Method and apparatus for photon therapy

Abstract

A photon therapy unit implement has a flexible head for conforming to a body part to be treated. The head has a thermally conductive backing to remove heat from the treatment area. The operation of the head is monitored by a photon detector to provide a feedback to the diode drive circuit to maintain the output at the required level. Operation of the head is monitored by a microprocessor which performs a diagnostic function and reports on defects. The treatment protocol is generated by a main control unit that formulates a treatment waveform from a set of treatment protocols. The selection of protocols is performed through a graphical user interface (GUI) which allows selection of treatment areas and customization of treatment as well as maintaining patient history and annotations.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1 . A photon therapy unit having a photon emitter, a drive circuit to drive said photo emitter, a photon detector to monitor emission from said photo emitter and provide a feedback signal indicative thereof and a control to modulate said drive circuit in response to variations in said signal and maintain said emission at a predetermined level.  
     
     
         2 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 1    wherein said detector is a photo detecting diode optically coupled to said photon emitter device.  
     
     
         3 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 1    wherein a control signal indicative of a desired level of emission is supplied to said control and said control compares said control signal to said feedback signal to modulate said driver circuit.  
     
     
         4 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 3    wherein a difference between said control signal and said feedback signal greater than a predetermined difference is detected by a diagnostic function.  
     
     
         5 . A photon therapy unit accordingly to    claim 4    wherein said diagnostic function includes a microprocessor and an error signal is generated by said microprocessor.  
     
     
         6 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 1    wherein a plurality of photon emitters are arranged in an array and said photon detector monitors are one of said emitters in said array to provide said feedback signal.  
     
     
         7 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 6    wherein said emitters are superluminous diodes.  
     
     
         8 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 6    wherein a plurality of arrays are provided each having a plurality of emitters and said detector monitors an emitter of one of said arrays to provide said feedback signal.  
     
     
         9 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 8    wherein a power sensing monitor monitors power delivered to said array and indicates changes therein to said diagnostic function.  
     
     
         10 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 1    wherein a control signal indicative of a desired level of emission and representative of a treatment protocol to be applied is supplied to said control.  
     
     
         11 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 10    wherein an amplifier is provided to amplify said control signal and thereby modulate said drive circuit.  
     
     
         12 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 11    wherein said amplifier is selectively operable to vary the gain applied to said control signal.  
     
     
         13 . A photon therapy unit having a treatment head including at least one of a photon emitter, a drive circuit to drive said photon emitting device, a control to modulate said drive circuit and a switch responsive to placement of said head on a treatment location with said emitter directed to said treatment location, said switch inhibiting operation of said control drive circuit until said emitter is placed on said treatment location.  
     
     
         14 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 7    wherein said switch is an optical sensor responsive to ambient light to determine placement on said treatment location.  
     
     
         15 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 13    wherein said switch is a proximity sensor responsive to contact with said treatment location.  
     
     
         16 . A photon therapy unit having a photon emitter, a drive circuit to drive said photon emitter, a control to modulate power supplied to said photon emitter and a power sensing monitor to identify changes in power supplied to said device and indicate such change to said control.  
     
     
         17 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 16    wherein said power sensing monitor senses current supplied to said device.  
     
     
         18 . A photon emitting device according to    claim 17    wherein said control includes a microprocessor and changes in said power supply are communicated to said microprocessor.  
     
     
         19 . A photon therapy unit having a photon emitter,  8  drive circuit to drive said emitter, and a control to modulate said drive circuit, said control including a microprocessor to monitor operation of said device.  
     
     
         20 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 19    wherein said microprocessor receives signals from a switch responsive to placement of said device on a treatment location and a power sensing monitor to monitor operation of said device.  
     
     
         21 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 20    wherein said switch inhibits operation of said photon emitter prior to placement on a treatment location.  
     
     
         22 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 19    wherein a photon detector is provided to monitor emission from said emitter and provide a feedback signal to modulate said drive circuit and maintain said emission at a predetermined level.  
     
     
         23 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 22    wherein said microprocessor compares said feedback signal and a control signal representative of a treatment protocol and generates an indication of a difference greater than a predetermined difference.  
     
     
         24 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 23    wherein said indication is provided to a remote location to display a warning.  
     
     
         25 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 19    wherein said microprocessor includes identification of said unit for communication to an external location.  
     
     
         26 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 25    wherein said identification includes operating parameters of said unit.  
     
     
         27 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 26    wherein a control signal is provided to said drive circuit representative of a treatment protocol to be performed, and transfer of said control signal is inhibited if said identification indicates incorrect operating parameters.  
     
     
         28 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 19    wherein said device is an SLD and said control includes a gain control to amplify control signals to said driver circuit, said microprocessor setting said gain control in accordance with operating parameters of said unit.  
     
     
         29 . A treatment head for photon therapy, said head having an array of photon emitters, a thermally insulating support for said emitters to maintain said array and a thermally conductive backing to secure said devices on said support, said backing thereby conducting heat from said devices and away from a treatment array.  
     
     
         30 . A treatment head according to    claim 29    wherein said support and backing is flexible.  
     
     
         31 . A treatment head according to    claim 29    wherein said backing has fins formed thereon to dissipate heat from said backing.  
     
     
         32 . A treatment head according to    claim 29    wherein a control circuit is located at one end of said head adjacent said array.  
     
     
         33 . A treatment head according to    claim 32    wherein a retaining band is secured to said head at opposite ends of said array.  
     
     
         34 . A treatment head according to    claim 33    wherein one end of said retaining band is secured to said head adjacent to said array at said one end to inhibit flexure of said control circuit upon tightening of said retaining band.  
     
     
         35 . A treatment head according to    claim 32    wherein a control panel is provided at said one end on an opposite side thereof to said diodes.  
     
     
         36 . A treatment head according to    claim 35    wherein said diodes are arranged in a plurality of discrete arrays arranged in seriatim and flexibly connected to one another.  
     
     
         37 . A treatment head according to    claim 36    wherein said arrays are connected by flexible tube extending between adjacent arrays, said tube containing electrical connections for each of said arrays.  
     
     
         38 . A treatment head according to    claim 37    wherein said tube forms a loop at an end opposite said one end for attachment of said retaining band.  
     
     
         39 . A treatment head according to    claim 35    wherein said support is flexible and said backing is molded from a thermally conductive material.  
     
     
         40 . A photon therapy unit comprising a treatment head having at least one photon emitting device therein, and a drive circuit to drive said device, a control unit to provide control signals to said drive circuit to implement a treatment protocol and a user interface to select a treatment protocol from a plurality thereof.  
     
     
         41 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 24    wherein said interface is a graphical user interface to permit access to a plurality of protocols stored on a database.  
     
     
         42 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 41    wherein said GUI permits selection of treatment protocols by identification of areas to be treated.  
     
     
         43 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 40    wherein said head includes an identification to advise said control unit of the characteristics of said head upon connection thereto.  
     
     
         44 . A photon therapy unit according to    claim 43    wherein said head includes a microprocessor to monitor operation of said head and communicate such operation to said control unit.