# US 11,896,841 B2 · Photo-thermal targeted treatment system with integrated pre-conditioning, and automatic triggering of photo-thermal targeted treatment via measurement of skin surface temperature and associated methods

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- Number: US 11,896,841 B2
- Document ID: US11896841B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/972,711
- Filed: 2019-06-10
- Published: 2021-08-26
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-08
- Assignees: Quanta System S.P.A.
- Applicants: Quanta System S.P.A.
- Inventors: Cesare Plinio Franceschina; Marco Tagliaferri; Emil A. Tanghetti; Fabio Cannone
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896841B2

## CPC

- A61N 5/0613: {Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment}
- A61N 5/0616: {Skin treatment other than tanning}
- A61B 18/203: {applying laser energy to the outside of the body}
- A61N 5/0625: {Warming the body, e.g. hyperthermia treatment}
- A61B 2017/00172: {Pulse trains, bursts, intermittent continuous operation}
- A61B 2017/00176: {Two pulses, e.g. second pulse having an effect different from the first one}
- A61B 2017/0019: {Means for setting or varying the pulse width}
- A61B 2018/00005: {Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe}
- A61B 2018/00017: {with gas}
- A61B 2018/00452: {Skin}
- A61B 2018/00458: {Deeper parts of the skin, e.g. treatment of vascular disorders or port wine stains}
- A61B 2018/00642: {with feedback, i.e. closed loop control}
- A61B 2018/00672: {lower}
- A61B 2018/00678: {upper}
- A61B 2018/00708: {switching the power on or off}
- A61B 2018/00714: {Temperature}
- A61B 2018/00761: {Duration}
- A61B 2018/00791: {Temperature}
- A61B 2018/00809: {measured thermochromatically}
- A61B 2018/20351: {Scanning mechanisms}
- A61N 5/067: using laser light
- A61N 2005/002: {Cooling systems}
- A61N 2005/0626: {Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods}
- A61N 2005/0644: {Handheld applicators}
- A61N 2005/0651: {Diodes}
- A61N 2005/0659: {infrared}
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A photo-thermal targeted treatment system for damaging a target embedded in a medium includes a controller and a photo-thermal treatment unit including a light source. The controller is configured for administering a treatment protocol using the light source at a preset power setting and a preset pulse timing setting. Also, a method for automatically initiating a treatment protocol using a photo-thermal targeted treatment system includes administering a cooling mechanism at a treatment location, monitoring a skin surface temperature at the treatment location and, when the skin surface temperature reaches a preset threshold, automatically initiating the photo-thermal treatment protocol. Further, a method for automatically terminating a treatment protocol using includes, during administration of the treatment protocol at a treatment area, monitoring a skin surface temperature at the treatment location, and when the skin surface temperature reaches a preset threshold, automatically terminating the treatment protocol.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A photo-thermal targeted treatment system for damaging a target embedded in a medium, the system including
a controller;
a photo-thermal treatment unit including a laser; and
a cooling unit;
wherein the controller is configured for administering a treatment protocol,
wherein the treatment protocol is administered using the laser at a preset power setting and a preset pulse timing setting;
wherein the treatment protocol includes
a pre-conditioning procedure for preheating the target and the medium, and a photo-thermal treatment procedure, wherein the pre-conditioning procedure and the photo-thermal treatment procedure are both administered using the laser, without changing the preset power setting and the preset pulse timing setting between the pre-conditioning procedure and the photo-thermal treatment procedure, and
a cooling procedure for cooling the medium while administering both the pre-conditioning procedure and the photo-thermal treatment procedure of the treatment protocol,
wherein, while administering the treatment protocol, the laser is set to emit a series of light pulses at a preset power level, preset pulse length, and preset interval between consecutive pulses, and wherein each pulse of said series of light pulses comprise a flat top pulse; and
wherein the treatment protocol includes application of the light pulses in a scanned fashion over a preset area.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the preset power level is in a range of 10 watts to 50 watts per pulse.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the preset pulse length is in a range of 25 milliseconds to 200 milliseconds per pulse.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the preset interval between consecutive pulses is in a range of 0.5 seconds to 2.5 seconds.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the preset area includes a matrix of treatment blocks of 2-by-1 or larger.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the preset area includes a 2-by-2 matrix of 4 to 6 millimeter-by-4 to 6 millimeter treatment blocks.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein, while administering the treatment protocol, a temperature of the medium is less than a damage threshold for the medium, and the target is heated to a temperature greater than a damage threshold for the target.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein, while administering the treatment protocol, the temperature of the medium is less than 55° C., and the target is heated to a temperature greater than 55° C.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, further including a temperature monitor for measuring the temperature of the medium.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further including a hand-held scanner connected to the cooling unit and an output of the laser, the scanner being adapted to apply both the cooling procedure and the photo-thermal treatment procedure.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the application of the light pulses comprises moving the laser after each light pulse.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the application of the light pulses comprises consecutive light pulses being applied to a first treatment block before moving the laser to a second treatment block.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the application of the light pulses comprises a time delay of up to two seconds between light pulses; and
wherein the treatment protocol further includes measuring a temperature of the medium during the time delay, and wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether or not to apply a subsequent light pulse based on the temperature.

### Claim 14

A method for using a photo-thermal targeted treatment system for damaging a target embedded in a medium, the system including a laser, the method including:
1) Defining a set of parameters for a series of light pulses to be generated by the laser, the set of parameters including a preset power level, preset pulse length, a preset interval between consecutive pulses, and a number of light pulses;
2) Generating the series of light pulses, in accordance with the set of parameters as defined, wherein each pulse of said series of light pulses comprise a flat top pulse; and
3) Administering the series of light pulses to the medium in a scanned fashion over a preset area according to a treatment protocol; wherein the treatment protocol comprises
administering a pre-conditioning procedure for preheating the target and the medium, and a photo-thermal treatment procedure, wherein the pre-conditioning procedure and the photo-thermal treatment procedure are both administered using the laser, without changing the preset power level and the preset interval between consecutive pulses; and
cooling the medium with a cooling unit while administering the treatment protocol.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein administering the series of light pulses includes applying the series of light pulses such that a temperature of the medium is less than a damage threshold for the medium, and the target is heated to a temperature greater than a damage threshold for the target.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein administering the series of light pulses includes raising a temperature of the medium to less than 55° C., while heating the target to a temperature greater than 55° C.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further including monitoring a temperature of the medium as the series of light pulses are administered to the medium.

### Claim 18

A method for automatically initiating a treatment protocol using a photo-thermal targeted treatment system, the method comprising:
administering a cooling mechanism at a treatment location;
monitoring a skin surface temperature at the treatment location; and
when the skin surface temperature reaches a preset threshold, automatically initiating the treatment protocol, wherein the treatment protocol comprises
using a laser to emit a series of light pulses at a preset power level, preset pulse length, and preset interval between consecutive pulses in a scanned fashion over a preset area, wherein each pulse of said series of light pulses comprise a flat top pulse, and
administering a pre-conditioning procedure for preheating the treatment location and administering a photo-thermal treatment procedure, wherein the pre-conditioning procedure and the photo-thermal treatment procedure are both administered using the laser, without changing the preset power setting and the preset pulse timing setting between the pre-conditioning procedure and the photo-thermal treatment procedure.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein automatically initiating the photo-thermal treatment protocol in response to the skin surface temperature reaching the preset threshold is performed without a manual input by a user.

### Claim 20

A method for automatically terminating a photo-thermal treatment protocol using a photo-thermal targeted treatment system, the method comprising:
defining a set of parameters for a series of light pulses to be generated by a laser, the set of parameters including a preset power level, preset pulse length, a preset interval between consecutive pulses, and a number of light pulses;
administering a pre-conditioning procedure for preheating a treatment area by generating a series of light pulses to the treatment area;
administering the photo-thermal treatment protocol to the treatment area by generating a second series of light pulses to the treatment area in a scanned fashion over a preset area, wherein each pulse of said second series of light pulses comprise a flat top pulse, and wherein the pre-conditioning procedure and the photo-thermal treatment procedure are both administered using the laser, without changing the preset power level and the preset interval between consecutive pulses;
cooling the treatment area during the photo-thermal treatment protocol using a cooling unit;
during administration of the treatment protocol at the treatment area, monitoring a skin surface temperature at the treatment area; and
when the skin surface temperature reaches a preset threshold, automatically terminating the photo-thermal treatment protocol.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein automatically terminating the treatment protocol is performed without a manual input by a user.