ADJUSTABLE ILLUMINATOR FOR PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY AND DIAGNOSIS

Abstract

An adjustable illuminator for photodynamically diagnosing or treating a surface includes a plurality of first panels and at least one second panel. The plurality of first panels have wider widths and the at least one second panel has a narrower width. The narrower width is less than the wider widths. The illuminator further includes a plurality of light sources, each mounted to one of the plurality of first panels or the at least one second panel and configured to irradiate the surface with substantially uniform intensity visible light. The plurality of first panels and the at least one second panel are rotatably connected. The at least one second panel is connected on each side to one of the plurality of first panels. The second panel acts as a “lighted hinge” to reduce or eliminate optical dead spaces between adjacent panels when the illuminator is bent into a certain configuration.

Claims

1. A system for photodynamically diagnosing or treating a patient, comprising: an illuminator comprising at least five panels connected by hinged structures on inner side surfaces of adjacent panels; and light sources disposed on surfaces of the at least five panels, the illuminator being configured to uniformly illuminate a treatment surface of the patient via the light sources, one of the at least five panels being positioned as a center panel configured to face the treatment surface, and two or more of the at least five panels being configured to be angled relative to the center panel, wherein the at least five panels are positioned to allow treatment within approximately four inches of the treatment surface, and wherein each of the at least five panels has two first edges and two second edges shorter than the two first edges, and the light sources are arranged such that a higher intensity of light is emitted proximate the second edges compared to the intensity of light emitted not proximate the second edges.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the illuminator is configured to output red light at a dose of about 30 J/cm.sup.2 to about 150 J/cm.sup.2.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the illuminator is configured to output light at a variable irradiance density during treatment.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the illuminator is configured to output light at an irradiance density of 10 mW/cm.sup.2 to 30 mW/cm.sup.2.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the light sources are configured to emit light having a wavelength in a range of 400 nm to 700 nm.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least five panels are individually configurable to control illumination from each of the at least five panels.

7. A method of photodynamically diagnosing or treating a patient, comprising: administering 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) to the patient; positioning an illuminator proximate to the patient, the illuminator comprising at least five panels connected by hinged structures on inner side surfaces of adjacent panels; and uniformly illuminating a treatment surface of the patient with light sources disposed on the at least five panels of the illuminator, the at least five panels being positioned to allow treatment within approximately four inches of the treatment surface, wherein each of the at least five panels has two first edges and two second edges shorter than the two first edges, and the light sources are arranged such that a higher intensity of light is emitted proximate the second edges compared to the intensity of light emitted not proximate the second edges.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the illuminating comprises outputting red light during at least part of the time when the treatment surface is illuminated.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the illuminating comprises outputting blue light during at least part of the time when the treatment surface is illuminated.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising changing intensities of the light sources of the illuminator with a controller in accordance with information received from at least one sensor relating to a curvature of the treatment surface.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein: the illuminator comprises at least three first panels having first widths, at least two second panels having second widths, wherein each of the second widths of the at least two second panels is narrower than each of the first widths of the at least three first panels; and the at least three first panels and the at least two second panels are connected in an alternating manner such that each of the at least two second panels has a first lateral side connected to a respective one of the at least three first panels and a second lateral side connected to another respective one of the at least three first panels.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining a size of the treatment surface of the patient using a sensor.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining a shape of the treatment surface of the patient using a sensor.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising adjusting an overall light dose with a controller based on the determined size of the treatment surface.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising adjusting positioning of panels with at least one actuator based on the determined size of the treatment surface.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting an overall light dose with a controller based on the determined shape of the treatment surface.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting positioning of panels with at least one actuator based on the determined shape of the treatment surface.

18. A system for photodynamically diagnosing or treating a patient, comprising: a mobile base supported by at least four wheels; a pillar perpendicular to the base; a controller disposed to be supported by the pillar; an arm mounted to a top portion of the pillar; and an illuminator connected at an end of the arm, the arm being hinged to allow adjustment of a position of the illuminator relative to the base, the illuminator comprising: at least five panels connected by hinged structures to allow continuous illumination across the at least five panels, wherein the at least five panels are individually configurable to control illumination from each of the at least five panels, light sources disposed on surfaces of the at least five panels, the illuminator being configured to uniformly illuminate a treatment surface of the patient via the light sources, the light sources being configured to output light uniformly during at least part of a time when the treatment surface is illuminated, and one or more fans mounted to at least one of the panels.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein each of the at least five panels has two first edges and two second edges shorter than the two first edges, and the light sources are arranged such that a higher intensity of light is emitted proximate the second edges compared to the intensity of light emitted not proximate the second edges.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein one of the at least five panels is positioned as a center panel configured to face the treatment surface, and two or more of the at least five panels are configured to be angled relative to the center panel.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the light sources are configured to output blue light during at least part of the time when the treatment surface is illuminated.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the light sources are configured to output red light during at least part of the time when the treatment surface is illuminated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, which are briefly described below.

[0012] FIGS. 1A-1B show top views of a main body of an illuminator according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0013] FIGS. 2A-2B show perspective views of the main body of the illuminator of FIGS. 1A-1B.

[0014] FIGS. 3A-3B show detailed views of the nested hinges of the main body of the illuminator of FIGS. 1A-1B.

[0015] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the illuminator having the main body of FIGS. 1A-1B mounted to a stand.

[0016] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view illustrating an addressable configuration of LEDs mounted on the main body of the illuminator of FIGS. 1A-1B.

[0017] FIG. 6 shows a schematic view illustrating widths and lengths of individual panels of the main body of the illuminator of FIGS. 1A-1B.

[0018] FIG. 7 shows a graph illustrating light dosage across a treatment area according to a conventional paneled illuminator.

[0019] FIG. 8 shows a graph illustrating light dosage across the same treatment area as FIG. 7 using an illuminator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] FIGS. 1A-1B and 2A-2B illustrate one embodiment of a configurable illuminator according to the present invention. The illuminator includes a main body 100, which preferably has five individual panels 10a-10e, each of which are connected in a rotatable manner via nested hinges 50. Each panel contains an array of light emitting diodes (LED) 60, which may be configured in an evenly spaced pattern across the face of the panel. The number of individual LEDs arranged in a given array is not particularly limited. Alternatively, other types of light sources may be used, such as fluorescent or halogen lamps.

[0021] Preferably, each LED array 60 extends as far to the edges as possible. In addition, the LED arrays 60 are preferably dimensioned to provide an overall lighted area for a given treatment area based on a range from the 5th percentile of corresponding female sizes to the 95th percentile of corresponding male sizes for that particular treatment area. The LED arrays 60 emit light at an appropriate wavelength according to the intended treatment or to activate the particular photoactivatable agent used in treatment or diagnosis. For example, when ALA is used as a precursor of a photoactivatable agent for the treatment of actinic keratosis, the LED arrays 60 preferably emit blue light having wavelengths at or above 400 nanometers (nm), for example, about 430 nm, about 420 nm or, for example, 417 nm. However, the LED arrays 60 may also emit visible light in other ranges of the spectrum, such as in the green and/or red ranges between 400 and 700 nm, for example, about 625 nm to 640 nm or, for example, 635 nm. For example, the LED arrays 60 may also emit light having wavelengths of 510 nm, 540 nm, 575 nm, 630 nm, or 635 nm. In addition, the LED arrays 60 may be configured to emit light continuously or the LED arrays 60 may be configured to flash the diodes on and off based on a predetermined interval. Furthermore, the LED arrays 60 may be configured such that only one wavelength of light (e.g., blue) is emitted. Alternatively, the LED arrays 60 may be configured such that two or more wavelengths of light are emitted from the arrays. For example, the LED arrays 60 may be configured to alternately emit blue light and red light for treatment purposes.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1A-1B and 2A-2B, the five panels 10a-10e are of different widths relative to one another. In particular, in certain embodiments, three panels 10a, 10c, 10e are configured to have wider widths, while two panels 10b, 10d have smaller, narrower widths, each of the narrower widths of the two panels 10b, 10d being less than each of the wider widths of the three panels 10a, 10c, 10e. In some embodiments, the wider widths of the three larger panels 10a, 10c, 10e are approximately equal. In other embodiments, the wider widths of the three larger panels 10a, 10c, 10e are different relative to one another. In addition, the narrower widths of the two panels 10b, 10d may be approximately equal or may be different relative to one another. The panels are further arranged in an alternating configuration, with the narrower panels (e.g., 10b) positioned in between two wider panels (e.g., 10a, 10c). As shown in FIG. 6, in some embodiments, the narrower panels 10b, 10d are configured to have a width that is about 30% to 60% less than the width of the wider panels 10a, 10c, 10e. In other embodiments, the narrower panels 10b, 10d are configured to have a width that is about 30% to 50% less than the width of the wider panels 10a, 10c, 10e.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1A-1B and 2A-2B, the panels 10a-10e are rotatably connected by hinges 50. The hinges 50 may take the form of nested hinges, which may include hinges that substantially reduce or eliminate optical dead spaces. As shown in FIGS. 2A-2B, on at least one side of a panel, a tab 23 may extend out from both the top and bottom of the panel. The tabs 23 are configured such that a side of an adjacent panel may be received between the tabs 23, as shown in FIG. 2A. Thus, as best seen in FIGS. 2A-2B and 6, the height of the adjacent panel (e.g., panel 10a) is slightly smaller than the height of the tabbed panel (e.g., panel 10b) into which the adjacent panel is received. As shown in FIG. 6, the middle panel (i.e., panel 10c) is preferably configured as having the largest height, such that it is tabbed on both sides and may receive the sides of adjacent panels on each side. As seen in FIGS. 1A-1B, each of the tabs 23 further includes an opening to receive a bolt to connect adjacent panels together.

[0024] As shown in further detail in FIGS. 3A-3B, between the tabs 23 are the nested hinges 50, which are mounted to the inner side surfaces of adjacent panels (e.g., 10a, 10b) to allow for rotation of the panels. A flange 51 of the hinge 50 is mounted to the inner side surface of a panel via bolts 53. The inner side surface of a panel may include a recess in which the flange 51 may be placed. The inner side surface of the panel may also include an additional recess to accommodate the joint of the hinge 50 such that the joint of the hinge 50 becomes substantially flush with an outer front surface of the panel. Such configurations may allow for the outside vertical edges of adjoining panels to be positioned closer to one another. By spacing the vertical edges of adjoining panels closer, optical dead spaces may be further reduced or eliminated. In addition, the hinges 50 together with the tabs 23 may reduce the number of pinch points present in the system.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, the main body 100 of the illuminator may include a mounting head 40. The mounting head 40 may allow for the main body 100 to be mounted to a movable stand 80, which is shown in FIG. 4, to allow a user to easily move the main body 100 to the appropriate treatment position. The stand 80 includes a base 81 and a vertical pillar 82. The base 81 may further include wheels 87 at its bottom in order to allow the user to horizontally move the illuminator to an appropriate position. The wheels 87 may include locks, such that the stand 80 is prevented from further horizontal movement once positioned. In addition, the vertical pillar 82 may be attached to the base 81 at a pivot point 83. The pivot point 83 allows the vertical pillar 82 to be rotated to increase the range of positioning for the illuminator. At a top end, the vertical pillar 82 includes a connecting arm 85, which may serve as a mounting structure for the main body 100. The connecting arm 85 includes a hinge point 86 such that the main body 100 can be moved vertically relative to the stand 80. The vertical pillar 82 may also be configured as a telescopic structure, such that the user can change the height of the vertical pillar 82. This allows for an increased range of vertical movement for the main body 100, which can allow the user to position the main body 100 at lower portions of a treatment area, such as a patient's legs or feet. The stand 80 may also include a stabilization arm 84. Once the stand 80 and main body 100 is positioned, the stabilization arm 84 may be attached to the main body 100 to prevent unwanted movement of the main body 100 during treatment. As further shown in FIG. 4, a controller and power supply 90 is mounted to the stand 80 in order to supply electrical power to the main body 100 and allow the user to control the main body 100 for treatment purposes. Alternatively, the controller and power supply 90 may be directly mounted to the main body 100. In order to provide a cooling system for the LED arrays 60, one or more fans 70 may be mounted onto each of the panels, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0026] At least one control unit is also connected to the panels to regulate power to the lights to achieve the required uniformity and intensity for the target treatment. The control unit may be implemented as hardware, software, or a combination of both, such as a memory device storing a computer program and a processor to execute the program. Alternatively, each panel may have a dedicated control unit to regulate power to the individual LED array on a given panel to allow for more particular fine-tuning of the illuminator, which may further enhance uniformity and increase efficiency. For example, under Lambert's cosine law, light intensity at a given point on a “Lambertian” surface (such as skin) is directly proportional to the cosine of the angle between the incoming ray of light and the normal to the surface. Thus, a ray of light that is directed to the front of a curved surface (e.g., a head of a patient) will arrive in a substantially perpendicular manner to that area and will result in 100% absorbance. However, a ray of light that arrives at a side edge of the curved surface will arrive in a substantially parallel manner. According to Lambert's cosine law, the intensity, and thus absorption, of the light at the side edge will approach zero, making treatment at that area ineffective. Thus, a “fall off” of light exposure tends to occur at the edges of a curved surface. In addition, “fall off” increases as the distance between the light source and the point on the surface increases.

[0027] Configuring an illuminator to conform to the curved surface (e.g., a U-shaped configuration designed to “wrap around” the curvature of the surface) aids in reducing this effect and increases overall uniformity. However, to sufficiently increase uniformity, the light source should be larger relative to the target treatment area in order to fully encompass the body part to be treated and also provide light from all angles to any target point on the treatment area. In order to increase the uniformity of light exposure to the treatment area while maintaining a practical size of the illuminator, the LED arrays 60 may be individually configured to increase the intensity of light emitting from certain diodes to compensate for this fall-off effect.

[0028] An example in which the LED arrays 60 may be individually configured is shown in FIG. 5. Here, the LED arrays 60 are divided into three general areas, which may be described as “addressable strings.” Areas 1, 3, and 5 correspond to an addressable string configuration that may be included in the wider panels 10a, 10c, and 10e, while areas 2, 4, and 6 correspond to an addressable string configuration that may be included in the narrower panels 10b and 10d. The current to each area is adjusted in order to adjust the intensity of light emitting from each of the areas. For example, a higher current may be supplied to areas 1 and 2 than the current supplied to areas 3 and 4 such that areas 1 and 2 emit a higher intensity of light than areas 3 and 4. Similarly, a higher current may be supplied to areas 3 and 4 than the current supplied to areas 5 and 6. Thus, a higher intensity of light is emitted overall from the edges, which may allow for a reduction in any fall-off effect. Alternatively, the illuminator may be configured to adjust each individual diode present in a given LED array 60, allowing for an even greater fine-tuning effect. Furthermore, by using either pre-programmed settings or sensors to detect the curvature of the surface to be treated, the LED arrays 60 can be individually configured to emit more intense light to only those areas that require it. This allows for an increase in uniformity of light exposure in an efficient manner as power output and/or light intensity is increased to only certain diodes, in accordance with need.

[0029] The addressable strings of the LED arrays 60 may also include varying amounts of individual diodes mounted within the particular area. For example, for the wider panels 10a, 10c, and 10e, 12 diodes may be mounted in each of areas 1, while 9 diodes may be mounted in each of areas 3 and 41 diodes may be mounted in area 5, resulting in a total of 83 individual diodes included within each of the wider panels 10a, 10c, and 10e. For the narrower panels 10b and 10d, 8 diodes may be mounted in each of areas 2, while 9 diodes may be mounted in each of areas 4, and 23 diodes may be mounted in area 6, resulting in a total of 57 individual diodes included within each of the narrower panels 10b and 10d. However, the number and arrangement of diodes included within each of the LED arrays 60 is not particularly limited. For example, the wider panels 10a, 10c, and 10e may each contain a total amount of diodes that ranges from about 80 diodes to about 350 diodes. Similarly, the narrower panels 10b and 10d may each contain a total amount of diodes that ranges from about 50 diodes to about 250 diodes. By varying the arrangement of the diodes within each of the addressable strings of the LED arrays 60, power output and/or the intensity of light emitted from a given array may be better controlled and fine-tuned.

[0030] In addition, individually regulating power to the LED arrays 60 can also contribute to the reduction or elimination of the optical dead spaces that may otherwise occur at the hinge points. Specifically, power output and/or the emitted light intensity may be increased close to the edges of the array that are closest to the nested hinges to compensate for the lack of light emitting from the meeting point of panels. The narrower panels 10b, 10d are also preferably operated at a higher power level and/or at a higher emitted light intensity compared to the wider panels 10a, 10c, 10e in order to provide additional fill-in light. Furthermore, individual power regulation may aid in compensating for manufacturing variance that can occur in individual diodes. Finally, by fine-tuning each array 60, the panels can be easily deployed for other applications as each array is specifically configurable to address the lighting needs of the specific application.

[0031] The illuminator may further include a timer, which can indicate to the user the appropriate length of exposure time for the particular treatment. The illuminator may also be programmed with pre-stored light dosing parameters to allow the user to select a desired treatment type. The pre-stored parameters may include, for example, pre-stored settings for exposure time, light intensity, and outputted wavelength. Based on the selected treatment, the illuminator is automatically configured to provide the correct lighting dosage by being supplied with the appropriate power output to achieve the required uniformity for the treatment. Alternatively, the illuminator can be provided with sensors that detect the size of the treatment area positioned in front of the illuminator. The sensors then determine the correct light dosing parameters based on the sensed treatment area. The illuminator may also further include actuators and may be programmed to be moved automatically depending on the selected treatment. Once a treatment is selected, the illuminator may be automatically positioned into the proper configuration by the actuators without requiring the user to move the system by hand. Alternatively, the sensors may detect the adjusted position of the illuminator manually set by the user. The detected position of the illuminator may then be used to indicate the intended treatment area. Correct light dosing parameters for the specific treatment area may then be provided based on the detected position set by the user.

[0032] The adjustable illuminator of the present invention allows for an infinite amount of configurations that can be adapted for the targeted treatment area. The configurations may range from a flat-plane emitter (as shown in FIGS. 1B and 2B) to a substantially U-shaped configuration (as shown in FIGS. 1A and 2A). The adjustable illuminator may also be configured such that the two end panels 10a, 10e can be pulled back relative to the three middle panels 10b, 10c, 10d, such that a smaller U-shaped configuration may be created by the middle panels. Thus, the adjustable illuminator allows for the treatment of additional areas of a patient's body. In other words, not only can the adjustable illuminator effectively deliver a uniform light intensity to traditional surfaces such as the face or scalp, but the adjustable illuminator can also provide a device that can easily be configured to treat other portions of a patient's body, in particular, those having smaller curved surfaces, such as the arms and legs. Moreover, the adjustable illuminator may also be easily positioned to deliver a uniform light intensity to larger treatment areas, such as the back or chest.

[0033] As described above, the narrower panels 10b, 10d are dimensioned such that the panels act as “lighted hinges.” Thus, when the wider panels 10a, 10c, 10e are adjusted into the desired form, the illuminator “bends” at the narrower panels 10b, 10d, where traditionally the “bend” would occur substantially at the hinge itself. Thus, instead of an unlighted “bent” portion as would occur in the conventional illuminator, the present illuminator provides a “bent” portion that is also configured to emit light, thereby helping to reduce optical dead space without requiring large amounts of power differentiation among the light sources of each panel to provide the required fill-in light. The effects of this configuration can be best seen in a comparison of FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 illustrates the light uniformity produced by a conventional illuminator, measured with a cosine response detector, which mimics the response of a patient's skin to the incident of light as described above, at a distance of two inches. Total light dose, in terms of J/cm.sup.2, was measured based on emitted irradiance (W/cm.sup.2) over time (in seconds). The targeted treatment area shown is a patient's head, where height is shown as the y-axis and rotation angle from the center of the emitting surface is shown as the x-axis. As can be seen in FIG. 7, higher light doses of about 10 J/cm.sup.2 occur at the center of the face (for example, at region A), near the patient's nose, where the patient is facing closest to, and substantially perpendicular to, the middle-most panel. Total light dose then begins to drop as movement away from the center of the face occurs where the effects of cosine “fall-off” and optical dead spaces are more prevalent. For example, light dose is reduced by about 20% at the patient's cheek areas (for example, at region B), and by about 80% toward the outer boundaries of the patient's face (for example, at region E), such as the ears and forehead. Thus, as shown in FIG. 7, conventional adjustable illuminators utilizing equally-sized panels operating at the same power output level produce a varying field of light uniformity, making it undesirable and ineffective for those treatments requiring highly specific light uniformity.

[0034] FIG. 8, on the other hand, illustrates the light uniformity produced by an embodiment of the present invention. The targeted treatment area is the same as that measured in FIG. 7. However, compared to FIG. 7, the light output uniformity produced by the illuminator is greatly enhanced across the patient's face and exhibits little to no deviation from the light output measured in the center of the patient's face to the light output measured at the edges of the patient's face. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, total light doses of about 10 J/cm.sup.2 (for example, at region A′) occur across all regions of the face, including the center of the face (for example, the patient's nose), the patient's check areas, and the outer boundaries of the patient's cheek areas, such as the ears and forehead. Moreover, total light dose drops off minimally (for example, at region B′) at the extreme outer boundaries of the patient's face. In one embodiment, the measured output over the active emitting area (over the entire active emitting area) is within 60% of the measured maximum (over the entire active emitting area) measured with a cosine response detector over all operation distances. More preferably, the measured output over the emitting area is within 70% of the measured maximum over a distance of two and four inches. Even more preferably, the measured output over the emitting area is within 80% of the measured maximum over a distance of two and four inches.

[0035] One example of a treatment method for precancerous lesions, such as actinic keratosis, by PDT utilizing an adjustable illuminator described above in conjunction with ALA will now be described.

[0036] Essentially anhydrous ALA is admixed with a liquid diluent just prior to its use. The ALA admixture is topically applied to the lesions using a point applicator to control dispersion of the ALA admixture. After the initial application of the ALA admixture has dried, one or more subsequent applications may be similarly applied. Approximately 2 mg/cm′ of ALA is administered. Formation of photosensitive porphyrin and photosensitization of the treated lesions occurs over the next 14-18 hours, during which time exposure to direct sunlight or other bright light sources should be minimized. Between 14 and 18 hours after administration of the ALA, the lesions are irradiated by the adjustable illuminator according to the present invention. The illuminator irradiates the lesions with a uniform blue light for a prescribed period. According to a preferred treatment, the visible light has a nominal wavelength of 417 nm. The illuminator may irradiate the lesions with a uniform red light for a prescribed period. In certain embodiments, the illuminator irradiates the lesions with a uniform blue light for a first prescribed period and then irradiates the lesions with a uniform red light for a second prescribed period. For example, in some embodiments, the illuminator is configured to irradiate the lesions with a uniform blue light (e.g., 417 nm) at a low intensity (e.g., about 0.1 J/cm.sup.2 to about 2 J/cm.sup.2) to photobleach, for example, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) present at the surface of the patient's skin, and irradiate the lesions with a uniform red light (e.g., 635 nm) at a high intensity (e.g., about 30 J/cm.sup.2 to about 150 J/cm.sup.2) to activate PpIX present at deeper layers of the patient's skin, thus avoiding potential damage to the upper layers of the patient's skin. The illuminator may be configured to simultaneously irradiate the patient's skin with the low intensity blue light and the high intensity red light or sequentially irradiate the patient's skin with the low intensity blue light and the high intensity red light. In certain embodiments, the illuminator is configured to irradiate the patient's skin with the low intensity blue light for about one hour to about three hours and irradiate the patient's skin with the high intensity red light for about 20 minutes to about 30 or 40 minutes, either at the same time the patient's skin is irradiated with the low intensity blue light or after the patient's skin has been irradiated with the low intensity blue light.

[0037] The invention thus provides a method for photodynamically diagnosing or treating a contoured surface of a patient, which includes providing the adjustable illuminator described above, placing the patient in the illuminator, and illuminating the patient to diagnose or treat the patient. The patient may be illuminated to treat actinic keratosis, acne, photo-damaged skin, cancer, warts, psoriasis, or other dermatological conditions. The method may also be used to remove hair and diagnose cancer.

[0038] Since the total light dose (J/cm.sup.2) is equal to irradiance (W/cm.sup.2) multiplied by time (sec), the only additional parameter that needs to be controlled for delivery of the correct treatment light dose is exposure time. This may be accomplished by the timer described above, which can control the electrical power supplied to the LED arrays 60 appropriately, and which can be set by the physician. Data has shown that 10 J/cm.sup.2 delivered from a source with an irradiance density of 10 mW/cm.sup.2, or an irradiance density of about 9.3 to about 10.7 mW/cm.sup.2, produces clinically acceptable results for desired treatment areas (e.g., face, scalp, extremities). From the equation above, this light dose will require an exposure time of 1000 seconds (16 min. 40 sec). In addition, due to the addressable nature of the adjustable illuminator, the illuminator may be used to treat a patient at higher power such that less time is required for effective treatment. For example, the adjustable illuminator may deliver an irradiance density of 20 mW/cm.sup.2 for an exposure time of 500 seconds (8 min. 20 sec) to deliver a clinically acceptable light dose of 10 J/cm.sup.2. Alternatively, the adjustable illuminator may include higher power ranges, such as 30 mW/cm.sup.2, over an exposure time resulting in a light dose of 10 J/cm.sup.2. A selected light dose may also be administered by additionally or alternatively varying the irradiance density over treatment time.

[0039] Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative devices and methods, shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.