Ophthalmic Phototherapy Device and Associated Treatment Method

Abstract

An ophthalmic phototherapy device and associated phototherapy treatment method for promoting healing of damaged or diseased eye tissue. The ophthalmic phototherapy device includes a light emitting mechanism for transmitting light of at least one preselected wavelength to the eye tissue. The ophthalmic phototherapy method includes directing light of at least one wavelength for a selected period of time to a portion of damaged or diseased eye tissue, whereby the light transmitted to the damaged or diseased eye tissue stimulates cellular activity in the eye tissue to promote healing.

Having thus described the aforementioned invention, what is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ophthalmic phototherapy method for promoting the healing of retinal eye tissue exhibiting dry age-related macular degeneration, said method comprising the operations of:
 (a) diagnosing dry age-related macular degeneration in retinal tissue of a patient's eye;   (b) selecting a dosage of light phototherapy for treatment of the retinal tissue exhibiting dry age-related macular degeneration, said dosage being selected to modulate cellular activity in the retinal eye tissue to promote healing of the retinal eye tissue exhibiting dry age-related macular degeneration;   (c) providing a light source adapted to produce said selected dosage of light phototherapy;   (d) generating said selected dosage of light phototherapy; and   (e) modulating the cellular activity in the retinal eye tissue by directing said dosage of light phototherapy at the retinal eye tissue according to said selected dosage.   
     
     
         2 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 1 , said step of modulating the cellular activity in the retinal eye tissue including directing said dosage of light phototherapy at a closed eyelid of the patient's eye, such that said dosage of light phototherapy penetrates the closed eyelid and at least a portion of the dosage of light phototherapy penetrates the retinal eye tissue. 
     
     
         3 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 1 , said step of diagnosing dry age-related macular degeneration comprising the operations of:
 (a-a) generating an image of the retina of a patient's eye by performing a procedure selected from the group consisting of a fluorescein angiography and an optical coherence tomography; and   (a-b) inspecting the generated image to confirm the presence of age-related macular degeneration in the retina of the patient's eye.   
     
     
         4 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 1 , wherein said operation of selecting a dosage of light phototherapy includes:
 (b-a) selecting a first beam of light exhibiting a first selected wavelength and having a selected intensity and a selected duration, said selected intensity being sufficient to penetrate into the retinal eye tissue, said selected intensity and duration being sufficient to deliver a first selected energy to the retinal eye tissue; and   (b-b) selecting a second beam of light exhibiting said first selected wavelength and at least a second selected wavelength, said second beam of light having a selected intensity and a selected duration, said selected intensity being sufficient to penetrate into the retinal eye tissue, said selected intensity and duration being sufficient to deliver a second selected energy to the retinal eye tissue.   
     
     
         5 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 4 , said operations of generating said selected dosage of light phototherapy and modulating the cellular activity in the retinal eye tissue further comprising:
 (d) generating said first beam of light;   (e) modulating the cellular activity in the retinal eye tissue by directing said first beam of light into the retinal eye tissue;   (f) generating said second beam of light; and   (g) further modulating the cellular activity in the retinal eye tissue by directing said second beam of light into the retinal eye tissue.   
     
     
         6 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 5 , wherein said first selected beam of light is a continuous beam of light and said second beam of light is a pulsing beam of light. 
     
     
         7 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 6 , wherein said pulsing second beam of light has a duty cycle between approximately 30% on and 70% off, and approximately 70% on and 30% off. 
     
     
         8 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 7 , wherein said pulsing second beam of light has a duty cycle of approximately 250 milliseconds on and approximately 150 milliseconds off. 
     
     
         9 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 6 , wherein said first selected wavelength is between approximately 580 nm and approximately 680 nm. 
     
     
         10 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 6 , wherein said first selected wavelength is approximately 670 nm. 
     
     
         11 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 9 , wherein said second selected wavelength is between approximately 850 nm and approximately 950 nm. 
     
     
         12 . An ophthalmic phototherapy method for promoting the healing of retinal eye tissue exhibiting dry age-related macular degeneration, said method comprising the operations of:
 (a) diagnosing dry age-related macular degeneration in retinal tissue of a patient's eye;   (b) modulating the cellular activity in the diagnosed retinal eye tissue by directing a continuous beam of light into the diagnosed retinal eye tissue, said continuous beam of light comprising light of a first wavelength and having a first duration and a first intensity such that said continuous beam of light delivers a first energy to the diagnosed retinal eye tissue; and   (c) further modulating the cellular activity in the diagnosed retinal eye tissue by directing a pulsing beam of light into the diagnosed retinal eye tissue, said pulsing beam comprising light of said first wavelength and at least a second wavelength and having a second duration and a second intensity such that said pulsing beam of light delivers a second energy to the diagnosed retinal eye tissue;   whereby the cellular activity in the diagnosed retinal eye tissue is modulated to promote healing of the diagnosed retinal eye tissue.   
     
     
         13 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 12 , said step of diagnosing dry age-related macular degeneration comprising the operations of:
 (a-a) generating an image of the retina of a patient's eye by performing a procedure selected from the group consisting of a fluorescein angiography and an optical coherence tomography; and   (a-b) inspecting the generated image to confirm the presence of age-related macular degeneration in the retina of the patient's eye.   
     
     
         14 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 12 , wherein said first wavelength is between approximately 580 nm and approximately 680 nm. 
     
     
         15 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 14 , wherein said first wavelength is approximately 670 nm. 
     
     
         16 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 14 , wherein said first duration is between approximately 80 seconds and approximately 90 seconds. 
     
     
         17 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 16 , said pulsing beam comprising light of a first wavelength between approximately 580 nm and approximately 680 nm and a second wavelength between approximately 850 nm and approximately 950 nm. 
     
     
         18 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 17 , said pulsing beam having a duty cycle of approximately 250 milliseconds on and approximately 150 milliseconds off and a duration of between approximately 35 seconds and approximately 45 seconds. 
     
     
         19 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 18 , wherein each of said continuous beam and said pulsing beam is directed at a closed eyelid of the patient's eye, such that each of said continuous beam and said pulsing beam penetrates the closed eyelid and at least a portion of each of said continuous beam and said pulsing beam penetrates the retinal eye tissue. 
     
     
         20 . The ophthalmic phototherapy method of  claim 19 , said first intensity being such that said continuous beam applies approximately 4 joules per square centimeter to the patient's eyelid, said second intensity being such that said pulsing beam applies approximately 0.11 joules per square centimeter to the patient's eyelid.