Phototherapy methods and systems
AssigneeThe General Hospital Corporation
InventorsRichard Rox Anderson, Peter J. Dwyer
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Abstract
The invention features methods and systems for treating inflammatory, proliferative skin disorders, such as psoriasis, with ultraviolet phototherapy. The methods and systems use optical techniques to scan a patient's skin, designate areas of affected skin, and selectively deliver high doses of phototherapeutic ultraviolet radiation to the designated areas. To insure that only affected areas of skin affected are designated for the high doses of UV radiation, the methods and systems use one or more optical diagnostics that relate to independent physiological features of affected skin.
Claims20
A method for treating a proliferative skin disorder in a patient, the method comprising:
- performing at least two different optical diagnostics on a selected area of the patient's skin, wherein each diagnostic independently provides a positive indication when the skin disorder is present in the selected area;
- determining from the optical diagnostics whether the selected area is affected by the skin disorder based on whether each diagnostic provides the positive indication;
- and
- if the selected area is determined to be affected by the skin disorder, delivering an effective dose of phototherapeutic radiation to the selected area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.