Laser device for laser treatment of skin lesions under dermal vasoconstriction

Abstract

The present invention provides a laser device that minimizes side effects after laser treatment, such as pigmentation and erythema, by using a cooling device to induce vasoconstriction in order to minimize inflammation caused by laser irradiation to normal tissue and capillaries when treating skin pigmentation disorders using a laser, and by allowing laser treatment to be performed on the skin lesion area while the blood vessels are constricted. Furthermore, the present invention provides a laser device that minimizes side effects of laser treatment by acquiring and analyzing images of the skin lesion area under vasoconstriction caused by the cooling device, thereby enabling rapid and accurate completion of laser treatment targeting the lesion area.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for treating skin lesions using a laser, and more specifically, to a laser device that temporarily constricts blood vessels and enables laser treatment under the constriction of blood vessels during the treatment of pigmented skin diseases such as age spots, melasma, freckles, and nevi, or vascular skin diseases and skin cancer. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of dermatology, laser procedures are widely used for the removal of vascular and pigmented skin conditions, tattoos, and benign tumors. Among these, the most commonly treated conditions with lasers are pigmented skin conditions such as seborrheic keratosis, melasma, ephelis, solar lentigo, melanocytic nevus, and dermal melanocytosis.

[0003] Pigmented skin disorders are a type of skin discoloration caused by an excessive increase in the amount of melanin within the skin tissue. Melanin is biosynthesized in dendritic cells called melanocytes located between the cells of the skin's basal layer. Melanocytes are pigment-forming cells that produce melanin, and a condition can be diagnosed as a pigmented skin disorder when the amount of melanin is excessive or when it is distributed in locations where it would not normally be present. These pigmented skin disorders are sometimes accompanied by pathological changes in elements such as epidermal proliferation or atrophy, or various skin appendages of the dermis.

[0004] The cause of an excessive increase in melanin is the abnormal production of melanin due to skin exposure to ultraviolet rays and inflammation. If melanin is produced excessively, or if existing melanin migrates excessively to keratinocytes due to stimulation, it can cause various pigment disorders or worsen existing ones.

[0005] Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is a response of epidermal melanocytes and various cells composing the dermis to skin irritation, resulting from the abnormal distribution or increase of melanin in wounded tissue. The excessive production of melanin consequently causes excessive pigmentation in the inflamed area. The duration of this pigmentation can be influenced by local or systemic factors and, in some cases, may persist for a long period ranging from several months to several years.

[0006] With recent advancements in laser technology, a diverse range of therapeutic laser devices for treating skin diseases are being developed. Laser treatment for pigmented skin conditions is a method that selectively destroys melanin pigments in the epidermal and dermal layers using high-output energy, while minimizing skin tissue damage by shortening the exposure time of laser energy to the skin.

[0007] While laser treatment for pigmented skin conditions is clearly a safe and effective procedure, lasers can cause various side effects depending on the type of procedure.

[0008] Immediately after laser treatment, blisters, scabs, bacterial infections, and hypersensitivity to anesthetic ointments may occur, and after treatment, side effects such as erythema, pigmentation, and scarring may persist for a long time.

[0009] The cause of reactions following laser treatment is a local inflammatory response triggered by damage to various cells that make up the skin tissue. Damage to capillary loops located in the papillary dermis, the subsequent migration of inflammatory cells within the blood vessels to local areas, and the persistent inflammatory response caused by these migrated cells lead to side effects such as post-laser hyperpigmentation (PIH) and post-laser erythema (PLE).

[0010] Although there is a method to minimize capillary damage by using pharmacological methods (local anesthetics, injectable anesthetics) in combination with laser treatment to minimize side effects during laser treatment for pigmented skin diseases, the problem is that there is currently no clinically satisfactory method due to insufficient effectiveness.

[0011] [Prior Art Literature]

[0012] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2038941

[0013] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1997891

[0014] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0138207

[0015] Japanese Patent Publication No. 6185580 The problem to be solved

[0016] The present invention aims to provide a laser device that minimizes side effects after laser treatment, such as pigmentation and erythema, by using a cooling device to induce vasoconstriction in order to minimize inflammation caused by laser irradiation to normal tissue and capillaries when treating skin pigmentation disorders using a laser, and by allowing laser treatment to be performed on the skin lesion area while the blood vessels are constricted.

[0017] In addition, the present invention is intended to provide a laser device that can minimize side effects of laser treatment by acquiring and analyzing images of a skin lesion area under vasoconstriction of the skin lesion area by a cooling device, thereby enabling rapid and accurate completion of laser treatment targeting the lesion area. means of solving the problem

[0018] A laser device capable of treating skin lesions under vasoconstriction according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a laser source; a light-transmitting member having an upper surface forming a laser-transmitting surface and a lower surface forming a skin-contacting surface that contacts a lesion area of ​​the skin, wherein a therapeutic laser beam from the laser source is transmitted from the laser-transmitting surface to the skin-contacting surface; a cooling unit that cools the skin-contacting surface of the light-transmitting member to cause vasoconstriction through cooling of the skin contact area with respect to the skin-contacting surface; and a control unit that controls the cooling unit to cause vasoconstriction of the skin contact area and controls the laser source to cause the therapeutic laser beam to be irradiated onto the lesion of the skin contact area under vasoconstriction.

[0019] Additionally, preferably, the light-transmitting member comprises a first light-transmitting part having an upper surface that forms the laser-transmitting surface and a second light-transmitting part provided at the lower end of the first light-transmitting part having a lower surface that forms the skin contact surface, wherein the second light-transmitting part having the skin contact surface is configured to have a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the first light-transmitting part.

[0020] Additionally, preferably, the cooling unit comprises a thermoelectric element and a conductive member having one side to which the thermoelectric element is attached and the other side to which the second light-transmitting part is attached, thereby cooling the second light-transmitting part by the thermoelectric element through heat conduction.

[0021] Additionally, preferably, the light-transmitting member comprises a first light-transmitting part having an upper surface that forms the laser-transmitting surface, a second light-transmitting part provided at the bottom of the first light-transmitting part having a lower surface that forms the skin contact surface, and a beam splitter provided between the first light-transmitting part and the second light-transmitting part that transmits the laser beam and reflects reflected light from the skin contact surface to one side, and further comprises a camera that acquires an image of the contact area of ​​the skin in contact with the skin contact surface from the reflected light reflected by the beam splitter.

[0022] Additionally, preferably, the apparatus further includes a light control unit for controlling the target position of a laser beam transmitted through the light-transmitting member, wherein the control unit specifies the location of a skin lesion through the analysis of an image acquired by the camera, and controls the light control unit with the specified location on the skin lesion as the target position so that the laser beam is irradiated at the target position.

[0023] Additionally, preferably, the conductive member is characterized by including a conductive base attached to the heat absorption plate of the thermoelectric element to transfer heat, and a conductive bridge configured to cool the second light-transmitting part through heat transfer between the conductive base and the second light-transmitting part and to form a space between the conductive base and the second light-transmitting part.

[0024] Additionally, preferably, the space between the conductive base and the second light-transmitting part is filled with an insulating material.

[0025] Additionally, preferably, the light-transmitting member is characterized by being composed of a first light-transmitting block and a second light-transmitting block having different heat transfer coefficients, which are alternately stacked from the laser-transmitting surface to the skin-contact surface.

[0026] Additionally, preferably, the method further includes a temperature maintaining means for maintaining the temperature of the light-transmitting member within a set range to prevent or delay fogging on the light-transmitting member by the cooling unit.

[0027] Additionally, preferably, the invention further includes a heater attached to one side of the light-transmitting member, and the control unit is characterized by controlling the heater to prevent or delay fogging on the light-transmitting member by the cooling unit. Effects of the invention

[0028] A laser device capable of treating skin lesions under vasoconstriction according to the present invention has the effect of minimizing side effects after laser treatment, such as pigmentation and erythema, by using a cooling device to induce vasoconstriction in order to minimize inflammation caused by laser irradiation to normal tissue and capillaries when treating skin pigmentation disorders using a laser, and by allowing laser treatment to be performed on the skin lesion area while the blood vessels are constricted.

[0029] In addition, the present invention has the effect of minimizing side effects of laser treatment by acquiring and analyzing images of the skin lesion area under vasoconstriction of the skin lesion area by a cooling device, thereby enabling rapid and accurate completion of laser treatment targeting the lesion area.

[0030] In addition, the present invention can prevent or significantly delay fogging on the light-transmitting member by means of a cooling device, thereby enabling stable collection of lesion images and stable laser treatment using the same. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0031] Figure 1 (a) is a diagram showing the configuration and control system of a laser device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a diagram showing the laser device shown in (a) viewed from the side. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration and control system of a laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the process of a camera of a laser device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 locating the position of a skin lesion through the analysis of an image of the contact area and performing laser treatment thereon. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration and control system of a laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an improved configuration of a cooling unit for solving the fogging problem of a laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating an improved configuration of a cooling unit for solving the fogging problem of a laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of a laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0032] Specific details regarding a laser device capable of treating skin lesions under vasoconstriction according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0033] When treating the skin with a laser, the target chromophore varies depending on the laser (Selective Photothermolysis, SPTL), but this is not absolute and is only relative; in actual clinical practice, regardless of the laser, it is absorbed to a certain degree by all targets and causes a reaction.

[0034] For example, when a laser for pigment treatment is applied targeting a chromophore called melanin, it might seem that only the melanocytes that produce melanin would be selectively destroyed. However, in reality, since melanin is already delivered in large quantities to keratinocytes in several layers of the epidermis through melanosomes, not only melanocytes but also keratinocytes, which make up most of the epidermis, are naturally damaged to a certain extent by the laser energy, and consequently, the secretion of inflammatory cytokines by keratinocytes is inevitable.

[0035] When performing actual laser treatment, SPTL cannot be absolute because, in addition to the inherent characteristics of the laser wavelength itself, conditions such as beam diameter, fluence, pulse duration, and stacking / overlapping vary.

[0036] If the fluence is increased beyond a certain level or overlapped, regardless of the laser, pinpoint hemorrhages will eventually appear and dermal edema will develop. Naturally, the more severe the skin reaction to these changes, the higher the likelihood of various side effects following laser treatment, such as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), persistent erythema (PIE), and scarring changes and textural deformities.

[0037] And the violent inflammatory response caused by such pinpoint hemorrhages and dermal edema is particularly pronounced in the Q-switched 532nm laser among various Q-switched lasers, because vascular damage to the papillary dermis occurs more easily even at low energy due to the wavelength's high absorption of not only melanin but also hemoglobin chromophores.

[0038] Therefore, all types of lasers irradiated onto the skin inevitably cause some damage to the capillaries located in the papillary dermis, and increasing the fluence increases the degree of capillary damage accordingly.

[0039] Therefore, in order to achieve the desired therapeutic effect while minimizing local skin reactions caused by the laser, a method is needed to preserve capillaries as much as possible.

[0040] An important point in preserving capillaries is that the chromophore that responds to the laser is not the capillary itself.

[0041] Since the chromophore of the laser is not the blood vessel wall itself that constitutes the capillary, but rather the hemoglobin (oxy / deoxy Hb, 'The moving chromophore') inside the red blood cells moving through the capillary, if the amount of red blood cells flowing through the capillary can be temporarily minimized during the laser's oscillation time, the chromophore reacting to the laser energy is reduced, thereby minimizing the effect of the laser energy on the capillary through the red blood cells.

[0042] As a method to minimize damage to capillaries caused by laser energy, artificially supercooling the lesion area immediately before the procedure and during laser irradiation causes a reflex action by the autonomic nervous system to maintain body temperature for a short period of time, causing the precapillary sphincter, which transmits blood flow to the capillaries of the papillary dermis, to temporarily contract, resulting in blood flowing only through the superficial vascular plexus.

[0043] When red blood cells decrease in the capillaries of the papillary dermis, the chromophores that respond to the laser are reduced, resulting in a smaller reaction. Consequently, damage to the capillary walls is minimized, which reduces the amount of inflammatory cells migrating to the local area through the blood vessels, thereby significantly reducing the inflammatory response in the local area where the laser was irradiated.

[0044] Preserving blood vessels and tissues around the papillary dermis and minimizing damage means that normal wound regeneration can be induced more quickly.

[0045] The laser device according to the present invention is characterized by having a configuration that allows treatment by irradiating a laser beam onto a skin lesion while maintaining a state in which the lesion area of ​​the skin is artificially cooled immediately before and during laser treatment, thereby constricting blood vessels and consequently reducing red blood cells in the capillaries of the papillary dermis layer and decreasing the chromophores that respond to the laser.

[0046] As such, a laser treatment for skin pigmentation disorders using a laser device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be applied to all pigmentation skin disorders, such as difficult-to-treat pigmentation skin disorders (solar lentigines, nevus of Ota, bilateral nevus of Ota, giant congenital nevus, etc.), while reducing side effects of laser treatment (pigmentation, burns, erythema, scars, etc.).

[0047] In addition, since dermal pigmentation disorders can be treated without hyperpigmentation or damage to the epidermis, the number of treatment sessions can be reduced. By increasing the laser output intensity during treatment, the time required for complete recovery can be shortened, and excellent treatment effects can be achieved.

[0048] In addition, since the fluence can be increased much higher than usual intensity, epidermal pigmented lesions that are light in color due to relatively little melanin pigmentation, seborrheic keratosis or solar lentigines that are slightly thickened due to clonal proliferation of the epidermis can be easily treated without serious side effects.

[0049] Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of a laser device capable of treating skin lesions under vasoconstriction according to various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0050] First, with reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of a laser device capable of treating skin lesions under vasoconstriction according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0051] Figure 1 (a) is a diagram showing the configuration of a laser device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a diagram showing the laser device shown in (a) viewed from the side.

[0052] As illustrated in FIG. 1 (a) and (b), a laser device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a laser source (200), a light-transmitting member (300), a cooling unit (400, 500), and a control unit (M).

[0053] The above laser source (200) is a component that emits a laser, which is mainly used for treating skin lesions, such as pigmented skin diseases as described above.

[0054] The laser generated by the above laser source (200) may include lasers such as Ruby, Alexandrite, and Nd:YAG, and preferably includes an Nd:YAG laser capable of emitting two wavelengths for the treatment of pigmented lesions caused by melanin in the dermis and epidermis.

[0055] The light-transmitting member (300) is a component that guides the laser beam (La) to pass through from the top surface to the bottom surface, as shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 1.

[0056] The light-transmitting member (300) has an upper surface forming a laser-transmitting surface (315) and a lower surface forming a skin contact surface (325) that contacts a lesion area (110) of the skin (100). When the skin contact surface (325), which is the lower surface, is in contact with the skin (100), a therapeutic laser beam from a laser source (200) can be transmitted from the laser-transmitting surface (315) to the skin contact surface (325) to form a laser beam spot (SP) at a target location of the lesion.

[0057] The light-transmitting member (300) may be configured to have a first light-transmitting part (310) and a second light-transmitting part (320) as shown in FIG. 1 (a) and (b), wherein the upper surface of the first light-transmitting part (310) forms a laser-transmitting surface (315) and the lower surface of the second light-transmitting part (320) forms a skin-contact surface (325).

[0058] The first light-transmitting part (310) and the second light-transmitting part (320) may each be composed of a material capable of transmitting light, such as quartz, sapphire, crystal, poly(methyl methacrylate), or polystyrene, and the first light-transmitting part (310) and the second light-transmitting part (320) may be composed of different materials, and the second light-transmitting part (320) having a skin contact surface (325) may be configured to have a material with a higher thermal conductivity than the first light-transmitting part (310).

[0059] The first light-transmitting part (310) and the second light-transmitting part (320) can be formed by bonding, for example, using a method such as UV bonding.

[0060] Meanwhile, the cooling unit (400, 500) cools the skin contact surface (325) of the light-transmitting member (300) so that the blood vessels below the skin contact area (110) can contract through the cooling of the skin contact area (110) of the skin (100) to the skin contact surface (325).

[0061] There are various ways in which the above cooling unit cools the light-transmitting member (300), but preferably, drawing number 500 shown in FIG. 1 (a) and (b) is a thermoelectric element, and drawing number 400 is provided as a conductive member having a material such as metal that transfers heat. The above thermoelectric element is a component in which a heat absorption plate and a heat heating plate are placed against each other, so that the heat absorption plate is cooled and the heat heating plate is heated according to an electric signal.

[0062] As illustrated in FIG. 1 (a) and (b), the heat absorption plate side of the thermoelectric element (500) is attached to one side of the conductive member (400), and the other side of the conductive member (400) is attached to the second light-transmitting part (320), so that the heat of the second light-transmitting part (320) is transferred to the thermoelectric element (500) along the conductive member (400) according to the heat absorption of the thermoelectric element (500), thereby allowing the second light-transmitting part (320) to be cooled.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 1 (a), when the skin contact surface (325) of the second light-transmitting part (320) is in contact with the skin contact area (110) and the skin contact surface (325) is cooled, the area corresponding to the contact area becomes a cooled area (112), and the surrounding area becomes a region (114) with a higher temperature than the cooled area (112).

[0064] As the thermoelectric element (500) operates, the second light-transmitting part (320) is cooled, and as the skin contact surface (325) of the second light-transmitting part (320) is cooled, the cooling area (112) of the skin is cooled, and the blood vessels below the cooling area (112) contract due to the cooling, and accordingly, blood flow decreases while the cooling is maintained, and at this time, if laser treatment with a laser beam is performed, side effects such as pigmentation and erythema can be minimized.

[0065] The reason the light-transmitting member (300) is formed by the adhesion of the first light-transmitting part (310) and the second light-transmitting part (320) and the second light-transmitting part (320) forming the skin contact surface (325) is made of a material with higher thermal conductivity than the first light-transmitting part (310) is to allow the skin contact surface (325) of the second light-transmitting part (320) connected to the cooling unit (400, 500) to be easily cooled.

[0066] Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a laser device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit (M), and the control unit (M) is connected to a laser source (200) and a cooling unit (500) to control them.

[0067] With the skin contact surface (325) of the light-transmitting member (300) in contact with the skin (100), the control unit (M) controls the thermoelectric element (500) of the cooling unit to cool the skin contact surface (325) and constrict the blood vessels in the cooling area (112) of the contact area (110) of the skin that is in contact with it. When cooling is achieved to a degree suitable for treatment, the laser source (200) can be controlled while the cooling is maintained so that a therapeutic laser beam is irradiated onto the lesion in the contact area of ​​the skin under vasoconstriction.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 1 (a), while the skin contact surface (325) of the light-transmitting member (300) is in contact with the skin contact area (110), the laser beam (La) can pass through the light-transmitting member (300) to form a spot (SP) on the contact area (110) where the skin contact surface is in contact, while maintaining cooling of the skin contact surface (325) by the cooling unit (while maintaining a state of vasoconstriction), thus having the advantage of enabling laser target treatment of skin lesions under vasoconstriction.

[0069] If it is possible to know how much the contact area of ​​the skin has cooled while the skin contact surface (325) of the light-transmitting member (300) is in contact with the contact area of ​​the skin, side effects caused by supercooling of the skin can also be prevented or minimized.

[0070] To this end, the present invention may separately provide a temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting how much the contact area (110) of the skin in contact with the skin contact surface (325) of the light-transmitting member (300) has cooled when cooling is performed by a cooling unit.

[0071] Although the temperature sensor may directly sense the temperature of the skin contact area (110), it is also possible for the temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the light-transmitting member (300) (e.g., the temperature of the second light-transmitting part (320)) and calculate the temperature of the skin contact area from the sensing result.

[0072] The control unit can effectively perform 'laser treatment under vasoconstriction' without side effects by controlling the cooling unit and laser source, etc., based on temperature information regarding the contact area of ​​the skin through the temperature sensor in the manner described above.

[0073] However, as mentioned above, when cooling the contact area of ​​the skin through the skin contact surface (325) of the light-transmitting member (300), if the cooling time becomes too long, serious side effects may occur. Therefore, it is important to shorten the cooling time for the skin lesion area and to perform laser treatment on the lesion area quickly during that short time.

[0074] In order to treat the skin lesion area quickly, it is necessary to quickly locate the position of the lesion at the contact area (110) of the skin where the skin contact surface (325) of the light-transmitting member (300) is in contact, and to accurately form a spot of the laser beam at that lesion location.

[0075] A laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention has a configuration that analyzes an image of a lesion area of ​​the skin to quickly locate the position of the lesion and, based on this, enables rapid and accurate laser treatment with the lesion as the target location, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0076] As illustrated in FIG. 2, a laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include a laser source (200), a light-transmitting member (300), and a cooling unit (400, 500) in the same manner as the laser device according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, and additionally include a light control unit (220), a beam splitter (350), and a camera (600), and may include a control unit (M) that controls these components.

[0077] The laser device according to the present embodiment, like the laser device according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 described above, basically comprises a laser source (200), a light-transmitting member (300) having an upper surface forming a laser-transmitting surface (315) and a lower surface forming a skin contact surface (325) that contacts a lesion area (110) of the skin (100), and allowing a therapeutic laser beam (La) from the laser source (200) to be transmitted from the laser-transmitting surface (315) to the skin contact surface (325), and a cooling unit (400, 500) that cools the skin contact surface (325) of the light-transmitting member (300) so that vasoconstriction occurs through cooling of the skin contact area (110) of the skin contact surface (325).

[0078] Since the laser source (200), the light-transmitting member (300), and the cooling unit (400, 500) are substantially the same as the laser device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a detailed description of these components will be omitted.

[0079] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the light-transmitting member (300) is provided with a first light-transmitting part (310) in which the upper surface forms a laser-transmitting surface (315) and a second light-transmitting part (320) in which the lower surface forms a skin contact surface (325), thereby guiding a laser beam (La) to pass through from the laser-transmitting surface (315) to the skin contact surface (325).

[0080] The light-transmitting member (300) according to the present embodiment is provided with a beam splitter (350) between the first light-transmitting part (310) and the second light-transmitting part (320) as shown in FIG. 2, so that a laser beam (La) proceeding from the laser-transmitting surface (315) to the skin contact surface (325) is transmitted, and reflected light reflected from the contact area (110) where the skin contact surface (325) is in contact is reflected to one side.

[0081] The camera (600) acquires an image of the contact area (110) of the skin in contact with the skin contact surface from the reflected light reflected by the beam splitter (350).

[0082] For image acquisition by the camera (600), it is preferable to use a separate dedicated lighting device rather than natural light. By providing a separate lighting device to the skin contact area, light reflected from the skin contact area is reflected by the beam splitter (350), and the camera (600) receives the light reflected by the beam splitter (350) to obtain a clearer image of the contact area. That is, an image of the contact area such as that indicated by reference numeral 610 in FIG. 2 can be obtained.

[0083] The image (610) of the contact area acquired by the camera (600) is transmitted to the control unit (M), and the control unit (M) analyzes the image (610) to identify the lesion area (612), identifies the location of the skin lesion (612), and controls the light control unit (220) with the identified location of the skin lesion as the target location so that a laser beam is irradiated to the target location.

[0084] The light control unit (220) is a device that controls the light path of a laser beam emitted from a laser source (200) so that a beam spot (SP) is formed at a target location on the contact area (110) of the skin, and can be implemented as a device such as a galvano mirror.

[0085] The control unit (M) detects a skin lesion (612) area through image processing and image analysis of an image (610) acquired by a camera (600) and specifies the boundary thereof, calculates the position coordinates within the boundary of the specified lesion area as coordinate information for the target position of the laser beam, and controls the light control unit (220) according to the coordinate information for the target position so that the laser beam (La) is irradiated to the calculated target position, thereby quickly finding the lesion area and performing laser treatment on the lesion area quickly and accurately.

[0086] For example, the location of a skin lesion can be identified through image analysis of the contact area using a process as illustrated in Fig. 3, and laser treatment can be performed thereon.

[0087] Figure 3(a) shows an example of an image acquired by a camera as described above. The acquired image can be processed and analyzed as shown in Figure 3(b) to identify the boundaries of the skin lesion area as shown in Figure 3(c).

[0088] After defining the boundaries of the skin lesion area, a laser beam can be irradiated to the locations within the boundaries as target locations to form multiple beam spots within the boundaries as shown in (d) of Fig. 3.

[0089] And as shown in FIG. 3(e), a laser beam can be irradiated by overlapping the space between multiple beam spots, and thus the laser treatment can be completed. FIG. 3(f) shows the form after post-treatment following laser treatment.

[0090] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a laser beam (La) is irradiated from the laser-transmitting surface (315) of the light-transmitting member (300) through the beam splitter (350) to the skin contact surface (325), and a camera (600) acquires an image from the light reflected by the beam splitter (350) from one side of the light-transmitting member (300). FIG. 4 shows an embodiment different from the embodiment of FIG. 2.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 4, the laser device according to the present embodiment includes a laser source (200), a light-transmitting member (300), and a cooling unit (400, 500), in the same manner as the laser device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and additionally includes a light control unit (220), a beam splitter (360), and a camera (600), and may be configured to include a control unit (M) that controls these components.

[0092] The laser device according to the present embodiment is configured such that, as shown in FIG. 4, the optical axis (AX) of the camera (600) passes through the laser transmission surface (315) and the skin contact surface (325) of the light transmission member (300), and the light reflected from the skin contact surface (325) passes through the beam splitter (360) and the laser transmission surface (315) to reach the camera (600). At this time, the laser beam (La) is irradiated from one side of the light transmission member (300), reflected by the beam splitter (360), and irradiated to the skin contact surface (325).

[0093] The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 above may be configurations in which the positions of the laser beam and the camera are swapped.

[0094] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the beam splitter (360) provided between the first light-transmitting part (310) and the second light-transmitting part (320) of the light-transmitting member (300) may have different properties from the beam splitter (350) used in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0095] The beam splitter (350) of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 has the property of reflecting visible light and transmitting a laser beam, and the beam splitter (360) of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 has the property of reflecting a laser beam and transmitting visible light.

[0096] The light control unit (220) can control the light path of a laser beam emitted from a laser source (200) and set the coordinates of a target position by taking into account reflection by a beam splitter (360), and the light control unit (220) can be implemented as a device such as a galvano mirror, for example.

[0097] The control unit (M) detects a skin lesion area and specifies its boundary through a predetermined image processing and image analysis of an image of a contact area in contact with a skin contact surface captured by a camera (600) through a laser transmission surface (315), calculates the position coordinates within the boundary of the specified lesion area as coordinate information of the target position of the laser beam, and controls the light control unit (220) according to the coordinate information of the target position so that the laser beam (La) is irradiated to the calculated target position, thereby quickly finding the lesion area and performing laser treatment on the lesion area quickly and accurately.

[0098] Meanwhile, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 or FIG. 4, during the process in which the cooling unit (400, 500) cools the light-transmitting member (300), if a predetermined time elapses at a temperature below a certain temperature of the light-transmitting member, fogging may occur on the light-transmitting member (300).

[0099] The fogging phenomenon occurring on such a light-transmitting member (300) can vary in duration depending on the material of the light-transmitting member, ambient temperature and humidity, cooling temperature, etc. When fogging occurs on the light-transmitting member (300), the clarity of the image acquired by the camera (600) is significantly reduced, which causes a problem in that it becomes very difficult to detect the location of the lesion.

[0100] For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the camera acquires an image by receiving reflected light from the beam splitter (350) on one side of the light-transmitting member (300), so fogging on the side of the light-transmitting member (300) affects the clarity of the acquired image, and in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the camera acquires an image by receiving light transmitted by the beam splitter (360) at the laser contact surface (315) of the light-transmitting member (300), so fogging on the laser transmission surface (315) of the light-transmitting member (300) affects the clarity of the acquired image.

[0101] Accordingly, the laser device according to the present invention provides various embodiments for solving the problem of fogging as described above.

[0102] Figure 5 shows an example of a method for solving the fogging problem of a light-transmitting member as described above.

[0103] FIGS. 5(a) and (b) show a case in which the laser device shown in FIG. 2 is equipped with a configuration for solving the fogging problem described above, but the configuration for solving the fogging problem is not limited thereto and can be applied in the same way to the laser device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and the laser device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

[0104] Since the configuration of the laser device shown in FIG. 5 (a) and (b) is substantially the same as the configuration of the laser device shown in FIG. 2, except for the configuration for solving the fogging problem, the description of redundant content will be omitted and the description will focus on the configuration for solving the fogging problem.

[0105] As illustrated in FIG. 5(a), the cooling unit of the laser device according to the present embodiment includes a thermoelectric element (510, 520) and a conductive member (412, 414, 422, 424) that cools the area near the skin contact surface (325) of the light-transmitting member by heat transfer.

[0106] The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5(a) shows a case where a cooling unit (thermoelectric element and conductive member) is provided on one side and the other side of the light-transmitting member (300), respectively, but is not limited thereto and the cooling unit may be attached only to one side of the light-transmitting member or to all sides.

[0107] The above conductive member may be configured to include a conductive base (412, 422) attached to the heat absorption plate of the thermoelectric element (510, 520) to transfer heat, and a conductive bridge (414, 424) that cools the light-transmitting member (300) through heat transfer between the conductive base (412) and the light-transmitting member (300).

[0108] The above conductive bridge (414, 424) is characterized by being provided to form a space (415, 425) between the conductive base (412, 422) and the light-transmitting member (300).

[0109] The spacing of the above-mentioned space portions (415, 425) may be the same as that of the conductive bridge (414, 424), and it is preferable that the vertical length of the space portions (415, 425) be longer than the length of the conductive bridge (414, 424). That is, it is preferable that the volume of the space portions (415, 425) be formed to be larger than the volume of the conductive bridge (414, 424).

[0110] It is preferable that the location where the above-mentioned conductive bridge (414 424) is attached is near the skin contact surface (325) of the light-transmitting member (300).

[0111] In the configuration as illustrated in FIG. 5(a), the conductive base (412, 422) attached to the thermoelectric element (510, 520) transfers heat only to the conductive bridge (414, 424) and does not transfer heat through the space portion (415, 425), and the conductive bridge (414, 424) is attached near the skin contact surface (325) to transfer heat, so the cooling effect on the skin contact surface (325) is substantially maintained while the occurrence of fogging on the light-transmitting member can be significantly delayed.

[0112] As described above, when the thermoelectric element (510, 520) is connected to the light-transmitting member (300) through the conductive base (412, 422) and the conductive bridge (414, 424), the occurrence of fogging on the light-transmitting member (300) can be significantly delayed compared to when the thermoelectric element (510, 520) is directly attached to the light-transmitting member (300).

[0113] As illustrated in FIG. 5(a), in addition to the configuration in which a space (415, 425) and a conductive bridge (414, 424) are provided between the conductive base (412, 422) and the light-transmitting member (300), if the space (415, 425) is filled with a predetermined insulating material (417, 427), the occurrence of fogging on the light-transmitting member can be further delayed.

[0114] Figure 5(b) shows an example in which the space (415, 425) between the conductive base (412, 422) and the light-transmitting member (300) as described above is filled with an insulating material (417, 427).

[0115] Meanwhile, a laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

[0116] FIG. 6(a) is a laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention, characterized by being able to prevent or delay fogging caused by cooling of the light-transmitting member by the configuration of the light-transmitting member.

[0117] The light-transmitting member (300a) provided in the laser device according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6(a) is characterized by being configured such that a first light-transmitting block (S) and a second light-transmitting block (Q), having different heat transfer coefficients, are alternately stacked from the laser-transmitting surface (315a) to the skin contact surface (325a) as illustrated. Hereinafter, the light-transmitting member (300a) configured by the stacking of the first light-transmitting block (S) and the second light-transmitting block (Q) as described above will be referred to as a 'stacked light-transmitting member'.

[0118] The first light-transmitting block (S) of the stacked light-transmitting member (300a) described above may be made of, for example, sapphire material, and the second light-transmitting block (Q) may be made of, for example, quartz material, but the first light-transmitting block (S) and the second light-transmitting block (Q) are not limited to the above materials, and any material having different thermal conductivity properties while having light transmittance is possible.

[0119] The thermal conductivity of sapphire is 20 W / mk and the thermal conductivity of quartz is 1.5 W / mk, so there is a large difference in thermal conductivity between them. Therefore, by configuring the first light-transmitting block (S) and the second light-transmitting block (Q) with a combination of materials having different thermal conductivity and stacking them alternately, a thermal conduction blocking effect between the two blocks can be expected, and as a result, the fogging phenomenon occurring on the stacked light-transmitting member (300a) can be significantly delayed.

[0120] Meanwhile, a laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a temperature maintaining means for maintaining the temperature of a light-transmitting member within a set range to prevent or delay fogging on the light-transmitting member by means of a cooling unit, and as an example of the temperature maintaining means, an example in which a heater is attached to the light-transmitting member is shown in FIG. 6 (b).

[0121] As illustrated in FIG. 6(b), a laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention may be configured by attaching a heater (700) to one side of a light-transmitting member (300), and a control unit (M) may detect the temperature of the light-transmitting member (300) when the light-transmitting member (300) is cooled by a cooling unit, and when the temperature reaches a certain level, control the heater (700) to prevent or delay the formation of fogging on the light-transmitting member (300).

[0122] For example, as shown in FIG. 6(b), if the goal is to prevent fogging on the laser-transmitting surface (315) of the light-transmitting member (300), a temperature sensor (TS) is configured to sense the temperature of the laser-transmitting surface (315), and a heater (700) is attached near the laser-transmitting surface (315). When the temperature sensor (TS) senses the temperature of the laser-transmitting surface (315), if the control unit (M) determines from the temperature sensing result that temperature control is necessary to prevent fogging, the heater (700) is operated to control the temperature of the light-transmitting member (300) so that fogging does not occur while cooling is being performed.

[0123] The heater (700) may be implemented in the form of a heating wire that generates heat, or it may be implemented by a polyimide heater.

[0124] If the camera is located on the side of the light-transmitting member, it is necessary to prevent fogging on the surface of the light-transmitting member where the camera is located, so the above-mentioned heater can be attached near the surface where the camera is located to control the temperature.

[0125] It goes without saying that the method of preventing fogging using a heater as described above can be implemented by attaching a heater to the 'light-transmitting member' described earlier, or by attaching a heater to the 'layered light-transmitting member' described earlier.

[0126] Meanwhile, with reference to FIG. 7, the configuration of a laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0127] FIG. 7(a) shows the configuration of a laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7(b) shows a plan view of the laser device shown in (a), and FIG. 7(c) shows a bottom view of the laser device shown in (a).

[0128] The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 may use a 'light-transmitting device (800)' instead of the light-transmitting member, which is the main component of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 or FIG. 4 described above.

[0129] The above-described light-transmitting device (800) may be configured to include a conductor frame (810) made of a conductor such as metal, as shown in FIG. 7 (a), a light-transmitting gas (820) sealed inside the conductor frame (810), a first window (812) forming a laser-transmitting surface (801) on the upper surface of the conductor frame (810), and a second window (814) forming a skin-contact surface (802) on the lower surface of the conductor frame (810).

[0130] Accordingly, the laser beam (La) for treatment is configured to proceed by transmitting a light-transmitting gas (820) from the laser-transmitting surface (801) of the first window (812) to the skin contact surface (802) of the second window (814).

[0131] Here, a beam splitter (830) is provided inside the conductor frame (810), and a third window (816) is provided on one side of the conductor frame (810), so that light from the skin contact surface (802) is reflected by the beam splitter (830) and reaches the camera (600) through the third window (816), thereby enabling the acquisition of an image of the contact area of ​​the skin (100) that is in contact with the skin contact surface.

[0132] The skin contact surface (802), which is the lower surface of the second window (814), is configured to come into contact with the skin (100) and directly cool the contact area of ​​the skin by the cooling unit (500). It is preferable that the second window (814) be made of a material that is light-transmitting and has high thermal conductivity.

[0133] In the case of the configuration described above, when the cooling unit (500), such as a thermoelectric element, operates, the second window (814) is cooled through heat transfer of the conductor frame (810), and the skin contact surface (802) of the second window (814) cools the contact area of ​​the skin and induces vasoconstriction in that area. Under such vasoconstriction, the camera (600) acquires an image of the skin lesion area through the third window (816) and the beam splitter (830) to identify the location of the skin lesion and detect the target location, thereby allowing a laser beam to be irradiated to the target location, so that laser treatment under vasoconstriction can be performed.

[0134] At this time, the conductor frame (810) is cooled by the cooling unit (500), but since the light-transmitting gas (820) is sealed inside, heat transfer does not occur through the gas inside, so there is an advantage in that fogging on each window (812, 814, 816) can be prevented or significantly reduced or delayed.

[0135] As explained above, the present invention has the advantage of enabling rapid, accurate, and stable laser treatment in that it can minimize side effects after laser treatment, such as pigmentation and erythema, by using a cooling device to induce vasoconstriction to minimize inflammation caused by laser irradiation to normal tissue and capillaries when treating skin pigmentation disorders using a laser, and by allowing laser treatment to be performed on the skin lesion area while the blood vessels are constricted. Furthermore, by acquiring and analyzing images of the skin lesion area under vasoconstriction caused by the cooling device, it can quickly and accurately complete laser treatment targeting the lesion area, thereby minimizing side effects of laser treatment. Additionally, it has the advantage of enabling rapid, accurate, and stable laser treatment in that it can prevent or significantly delay fogging on the light-transmitting material due to cooling. Explanation of the symbols

[0136] 100: Skin, 110: Contact area 200: Laser source, 220: Light control unit 300: Light-transmitting member, 310: First light-transmitting part 315: Laser transmission surface, 320: Second light transmission part 325: Skin contact surface, 350, 360: Beam splitter 400: Conductive element, 500: Thermoelectric element 600: Camera, 700: Heater

Claims

Claim 1 delete Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 delete Claim 6 delete Claim 7 delete Claim 8 delete Claim 9 delete Claim 10 A laser source; a light-transmitting member comprising a first light-transmitting portion that transmits visible light, and a second light-transmitting portion provided at the bottom of the first light-transmitting portion, the second portion which transmits a laser beam and visible light, and which forms a skin contact surface with the bottom surface in contact with the skin. A camera positioned to view the skin contact surface of the second light-transmitting part from the upper surface of the first light-transmitting part, which acquires an image of the contact area of ​​the skin in contact with the skin contact surface by light passing through the second light-transmitting part and the first light-transmitting part; a beam splitter positioned between the first light-transmitting part and the second light-transmitting part, which transmits light reflected from the skin contact surface and reflects a laser beam from the laser source so that it is irradiated onto a lesion in the skin contact area in contact with the skin contact surface; a cooling unit that cools the skin contact surface of the second light-transmitting part to cause vasoconstriction through cooling of the skin contact area with respect to the skin contact surface; and a heater provided on the light-transmitting member to prevent fogging from forming on the light-transmitting member due to cooling by the cooling unit. A laser device capable of treating skin lesions under vasoconstriction, comprising: a control unit that identifies the location of a skin lesion through analysis of an image acquired by the camera, controls the cooling unit to cause vasoconstriction of the contact area of ​​the skin, controls the laser source to irradiate a therapeutic laser beam at the identified lesion location under vasoconstriction, and controls the heater to prevent fogging on the light-transmitting member. Claim 11 A laser source; a light-transmitting member comprising a first light-transmitting member that transmits a laser beam and a second light-transmitting member provided at the bottom of the first light-transmitting member, wherein the bottom surface of the second light-transmitting member forms a skin contact surface that contacts the skin, and wherein the laser beam from the laser source is transmitted from the laser-transmitting surface of the first light-transmitting member to the skin contact surface of the second light-transmitting member; a beam splitter provided between the first light-transmitting member and the second light-transmitting member, which transmits the laser beam from the laser source and reflects light reflected from the skin contact surface to one side; a camera that acquires an image of the contact area of ​​the skin in contact with the skin contact surface from the reflected light reflected by the beam splitter; a cooling unit that cools the skin contact surface of the second light-transmitting member to cause vasoconstriction through cooling of the skin contact area of ​​the skin contact surface; and a heater provided in the light-transmitting member to prevent fogging from forming on the light-transmitting member due to cooling by the cooling unit. A laser device capable of treating skin lesions under vasoconstriction, comprising: a control unit that identifies the location of a skin lesion through analysis of an image acquired by the camera, controls the cooling unit to cause vasoconstriction of the contact area of ​​the skin, controls the laser source to irradiate a therapeutic laser beam at the identified lesion location under vasoconstriction, and controls the heater to prevent fogging on the light-transmitting member. Claim 12 A laser device capable of treating skin lesions under vasoconstriction, characterized in that, in claim 10 or 11, the second light-transmitting part having the skin contact surface is configured to have a material with a higher thermal conductivity than the first light-transmitting part. Claim 13 A laser device capable of treating skin lesions under vasoconstriction, characterized in that, in claim 10 or 11, the cooling unit comprises a thermoelectric element and a conductive member having one side to which the thermoelectric element is attached and the other side to which the second light-transmitting part is attached, and which cools the second light-transmitting part by the thermoelectric element through heat conduction. Claim 14 A laser device capable of treating skin lesions under vasoconstriction, wherein, in claim 10 or 11, it further comprises a light control unit for controlling a target location where a laser beam from the laser source is irradiated, and the control unit determines the location of a skin lesion through analysis of an image acquired by the camera, and controls the light control unit with the location on the determined skin lesion as the target location so that a laser beam from the laser source is irradiated to the target location. Claim 15 A laser device capable of treating skin lesions under vasoconstriction, wherein the conductive member comprises a conductive base attached to a heat absorption plate of the thermoelectric element to transfer heat, and a conductive bridge configured to cool the second light-transmitting part through heat transfer between the conductive base and the second light-transmitting part and to form a space between the conductive base and the second light-transmitting part, and wherein an insulating material is filled in the space between the conductive base and the second light-transmitting part. Claim 16 A laser device capable of treating skin lesions under vasoconstriction, wherein, in claim 10 or 11, it further includes a temperature sensor that senses the temperature of a predetermined part of the light-transmitting member according to cooling by the cooling unit, and the control unit controls the heater to operate to prevent fogging from forming on the light-transmitting member according to the sensing result of the temperature sensor. Claim 17 A laser device capable of treating skin lesions under vasoconstriction, characterized in that, in claim 10 or 11, the heater comprises a heating wire or a polyimide heater attached to at least one of the first light-transmitting part and the second light-transmitting part to generate heat. Claim 18 A laser source; a light-transmitting member comprising a plurality of first light-transmitting blocks and a plurality of second light-transmitting blocks, wherein the first light-transmitting block and the second light-transmitting block have different heat transfer coefficients and are alternately stacked from the top surface to the bottom surface to form a skin contact surface that transmits a laser beam and visible light and has a bottom surface in contact with the skin; a camera that acquires an image of the contact area of ​​the skin in contact with the skin contact surface by light passing through the light-transmitting member; a beam splitter provided inside the light-transmitting member that transmits light reflected from the skin contact surface and reflects a laser beam from the laser source so as to irradiate a lesion in the skin contact area in contact with the skin contact surface; and a cooling unit that cools the skin contact surface of the light-transmitting member to cause vasoconstriction through cooling of the skin contact area in contact with the skin contact surface. A laser device capable of treating skin lesions under vasoconstriction, comprising: a control unit that identifies the location of a skin lesion through analysis of an image acquired by the camera, controls the cooling unit to cause vasoconstriction at the contact area of ​​the skin, and controls the laser source to irradiate a therapeutic laser beam at the identified lesion location under vasoconstriction.

Images