Apparatus for applying intense light radiation to a limited area

Manually holdable apparatus for applying intense light radiation to a limited area of an object, said apparatus comprising

• a high power lamp emitting intense radiation high in infrared content and forming a light radiation source;
• a manually holdable housing enclosing said light source and formed to provide a handle portion to permit manipulation of the housing during use of the apparatus;
• and means defining a light exit surface on said housing from which the radiation produced by said source emerges to said object;
• wherein
• a major portion of the wall of said housing is made of a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of a polymer of essentially carbon and fluorine, or a polymer comprising as main constituents carbon, fluorine, and hydrogen, said material further comprising a coloring agent dispersed in said polymeric material and having the characteristic of absorbing blue and green light radiation while transmitting red and infrared radiation;
• the density of the coloring agent dispersed in the major wall portion, and the thickness of said major wall portion being selected to absorb blue and green radiation from the lamp, while transmitting red and infrared radiation from the lamp.

Apparatus for applying intense light radiation to a limited area, particularly blood or tissue coagulation apparatus for application to living tissue by direct contact of the apparatus therewith, said apparatus comprising

• an electric lamp emitting intense radiation and forming a light radiation source;
• a housing enclosing said light source;
• means defining a light exit surface on said housing from which the radiation produced by said source emerges to said tissue;
• and an application element covering said light exit surface and having a surface for directly contacting said tissue, said contact surface consisting of a material transparent to infrared radiation emitted by said source;
• said contact surface being formed by a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of:
• a polymer consisting essentially of carbon and fluorine;
• of Teflon ETFE, Teflon PFA, Teflon FEP, Teflon PTFE;
• or a polymer comprising as main constituents carbon, fluorine and hydrogen and wherein the contact surface of said application element adapted to contact the tissue is formed by a self-supporting disc-shaped member of said polymeric material, said member having a thickness of about at least 0.1 mm and being essentially stiff and non-pliable.

Manually holdable apparatus for applying intense light radiation to a limited area of an object, comprising

• a high power incandescent lamp emitting intense radiation high in infrared content and forming a light radiation source;
• a housing enclosing said light source;
• means defining a light exit surface on said housing from which the radiation produced by said source emerges to said object;
• a light guide means associated with said housing in light conducting relation to said source and providing said means defining said light exit surface;
• an application element having a surface for directly contacting said object to apply said intense light radiation to the object, said application element consisting of a material transparent to the radiation emitted by said source and comprising essentially polymeric material selected from the group consisting of:
• a polymer consisting essentially of carbon and fluorine;
• of Teflon ETFE;
• Teflon PFA;
• Teflon FEP;
• Teflon PTFE;
• or a polymer comprising carbon, fluorine and hydrogen;
• said application element having a disk-like portion defining said contacting surface, said disk-like portion being essentially stiff and non-pliable, having a thickness greater than about 0.1 mm, and being applied to said light guide means adjacent to and covering the exit surface thereof to permit application of radiation from said source through the light guide means and the application element to the object.