Devices and methods for radiation-based dermatological treatments

A device for treating an area of skin by scanning radiation to form a pattern of treatment spots on the skin, comprising:

• a radiation source configured to generate an input beam;
• and
• a scanning system configured to scan the input beam to provide a sequential series of reflected output beams that form a pattern of treatment spots on the skin, the scanning system including:
• a rotating scanning element including a plurality of reflection surfaces, each configured to reflect the input beam in an angular direction to provide one of the reflected output beams, such that as the rotating scanning element rotates about an axis of rotation, the input beam is sequentially reflected by different reflection surfaces to provide the sequential series of reflected output beams;
• wherein a first reflection surface configured to provide a first reflected output beam defines a first plane, and a second reflection surface configured to provide a second reflected output beam defines a second plane parallel to and offset from the first plane;
• wherein the first and second reflection surfaces receive the input beam at the same angle of incidence, and wherein the first and second reflected output beams provided by the first and second reflection surfaces are offset from and parallel to each other;
• and
• wherein a first geometric path length of the input beam from the radiation source to the first reflection surface is different than a second geometric path length of the input beam from the radiation source to the second reflection surface;
• and
• one or more distance compensating mirrors arranged downstream of the rotating scanning element and configured to receive the offset and parallel first and second reflected output beams and directionally deflect the first and second reflected output beams in a manner that compensates for the difference between the first and second geometric path lengths of the input beam, such that a first total geometric path length of radiation from the radiation source to the skin via the first reflection surface and the one or more distance compensating mirrors is equal to a second total geometric path length of radiation from the radiation source to the skin via the second reflection surface and the one or more distance compensating mirrors.

A device for treating an area of skin by scanning radiation to form a pattern of treatment spots on the skin, comprising:

• a radiation source configured to generate an input beam;
• and
• a scanning system configured to scan the input beam to provide a sequential series of reflected output beams that form a pattern of treatment spots on the skin, the scanning system including:
• a rotating scanning element including a plurality of reflection surfaces, each configured to reflect the input beam in an angular direction to provide one of the reflected output beams, such that as the rotating scanning element rotates about an axis of rotation, the input beam is sequentially reflected by different reflection surfaces to provide the sequential series of reflected output beams;
• wherein the plurality of reflection surfaces receive the input beam at the same angle of incidence, and wherein the sequential series of reflected output beams propagating from the plurality of reflection surfaces are offset from and parallel to each other;
• and
• wherein each of the different reflection surfaces defines a different beam geometric path length between the radiation source and that reflection surface;
• and
• one or more distance compensating mirrors arranged functionally between the rotating scanning element and the skin, the one or more distance compensating mirrors being configured to receive the offset and parallel series of reflected output beams and directionally deflect each of the reflected output beams provided by the different reflection surfaces in a manner that compensates for the different beam geometric path lengths between the radiation source and the different reflection surface, such that a total geometric path length of radiation from the radiation source to the skin via each of the different reflection surfaces is the same.

A device for treating an area of skin by scanning radiation to form a pattern of treatment spots on the skin, comprising:

• a radiation source configured to generate an input beam;
• and
• a scanning system configured to scan the input beam to provide a sequential series of reflected output beams that form a pattern of treatment spots on the skin, the scanning system including:
• a rotating scanning element having an axis of rotation and including a plurality of reflection surfaces, each configured to reflect the input beam in an angular direction to provide one of the reflected output beams;
• wherein the plurality of reflection surfaces receive the input beam at the same angle of incidence, and output the series of reflected output beams offset from and parallel to each other;
• and
• wherein a first geometric path length of the input beam from the radiation source to a first one of the reflection surfaces configured to provide a first reflected output beam is different than a second geometric path length of the input beam from the radiation source to a second one of the reflection surfaces configured to provide a second reflected output beam;
• and
• one or more distance compensating mirrors configured to receive the offset and parallel first and second reflected output beams and directionally deflect the first and second reflected output beams in a manner that compensates for the difference between the first geometric path length of the input beam from the radiation source to the first reflection surface and the second geometric path length of the input beam from the radiation source to the second reflection surface;
• such that a first total geometric path length of radiation from the radiation source to the one or more distance compensating mirrors via the first reflection surface is equal to a second total geometric path length of radiation from the radiation source to the one or more distance compensating mirrors via the second reflection surface.