Method and apparatus for EMR treatment

A method for performing a treatment on a volume located at area and depth coordinates of a patient's skin including:

• providing a radiation source;
• precooling the patient's skin over at least part of said area coordinate to a selected temperature for a selected duration, said selected temperature and duration being sufficient to cool said skin to a depth below said depth coordinate to a temperature below normal body temperature;
• and
• applying said radiation to an optical system which concentrates said radiation to at least one depth coordinate and to selected areas within said area coordinates to define treatment portions in said volume, said treatment portions being less than said volume, each said treatment portion being within untreated portions and being substantially surrounded by cooled skin.

Apparatus for performing a treatment on a volume located at area and depth coordinates of a patient's skin including:

• a radiation source;
• a mechanism which cools the patient's skin over said area coordinate to a selected temperature;
• controls for selectively operating said mechanism to at least one of precool said skin for a selected duration before application of radiation and during application of radiation, said mechanism and controls cooling to a temperature and for a duration sufficient to cool said skin to at least a selected temperature below normal body temperature to at least a depth below said depth coordinate;
• and
• an optical system to which radiation from said source is selectively applied, said optical system concentrating said radiation to a depth in said volume and to selected areas of said volume to define treatment portions, said treatment portions being less than said total volume, each said portion being substantially surrounded by untreated and cooled skin.