step S11300, the flow rate of the coolant may be adjusted through the flow rate controller 1210 so that cooling energy corresponding to the temperature of the skin surface at which blood vessels are not constricted is applied to the skin surface.

As an example, the control module 1400 may control the temperature and/or the injection amount of the coolant based on the information on whether blood vessels are relaxed, which is determined in step S11200 according to the 'skin surface temperature' measured in step S11100.

For example, if the measured skin surface temperature is a temperature corresponding to the vasoconstriction temperature condition (eg, the skin surface temperature is greater than or equal to 2°C and less than or equal to 18°C), the control module 1400 configures the “coolant state control unit” (1220). ), by increasing the temperature of the coolant to a temperature corresponding to the blood vessel relaxation temperature condition, the skin surface temperature can be controlled to a temperature corresponding to the blood vessel relaxation temperature condition (e.g., controlling the skin surface temperature to a temperature of 18°C or higher). can Alternatively, the control module 1400 reduces the temperature of the coolant to a temperature corresponding to the vascular relaxation temperature condition through the “coolant state adjusting unit” 1220 to reduce the temperature of the skin surface to a temperature corresponding to the vascular relaxation temperature condition (eg, The temperature of the skin surface can be controlled to a temperature of 2°C or less).

For another example, if the measured skin surface temperature is a temperature corresponding to the vasoconstriction temperature condition (eg, the skin surface temperature is greater than or equal to 2°C and less than or equal to 18°C), the control module 1400 may include the “flow control unit” 1210 ), the cooling energy applied to the skin surface can be increased by increasing the flow rate of the coolant so that the “skin surface temperature” corresponding to the vascular relaxation temperature condition (eg, the skin surface temperature is 2° C. or less). . Alternatively, the control module 1400 decreases the flow rate of the coolant so that the skin surface temperature corresponding to the vascular relaxation temperature condition (eg, the skin surface temperature is 18° C. or higher) through the “flow control unit” 1210, It is possible to reduce the cooling energy applied to the skin surface.

In an embodiment, the control module 1400 may control the temperature and/or the injection amount of the coolant based on information on whether blood vessels are relaxed or not determined in step S11200 according to the “temperature of the coolant” measured in step S11100. Since the temperature of the coolant is a direct variable with respect to the temperature of the skin surface, it may be implemented to control the temperature and/or the injection amount of the coolant through the temperature of the coolant as well as the temperature of the skin surface. For example, if the temperature of the coolant is a temperature corresponding to the vasoconstriction temperature condition, the control module 1400 increases the temperature of the coolant to a temperature corresponding to the vascular relaxation temperature condition or decreases to a temperature corresponding to the vascular relaxation temperature condition can do it

For example, if the “temperature of the coolant” measured in step S11000 is a temperature corresponding to the vasoconstriction temperature condition, the control module 1400 may control the temperature corresponding to the vascular relaxation temperature condition through the “coolant state control unit” 1220. The “temperature of the coolant” may be adjusted so that the skin surface temperature (eg, the skin surface temperature is 2° C. or less, or the skin surface temperature is 18° C. or more). Alternatively, the control module 1400 controls the skin surface temperature corresponding to the blood vessel relaxation temperature condition (eg, the skin surface temperature is 2° C. or less or the skin surface temperature is 18° C. or more through the “coolant state control unit” 1220 ). ), by adjusting the flow rate of the coolant, it is possible to control the cooling energy applied to the skin surface.

For example, if the "temperature of the coolant" measured in step S11000 is a temperature corresponding to the vasoconstriction temperature condition, the control module 1400 through the "flow control unit" 1210, the skin corresponding to the vascular relaxation temperature condition By increasing the "flow rate of coolant" so that the temperature of the surface (eg, the temperature of the skin surface is 2° C. or less), the cooling energy applied to the skin surface may be increased. Alternatively, the control module 1400 decreases the flow rate of the coolant to the skin surface temperature corresponding to the blood vessel relaxation temperature condition (eg, the skin surface temperature is 18° C. or higher) through the flow rate controller 1210 , and the skin surface It is possible to reduce the cooling energy applied to the

As an example, the control module 1400 is configured to relax the blood vessels through the “coolant state control unit” 1220 based on the information on whether the blood vessels are relaxed or not determined in the step S11200 according to the “flow rate of the coolant” measured in the step S11100. The "temperature of the coolant" may be adjusted so that the temperature of the skin surface corresponding to the temperature condition (eg, the skin surface temperature is 2° C. or less or the skin surface temperature is 18° C. or more). Alternatively, the control module 1400 controls the skin surface temperature corresponding to the blood vessel relaxation temperature condition (eg, the skin surface temperature is 2° C. or less or the skin surface temperature is 18° C. or more through the “coolant state control unit” 1220 ). ), by adjusting the flow rate of the coolant, it is possible to control the cooling energy applied to the skin surface.

As an example, the control module 1400 controls the vascular relaxation temperature through the “flow control unit” 1210 based on the information on whether the blood vessels are relaxed or not determined in the step S11200 according to the “flow rate of the coolant” measured in the step S11100. The cooling energy applied to the skin surface may be increased by increasing the “flow rate of the coolant” so that the skin surface temperature corresponding to the condition (eg, the skin surface temperature is 2° C. or less). Alternatively, the control module 1400 responds to the vascular relaxation temperature condition through the "flow control unit" 1210 based on the information on whether the blood vessels are relaxed or not determined in the step S11200 according to the flow rate of the coolant measured in the step S11100. The cooling energy applied to the skin surface can be reduced by reducing the “flow rate of the coolant” so that the skin surface temperature (eg, the skin surface temperature is 18° C. or higher) becomes.

After the step S11300, the coolant is sprayed according to the temperature and/or flow rate of the coolant adjusted by the control module 1400 through the coolant state control unit 1220 and/or the flow rate control unit 1210, and accordingly An operation of measuring the temperature of the skin surface (S11100) and a series of steps may be performed. Additionally, information on the temperature change of the skin surface in the step S11000 according to the change in the coolant temperature and/or the flow rate in the step S11300, the temperature of the coolant, and the flow rate of the coolant is transmitted to the control module 1400 and the control module It may be stored in 1400 and used as information for determining whether blood vessels are relaxed in step S11200. In addition, information on the temperature change of the skin surface in the step S11000 according to the change in the coolant temperature and/or the flow rate in the step S11300, the temperature of the coolant, and the flow rate of the coolant are transmitted to the control module 1400 and the control module It may be stored in 1400 and used as a basis for controlling the temperature or injection amount of the coolant in step S11300 to be performed later.

In step S11200, if the measured skin surface temperature corresponds to the temperature corresponding to the blood vessel relaxation temperature, that is, if the measured skin surface temperature does not correspond to the temperature corresponding to the vasoconstriction temperature, the S11400 step of irradiating the laser is can proceed. The laser in step S11400 may be a laser having high absorption in the blood vessel, and may be selected as any suitable laser having a wavelength band capable of reaching the depth at which the blood vessel is located. For laser irradiation, any suitable principle and description of advantages of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 may be applied analogously.

In step S11500 , the control module 1400 may control characteristics of the coolant such as the temperature and flow rate of the sprayed coolant so that the temperature of the skin surface approaches a preset set temperature.

In the step S11500, there may be a possibility that the skin surface temperature rises due to the laser irradiation, causing skin damage. Accordingly, intercooling may be performed in step S11500. In the step S11500, when intercooling is performed, any suitable principle for intercooling with the substrate, such as the set temperature and set temperature conditions of intercooling described in relation to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7, and Advantages can be applied by analogy. In other words, in order to achieve the purpose that the skin temperature does not reach the skin damage temperature due to laser irradiation during intercooling, the above-described control module 1400, cooling module 1200, laser module 1100, etc. are operated and a driving method may be appropriately applied.

As an example, referring to FIGS. 23 and 24 , when the skin temperature measured in step S11200 corresponds to the blood vessel relaxation temperature (eg, 2° C. or less), the vasoconstriction range while the temperature of the skin surface increases according to laser irradiation (For example, in the case of the skin surface temperature (T_surface1) of the dotted line in FIG. 24 ), blood vessels contract during laser irradiation, which may lead to side effects and inefficiency of the procedure. Accordingly, when the skin temperature measured in step S11200 corresponds to a vascular relaxation temperature (eg, 2° C. or less), the preset temperature of the skin surface in step S11500 may be set to a temperature of 2° C. or less.

For example, when the skin temperature measured in step S11200 corresponds to a blood vessel relaxation temperature (eg, 2° C. or less), the preset temperature may be set in consideration of a laser-interfering material such as frost on the skin surface. Specifically, if a laser-interfering material such as frost exists on the skin surface during laser irradiation, it may scatter the laser, resulting in an inefficient laser treatment. A set temperature of the surface may be set.

For another example, when the skin temperature measured in step S11200 corresponds to the blood vessel relaxation temperature (eg, 2°C or less), the preset temperature is determined by considering a laser-interfering material such as ice on the laser irradiation path. can be set. Specifically, if a large number of laser-interfering materials such as ice on the laser irradiation path exist during laser irradiation, laser scattering may result in inefficient laser treatment. Therefore, laser such as ice on the laser irradiation path during laser irradiation. A set temperature of the skin surface may be set to a temperature at which interfering substances are minimized.

As another example, if the skin temperature measured in step S11200 corresponds to the blood vessel relaxation temperature (eg, 2° C. or less), the temperature of the skin surface through the temperature and/or flow rate control of the additional coolant immediately before the start of laser irradiation It may be implemented to irradiate the laser after adjusting the temperature to 18 ℃ or higher. Specifically, in FIG. 23, when the skin temperature measured in step S11200 corresponds to the vascular relaxation temperature (eg, 2° C. or less), laser irradiation is shown (S11400), but as the laser irradiation proceeds, As heat is accumulated on the skin surface, there is a possibility that the skin surface temperature falls within the vasoconstriction temperature range (2°C or more and 18°C or less). Therefore, before starting the laser irradiation step (S11400) in order to minimize this possibility, the control module 1400 controls the temperature of the skin surface through the coolant condition control unit 1220 and/or the flow rate control unit 1210 to relax the blood vessels. It may be configured to irradiate the laser after adjusting to 18° C. or higher, which is one temperature condition corresponding to the temperature.

As an example, referring to FIGS. 23 and 24 , when the skin temperature measured in step S11200 corresponds to the vascular relaxation temperature (eg, 18° C. or higher), the vasoconstriction range while the temperature of the skin surface increases according to laser irradiation (eg, in the case of the skin surface temperature (T_surface2) of the solid line in FIG. 24 ) may be relatively small. However, there may exist a possibility of reaching the skin damage temperature as the temperature of the skin surface rises according to the laser irradiation. Therefore, in this case, in step S11500, the set temperature of the skin surface may be set in consideration of the skin damage temperature, and the control module 1400 controls the temperature of the coolant sprayed so that the skin surface temperature approaches the set temperature in consideration of the skin damage temperature. and/or control the flow rate. Through this, it is possible to minimize the possibility of skin damage by setting the set temperature so as not to reach the skin damage temperature. In this regard, the contents of the second set temperature Ts2 described in relation to FIG. 7 may be applied by analogy.

For example, in the step S11500, the set temperature may be set in consideration of the temperature at which the target blood vessel temperature can apply thermal damage to the blood vessel, and for this, the content of the target target temperature described in relation to FIG. analogy can be applied.

In step S11500 , the control module 1400 may be configured to spray the coolant by controlling characteristics of the coolant in consideration of any appropriate set temperature selected in consideration of the various factors described above.

Also, although not shown in FIGS. 23 and 24 , the step S11500 may relate to post-cooling after the laser irradiation is completed. In this case, any appropriate principles and advantages of the substrate and post-cooling such as the set temperature and set temperature conditions of the post-cooling described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 may be applied by analogy. In other words, during post-cooling, the above-described control module 1400, cooling module 1200, etc. are operated and driven to return the skin temperature increase due to laser irradiation to normal skin temperature or to minimize pain. The method may be appropriately applied.

Features, structures, effects, etc. described in the above embodiments are included in at least one embodiment of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to only one embodiment. Furthermore, features, structures, effects, etc. illustrated in each embodiment can be combined or modified for other embodiments by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong. Accordingly, the contents related to such combinations and modifications should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

In addition, although the embodiment has been mainly described in the above, this is only an example and does not limit the present invention, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains to the above in the range that does not depart from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. It will be appreciated that various modifications and applications not illustrated are possible. That is, each component specifically shown in the embodiment can be implemented by modification. And differences related to such modifications and applications should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention defined in the appended claims.

10: skin 100: laser treatment device
1100: laser module 1200: cooling module
1500: storage unit 1600: tube

Claims (14)

In the laser treatment device used for laser therapy and equipped with a cooling function,
A laser module irradiating a laser to the patient's skin;
a sensor for acquiring skin temperature information by detecting the temperature of the patient's skin surface before being heated by the laser;
a cooling module comprising: a nozzle for spraying a coolant on the skin surface; and a coolant condition controller for controlling a temperature of the coolant by applying thermal energy to the coolant; and
The laser is irradiated to the skin through the laser module, but the cooling module is controlled to start spraying the coolant on the skin before the laser radiation, and based on the skin temperature information while spraying the coolant Adjusting at least one of the injection amount and temperature of the coolant, detecting whether the temperature of the skin surface reaches a first set temperature, and when the temperature of the skin surface reaches the first set temperature, the laser irradiation Including a control module to initiate
laser treatment device.
According to claim 1,
The cooling module controls the temperature of the coolant so that the temperature of the skin surface after the laser irradiation reaches a second set temperature that is different from the first set temperature,
laser treatment device.
According to claim 1,
The cooling module controls the temperature of the coolant so that the temperature of the skin surface becomes the first set temperature in a preset section before the laser irradiation,
laser treatment device.
According to claim 1,
When the laser irradiation is started, the cooling module stops spraying the coolant on the skin surface,
laser treatment device.
5. The method of claim 4,
The cooling module sprays the coolant on the skin surface so that the temperature of the skin surface becomes a set temperature different from the first set temperature after the laser irradiation is finished,
laser treatment device.
According to claim 1,
a trigger for receiving user input;
When the control module receives the user input, spraying the coolant on the skin surface through the cooling module and irradiating the laser through the laser module,
laser treatment device.
According to claim 1,
A first trigger for receiving a first user input instructing cooling of the skin surface and a second trigger receiving a second user input instructing laser irradiation,
The control module receives the first user input and sprays the coolant on the skin surface through the cooling module, receives the second user input and irradiates the laser through the laser module,
laser treatment device.
8. The method of claim 7,
The control module prohibits irradiating the laser to the skin when the first user input is not received and the second user input is received,
laser treatment device.
According to claim 1,
Includes a trigger for receiving a user input instructing the laser irradiation,
The control module receives the user input and performs the laser irradiation on the skin, but when the temperature of the skin surface does not reach the first set temperature, prohibiting the laser from being irradiated to the skin,
laser treatment device.
According to claim 1,
The cooling module maintains spraying the coolant on the skin surface during the spraying section,
The injection section includes a section in which the laser module irradiates the laser to the skin surface,
laser treatment device.
In the laser treatment device used for laser therapy and equipped with a cooling function,
A laser module irradiating a laser to the patient's skin;
a sensor for acquiring skin temperature information by detecting the temperature of the patient's skin surface before being heated by the laser;
a cooling module comprising: a nozzle for spraying a coolant on the skin surface; and a coolant condition controller for controlling a temperature of the coolant by applying thermal energy to the coolant;
a notification module providing a notification to guide a user in providing the laser therapy for the skin;
a trigger for obtaining a user input related to the laser irradiation; and
The laser is irradiated to the skin through the laser module, but the cooling module is controlled to start spraying the coolant on the skin before the laser radiation, and based on the skin temperature information while spraying the coolant At least one of the injection amount and temperature of the coolant is adjusted, and when the skin surface temperature reaches a first set temperature, the notification is output through the notification module, and after the notification is output through the laser module, the user input A control module for outputting the laser according to reception; including,
laser treatment device.
12. The method of claim 11,
The control module prohibits the laser irradiation when the user input is received in a state where the temperature of the skin surface is equal to or higher than the first target temperature,
laser treatment device.
12. The method of claim 11,
The notification includes at least one of a visual notification, an audible notification, and a tactile notification,
laser treatment device.
In the laser treatment method of performing cooling and laser irradiation on the skin of a patient,
detecting the temperature of the skin surface of the patient using a sensor to obtain skin temperature information;
adjusting the temperature of the coolant by applying thermal energy to the coolant based on the skin temperature information through the coolant condition controller;
spraying the coolant on the skin surface of the patient before the laser irradiation through a nozzle;
detecting whether the temperature of the skin surface reaches a first set temperature;
outputting a notification indicating that the temperature of the skin surface has reached the first set temperature by using the notification module;
when the temperature of the skin surface reaches the first set temperature, starting the laser irradiation to the skin through a laser module;
laser treatment method.

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