System for electromagnetic radiation dermatology and head for use therewith

A system for treatment of a selected volume of a patient's skin, comprising:

• a source of electromagnetic (EM) radiation;
• an optical waveguide having a first end at which said radiation is applied and a second end for contacting the patient's skin, which second end is opposite said first end;
• controls for selectively permitting radiation from said source to be passed through said waveguide to the patient's skin, including said selected volume;
• and
• a reflector for returning radiation back scattered from the patient's skin through the waveguide to the patient's skin, wherein said reflector is at least at said first end of the waveguide.

A head for applying electromagnetic (EM) radiation to a selected volume of a patient's skin, the head comprising:

• a skin-contacting surface at least a portion of which is formed as a reflection element;
• and
• at least one light path passing through said reflection element and terminating at said skin-contacting surface, said EM radiation being applied through said at least one light path to the patient's skin;
• some of the radiation passing through the waveguide to a patient's skin being back-scattered, said reflection element being at least part of a reflection mechanism for returning back-scattered radiation to the patient's skin.

A head for applying electromagnetic (EM) radiation to a selected volume of a patient's skin, the head comprising:

• a skin-contacting surface;
• at least one light path passing through said head and terminating at said skin contacting surface, said EM radiation being applied through at least one light path to the patient's skin;
• a temperature sensor located in said head and spaced by a distance Δd from said skin contacting surface;
• and
• a mechanism capable of transmitting an output from said temperature sensor to controls responsive to said temperature sensor output for indicating temperature at a selected depth below the patient's skin surface.

A method for treatment of a selected volume of a patient's skin at a depth which is below the Dermal/Epidermal (DE) junction, comprising:

• providing a source of optical radiation, which radiation is applied through a light path to the patient's skin;
• sensing temperature at a selected depth within the patient's skin;
• removing heat from the patient's skin;
• and
• permitting radiation from said source to be applied through said light path to the patient's skin in response to sensing that the patient's skin at the selected depth has been cooled to at least a selected temperature.

A method for treatment of a selected volume of a patient's skin at a depth which is below the Dermal/Epidermal (DE) junction, comprising:

• providing a source of optical radiation, which radiation is applied through a light path terminating in a skin contacting surface to the patient's skin;
• sensing temperature at a selected depth within the patient's skin;
• removing heat from the patient's skin;
• and
• permitting radiation from said source to be applied through said light path to the patient's skin in response to the sensing of a selected increasing temperature profile at the selected depth when the skin contacting surface is placed in contact with the patient's skin.

A method for applying EM radiation of a wavelength appropriate for treatment of a selected volume of a patient's skin, comprising:

• applying said radiation to the patient's skin through a light path, said radiation being reflected from the patient's skin with a back-scatter aperture which is greater than the aperture of the light path;
• and
• providing a reflector for said reflected radiation, said reflector having an aperture which is at least substantially as great as said back scatter aperture,
• wherein said providing step includes providing a reflection element surrounding a skin-contacting end of said light path and adapted to be in contact with the patient's skin when radiation is applied thereto.