METHOD FOR INCREASING BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLIC RATE OF EYE FUNDUS

Abstract

A method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of the eye fundus by (1) irradiating the eye fundus through the pupil by using red light or near-infrared light in a certain wavelength range, a certain energy density range and a certain irradiation time range; (2) once irradiation is complete, repeating the irradiating at intervals of a certain time range, using red light or near-infrared light in the same wavelength range and the same energy density range to irradiate the eye fundus through the pupil.

Claims

1. A method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of an eye fundus in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising (1) irradiating the eye fundus through the pupil with red light or near-infrared light of a certain wavelength range, a certain energy density range, and for a certain range of irradiation time; (2) once irradiation is complete, repeating the irradiating at intervals of a certain time range, with the red light or the near-infrared light of the same wavelength range and the same energy density range to irradiate the eye fundus through the pupil.

2. The method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of the eye fundus according to claim 1, wherein the repeating the irradiating is conducted multiple times.

3. The method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of the eye fundus according to claim 1, wherein the repeating the irradiating comprises irradiating the eye fundus through the pupil two to three times per day, and the irradiations are performed at an interval of at least two hours and for at least 30 days.

4. The method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of the eye fundus according to claim 1, wherein the red light or near-infrared light is low-intensity red light or near-infrared light.

5. The method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of the eye fundus according to claim 4, wherein the low-density red light or near-infrared light has a wavelength of 630 to 1000 nm.

6. The method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of the eye fundus according to claim 5, wherein the low-density red light or near-infrared light has an energy density of 0.5 to 25 J/cm.sup.2.

7. The method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of the eye fundus according to claim 6, wherein the low-intensity red light or near-infrared light is provided by at least one of a laser diode (LD), a light-emitting diode (LED), or a bulb.

8. The method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of the eye fundus according to claim 7, wherein the low-intensity red light or near-infrared light is provided by a laser diode (LD) that is at least one of GaAlAs LD, GaAsPa LD, or AIGALP LD.

9. The method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of the eye fundus according to claim 5, wherein the low-density red light or near-infrared light has an energy density of 0.5 to 15 J/cm.sup.2.

10. The method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of the eye fundus according to claim 4, wherein the low-density red light or near-infrared light has a light wavelength of 650 nm or 810 nm.

11. The method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of the eye fundus according to claim 1, wherein the irradiating in (1) is for a time of 150 s to 210 s.

12. The method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of the eye fundus according to claim 11, wherein the irradiating in (1) is for a time of 180 s.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0021] A method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of the eye fundus, including the following steps: (1) irradiating the eye fundus through the pupil by using the red light or near-infrared light of a certain wavelength range, a certain energy density range, and for a certain range of irradiation time; (2) once irradiation is complete, repeating the foregoing step at intervals of a certain time range, using the red light or the near-infrared light of the same wavelength range, and the same energy density range to irradiate the eye fundus through the pupil. Said repeating the foregoing step means that the eye fundus is irradiated through the pupil twice to three times per day, and the irradiations are performed at an interval of at least two hours, the number of days required is at least 30 days. Of those, low-intensity red light or near-infrared light is used as said red light or near-infrared light, said low-density red light or near-infrared light having a light wavelength in a range of 630-1000 nm. Said low-density red light or near-infrared light has preferably a light wavelength in a range of 650 nm or 810 nm. In Step (1), said irradiation time is in a range of 150 s to 210 s, preferably 180 s. Said low-density red light or near-infrared light has an energy density in a range of 0.5-25 J/cm.sup.2. Preferably, the energy density is in a range of 0.5-15 J/cm.sup.2. The light source of the low-intensity red light or near-infrared light includes, but is not limited to, laser diodes (LDs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), or bulbs. Preferably, GaAlAs LDs, GaAsPa LDs, or AIGALP LDs are used as said laser diodes.

[0022] Working Example 1: A patient with myopia, male, 7 years old, the axial length of right eye: 23.73 mm, spherical equivalent: −4.875 D; the axial length of left eye: 23.62 mm, spherical equivalent: −4.5 D. The method for increasing the blood flow and metabolic rate of the eye fundus used in this example has achieved the effects of delaying, inhibiting, or even reversing myopia. A low-density red light was emitted by a diode at a wavelength of 650±10 nm. The laser power at a distance of 100 mm from the light source is 1.07˜1.42 mW; the spot at the observation port is 10 mm±2 mm, and the energy density is in a range of 13-25 J/cm.sup.2. The aforesaid method of repeatedly irradiating the eye fundus with a low-density red light to delay, inhibit, or even reverse the myopia specially includes the following steps: A. irradiating the eye fundus through the pupil with the above low-intensity red light with the duration of each irradiation of 180 s; B. irradiating the eye fundus twice per day at an interval of at least 2 hours. The low-density red light irradiation lasted for 3 months. The axial length of the right eye is shortened by 0.16 mm, and the spherical equivalent diopter is reduced by 0.625 D. The axial length of left eye is shortened by 0.08 mm, and the spherical equivalent diopter is reduced by 0.25D.

[0023] Clinical experiments: the aforesaid method was performed in a total of 84 myopic children aged from 6 to 23, wherein the ratio of male to female was 1.08:1, and the duration of irradiation was 6 months. The annual change of the axial length for the right eye (one of the most important parameters for myopia progression) is −0.14±0.42 mm/y, and the annual change of the axial length of the left eye is −0.23±0.40 mm/y, indicating that the repeatedly irradiation of the eye fundus with low-density red light through the pupil can inhibit or even reverse myopia.

[0024] Working mechanism: a method of repeatedly irradiating the eye fundus with low-intensity red light and near-infrared light through the pupil is provided. Its underlying mechanism is the photophysical and photochemical effects produced by low-intensity red light and near-infrared light, improving the metabolic rate and blood circulation of ocular tissue, and increasing the repair effect of ocular tissue damage, including, but not limited to the remodeling of scleral fibroblasts and the repair of visual function cells, so as to achieve the effects of preventing, delaying, inhibiting or even reversing eye diseases, including but not limited to myopia, normal tension glaucoma, age-related maculopathy, diabetic retinopathy and retinitis pigmentosa.

[0025] The foregoing is the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and certainly it is not for the purpose of limiting the scope of the claims of the present invention. It is noted that persons skilled in the art can make modifications or equivalent substitutions on the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the protection scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.