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US 10,864,380 B1Granted
Systems and methods for controlling therapeutic laser pulse duration
AssigneeCutera, Inc.
InventorsMichael A. Karavitis, Wytze E. van der Veer, Amogh Kothare, Soenke A. Moeller, Shawn M. Gilliam
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Dermatological systems and methods for providing a therapeutic laser treatment wherein the duration of a therapeutic laser pulse is based on one or more determinations of a surface temperature of the skin during the delivery of the pulse. Initiation of the therapeutic laser pulse may be based on sensed skin temperature during a cooling of the skin prior to initiation of the pulse.
Claims28
A method of treating the skin of a patient with a therapeutic laser pulse, the method comprising:
- a) applying a contact cooling element comprising a cooling window to a first skin area of the patient, wherein the cooling window comprises a thermally conductive material that is transmissive to infrared energy;
- b) cooling at least a target skin area within the first skin area from a first surface temperature to a second surface temperature by direct contact with the cooling window prior to initiating the application of a therapeutic laser pulse to the target skin area;
- c) initiating the application of a therapeutic laser pulse to the target skin area through the cooling window at a first timepoint;
- d) determining a surface temperature of the target skin area a plurality of times during the application of the therapeutic laser pulse based on infrared energy radiated from the target skin area through the cooling window, at a temperature sampling time interval of 100 msec or less;
- and
- e) terminating the application of the therapeutic laser pulse to the target skin area at a second timepoint based at least in part on the plurality of surface temperature determinations, wherein each of the plurality of surface temperature determinations occurs during a single therapeutic laser pulse having a pulse duration comprising the period from the first timepoint to the second timepoint.
3 more elements
A method of treating the skin of a patient with a therapeutic laser pulse, the method comprising:
- a) applying a contact cooling element comprising a cooling window to a first skin area of the patient, wherein the cooling window comprises a thermally conductive material that is transmissive to infrared energy;
- b) initiating the application of a therapeutic laser pulse to a target skin area within the first skin area through the cooling window at a first timepoint;
- c) determining a surface temperature of the target skin area a plurality of times during the application of the therapeutic laser pulse based on infrared energy radiated from the target skin area through the cooling window, at a temperature sampling time interval of 100 msec or less;
- d) terminating the application of the therapeutic laser pulse to the target skin area at a second timepoint when at least one of the plurality of surface temperature determinations indicates that the target skin area has reached a third surface temperature, wherein each of the plurality of surface temperature determinations occurs during a single therapeutic laser pulse having a pulse duration comprising the period from the first timepoint to the second timepoint;
- and
- e) performing at least one cooling action selected from
- 1) cooling the target skin area from a first surface temperature to a second surface temperature using the contact cooling element prior to initiating the application of the therapeutic laser pulse to the target skin area;
- and
- 2) cooling the target skin area from the third surface temperature to a fourth surface temperature using the contact cooling element after terminating the application of the therapeutic laser pulse to the target skin area.
6 more elements
A method of treating the skin of a patient with a therapeutic laser pulse, the method comprising:
- a) applying a contact cooling element comprising a cooling window to a first skin area of the patient, wherein the cooling window comprises a thermally conductive material that is transmissive to infrared energy;
- b) cooling at least a target skin area within the first skin area from a first surface temperature, using the contact cooling element;
- c) determining a surface temperature of the target skin area a plurality of times during the cooling of the target skin area based on infrared energy radiated from the target skin area through the cooling window prior to initiating the application of a therapeutic laser pulse to the target skin area;
- d) initiating the application of a therapeutic laser pulse to the target skin area through the cooling window at a first timepoint based on one or more of the plurality of surface temperature determinations of the target skin area;
- e) determining a surface temperature of the target skin area a plurality of times during the application of the therapeutic laser pulse based on infrared energy radiated from the target skin area through the cooling window, at a temperature sampling time interval of 100 msec or less;
- and
- f) terminating the application of the therapeutic laser pulse to the target skin area at a second timepoint when at least one of the plurality of surface temperature determinations indicates that the target skin area has reached or exceeded a third surface temperature during the application of the therapeutic laser pulse, wherein each of the plurality of surface temperature determinations occurs during a single therapeutic laser pulse having a pulse duration comprising the period from the first timepoint to the second timepoint.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.