Devices and methods for dermatological treatment using fractional laser technology

A dermatological treatment device comprising:

• a light source configured to produce a short-duration pulse of light when triggered mounted on a device body;
• said light source functionally associated with a light director including a light director aperture, wherein said light director is configured to direct a produced said pulse of light from said light director aperture as a plurality of individual light beams, so that the pulse of light is focused at a plurality of illuminated points that are spaced from one another along a line lying in focal plane at a predetermined distance from said light director aperture;
• and
• functionally associated with said device body, a distance measurer configured to trigger said light source each time said device body is displaced along the focal plane by a prescribed distance in a prescribed direction transverse to the line of the illuminated points;
• wherein said distance measurer includes:
• a measuring wheel mounted on said device body for rotation about an axis generally parallel to the line of points, and
• a detector functionally associated with said measuring wheel for generating a triggering signal for triggering said light source in response to each detection of a rotation of said wheel through a preset angle,
• wherein said measuring wheel is operative to make frictional contact with said focal plane;
• and
• wherein when said device body is oriented so that said light beams impinge on said focal plane at a preferred angle, said measuring wheel is operative to make frictional contact with said focal plane at a point lying on substantially the same line as, and laterally offset from, said illuminated points.

A method of dermatological treatment of an area of skin of a subject, comprising:

• a) providing a device comprising a light director with a light director aperture and a trigger functionally associated with a light source, said light director configured to direct a short-duration pulse of light produced by said light source through said light director aperture at a skin surface when said light source is triggered;
• b) moving said light director aperture in a prescribed direction relative to said skin surface;
• and
• c) every time said light-director aperture travels a prescribed distance relative to said skin surface:
• triggering said light source to produce a said short-duration pulse of light, and
• directing said produced short-duration pulse of light at an area of said skin surface as a plurality of individual light beams
• thereby causing a beneficial effect as a result of said pulse of light impinging on said skin surface
• wherein said trigger is functionally associated with a contact surface,
• wherein said moving is while maintaining contact of said contact surface with said skin surface;
• and
• wherein said prescribed distance is a distance travelled by said contact surface along said skin surface in said prescribed direction.