Hair removal device

A hair removal device comprising:

• a body having a skin-contacting end;
• a skin-cooling element carried by the body and having a cooling surface at the skin-contacting end;
• a radiation source carried by the body and having a recessed window through which hair tissue-damaging radiation passes to a patient's skin;
• said recessed window being laterally offset from the cooling surface;
• and
• said recessed window being spaced apart from the cooling surface in a direction away from the patient's skin when the cooling surface is contacting the patient's skin so to create a gap between the window and the patient's skin, said radiation source comprises an optical chamber having an exit aperture covered by said recessed window and an optical fiber entrance in which an optical fiber can be housed to permit hair tissue-damaging radiation to pass from the optical fiber into the optical chamber, said optical chamber comprising a total internal reflecting optical element having an entry surface facing the optical fiber, an exit surface facing the recessed window and a total internal reflecting sidewall surface so that effectively all radiation entering the entrance surface from the optical fiber passes through the exit surface.

A hair removal device comprising:

• a body having a skin-contacting end;
• a skin-cooling element carried by the body and having a cooling surface at the skin-contacting end;
• a radiation source carried by the body and having a recessed window through which hair tissue-damaging radiation passes to a patient's skin;
• said recessed window being laterally offset from the cooling surface;
• and
• said recessed window being spaced apart from the cooling surface in a direction away from the patient's skin when the cooling surface is contacting the patient's skin so to create a gap between the window and the patient's skin, said radiation source comprises an optical chamber having an exit aperture covered by said recessed window and an optical fiber entrance in which an optical fiber can be housed to permit hair tissue-damaging radiation to pass from the optical fiber into the optical chamber, said optical chamber comprising a beam size-defining lens system by which the lateral size of the radiation beam passing through the recessed window can be controlled.

A hair removal device comprising:

• a body having a skin-contacting end;
• a skin-cooling element carried by the body and having a cooling surface at the skin-contacting end;
• a radiation source carried by the body and having a recessed window through which hair tissue-damaging radiation passes to a patient's skin;
• said recessed window being laterally offset from the cooling surface;
• said recessed window being spaced apart from the cooling surface in a direction away from the patient's skin when the cooling surface is contacting the patient's skin so to create a gap between the window and the patient's skin, said radiation source comprises an optical chamber having an exit aperture covered by said recessed window and an optical fiber entrance in which an optical fiber can be housed to permit hair tissue-damaging radiation to pass from the optical fiber into the optical chamber, said optical chamber comprising;
• a heating element thermally coupled to the optical chamber so to permit heating of at least a part of the optical chamber;
• and
• a moisture-wicking element extending between a region cooled by the skin-cooling element and the heating element so that condensation at said region can be wicked away for evaporation by the heating element.

A hair removal assembly comprising:

• a body having a skin-contacting end;
• a skin-cooling element carried by the body and having a cooling surface at the skin-contacting end;
• a radiation source carried by the body and having a window from which hair tissue-damaging radiation is refracted by the assembly to a patient's skin,
• said window being laterally offset from the cooling surface along a direction of travel of the body and spaced apart from the cooling surface in a direction away from the patient's skin when the cooling surface is contacting the patient's skin so to create a gap between the radiation source and the patient's skin;
• a laser supplying laser light to the radiation source for passage through the window, wherein said radiation source comprises an optical chamber having an exit aperture covered by said window and an optical fiber entrance in which an optical fiber is housed to permit laser light from the laser to be directed into the optical chamber, and further comprising a heating element thermally coupled to the optical chamber to help prevent condensation on said optical chamber or said window;
• and
• laser-power inputs comprising a laser-pulse duration input and one of a laser-pulse amplitude input and a laser-pulse fluence input.

A hair removal assembly comprising:

• a body having a skin-contacting end;
• a skin-cooling element carried by the body and having a cooling surface at the skin-contacting end;
• a radiation source carried by the body and having a window through which hair tissue-damaging radiation passes to a patient's skin;
• said window being laterally offset from the cooling surface;
• a laser supplying laser light to the radiation source for passage through the window;
• laser-power inputs comprising a laser-pulse duration input and one of a laser-pulse amplitude input and a laser-pulse fluence input;
• a heating element thermally coupled to the radiation source;
• and
• a moisture-wicking element extending between a region cooled by the skin-cooling element and the heating element so that condensation at said region can be wicked away for evaporation by the heating element.

A hair removal assembly comprising:

• a body having a skin-contacting end;
• a skin-cooling element carried by the body and having a cooling surface at the skin-contacting end;
• a radiation source carried by the body and having a window through which hair tissue-damaging radiation passes to a patient's skin;
• said window being laterally offset from the cooling surface, said radiation source comprising an optical chamber having an exit aperture covered by said window and an optical fiber entrance in which an optical fiber is housed to permit laser light from the laser to be directed into the optical chamber;
• a heating element thermally coupled to the optical chamber to help prevent condensation on said optical chamber or said window, wherein the heating element comprises a beat sink portion in physical contact with the optical chamber
• a laser supplying laser light to the radiation source for passage through the window;
• laser-power inputs comprising a laser-pulse duration input and one of a laser-pulse amplitude input and a laser-pulse fluence input.

A hair removal assembly comprising:

• a body having a skin-contacting end;
• a sin-cooling element carried by the body and having a cooling surface at the skin-contacting end;
• a radiation source carried by the body and having a window from which hair tissue-damaging radiation is refracted by the assembly to a patient's skin;
• said window being laterally offset from the cooling surface along a direction of travel of the body and spaced apart from the cooling surface in a direction away from the patient's skin when the cooling surface is contacting the patient's skin so to create a gap between the radiation source and the patient's skin;
• a laser supplying laser light to the radiation source for passage through the window;
• laser-power inputs comprising a laser-pulse duration input and one of a laser-pulse amplitude input and a laser-pulse fluence input;
• and
• a source of a liquid coolant, the cooling element comprising a heat sink, a coolant evaporator thermally coupled to the heat sink, a coolant supply line coupling the coolant evaporator to the source of liquid coolant, and a coolant vapor return line coupling the evaporator to the source of liquid coolant, the source of liquid coolant comprising a refrigerant compressor;
• wherein said optical chamber comprises a beam size-defining lens system by which the lateral size of the radiation beam passing through the recessed window can be controlled.