# US 11,998,758 B2 · Phototherapeutic light for treatment of pathogens > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,998,758 B2 - Document ID: US11998758B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/148,133 - Filed: 2021-01-13 - Published: 2021-05-06 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-28 - Assignees: KNOW Bio, LLC - Applicants: KNOW Bio, LLC - Inventors: Nathan Stasko; David T. Emerson; Adam Cockrell; F. Neal Hunter; Michael John Bergmann; Rebecca McDonald; Nicholas William Medendorp, Jr.; Gerald H. Negley; Katelyn P. Reighard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998758B2 ## CPC - A61N 5/0613: {Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment} - A61N 5/0601: {Apparatus for use inside the body} - A61N 5/0603: {for treatment of body cavities} - A61N 5/0624: {for eliminating microbes, germs, bacteria on or in the body} - H01L 27/15 - A61N 2005/0611: {Vagina} - A61N 2005/0626: {Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods} - A61N 2005/0647: {the applicator adapted to be worn on the head} - A61N 2005/0652: {Arrays of diodes} - A61N 2005/0653: {Organic light emitting diodes} - A61N 2005/0661: {ultraviolet} - A61N 2005/0662: {Visible light} - A61N 2005/0663: {Coloured light} - 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) - H01L ## Abstract Methods and related devices for impinging light on tissue, for example within a body of a patient, to induce various biological effects are disclosed. Biological effects may include at least one of inactivating and/or inhibiting growth of one or more pathogens, upregulating a local immune response, stimulating enzymatic generation of nitric oxide to increase endogenous stores of nitric oxide, releasing nitric oxide from endogenous stores of nitric oxide, and inducing an anti-inflammatory effect. Wavelengths of light are selected based on intended biological effects for one or more of targeted tissue types and targeted pathogens. Light treatments may provide multiple pathogenic biological effects, either with light of a single wavelength or with light having multiple wavelengths. Devices and methods for light treatments are disclosed that provide light doses for inducing biological effects on various targeted pathogens and targeted tissues with increased efficacy and reduced cytotoxicity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: providing light comprising a first peak wavelength in a range from 400 nanometers (nm) to 900 nm; and administering a dose of the light to mammalian tissue within a body to induce a biological effect, the dose of light comprising providing an average irradiance to the tissue over a time period of at most 1 hour, the average irradiance being no more than 1 watt per square centimeter (W/cm2) delivered in a plurality of discrete pulses, each discrete pulse of the plurality of discrete pulses having an irradiance to the tissue in a range from greater than 1 W/cm2 to 10 W/cm2; wherein the biological effect comprises altering a concentration of one or more pathogens within the body and altering growth of the one or more pathogens within the body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the average irradiance is a range from 0.1 milliwatts per square centimeter (mW/cm2) to 1 W/cm2. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the average irradiance is a range from 5 mW/cm2 to 200 mW/cm2. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the dose of light is a range from 0.5 joules per square centimeter (J/cm2) to 100 J/cm2. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the dose of light is in a range from 2 J/cm2 to 50 J/cm2. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete pulses comprises a plurality of equal light intensity pulses that is delivered during the time period. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete pulses comprises a plurality of dissimilar light intensity pulses that is delivered during the time period. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the irradiance progressively increases during the plurality of dissimilar light intensity pulses. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the irradiance progressively decreases during the plurality of dissimilar light intensity pulses. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the dose of light is repeatably administered to provide a cumulative dose in a range from one joules per square centimeter (J/cm2) to 1000 J/cm2 over a cumulative time period. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the dose of light is provided with a light therapeutic index of greater than or equal to 2, the light therapeutic index being defined as a dose concentration that reduces tissue viability by 25% divided by a dose concentration that reduces cellular percentage of the pathogens by 50%. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the light therapeutic index is in a range from 2 to 250. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the biological effect comprises inactivating the one or more pathogens that are in a cell-free environment and inhibiting replication of the one or more pathogens that are in a cell-associated environment. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the biological effect further comprises upregulating a local immune response. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more pathogens comprises at least one of a virus, a bacteria, and a fungus. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more pathogens comprises at least one of coronaviridae and orthomyxoviridae. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the peak wavelength is a range of from 400 nm to 490 nm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the peak wavelength is a range of from 410 nm to 440 nm. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the mammalian tissue comprises mucosal epithelial tissue. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the light is provided by at least one of a light-emitting diode, an organic light-emitting diode, and a laser.