# US 2008/0188839 A1 · Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling laser-induced tissue treatment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0188839 A1 - Document ID: US20080188839A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/983,334 - Filed: 2007-11-07 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2007-02-06 - Assignees: Reliant Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Kin F. Chan; Leonard C. DeBenedictis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080188839A1 ## CPC - A61B 18/203: {applying laser energy to the outside of the body} - A61B 2017/00761: {Removing layer of skin tissue, e.g. wrinkles, scars or cancerous tissue} - A61B 2018/00452: {Skin} - A61B 2018/0047: {Upper parts of the skin, e.g. skin peeling or treatment of wrinkles} - A61B 2018/20359: {by movable mirrors, e.g. galvanometric} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for using an imaging detector to image an optical pattern created by illumination of a viscous material that is applied to the skin. The viscous material forms a detectable pattern that can be imaged by the imaging detector. In some examples, the viscous material is reflective and allows reflection from an illumination source to create an optical pattern on the imaging detector. In other cases, the variation in thickness of an absorbing or scattering viscous substance can be imaged by the detector. Polarized illumination and detection can be used to enhance the response. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of dermatological treatment comprising the steps of: applying a viscous material to a region of skin tissue to be treated; emitting treatment energy from a handpiece towards the region of skin tissue to effect tissue treatment, the treatment energy having at least one variable operational parameter that affects a dosage of the tissue treatment; moving the handpiece across the region of skin tissue, the movement of the handpiece defined by at least one variable positional parameter that affects the dosage of the tissue treatment; directing illumination toward the viscous material; detecting in real-time a pattern of the illumination that is reflected from the viscous material, the detected pattern measuring the variation in the positional parameter; and controllably adjusting in real-time the operational parameter in response to the variation in the positional parameter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the viscous material is thixotropic. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the viscous material is shear thinning. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the viscous material has a viscosity greater than 2*103 CP. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method of claim 4, wherein the viscous material has a viscosity greater than 8*103 CP. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A method of claim 5, wherein the viscous material has a viscosity in a range of about 2*103 cP to about 1*108 cP. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method of claim 6, wherein the viscous material has a viscosity in a range of about 1*104 cP to about 1*105 cP. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the viscous material comprises petroleum jelly. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the treatment energy is optical treatment energy and the viscous material is optically transparent to the treatment energy. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the viscous material is chosen from a group consisting of petroleum jelly, ointment, gel, and moisturizing cleanser. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the viscous material comprises vinyl acetate/vinylpyrrolidone copolymer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the applied viscous material is in a range of about 0.03 mm to about 0.5 mm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A method of claim 12, wherein a thickness of the applied viscous material is about 0.1 mm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the viscous material has a viscosity index in a range of about 10 to about 45. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the viscous material has a viscosity index in a range of about 50 to about 150. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method of claim 15, wherein the viscous material has a viscosity index in a range of about 70 to about 100. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the step of moving the handpiece further comprises rolling the handpiece across the region of skin tissue on two or more rollers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the step of moving the handpiece further comprises sliding the handpiece across the region of skin tissue on two or more elongated runners. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting a pattern comprises imaging an optical pattern formed by the viscous material. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting a pattern comprises: forming shapes in the viscous material; and imaging the shapes in a sequence of two or more images, the shapes effectively being invariant during a time period when the shapes are imaged in sequence. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, further comprising the step of cooling a surface of the viscous material. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the dermatological treatment is a cosmetic treatment. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A method of claim 22, wherein the dermatological treatment is a cosmetic treatment of wrinkles. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises an optical mouse package. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) A method of claim 1, wherein the step of emitting treatment energy comprises delivering a fractional pattern of treatment energy. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) A method of claim 25, wherein the operational parameter comprises at least one of treatment zone density, pulse duration, pulse timing, treatment zone size, and treatment power. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) A method of claim 25, wherein the treatment energy is delivered with spot diameters of less than about 500 μm. ### Claim 28 A method of dermatological treatment comprising the steps of: applying a viscous material to a region of skin tissue to be treated; emitting treatment energy from a handpiece towards the region of skin tissue to effect tissue treatment, the treatment energy having at least one operational parameter affecting a dosage of the tissue treatment; moving the handpiece across the region of skin tissue, the movement of the handpiece defined by at least one variable positional parameter that affects the dosage of the tissue treatment; directing illumination toward the viscous material applied to the region of skin tissue; measuring in real-time a variation in the positional parameter, the measuring including detecting the illumination of the region of skin tissue, the detection enhanced by the application of the viscous material; and controllably adjusting in real-time the operational parameter in response to the variation in the positional parameter. ### Claim 29 (depends on 24) A method of claim 24, wherein detecting comprises imaging at least a portion of the illumination scattered from the viscous material. ### Claim 30 (depends on 24) A method of claim 24, wherein detecting comprises imaging at least a portion of the illumination reflected from the viscous material. ### Claim 31 (depends on 24) A method of claim 24, wherein the dermatological treatment is a cosmetic treatment of wrinkles. ### Claim 32 A method of dermatological treatment comprising the steps of emitting treatment energy from a handpiece towards a region of skin tissue to be treated to effect a tissue treatment, the treatment energy having at least one operational parameter affecting a dosage of the tissue treatment; moving the handpiece across the region of skin tissue, the movement of the handpiece defined by at least one variable positional parameter that affects the dosage of the tissue treatment; directing illumination toward the skin tissue to be treated; detecting the illumination in a polarization sensitive manner, the detected illumination measuring in real-time a variation the positional parameter; and controllably adjusting in real-time the operational parameter in response to the variation in the positional parameter. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) A method of claim 32, wherein the illumination is polarized. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) A method of claim 33, wherein detecting the illumination in a polarization sensitive manner comprises detecting a polarization that is substantially perpendicular to the polarization of the illumination. ### Claim 35 (depends on 33) A method of claim 33, wherein detecting the illumination in a polarization sensitive manner comprises detecting a polarization that is substantially parallel to the polarization of the illumination. ### Claim 36 (depends on 32) A method of claim 32, wherein the dermatological treatment is a cosmetic treatment of wrinkles. ### Claim 37 (depends on 32) A method of claim 32, wherein moving the handpiece comprises rolling the handpiece across the region of skin tissue using one or more rollers. ### Claim 38 (depends on 32) A method of claim 32, wherein moving the handpiece comprises sliding the handpiece across the region of skin tissue on a viscous substance applied to the skin. ### Claim 39 An apparatus for controlled dermatological tissue treatment comprising: a handpiece that delivers a light beam to a treatment area of skin to effect a tissue treatment, the tissue treatment depending upon one or more operational parameters of the light beam, a movement of the handpiece characterized by a plurality of variable positional parameters such that variation in at least one positional parameter affects the tissue treatment; an illumination source that delivers illumination to the skin and is functionally coupled to the handpiece; a controller functionally coupled to the handpiece for controlling the operational parameters in response to the variation in at least one positional parameter; and a detector configured to measure variations in at least one of a velocity, a distance and a position of the handpiece relative to the tissue to be treated in one or more directions parallel to the plane of a surface of the treatment area based on the detection of at least a portion of the illumination; the controller configured to controllably adjust in real-time at least one operational parameter of the apparatus in response to a measurement by the detector; a tip of the handpiece forming patterns in a viscous substance applied to the treatment area, the detector detecting one or more of these patterns. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) An apparatus of claim 39, wherein the controller controllably adjusts in real-time at least one operational parameter of the apparatus to cause at least one of a new non-zero treatment rate and a new treatment pattern. ### Claim 41 (depends on 39) An apparatus of claim 39, wherein the illumination source is a laser. ### Claim 42 (depends on 39) An apparatus of claim 39, wherein the detector and the illumination source are configured, whereby the detector detects a pattern of illumination that has been reflected by a substance applied to the skin. ### Claim 43 (depends on 39) An apparatus of claim 39, further comprising a beamsplitter that separates the treatment beam path from beams imaged by the detector. ### Claim 44 (depends on 39) An apparatus of claim 39, wherein the treatment energy is delivered substantially parallel to an optical axis of an imaging beam path of the detector.