System for controlled spatially-selective epidermal pigmentation phototherapy with UVA LEDs

Abstract

The invention comprises a system and method for treating an exposed tissue of a patient with a light energy. A plurality of light emitting devices is optically coupled with a patient's tissue, to apply light treatments to the tissue. A driver circuit and a controller operate to drive the light emitting devices to output different intensities of light treatment to different sub-areas of the tissue being treated.

1 . A system for treating a tissue area of a patient with light, wherein the tissue area includes a plurality of sub-areas having different levels of melanin in the different sub-areas, the system comprising: 
 a plurality of light emitting devices optically coupled with the tissue area, the plurality of light emitting devices configured into different regions that correspond to the different sub-areas having different levels of melanin;    a driver circuit electrically coupled with the plurality of light emitting devices and operable to drive the light emitting devices to output different intensities of light treatment to the different sub-areas; and    a controller coupled to the driver circuit and operable to control the driver circuit to drive the different regions of light emitting devices to output different intensities of light treatment to the different sub-areas based on the different levels of melanin in the different sub-areas.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller operates to cause the driver circuit to drive a first region of light emitting devices, corresponding to a first sub-area of tissue having a first melanin content, to output a first light treatment, and to drive a second region of light emitting devices, corresponding to a second sub-area having a second melanin content, to output a second light treatment.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , further including: 
 a first light sensing device operable to detect light reflected from the first sub-area and generates a first signal corresponding to the reflection of light from the first sub-area, the first light sensing device being coupled to the controller such that the controller receives the first signal and based, on the first signal, causes the driver circuit to drive the first region of light emitting devices to output the first light treatment, which induces tanning in the first sub-area; and    a second light sensing device operable to detect light reflected from the second sub-area and generates a second signal corresponding to the reflection of light from the second sub-area, the second light sensing device being coupled to the controller such that the controller receives the second signal and based, on the second signal, causes the driver circuit to drive the second region of light emitting devices to output the second light treatment, which induces tanning in the second sub-area.    
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the light emitting devices are light emitting diodes.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the different regions of light emitting devices includes only a single light emitting device.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the different regions of light emitting devices includes more than one light emitting device.  
   
   
       7 . A system for treating an area of tissue, where the area of tissue includes a plurality of different sub-areas of tissue which have different characteristics, comprising: 
 a plurality of light emitting devices optically coupled with the area of tissue, the light emitting devices being configured into different regions, that correspond to the different sub-areas of tissue having different characteristics;    a light sensing device operable to sense an amount of light reflected from each of the different sub-areas;    a driver circuit electrically coupled with the plurality of light emitting devices for driving a first region of the plurality of light emitting devices to output a first light treatment to a first sub-area of tissue, wherein the first light treatment is determined based on a first amount of light reflected from the first sub-area, and driving a second region of the plurality of light emitting devices to output a second light treatment to a second sub-area of tissue, wherein the second light treatment is determined based on a second amount of light reflected from the second sub-area of tissue.    
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first light treatment induces a first amount of tanning in the first sub-area.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the second light treatment induces a second amount of tanning in the second sub-area.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first light treatment uses a wavelength below 400 nm.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first light treatment provides for an irradiance at least 100 mW/cm 2  for the first sub-area.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first light treatment provides for a first level of irradiance for the first sub-area, and the second light treatment provides for a second level or irradiance for the second sub-area and the second level of irradiance is less that the first level or irradiance.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the driver circuit is further operable to drive the plurality of light emitting devices to induce tanning in the area of tissue, such that the, tanning operates to provide for a more uniform distribution pigmentation in the area tissue than was present in the area of tissue prior to the induced tanning.  
   
   
       14 . A system for treating an area of tissue, the area of tissue including a plurality of different sub-areas of tissue which have different amounts of pigmentation, comprising: 
 a light sensing device for sensing an amount of light reflected from each of the plurality of different sub-areas; and    a plurality of light emitting devices optically coupled with the area of tissue, the plurality of light emitting devices operable to apply a light treatment to the area of tissue based on the amount of light reflected from each of the plurality of different sub-areas, wherein the light treatment operates to reduce differences in the amount of pigmentation in different sub-areas of tissue.    
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of light emitting devices apply the light treatment by generating a first amount of light to apply a first light treatment to a first sub-area of the area of tissue, and generating a second amount of light to apply a second light treatment to a second sub-area of the area of tissue.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of light emitting devices apply a first amount of light energy to a first group of sub-areas of tissue of the area of tissue, where the first group of sub-areas of tissue have less pigmentation than a second group of sub-areas of tissue to which the first amount of light energy is not applied.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the first amount of light energy induces a first amount of tanning in the first group of sub-areas of tissue.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the first amount of light energy includes light having a wavelength below 400 nm.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the first amount of light energy provides for an irradiance at least 100 mW/cm 2  for the first group of sub-areas.