SKIN TREATMENT METHOD USING MEDICAL LASER, HAVING IMPROVED TREATMENT EFFICACY

Abstract

Provided area an operating method for a laser device for skin, having improved treatment efficacy, or a treatment method for improving skin conditions. In the method according to an aspect, energy generated from a medical laser beam may be selectively transferred to a specific treatment area, which may be implemented in one device. Therefore, the method may contribute to improving the efficacy of laser treatment.

Claims

1. An operating method for a laser device for skin, the method comprising: a) determining an irradiation area of laser beams; and b) determining a depth of focus of the laser beams, and emitting any one laser beam selected therefrom, wherein a focus depth of the laser beams is formed between a position 5 mm inside a skin layer (−5 mm) and a position 20 mm outside the skin layer (+20 mm), relative to a skin surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the irradiation area is selected from any diameter in a range of 2 mm to 15 mm, on the basis of the skin surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein b) is emitting: a first laser beam having a depth of focus formed in a range of 2 mm to 4 mm (a range of −2 mm to −4 mm) inside the skin layer, on the basis of the skin surface; a second laser beam having a depth of focus formed in a range of 0.3 mm to 2 mm (a range of −0.3 mm to −2 mm) inside the skin layer; or a third laser beam having a depth of focus formed in a range of 5 to 20 mm (a range of +5 mm to +20 mm) outside the skin layer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein in b), the first laser beam, the second laser beam, and the third laser beam are sequentially emitted.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the laser beam has a nano-second or pico-second pulse width.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the laser beam has a wavelength of 530 to 1070 nm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the laser beam is a multi-spot laser beam and has spots of 300 to 500 pieces/cm.sup.2.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the laser device for skin comprises: a main body including a laser beam supply unit; and a laser beam irradiation unit which is connected to the main body and irradiates a laser beam to skin of a patient, wherein the laser beam irradiation unit comprises: an irradiating area adjustment unit; and a depth-of-focus adjustment unit.

9. A treatment method for improving a skin condition, comprising: a) determining an irradiation area of laser beams; and b) determining a focus depth of the laser beams, and emitting any one laser beam selected therefrom, wherein the focus depth of the laser beams is formed between a position 5 mm inside a skin layer (−5 mm) and a position 20 mm outside the skin layer (+20 mm), on the basis of a skin surface.

10. The treatment method of claim 9, wherein the irradiation area is selected from any diameter in a range of 2 mm to 15 mm, on the basis of the skin surface.

11. The treatment method of claim 9, wherein b) is emitting: a first laser beam having a depth of focus formed in a range of 2 mm to 4 mm (a range of −2 mm to −4 mm) inside the skin layer, on the basis of the skin surface; a second laser beam having a depth of focus formed in a range of 0.3 mm to 2 mm (a range of −0.3 mm to −2 mm) inside the skin layer; or a third laser beam having a depth of focus formed in a range of 5 to 20 mm (a range of +5 mm to +20 mm) outside the skin layer.

12. The treatment method of claim 11, wherein in b), the first laser beam, the second laser beam, and the third laser beam are sequentially emitted.

13. The treatment method of claim 9, wherein the laser beam has a nano-second or pico-second pulse width.

14. The treatment method of claim 9, wherein the laser beam has a wavelength of 530 to 1070 nm.

15. The treatment method of claim 9, wherein the laser beam is a multi-spot laser beam and has spots of 300 to 500 pieces/cm.sup.2.

16. The treatment method of claim 9, wherein the method is performed by a laser device for skin, the laser device comprising: a main body including a laser beam supply unit; and a laser beam irradiation unit which is connected to the main body and irradiates a laser beam to skin of a patient, wherein the laser beam irradiation unit comprises: an irradiating area adjustment unit; and a depth-of-focus adjustment unit.

17. The treatment method of claim 9, wherein the method is for pore improvement, removal of deposited pigmentation, scars, wrinkles or melasma, whitening, or skin regeneration.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0036] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of an operating method or a treatment method for a laser device for skin according to an embodiment.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a step-by-step treatment area and an operating principle of an operating method or treatment method for a laser device for skin according to an embodiment.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows the comparison result of evaluating skin reactivity according to focus depths (steps 1 and 2) of a laser beam according to an embodiment.

[0039] FIG. 4 is a diagram for confirming the change of the treatment area according to the energy fluence of a laser beam (1064 nm) according to an embodiment, in which: FIG. 4A shows a result of irradiating a laser beam #3 to skin; FIG. 4B shows a result of irradiating a laser beam #4 to skin; and FIG. 4C shows a result of irradiating a laser beam #5 to skin.

[0040] FIG. 5 shows a confirmation result of a change in a treatment area according to a laser beam (532 nm) according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0041] FIG. 6 shows a skin treatment result according to an embodiment, showing a change in treatment efficacy according to the energy fluence of a laser beam.

[0042] FIG. 7 shows a skin treatment result according to an embodiment, in which the treatment effect is confirmed at 4 weeks after one session of treatment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail through examples. However, these examples are provided for illustrative purposes only, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

EXAMPLE 1. EVALUATION OF SKIN REACTIVITY ACCORDING TO DEPTH OF FOCUS

[0044] In this example, by using the laser device for skin according to one embodiment, after irradiating the skin with laser beams having different depths of focus, the reactivities of the skin according to the laser beams irradiated were compared. Specifically, a laser beam marked as step 1 was set to form a depth of focus in a range of 2 mm to 4 mm inside a skin layer (a range of −2 mm to −4 mm), and a laser beam marked in step 2 was set to form a depth of focus in a range of 0.3 mm to 2 mm inside the skin layer (a range of −0.3 mm to −2 mm). Thereafter, the laser beams were applied to the skin, respectively, and changes in the skin were observed with the naked eye. Meanwhile, additional experimental conditions in this example are shown in Table 1 below.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 NO Wavelength Spot size Fluence R.R Step Mode #1 1064 nm 10 mm 1.5 J/cm.sup.2 5 Hz 1 PICO #2 1064 nm 10 mm 1.5 J/cm.sup.2 5 Hz 2 PICO

[0045] As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, it was confirmed that, even though laser beams having different depths of focus have the same irradiated area, differences in the treatment area, specifically, the target skin layer, were induced, and thus different reactivities were demonstrated in the skin different.

EXAMPLE 2. CHANGE IN TREATMENT AREA ACCORDING TO CONDITIONS SUCH AS ENERGY FLUENCE

[0046] In this example, by using the laser device for skin according to one embodiment, after irradiating the skin with laser beams having different energy fluences, the changes in the treatment area according to the laser beams irradiated were compared. Specific steps for the laser beam are the same as in Example 1, and after the laser beam was applied to the skin, the LIOB (Laser Induced Optical Breakdown) effect was histologically evaluated. Meanwhile, additional experimental conditions in this example are shown in Table 2 below.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 NO Wavelength Spot size Fluence R.R Step Mode #3 1064 nm 4 mm 6.0 J/cm.sup.2 Single 1 PICO #4 1064 nm 4 mm 2.8 J/cm.sup.2 Single 1 Nano #5 1064 nm 10 mm  0.3 J/cm.sup.2 Single 1 PICO

[0047] As a result, as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, laser beams having relatively low energy fluences (#4, #5) were able to transfer energy to deeper skin layers, compared to the laser beams having high energy fluence (#3), and the nano-mode laser beam (#4)) showed the same effect as above compared to the pico-mode laser beam (#3).

[0048] In addition, according to the conditions of Table 3 below, as a result of confirming the change in the treatment area according to the wavelength, as shown in FIG. 5, it was confirmed that a laser beam having a relatively short wavelength (532 nm) had a smaller cavity formed in the skin layer generated by the LIOB effect than a laser beam having a long wavelength (1064 nm).

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 NO Wavelength Spot size Fluence R.R Step Mode #6 532 nm 3.3 mm 0.45 J/cm.sup.2 Single 1 PICO

[0049] That is, according to the above conditions, it was found that the treatment area of the laser beam could be selectively adjusted.

EXAMPLE 3. EVALUATION OF TREATMENT EFFICACY ACCORDING TO LASER BEAM CONDITIONS

[0050] In this example, by using the laser device for skin according to one embodiment, the changes in the treatment efficacy according to conditions were compared. Specific steps for the laser beam are the same as in Example 1, and additional experimental conditions are shown in Table 4 below.

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Split Spot side Wavelength size Fluence R.R Pass Mode Step R 1064 nm 6 mm 0.7 J/cm.sup.2 5 Hz 3 Pico 2 L 1064 nm 6 mm 1.0 J/cm.sup.2 5 Hz 3 Pico 2

[0051] As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, in the area (L) treated with a laser beam having a high energy fluence, stronger edema and erythema appeared as the skin reaction immediately after treatment than in the area (R) treated with the laser beam having a low energy fluence, and a longer time was taken to recover to the original skin condition after treatment.

[0052] In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, as a result of confirming the treatment effect at 4 weeks after one session of treatment, the overall skin texture and skin color of the treatment area were significantly improved, compared to before treatment, and in particular, the improvement effect of the area (L) treated with a laser beam having a high energy fluence was more excellent, and the improvement effect of (L) was more excellent, and the treatment also influenced on the improvement effect of local pigmentation.