WO2014135176A1

WO2014135176A1 - Pulsed light control system for skin treatments

Info

Publication number: WO2014135176A1
Application number: PCT/EP2013/000684
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giuseppe Caccia
Original assignee: Giuseppe Caccia
Priority date: 2013-03-07
Filing date: 2013-03-07
Publication date: 2014-09-12

Abstract

A pulsed light system for managing and controlling the skin temperature in beauty/aesthetic and/or medical treatments, consisting of a knob (1) comprising a high-intensity light emission source (7), the heat energy of which is directed towards a mobile light guide in optical glass (17) which is associated with a cool cell (15), of the "Peltier" type, and can slide in a spacing box (18), from a position (20') lifted off the skin (19) being treated to a contact position (20) with the same skin, depending on the type of treatment to be performed. The emission of high-intensity light, the treatment times; the forward contact and away movements of the light guide (17), and all the conditions useful for the treatments are obtained either by means of manual controls and, preferably, with automatic controls using computerised operating cycles, in conformity with the requirements proposed for each treatment.

Description

PULSED LIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM FOR SKIN TREATMENTS

DESCRIPTION

The invention refers to a mobile pulsed light system for managing and controlling the skin temperature, usable for temperature depilation beauty treatments with thermocoagulation of the hair follicle, and/or in aesthetic medicine to cure Psoriasis and Acne, for superficial skin photorejuvenation, to reduce surface wrinkles, to eliminate skin sunspots, and to restructure the epidermis and the derma with slight action in the hypodermis.

It is known that for such treatments, appliances are currently used equipped with emission heads which, operating on surfaces areas between 1 and 20 square centimetres, can propagate high-intensity light (and therefore heat) in times between 2 and 50 milliseconds, with single emission mode, or repeated emission in rapid pulse sequence at time intervals between 1 millisecond and 5 seconds.

Said emission heads are rested on the skin which has to undergo beauty/aesthetic treatment or medical care, after which the necessary light pulses are emitted.

US 2003/004501 concerns an irradiation device for treating acne and acne scars and comprises a broad-band radiating source preferably consisting of a xenon lamp.

In a combined electro-dynamic transducer for producing mechanical oscillations are present a frame and a transparent and incompressible pistil, movable in the frame. The pulsed light emitted by the radiating source is absorbed by the sebum cap and underlying sebum (figure 4). The sebum cap absorbs the light and liquefies. The emission lamp and the pistil are cooled.

In US 2010/0152719 is described an optical depilation apparatus wherein light irradiation towards the eyes is prevented during the treatment. The apparatus which performs the depilation irradiating the skin with light comprises a grip body that can be picked up with one hand and a pulse emission light source, which cross a transparent cover and irradiate outside said body. The apparatus also has a shielded tubular body partially superimposed on the grip body and which slides on this, moving back and forth under the effect of a manual action of the operator which leads to the compression of an elastic element such as a helical spring.

The potential irradiation harmful for the patient's eyes is thus avoided by the reciprocal sliding of said bodies.

Also in WO 02/09631 1 is described a laser depilation appliance having means suitable for preventing the undesired emission of radiation in given conditions, i.e., when the head of such appliance is not in contact with the skin part to be treated. Within the scope of known technologies using "pulsed lights": A first configuration provides for the cooling, by suctioned or blown air, of the high-intensity light emission lamps and the reduction of the starting times suitable for preventing both the overheating of the lamps themselves and possible skin burns affecting the persons being treated due to the excessive propagation of the emitted heat; said configuration, though effective, is restrictive with reference to the "flash" repetition times which can vary between 2 and 10 sec (and more), and also due to the fact that the emission fil†er/s do not come into direct contact with the skin because they are kept at a distance of a few millimetres from this, by means of a containment frame; this type of configuration hardly ever causes burns but, at each emission, the persons being treated feel discomfort and, in the case of dark skins, even slight pain. A second configuration provides for the cooling of the high- intensity emission lamp or lamps by means of an air/water exchanger where- the heat exchangers much more effective thanks to the better heat absorption coefficient of the liquid; the operation is substantially the same as that of the first configuration but the repeatability times of the light pulses emitted by said lamps can be much shorter, around 0.5 - 2 sec; this solution permits cutting waiting times between one flash and another and increases the life of the lamps because they are cooled more but, as in the first application, at the time of each emission, the persons being treated feel discomfort and, in the case of dark skin, also slight pain.

A third configuration uses a system for cooling the high-intensity light emission lamp/s corresponding to that of the previous solution but unlike this, and also unlike the one before, which affect the skin at the natural temperature of around 35 and 36°, the temperature of the skin in contact with the light guide head kept at low temperature cools rapidly, before the light emission action, depending on the time this is kept in such contact condition; another variable is the specific temperature of the light guide of the device.

Substantially, in the first two solutions, the time the lamps remain close to but not in contact with the skin before light emission does not matter because the temperature of the skin itself remains at natural temperature; in the last solution, instead, the parameter relating to the time the lamp remains in contact, before light emission, is very important because the skin temperature can vary downwards even considerably: by way of example, and the available energy suitable for performing the raising of the temperature of the hair follicle to 70/80°C (e.g. 25 Joule) being equal, and starting with a skin surface temperature of around 20°C, which however drops as far as about 15°C due to the increase in time during which the lamps are in contact, the temperature of the hair follicle to be destroyed can never reach the required 70/80°C, making pointless the thermolysis action produced: diversely, if the contact time were shorter and the skin temperature were above 20°C, the same 25 Joule amount of energy could be excessive, and while the hair follicle could definitely be destroyed, the skin, subjected to such a high amount of energy, would suffer burns; the same considerations can also be made for all the other treatments.

From this we can deduce that: the good results of the treatments, the lack of results or even the possible burns affecting the treated areas substantially depend only on the skill or inexperience of the operators. The object of the present invention is to eliminate the expounded problems, with special regard for those deriving from the use of the third solution indicated in the preamble, by means of a mobile pulsed light, management and control system of the skin temperature, characterised according to what was expressed in the first claim.

Other characteristics form the subject of the dependent claims.

The achieved benefits essentially consist in the fact of having the light guide head mobile, i.e., positioned away from and/or in contact with the skrrroHhre persons being treated, in ^"relation to the operating cycle to be developed; that, dependent on fundamental parameters such as: colour of the epidermis of the persons being treated, of the type of treatment, of the specific temperature of the light guide of the device, of the intensity of emitted thermal energy, of how long the lamp is away from and/or in contact with the skin before and during the single or pulsing light emission, treatments of any type can be performed in automatic mode, with specific coded programs (e.g., with algorithms), installed on computerized units and selectable at the time of use.

This way the following is guaranteed: the constancy of the skin temperature at the time of application of the chosen energy, excluding indiscriminate cooling; the carrying out of effective and repetitive treatments without causing pains and/or discomfort to the persons being treated; the possibility of performing correct treatments on persons with dark and/or light skin, sensitive to heat, and of performing treatments of various types such as depilation beauty treatments with thermocoagulation of the hair follicles, curing Psoriasis and Acne, surface skin photorejuvenation, the reduction of surface wrinkles, the elimination of sunspots, the restructuring of the epidermis and the derma with slight action in the hypodermis, and more still, in different application, upgrading and automatic modes, perfectly controlled with respect to current technologies, and specifically conceived for every type of requirement.

The invention is described in detail below according to one of its embodiments provided by way of a non-limitative example, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

fig. 1 represents the schematic cross section of the applicator knob, with light guide moved away with respect to the rest surface on the skin,

fig. 2 represents the schematic cross section of the same applicator knob with light guide moved close and resting on the skin, and

fig. 3 represents an example of moved close/moved away light guide control diagram.

With reference to the figures 1 and 2 , the mobile pulsed light, management and control system of the skin temperature according to the invention consists of an application head (9) with knob (1 ) wherein are included:

. at least one high-intensity light emission source, such as a quartz lamp charged with Xenon gas (6), or other equivalent gas and light emission area (7), wherein are marked by (4) and (1 1 ) the corresponding cathode and anode respectively and by (10) the relative electric start connection;

. one chamber (21 ), with inlet (5) and outlet (8), for the circulation of air, water or other fluid suitable for cooling said at least one high-intensity light emission lamp (6);

. at least one mobile light guide in optical glass (17);

. a device (2), with mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electromechanical or eccentric piston (3), with any adequate elastic return means (14), for lowering and/or moving away said light guide (17);

.^•one spacing box (18) with lower resting frame (18'†, for the sliding closer to and away from the contact line with the skin (19) of said light guide (17);

. one cooling element of said light guide (17), preferably but not necessarily only consisting of a "Peltier Cell" (15), or corresponding element, supplied electrically through connections (16).

Said application head (9) with knob (1 ) being connected to a master control, manual (22) or pedal operated (22'), for activating a plurality of operating programs, stored in a remote computerized unit (27), with selection display screen (28), relating to a series of possible beauty/aesthetic and/or medical treatments.

In figure 1 the light guide (17) is in moved-away position (20) with respect to the surface of said lower frame (18') of the sliding and resting spacer box (18) and with respect to the surface of the skin (19), (e.g., by about 3 mm), before the application; in figure 2, the light guide (17) is lowered in contact with the skin (19), with an overrun, e.g., of about 1 mm, to ensure total resting, in active phase.

The high-intensity light emitted from the emission area (7) of the at least one lamp (6) passes through a dichroic filter (12) and is conveyed by the light guide (17) onto the skin (19); the cooling of the skin occurs by moving the light guide close to the skin itself inasmuch as this is kept at a very low temperature, adjustable, for example and according to possible algorithms or limits pre-established for each type of application, (from about 0 to -30 °C) by means of said Peltier Cell (15), or corresponding element, the warrrr side of which is, in turn, cooled by means of a conventional heat exchanger (not shown).

The high-intensity light emitted by said at least one lamp (6) can be single or multiple pulsing at programmed time intervals according to the application cycle; it can be with capacitive discharge or controlled by SCR, Mosfet or corresponding systems.

As already said, the system comprises a device (2) for automatically moving the light guide (17) closer to and away from the skin surface (19) being treated and comprises the possibility of replacing the dichroic filter (12) which can either be directly arranged on the light guide (17) and/or an integral part thereof, or else separated from the light guide or fitted on the emission lamp (6).

The figure 3 shows a non-limitative example of the device (2), with control pneumatic piston (3) for moving the light guide (17) closer to and away from the skin (19); this comprises a compressor (26) associated with a compressed-air tank (23) with pressure switch (25) and a control solenoid valve (24).

It cannot be ruled out however that said pneumatic system for elastically moving the light guide (17) closer to and away from the skin (19) be made differently using electromagnetic, mechanical or hydraulic systems.

The cooling circuits of the light guide/s (17) and of the high- intensity light emission source/s (6) are not shown and described inasmuch as consisting of already known, traditional configurations.

Starting with a standby condition, witirt e-application head (9) resting on the skin (19) by means of the lower frame (18') of its spacer box (18); with said light guide (17), which can slide in said box, suitably away from and separated from the skin itself by a pre-established distance (20), e.g., around 3mm, and with the temperature of the light guide itself kept at a very low temperature, below zero, adjustable either by an operator or automatically by said pre-established programs and stored in said computerized unit (27), a number of examples of possible treatments are described below:

I) With the application head (9) resting on the skin (19) and the activation of the cycle control, by means of at least a button (22), a key or a pedal (22'), or by means of the computerized unit (27) with skin positioning control, the light guide (17) enters into automatic resting relationship with the skin, with overrun, e.g., of about 1 mm. After a predetermined time, in relation to the parameters relating to the treatment to be performed, the lamp (6) is activated with light emission (Flash), then the light guide (17) automatically moves away from the skin (19); skin cooling occurs with precise and repeatable temperature and the value of emitted energy is therefore in conformity with the requirements proposed for the chosen treatment; afterwards, the system is ready for application on another area. In such conditions, the treated persons do not feel discomfort.

II) With the application head (9) resting on the skin (19) and the light guide (17) moved away, the cycle command is activated and the light guide automatically enters in contact relationship with the skin, with overrun. After a predetermined time, in relation -io^"> the parameters relating †o—†h¾— treatment to be- performed, the light emission (Flash) occurs. Afterwards, the light guide remains in contact with the skin for a pre- established time, before automatically moving away and the system is ready for a new application; in this case as well, skin cooling occurs with precise and repeatable temperature and the energy emitted is in conformity with the requirements necessary for the chosen treatment. Keeping the cooled light guide on the skin for a prolonged period of time, for an established period of time, reduces possible heat damage to the skin to the utmost. In this case, the times of execution increase by a few seconds for each flash.

III) With the application head (9) resting on the skin (19) and the light guide (17) moved away, the automatic cycle command is activated, the light guide moves close to the skin, with overrun. After a pre-established time, the light guide is made to move away, in position detached from the skin and, in this position, the light emission (Flash) occurs; the system is ready for a subsequent application on another area. Skin cooling occurs at a precise and repeatable temperature and consequently, the emitted energy is in conformity with the requirements proposed for the chosen treatment; the energy emitted with light guide detached from the skin is automatically adapted by the system; e.g., to bring a hair follicle to 70-80 °C, less energy is required.

IV) With the application head (9) resting on the skin (19) and the light guide (17) moved away, the automatic cycle command is activated and the light guide enters into contact relationship'With the skin, with overrun. After-a pre-established time, it returns to moved-away position, detached from the skin and, in this position, light emission (Flash) occurs. After the emission, the light guide moves closer to the skin again and remains in such position for a pre-established time. Finally, it moves away again and the system is ready for a subsequent application. Skin cooling occurs at a precise and repeatable temperature and consequently the emitted energy is in conformity with the requirements pre-established for the chosen treatment. For example, the energy to bring the hair follicle to 70-80°C is much reduced and the double cooling further reduces possible heat damage to the skin.

V) With the application head (9) resting on the skin (19) and the light guide (17) moved away, the cycle command is activated and the lamp (6) produces a Flash. In pre- established times of permanency, the light guide first of all enters into contact relationship with the skin (19), after which it returns to moved-away position. The system is ready for a subsequent application in another area. This method permits creating targeted heat damage on the epidermis and in the derma which, followed by the rapid cooling process at very low temperature derived from the moving closer of the light guide, prevents the formation of pustules, papules or skin blisters, with limitation of the pain in skin photorejuvenation treatments.

The described examples of application procedures are adoptable according to the experience of the users and, in particular, using the predefined programs studied in accordance with Ihe treatments to be-developedrrelating to the different skins to be treated, the type and the diameter of the hairs to be eliminated and all the foreseen parameters. Gel or other moisturizing, softening, degreasing or anaesthetizing products can be applied beforehand on the skin, or else the skin can be left dry. The single or multiple flash emission modes, though not binding, increase the possible uses of the invention. The system can be equipped with a phototype and/or skin colour detector and with an instrument for determining the emitted energy; the emission head can comprise a flash pointing and/or positioning light apparatus.

Claims

1 ) A mobile pulsed light, management and control system of the skin temperature (19) for beauty /aesthetic and/or medical treatments, comprising a source of high-intensity light emission (7) and heat energy, an application head (9), at least one mobile light guide (17), a cooling cell (15) and a spacer box (18), characterised by the fact that the heat energy of the high-intensity light emission source (7) is directed towards said at least one mobile light guide (17) which is associated with said cooling cell (15) and is sliding by means of a device (2) in the spacer box ^"r8) from a position (20') raised with respect to the skin being treated to a contact position (20) with the same skin according to the type of treatment to be performed.

2) The mobile pulsed light system according to claim 1 , characterised by the fact that said high-intensity light emission source (7) consists of a quartz lamp charged with Xenon gas (6).

3) The mobile pulsed light system according to claim 1 , characterised by the fact that said at least mobile light guide (17) consists of an optical glass and is mobile with lowering/moving-away sliding in said spacer box (18) on the skin (19) driven by said device (2) consisting of an electromechanical, mechanical, hydraulic control with pneumatic or eccentric piston with elastic return.

4) The mobile pulsed light system according to claim 1 , characterised by the fact that the mobile light guide (17) is cooled by said cooling cell ( 15) which consists of a "Peltier Cell".

5) The mobile pulsed light system according to claim 1 , characterised by the fact that said application head (9) is connected to a control, manual (22) or pedal (22'), which activates a plurality of operating programs, pre-established and stored in a remote computerised unit (27) with selection display screen (28), relating to a series of possible beauty/aesthetic and/or medical treatments.

6) The mobile pulsed light system according to claim 2_t characterised by the^* fact that the energy of † er high- intensity light emission source (7) made up of the quartz lamp charged with Xenon gas (6) crosses a dichroic filter (12) and is conveyed, through the mobile light guide (1 7), onto the skin (19) which is cooled by the light guide itself operating at a temperature adjustable between 0°C and - 30°C depending on the treatments to be performed.

7) The pulsed light system according to claim 1 , characterised by the fact that it comprises a phototype and/or skin colour detector combined with an instrument for determining the emitted energy wherein the application head (9) is equipped with a light apparatus for pointing and/or positioning light flashes.