Light therapy systems and methods

Abstract

Devices and methods for light therapy wherein a device for delivery of light therapy comprising a light emitting pad member (e.g., a blanket or other body cover) is positionable over all, substantially all or at least half of a subject's body and operable to deliver light therapy thereto.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for delivery of light therapy, said device comprising:
 a pad member configured to extend over the body of a subject;   a plurality of light emitters configured to emit light from a light-emitting side of the pad member; and   a control unit; and   a user interface which comprises a treatment mode selector useable to select a light treatment mode from a plurality of available light treatment modes;   wherein the control unit receives signals from the user interface and, in response to those signals, sends control signals to the light emitters to cause the light emitters to emit light in accordance with the selected light treatment mode.   
     
     
         2 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein the user interface further comprises a pulse/non-pulse switch useable to select delivery of either pulsed or non-pulsed light and wherein the control unit is further programmed to cause the light emitters to emit either pulsed or non-pulsed light in accordance with user selection. 
     
     
         3 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein the control unit is further programmed to cause the light emitters to stop emitting light after expiration of a time period. 
     
     
         4 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein the light emitters comprise red, blue and infrared light emitters and wherein the plurality of available light treatment modes comprises:
 a first mode wherein the light emitted from the housing is primarily blue; 
 a second mode wherein the light emitted from the housing is primarily red; and 
 a third mode wherein the light emitted from the housing is primarily infrared. 
 
     
     
         5 . A device according to  claim 4  wherein the infrared light emitters emit near infrared light it a wavelength of, or of about, 880 nm. 
     
     
         6 . A device according to  claim 4  wherein the red light emitters emit light at a wavelength of, or of about, 640 nm. 
     
     
         7 . A device according to  claim 4  wherein the blue light emitters emit light at a wavelength of, or of about, 465 nm. 
     
     
         8 . A device according to  claim 4  wherein:
 when operating in the first light treatment mode, the blue light emitters emit blue light at a 1% duty cycle and the red and infrared light emitters will fade up from 1% to 90% in 20 seconds; 
 when operating in the second light treatment mode, the blue light emitters will fade up from 1% to 90% in 20 seconds and the red and infrared light emitters will fade up from 1.3% to 2.5% in 2.5 seconds; and 
 when operating in the third light treatment mode, the blue light emitters will fade up from 1% to 90% in 20 seconds and the red and infrared light emitters will cycle from 30% to 80% in 11.5 seconds. 
 
     
     
         9 . A device according to  claim 8  wherein the user interface further comprises a pulse/non-pulse switch useable to select delivery of either pulsed or non-pulsed light therapy and wherein the first light treatment mode delivers light at a pulse width modulation frequency of about 680 Hz when pulsed light therapy is selected. 
     
     
         10 . A device according to  claim 8  wherein the user interface further comprises a pulse/non-pulse switch useable to select delivery of either pulsed or non-pulsed light therapy and wherein the second light treatment mode delivers light at a pulse width modulation frequency of about 800 Hz when pulsed light therapy is selected. 
     
     
         11 . A device according to  claim 8  wherein the user interface further comprises a pulse/non-pulse switch useable to select delivery of either pulsed or non-pulsed light therapy and wherein the third treatment mode delivers light at a pulse width modulation frequency of about 80 Hz when pulsed light therapy is selected. 
     
     
         12 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein the pad member comprises:
 a pad; 
 a formable member; 
 a plurality of interconnected light-emitting circuit boards; 
 translucent circuit board cover members positioned over the light emitting circuit boards; and 
 a bezel having a plurality of openings; 
 wherein the light-emitting circuit boards and the formable member are positioned on a side of the pad, the translucent circuit board cover members are positioned over the light emitting circuit boards and the bezel is affixed to the pad with the light-emitting circuit boards aligned with openings in the bezel. 
 
     
     
         13 . A device according to  claim 12  wherein the formable member is positioned in an upper portion of the device. 
     
     
         14 . A device according to  claim 13  wherein the formable member comprises an arcuate mid-portion traversing between two generally triangular end portions. 
     
     
         15 . A device according to  claim 14  wherein rings are formed within each of the triangular end portions. 
     
     
         16 . A device according to  claim 15  further comprising apertures extending through the pad member and passing through the rings formed within the triangular end portions of the formable member. 
     
     
         17 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein the shapeable member is configured to be manually shaped to, and to retain, a plurality of different shapes which correspond to shapes of the shoulders, neck, chin and/or face areas of a subject. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising the steps of:
 obtaining or providing a device according to  claim 1 ;   positioning the device over all, substantially all, most, more than half or a portion of a subject's body; and   using the device to deliver light therapy to the subject.   
     
     
         19 . A light therapy blanket or body cover configured to cover all, substantially all or at least half of a subject's body and to deliver light therapy thereto. 
     
     
         20 . A light therapy blanket or body cover according to  claim 19  wherein all or part of the blanket or body cover is flexible or formable to a configuration which conforms to a shape of an anatomical portion of the subject's body.