A method for treating pelvic pain and or chronic prostatitis, and or overactive bladder symptoms. Energy, preferably in the form of infrared or near infrared wavelength light may be applied across the vaginal tissue or rectal tissue to treat pelvic pain and or chronic prostatitis. This method of energy application may cause local heating, alteration of cellular respiration, and alterations of local blood flow resulting in decreased muscle spasm, and or decreased pain, and or decreased overactive bladder symptoms. The method of the present invention may effectively treat chronic pelvic pain and or the symptoms of chronic prostatitis. The method of the invention may combine massaging of tissue with irradiation of same.

The present invention relates to an endoscope (2) having first conduction means configured to transmit electromagnetic waves between an illumination device (40) for illuminating an observation area (41) and a distal end (5) of the endoscope (2), and second conduction means configured to transmit electromagnetic waves between a therapy device (42) for treating a therapy area (43) within the observation area (41) and the distal end (5) of the endoscope (82). The endoscope is characterized by a third conduction means configured to transmit electromagnetic waves between an optical coherence tomography device (37) by means of which depth information about said area can be obtained during treatment of the therapy area (43) and the distal end (5) of the endoscope (2).

Methods and apparatus provide therapeutic electromagnetic radiation (EMR) for inactivating infectious agents in, on or around a catheter residing in a patient's body cavity and/or for enhancing healthy cell growth. The method comprises transmitting non-ultraviolet therapeutic EMR substantially axially along an optical element in a lumen of the catheter body and/or the catheter body. Through delivery of the therapeutic EMR to particular infected areas and/or areas requiring tissue healing., The methods and apparatus of the present disclosure inactivate the major sources of infection in, on, and around catheters and/or enhance healthy cell growth around catheters.

A process for heat treating biological tissue includes providing a plurality of energy emitters formed into an array. Treatment energy is generated from the plurality of emitters and applied to target tissue. The treatment energy has energy and application parameters selected so as to raise the target tissue temperature sufficiently to create a therapeutic effect while maintaining an average temperature of the target tissue over several minutes at or below a predetermined temperature so as not to destroy or permanently damage the target tissue.

A laser treatment head guides a laser beam to a target area within a body cavity and includes a laser output element having a deflection element. The laser output element with deflection element is rotatable relative to a guide element about an axis. First and second thread elements mutually engage to cause the deflection element to perform a combined axial and rotational movement relative to the guide element. A control unit and the laser treatment head are configured such that the target area is irradiated by individual pulses (p) in a helical pattern of irradiation spots over a section of the circumference of the body cavity. The control unit is further configured such that reference locations (X) on the target area are irradiated by an individual pulse number (N) of subsequent pulses (p), thereby heating the mucosa tissue within the target area to a predetermined temperature.

An irradiation device for insertion into an orifice of the body to provide photodynamic therapy comprises: a housing moulded from a resilient material and adapted to be fully inserted and secured in the orifice, the housing enclosing an LED lamp system 22 and a power source 41 for powering the LED lamp system 22; wherein the device is independently operational while located in the orifice; characterized in that: the housing comprises a first housing part 2 for holding the power source 41 and a second housing part 4 for holding the LED lamp system 22, the first and second housing parts 2, 4 being separable and being preferably formed separately from the LED lamp system 22; and in that the first housing part 2 consists of a chamber 6 for holding the power source 41 and an opening 26 into the chamber 6 is provided through a resilient opening part 8, wherein the chamber 6 is closed when the first housing part 2 is joined to the second housing part 4.

A process for heat treating biological tissue includes repeatedly applying a pulsed energy to a target tissue over a period of time so as to controllably raise a temperature of the target tissue to create a therapeutic effect to the target tissue without destroying or permanently damaging the target tissue. After the first treatment is concluded the application of the pulsed energy to the target tissue is halted for an interval of time. Within a single treatment session a second treatment is performed on the target tissue after the interval of time by repeatedly reapplying the pulsed energy to the target tissue so as to controllably raise the temperature of the target tissue to therapeutically treat the target tissue without destroying or permanently damaging the target tissue.

An irradiation device for insertion into an orifice of the body to provide photodynamic therapy comprises: a housing moulded from a resilient material and adapted to be fully inserted and secured in the orifice, the housing enclosing an LED lamp system 22 and a power source 41 for powering the LED lamp system 22; wherein the device is independently operational while located in the orifice; characterised in that: the housing comprises a first housing part 2 for holding the power source 41 and a second housing part 4 for holding the LED lamp system 22, the first and second housing parts 2, 4 being separable and being preferably formed separately from the LED lamp system 22; and in that the first housing part 2 consists of a chamber 6 for holding the power source 41 and an opening 26 into the chamber 6 is provided through a resilient opening part 8, wherein the chamber 6 is closed when the first housing part 2 is joined to the second housing part 4.

A system for sterilizing at least one surface of an object is provided. The system includes a set of ultraviolet radiation sources and a set of wave guiding structures configured to direct ultraviolet radiation having a set of target attributes to a desired location on at least one surface of the object. The set of wave guiding structures can include at least one ultraviolet reflective surface having an ultraviolet reflection coefficient of at least thirty percent. Furthermore, the system can include a computer system for operating the ultraviolet radiation sources to deliver a target dose of ultraviolet radiation to the at least one target surface of the object.

Systems and method relate to administering phototherapy. A device includes a hollow structure having at least a first open end. The hollow structure includes a rotatable member, one or more coherent light generators, and, for each coherent light generator, one or more lenses or mirrors optically connected to the coherent light generator and configured to alter at least one aspect of a beam of coherent light. The device further includes a processing circuit including a processor and a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to accept an input from an operator and generate one or more beams of coherent light according to a plurality of settings configured to produce a therapeutic effect at a targeted treatment site. Additionally, the rotatable member is configured to be rotated to direct the one or more beams of coherent light to the targeted treatment site.