ASSEMBLY FOR PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY

Abstract

An assembly for photomedicine therapy comprising: (a) at least partially transparent body having an internal cavity; the internal cavity provided with input and output pipes configured for circulating a cooling agent via said internal cavity; and (b) at least one electrically energizable light source disposed within said internal cavity such that radiation from said at least one light source propagates to the ambient surroundings.

Claims

1.-8. (canceled)

9. An assembly for photomedicine therapy comprising: a. at least partially transparent body having an internal cavity; said internal cavity is provided with input and output pipes configured for circulating a cooling agent through a pump and a heat radiator via said internal cavity in a close-loop manner; b. at least one electrically energizable halogen lamp disposed within said internal cavity containing said cooling agent such that radiation from said at least one halogen lamp propagates to the ambient surroundings through said cooling agent while cooling said halogen lamp.

10. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein said cooling agent is an aqueous solution or a non-aqueous solution.

11. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein said solution further comprises a colouring matter.

12. A system for photomedicine therapy comprising: a. at least partially transparent body having an internal cavity; said internal cavity is provided with input and output pipes configured for circulating a cooling agent via said internal cavity; b. at least one electrically energizable halogen lamp disposed within said internal cavity of said body containing said cooling agent such that radiation from said at least one electrically energizable—halogen lamp propagates to the ambient surroundings through said cooling agent while cooling said halogen lamp; c. a cooling circuit further comprising a pump and heat radiator fluidly connected with said internal cavity in a close-loop manner.

13. The assembly according to claim 12, wherein said cooling agent is an aqueous solution or a non-aqueous solution.

14. The assembly according to claim 12, wherein said solution further comprises a colouring matter.

15. A method of providing photomedicine therapy to a patient, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing an assembly for photomedicine therapy comprising: i. at least partially transparent body having an internal cavity; said cavity configured for mounting a halogen lamp; said internal cavity is provided with input and output pipes configured for circulating a cooling agent through a pump and a heat radiator via said internal cavity in a close-loop manner; ii. at least one electrically energizable halogen lamp disposed within said cavity such that light from said at least one electrically powerable halogen lamp passes to the ambient surroundings through said cooling agent while cooling said halogen lamp; b. positioning said assembly adjacent a patient; c. illuminating said assembly for a period of time; and, d. circulating a coloured cooling agent within said body; wherein power density provided by the light source in a treatment plane is from 0.1 watts/cm.sup.2 to 2.0 watts/cm.sup.2 over an area of 60 cm.sup.2.

16. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein said cooling agent is configured to filter wavelengths below 600 nm and above 1300 nm.

17. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein the cooling agent comprises a colouring matter configured to filter undesirable spectral bands at blue, green and yellow wavelengths.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the assembly for photomedicine therapy according to the present invention, as to its structure, organization, use and method of operation, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be illustrated by way of example. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0029] FIGS. 1 and 2 are side and front schematic views of a first embodiment of the assembly for photomedicine therapy;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a sectional schematic view of a second illustrated embodiment of the assembly for photomedicine therapy; and

[0031] FIG. 4 is a schematic view an external cooling system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawings, it will be noted that FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a first illustrated embodiment of the assembly for photomedicine therapy according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of the assembly for photomedicine therapy according to the present invention. The assembly is equally applicable to humans and animals.

[0033] Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2, showing a first embodiment of assembly for photomedicine therapy 100 which comprises a body 105 having an internal cavity 110. The aforesaid cavity 110 is defined glass enclosure 140 where at least one halogen lamp 120 is mounted. Directing treating radiation 180 is assisted by reflector 130. Internal cavity 110 is sealed by silicon members 150. The aforesaid internal cavity is cooled by a cooling agent (not shown) circulating through cavity 110. The cooling system belonging to assembly 100 for photomedicine therapy is not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and will be described in detail below. The cooling agent is fed through inlet pipe 160 and exhausted through outlet pipe 170. A specific shape of the body 105 is dictated by a specific use and can be conformable to a configuration of an organ or a body part to be treated. Halogen lamp 120 is mounted within body 105 by means of standard bolting or other fastening means and energized by a source of electricity.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the present invention, assembly 100 for photomedicine therapy comprises valve 165 which is manually operable and used for controlling the flow of the cooling agent through cavity 110 of body 105 and close loop cooling system connected thereto (not shown).

[0035] Reference is now made to FIG. 3 presenting the second embodiment of the present invention constituting probe 100a where the glass enclosure 140 is configured as an elongate glass cover. Assembly 100a in the form of a probe can be used either externally adjacent human skin, or internally to exemplarily treat gum disease, an enlarged prostate, or uterine disorders.

[0036] Reference is now made to FIG. 4 showing a cooling system which is a portion of described above assembly 100 for photomedicine therapy. A cooling agent circulates within a cooling circuit including body 105, radiator 190, pump 220 which are connected to each other in series by means of pipes 240, 210 and 230. Radiator 190 is force-cooled by fan 200. Preferably, the cooling agent is an aqueous solution of colouring matter absorbing the lamp radiation at undesirable spectral bands (for example, at blue, green and yellow wavelengths). This combination has been found to work well, and is also inexpensive and readily available. The cooling agent is in heat conductive relation with the at least one electrically energized light source 120, for example, the halogen lamp 120, so as to cool the halogen lamp 120 during normal operation.

[0037] In use, assembly 100 preferably provided with halogen lamp 120, is energized by closing an electrical switch and or intensity control (raising or lowering voltage) (not specifically shown). Assembly 100 has an emission spectrum of between about 400 nm and about (or beyond) 3000 nm The light from the halogen lamp 120 is filtered by the cooling agent such that light having wavelengths in the range of about 600 to about 1300 nm passes through cavity 110 filled with the cooling agent and then passes through the elongate glass cover 140 to reach a patient for treatment. It has been found that with assembly 100 according to the present invention, the filtered light can penetrate approximately 6-8 centimetres into human tissue. Further, assembly 100a does not cause any burning of the skin of a patient, even with the use of a three hundred (300) watt halogen lamp 120 when assembly for photomedicine therapy 100 is adjacent the patient's skin.

[0038] It should also be noted that assembly 100 for photomedicine therapy according to the present invention is extremely quiet during use as there is no fan used in body 105.

[0039] As can be understood from the above description and from the accompanying drawings, the present invention provides an assembly for photomedicine therapy having reduced heat output, a very quiet assembly for photomedicine therapy having reduced heat output, a very quiet assembly for photomedicine therapy having reduced heat output that has no fan in the light emitting main body, wherein the assembly for photomedicine therapy is usable as a medical assembly for photomedicine therapy, wherein the assembly for photomedicine therapy is usable as a medical treatment light, that has significantly greater therapeutic light intensity than prior art assembly for photomedicine therapy, and wherein the assembly for photomedicine therapy is small and light-weight, all of which features are unknown in the prior art.

[0040] Other variations of the above principles will be apparent to those who are knowledgeable in the field of the invention, and such variations are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. For instance, the light assembly could comprise something more similar to a light bulb, or alternatively could be made from flexible plastic to enable it to be placed on the arm, leg or torso of a person, for instance. Further, other modifications and alterations may be used in the design and manufacture of the light assembly of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims.