Fiber optic brush for light delivery
AssigneeLerner Medical Devices, Inc.
InventorsZafirios Gourgouliatos, David Chang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A phototherapy apparatus is disclosed including: a body member; a plurality of elongated light transmitting elements, each of the elements extending between a proximal end enclosed within the body member and a distal end located outside of and distal to the body member; where the tips of the proximal ends of the light transmitting elements are located in close proximity to each other; and an optical connector configured to detachably receive an end of a lightguide and to couple light delivered by the lightguide from a source into the light transmitting elements at the proximal ends. The light coupled into each of the light transmitting elements is transmitted along the element and emitted from the distal end.
Claims40
An apparatus adapted for use as a phototherapy device, comprising:
- a body member;
- a plurality of elongated light transmitting elements, each of said elements extending between a proximal end enclosed within the body member, and a distal end located outside of and distal to the body member and having only bends of less than 90° between the proximal ends and the distal ends;
- wherein the tips of the proximal ends of the light transmitting elements are located in close proximity to each other and the tips of the distal ends are spaced apart in an array;
- and wherein each of said proximal ends extends along an input axis, and each of said distal ends extends along an output axis, and wherein the input axes are mutually parallel, the output axes are mutually parallel, and the input axes are parallel to the output axes;
- and
- an optical connector configured to detachably receive an end of a lightguide and to couple light delivered by the lightguide from a source into the light transmitting elements at the proximal ends;
- wherein the light coupled into each of the light transmitting elements is transmitted along the element and emitted from the distal end;
- wherein the light transmitting elements each comprise an optical fiber;
- wherein the proximal ends of the light transmitting elements comprise a fiber bundle, said bundle having an entrance face comprised of the tips of the proximal ends;
- wherein the fibers of the fiber bundle are fused together in proximity to the entrance face, such that the light emitted from the distal ends has substantially uniform fluence.
A method of treating an area of skin affected by inflammatory skin disease comprising:
- providing an effective dose of treatment light to the affected area with an apparatus adapted for use as a phototherapy device, said device comprising:
- a body member;
- a plurality of elongated light transmitting elements, each of said elements extending between a proximal end enclosed within the body member and a distal end located outside of and distal to the body member and having only bends of less than 90° between the proximal ends and the distal ends;
- wherein the tips of the proximal ends of the light transmitting elements are located in close proximity to each other and the tips of the distal ends are spaced apart in an array;
- and wherein each of said proximal ends extends along an input axis and each of said distal ends extends along an output axis, and wherein the input axes are mutually parallel and the output axes are mutually parallel, and wherein the input axis is parallel to the output axis;
- and
- an optical connector configured to detachably receive an end of a lightguide and to couple light delivered by the lightguide from a source into the light transmitting elements at the proximal ends;
- wherein the light coupled into each of the light transmitting elements is transmitted along the element and emitted from the distal end;
- wherein the light transmitting elements each comprise an optical fiber;
- wherein the proximal ends of the light transmitting elements comprise a fiber bundle, said bundle having an entrance face comprised of the tips of the proximal ends;
- wherein the fibers of the fiber bundle are fused together in proximity to the entrance face;
- and
- wherein each of the fibers in the fiber bundle comprise an inner core surrounded by a cladding, and wherein the cladding is stripped away from a portion of the fiber in proximity to the entrance face such that the light emitted from the distal tips has substantially uniform fluence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.