Method and apparatus for EMR treatment

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for performing a therapeutic treatment on a patient's skin by concentrating applied radiation of at least one selected wavelength at a plurality of selected, three-dimensionally located, treatment portions, which treatment portions are within non-treatment portions. The ratio of treatment portions to the total volume may vary from 0.1% to 90%, but is preferably less than 50%. Various techniques, including wavelength, may be utilized to control the depth to which radiation is concentrated and suitable optical systems may be provided to concentrate applied radiation in parallel or in series for selected combinations of one or more treatment portions.

1 . A method of treating a subject's skin, comprising 
 applying treatment radiation to the skin so as to generate, following the application of the radiation, a plurality of treatment portions within a volume of the skin such that each treatment portion is separated from another treatment portion by an untreated portion of the volume, wherein said treatment portions comprise a fraction of said volume in a range of about 1% to about 50%.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said treatment portions comprise a fraction of the volume in a range of about 10% to about 30%.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of applying treatment radiation comprises focusing the radiation into said treatment portions.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of applying treatment radiation comprises applying treatment radiation of one or more wavelengths suitable for treating a vascular legion in said skin volume.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of applying treatment radiation comprises applying treatment radiation of one or more wavelengths suitable for treating a pigmented legion in said skin volume.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of applying treatment radiation comprises applying treatment radiation of one or more wavelengths suitable for remodulation of collagen structure in said skin volume.  
   
   
       7 . A method for dermatological treatment of a patient's skin, comprising 
 concentrating treatment radiation onto a plurality of columnar segments within a volume of the skin such that following application of the radiation each columnar segment corresponds to a treatment portion separated from another treatment portion by an untreated portion of said volume.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said treatment portions comprise a fraction of said volume in a range of about 1% to about 50%.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said treatment portions comprise a fraction of said volume in a range of about 10% to about 30%.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of said columnar segments extend from the skin surface to a depth below the surface.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the depth of columnar segments ranges from about 0.5 mm to about 4 mm.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein each columnar segment exhibits a cross-sectional diameter in a range of about 50 microns to about 1000 microns.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein each columnar segment exhibits a cross-sectional diameter in a range of about 100 microns to about 0.5 millimeters.  
   
   
       14 .- 17 . (canceled)  
   
   
       18 . A method for dermatological treatment of a patient's skin, comprising 
 applying radiation to the skin so as to generate, following application of the radiation, a plurality of periodically located three-dimensional treatment portions within a volume of the skin such that each treatment portion is separated from another treatment portion by an untreated portion of the volume.    
   
   
       19 .- 43 . (canceled)  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the treatment portions extend from the skin surface to a depth below the surface.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treatment portions comprise damaged portions.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting said treatment radiation to have one or more wavelengths in a range of about 1520 nm to about 1820 nm.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising applying the treatment radiation to the skin in a temporal sequence.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising employing a scanner optically coupled to a source of treatment radiation for applying the treatment radiation to the skin in said temporal sequence.