Automated system for laser-assisted dermatological treatment and control method

Abstract

A system 100 for automated laser-assisted dermatological treatment is provided; the system includes a robot arm assembly 120, including a laser head 101 coupled to the robot arm 102 and a controlling unit 110. The system is configured to remove an undesirable dermatological condition from skin by directing laser energy to a pre-defined skin surface area intended for treatment essentially in an absence of human attendance. A method for real-time controlling an automated laser-assisted removal of undesirable dermatological condition from skin implemented by a system 100 and a computer program product for causing the computer to execute the method are further provided.

1 . An automated system for laser-assisted removal of an undesirable dermatological condition from skin, which system comprises
 a robot arm assembly, comprising a laser head coupled to an articulated robot arm, and   a controlling unit,   said system is configured to sequentially direct, via the laser head, laser energy to a number of pre-determined, individual portions of skin identified within the boundaries of a pre-defined skin surface area intended for treatment and at least partly comprising said undesirable dermatological condition,   wherein the controlling unit is configured to adjust positioning of the robot arm assembly with respect to each individual skin portion and directing laser energy thereto in real time,   said controlling unit is further configured to receive a series of parameter data obtainable from an at least one proximity sensor and an image acquisition device provided within the laser head and,   based on said parameter data, to issue a series of updated commands to each of the robot arm and the laser head continuously throughout the treatment.   
     
     
         2 . The automated system of  claim 1 , further comprising a processing unit configured to generate and store a virtual model of the pre-defined skin surface area intended for treatment, to identify a number of sub-areas within said model, wherein each sub-area corresponds to the individual skin portion within the boundaries of the pre-defined skin surface area intended for treatment, and to communicate the data on thus identified sub-areas to the controlling unit and/or the robot arm assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The automated system of  claim 2 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to update and adjust the stored model based on the series of parameter data received from the controlling unit and/or the robot arm assembly and to communicate thus updated and adjusted model data to the controlling unit and/or the robot arm assembly, wherein updating, adjusting and communicating the model data is executed in real time and continuously throughout the treatment. 
     
     
         4 . The automated system of  claim 2 , in which the controlling unit is combined with the processing unit. 
     
     
         5 . The automated system of  claim 1 , comprising within the laser head three proximity sensors disposed on a pre-determined distance from each other. 
     
     
         6 . The automated system of  claim 1 , wherein the laser is a Nd:YAG laser. 
     
     
         7 . The automated system of  claim 1 , further comprising a treatment platform for accommodating a patient. 
     
     
         8 . The automated system of  claim 2 , wherein each sub-area identified within the virtual model and each related individual skin portion within the pre-defined skin surface area intended for treatment constitutes one square inch. 
     
     
         9 . The automated system of  claim 2 , wherein dimensional calculations for each sub-area additionally include a pre-determined amount of spatial deviation for correcting errors caused by skin surface irregularities and/or degree of curvature thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The automated system of  claim 1 , configured for laser-assisted removal of a tattoo. 
     
     
         11 . The automated system of  claim 1 , configured for laser-assisted removal of the undesirable dermatological condition selected from the group consisting of: scars, birthmarks, moles, freckles, lentigines, solar lentigo and hyperpigmentation. 
     
     
         12 . A method for operating an automated system for laser-assisted removal of an undesirable dermatological condition from skin, which system comprises a robot arm assembly, comprising a laser head coupled to an articulated robot arm, a controlling unit and a processing unit, said method comprising:
 a. generating and storing a virtual two-dimensional model of a pre-defined skin surface area intended for treatment, identifying a number of sub-areas within said model, wherein each sub-area corresponds to an individual skin portion within the boundaries of the pre-defined skin surface area intended for treatment, and issuing a series of commands to the robot arm assembly to acquire a starting position with respect to the surface area intended for treatment;   b. for each individual skin portion obtaining a series of parameter data by means of an at least one proximity sensor and an image acquisition device provided within the laser head;   c. directing, via the laser head, laser energy to each individual skin portion;   d. based on the parameter data obtained at the method item (b) issuing a series of updated commands to each of the robot arm and the laser head continuously during executing the method item (c) for each individual skin portion;   e. repeating the method items (c) and (d) for each individual skin portion within the pre-defined skin surface area.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the method items (b), (c) and (d) are executed simultaneously within each individual skin portion. 
     
     
         14 . A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer code for causing the computer to execute the method items of  claim 12 .