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US 3,941,670 AGranted
Method of altering biological and chemical activity of molecular species
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorGeorge W. Pratt, Jr.
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AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorGeorge W. Pratt, Jr.
Estimating the term…
A method of altering (i.e., deactivating or activating) the biological activity of macromolecular species that employs laser beam radiation at a frequency that excites vibrational and rotational states of the irradiated species and at an intensity sufficient to activate the species (but below the denaturation level) or to a level such that the weak bonds-- e.g., hydrogen bonds--that determine the spatial character, and hence the biological activity of macromolecules are irreversibly broken to such extent that the macromolecule loses its original form (the process of denaturation) and assumes an inactive (denatured) configuration. The latter is a sterilization or inactivating process and for such sterilization the macromolecular species may be disposed on a highly reflecting surface, such as a metal, which reflects the beam and is capable of amplifying the destructive characteristic, or upon absorbing surfaces, such as plastics, cloth or paper which ordinarily would be destroyed by the beam. In the case of absorbing materials, pulses of energy from the beam, which are obtained by interrupting a c.w. beam, using a pulsed laser, or as a Q-switched configuration, are used so as to deactivate the macromolecular species of interest but not to damage significantly the absorbing material. The invention is also directed to the sterilization of air and other gases as well as liquids and is accomplished by exposing these vapors or fluids to the beam.
A method of altering the biological and/or chemical activity of macromolecular species by irradiation, that comprises, generating laser radiation at a frequency which delivers energy to said species by either directly or indirectly exciting vibrational and/or rotational states of the irradiated species, and directing said radiation upon the macromolecular species, said frequency being in the infrared frequency range.
A method of altering the biological or the chemical activity of molecular species by irradiation, that comprises, generating laser radiation at a frequency which selectively excites vibrational and rotational states of the irradiated species, directing said laser radiation upon the molecular species, said laser radiation being adjusted to lie in a range from about 350 cm.sup.-.sup.1 to about 3,500 cm.sup.-.sup.1, and controlling the frequency and at least one of the intensity and the time duration of the laser radiation to cause said altering of the biological or the chemical activity selectively to occur and to selectively control the level of said activity.
A method of altering the structure of molecules, that comprises, subjecting the molecules to laser radiation at a frequency that is characteristic of the binding force between the constituents of the molecules, thereby to introduce a disruptive effect to said binding force, controlling said frequency and at least one of the intensity and the time duration of the laser radiation of influence in a determined fashion the level of said disruptive effect, and simultaneously applying a dividing force between the constituents to separate one from the other during the occurrence of said disruptive effect, said frequency being in the range from about 350 cm.sup.-.sup.1 to about 3,500 cm.sup.-.sup.1.
A method of selectively removing one or more molecular layers of tissue and the macromolecular contaminants thereon, that comprises, generating laser radiation and controlling the amplitude, frequency and time duration of such radiation, and exposing the tissue to the laser radiation, the amplitude, frequency and time duration of which radiation is adapted to deliver energy to the vibrational and/or rotational states of the irradiated tissue and contaminants in sufficient amount to alter the biological activity thereof, said frequency being in the range from about 350 cm.sup.-.sup.1 to about 3,500 cm.sup.-.sup.1.
A method of altering by irradiation the biological and/or chemical activity of macromolecular species which are a constituent of a liquid, that comprises, generating laser radiation at a frequency which delivers energy to said species by exciting vibrational and/or rotational states of said species either directly or indirectly, and directing said radiation upon the macromolecular species, said frequency being in the infrared frequency range.
A method of destroying living cells, spores and other like macromolecular species to effect sterilization, that comprises applying to the species laser radiation that is characteristic of the bonding force between various constituents of the species thereby to provide a disruptive effect to said bonding force and to allow other disruptive forces to affect such species to cause the species to change their spatial configuration and thereby be destroyed, said laser radiation being adjusted to lie in a range from about 350 cm.sup..sup.-1 to about 3,500 cm.sup..sup.-1.
A method of destroying living cells, spores, and other like macromolecular species to effect sterilization of a medium contaminated with said species, which comprises applying to the species laser radiation that is characteristic of the bonding force between various constituents of the species thereby to provide a disruptive effect to said bonding force and to allow other disruptive forces that affect such species to cause the species to change their spatial configuration and thereby be destroyed, the laser radiation being applied at a frequency which lies in a range from about 350 cm.sup..sup.-1 to about 3,500 cm.sup..sup.-1.
A method of destroying by irradiation living cells, spores, and other like macromolecular species to effect sterilization of a medium contaminated with said species, which comprises generating laser radiation at a frequency which excites vibrational and rotational states of the irradiated species either directly or indirectly, and directing said laser radiation upon said species thereby to effect sterilization of the medium, said laser radiation being adjusted to lie in a range of from about 350 cm.sup..sup.-1 to about 3,500 cm.sup..sup.-1.
A method of altering by irradiation the biological and/or chemical activity of compounds selected from the group consisting of nucleic and amino acids, which comprises generating laser radiation at a frequency which excites vibrational and/or rotational states of the irradiated species, and directing said laser radiation upon said species, said frequency being in the infrared frequency range.
A method of altering the biological or the chemical activity of molecular species by irradiation, that comprises, generating laser radiation at a frequency which selectively excites vibrational states of the irradiated species, directing said laser radiation upon the molecular species, adjusting said laser radiation to lie in the infrared frequency range, tuning said frequency to an appropriate value to effect non-linear coupling of the radiation to a vibrating molecular bond of the species, and controlling at least one of the intensity and the time duration of the laser radiation to cause said altering of the biological or the chemical activity to occur and to control the level of said activity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.