Treatment device for photodynamic therapy and method for making same
OwnerPhilip G. Aldeninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A light-emitting treatment device including one or more light-emitting elements disposed in a flexible and stretchable pad (or a body-conforming shaped article) defining a skin- or tissue-adhering surface having an inherently tacky characteristic for secure application to the skin, tissue, or other external or internal regions of the patient's body. The light-emitting treatment device is configured to contact and adhere to the skin or tissue of a patient, and irradiate an underlying region for photodynamic therapy. The treatment device may be fabricated from a shell member and a filler material (such as a molded silicone rubber shell member and a silicone gel filler material), to provide a skin-adhering, peelable, washable, and repositionable contact surface.
Claims20
A light-emitting treatment device for irradiating a region of a patient's body to be treated using one or more light-emitting elements which emit a light, the light-emitting treatment device comprising:
- a support member fabricated from a flexible pad of a material which at least partially encapsulates the one or more light-emitting elements and intrinsically defines a tissue-adhering surface having an inherently tacky characteristic, the one or more light-emitting elements being disposed on the flexible pad and configured to irradiate the region of the patient's body with a portion of the material forming the flexible pad being interposed between the one or more light-emitting elements and the tissue-adhering surface such that the light is transmitted through the portion of the material disposed between the one or more light-emitting members and the tissue-adhering surface, so that the tissue-adhering surface of the support member is placed in contact with the patient's body proximate to or covering the region to be irradiated, and the support member conforms and adheres to the patient's body such that the one or more light-emitting elements irradiate the region of the patient's body to be treated.
A method for fabricating a light-emitting treatment device utilizing one or more light-emitting elements for irradiating a region of a patient's body, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate member;
- positioning the one or more light-emitting elements on an area of the substrate member;
- disposing a covering material in an uncured state onto the substrate member so that the covering material at least partially encompass the one or more light-emitting elements, the covering material defining a tissue-adhering surface which has an inherently tacky characteristic, the tissue-adhering surface being generally exposed;
- and
- curing the covering material such that the tissue-adhering surface remains exposed and retains the inherently tacky characteristic, so that in use the tissue-adhering surface of the covering material may be placed in contact with and adhere to the patient's body proximate to or in overlying relation to the region to be irradiated, and the substrate member and covering material will conform to the patient's body such that the one or more light-emitting elements irradiate the region of the patient's body to be treated.
A method for fabricating a light-emitting treatment device utilizing one or more light-emitting members for irradiating a region of a patient's body with light, the method comprising the steps of:
- embedding the one or more light-emitting elements in a material forming a tissue-contacting surface;
- and
- curing the material, such that when the material is cured the tissue-contacting surface intrinsically has an inherently tacky characteristic, so that in use the tissue-contacting surface may be placed in contact with and adhere to the patient's body proximate to or covering the region to be irradiated, and the light-emitting treatment device will conform to the patient's body such that the one or more light-emitting elements irradiate the region of the patient's body to be treated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.