Scalp treatment device

Abstract

The invention provides a hand held hair treatment device for the stimulation of hair growth on the scalp, which device comprises: a housing which includes a handle portion and a head portion; a plurality of hollow tines, each tine having a proximal end affixed to the head portion, a longitudinal length extending from the head portion and a distal end terminating in a tip section; a light source disposed within the housing and configured to output light; light guide means for channeling the light from the light source through the tines, and optical devices which are located at the distal ends of the tines; characterised in that the optical devices are configured to spread light which is incident upon them in an outward direction from the distal ends of the tines and onto the surface of the scalp to be treated.

1 . A hand held hair treatment device for the stimulation of hair growth on the scalp, which device comprises:
 a housing which includes a handle portion and a head portion;   a plurality of hollow tines, each tine having a proximal end affixed to the head portion, a longitudinal length extending from the head portion and a distal end terminating in a tip section;   a light source disposed within the housing and configured to output light;   light guide means for channeling the light from the light source through the tines, and   optical devices which are located at the distal ends of the tines;   characterised in that the optical devices are configured to spread light which is incident upon them in an outward direction from the distal ends of the tines and onto the surface of the scalp to be treated.   
   
   
       2 . A device according to  claim 1 , in which the longitudinal lengths of the tines are formed from a substantially rigid material. 
   
   
       3 . A device according to  claim 1 , in which the tip sections of the tines are formed from a soft and flexible material. 
   
   
       4 . A device according to  claim 1 , in which the light source is a low power laser having a wavelength ranging from about 600 nm to about 1000 nm, and an intensity ranging from about 1 mW/cm 2  to about 150 mW/cm 2 , a light emitting diode having a wavelength ranging from about 620 to 690 nm, and an intensity ranging from about 1 mW/cm 2  to about 150 mW/cm 2 , or a combination thereof. 
   
   
       5 . A device according to  claim 1 , in which the light guide means is constituted by a system of optical fibres which extends from the light source or sources, into the tines and through the tines. 
   
   
       6 . A device according to  claim 1 , in which the optical devices are disposed in a region adjacent to the tip sections of the tines, in the direction of the head portion of the device. 
   
   
       7 . A device according to  claim 1 , in which the optical devices are configured so that they produce an array of circular light beam footprints on the target scalp surface.