Acne Laser Device with Flat Top Beam and Sapphire Window
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laser devices for acne treatment often cause excessive skin temperature increases, leading to damage in surrounding tissues due to inadequate control over physical parameters such as wavelength, power, and intensity distribution, which can result in undesired thermal effects.
Innovation Solution
A laser device emitting at 1726 nm with a flat top intensity distribution and adjustable diameter, optimized to minimize skin temperature increase by controlling wavelength, power, and beam diameter, ensuring selective treatment of acne with reduced heating effects on surrounding tissues, using an optical fibre source and a handpiece with a sapphire window for precise temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If laser power is increased to improve treatment efficiency, then productivity increases, but skin temperature increase worsens causing damage to surrounding tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a non-Gaussian intensity distribution where the center and periphery of the laser beam have different intensity characteristics. The periphery has reduced intensity to minimize heating of surrounding tissues, while the center maintains sufficient intensity for effective sebaceous gland treatment. This spatial variation in intensity quality allows high power delivery without proportionally increasing damage to surrounding areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the laser beam intensity distribution adjustable and controllable. The system can dynamically modify the intensity profile across the beam cross-section, allowing optimization of the balance between treatment efficiency and thermal damage prevention. This dynamic control enables adaptation of the intensity distribution to match the specific treatment requirements and tissue characteristics.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If laser wavelength is changed to reduce water absorption, then harmful factors decrease, but manufacturing precision increases due to specialized wavelength requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by selecting and optimizing the laser wavelength to a specific range (1690-1750 nm, preferably 1726 nm) where water absorption is minimized. This wavelength parameter was carefully chosen to reduce unwanted heating effects in surrounding tissues while maintaining effective interaction with sebaceous glands. The system includes precise wavelength control mechanisms to maintain this optimized parameter throughout operation.
3Productivity
If laser beam diameter is increased to treat larger areas, then productivity increases, but manufacturing precision worsens due to difficulty in maintaining uniform intensity distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing a controlled intensity gradient across the laser beam cross-section. Rather than attempting uniform intensity across the entire beam area, the system creates specific intensity zones: a central region with higher intensity for effective treatment and peripheral regions with reduced intensity. This allows the use of larger beam diameters for increased productivity while maintaining appropriate intensity distribution through spatial variation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by providing adjustable control over the laser beam parameters including diameter and intensity distribution. The system can dynamically adapt the beam characteristics to match treatment requirements, allowing optimization of the relationship between beam size and intensity uniformity. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the system to maintain precision across varying beam diameters.
4Reliability
If laser impulse duration is extended to ensure complete treatment, then reliability increases, but harmful factors worsen due to increased heat diffusion to surrounding tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by using pulsed or modulated laser delivery rather than continuous irradiation. The laser energy is delivered in controlled impulses or cycles, allowing thermal relaxation between pulses. This periodic delivery pattern ensures complete treatment through sufficient cumulative energy while preventing excessive heat accumulation and diffusion to surrounding tissues by providing thermal recovery intervals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the laser impulse duration adjustable and controllable. The system can dynamically optimize the pulse width and repetition rate to match the thermal relaxation time of the target tissue. This dynamic control allows the impulse duration to be extended sufficiently for complete treatment while remaining short enough to prevent excessive heat diffusion, adapting to the specific thermal properties of the tissue being treated.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves optimal temperature distribution within biological tissues for effective acne treatment with minimal laser radiation energy, reducing interaction with surrounding tissues and avoiding thermal damage, while maintaining stable fluence and intensity distribution.
Implementation Method 1
A laser device for the selective treatment of acne with reduced skin temperature increase... wavelength λ, of 1726 nm, in general within the wavelength range 1690 nm-1750 nm
Implementation Method 2
laser source in optical fibre with characteristics: wavelength λ, of 1726 nm, in general within the wavelength range 1690 nm-1750 nm
Implementation Method 3
laser source in optical fibre... terminates in a collimator optically aligned in an optical fibre by means of an opto-mechanical interface
Implementation Method 4
laser beam having a flat top intensity distribution (η≤15%) i.e. suitable for selective treatment of the sebaceous gland which does not induce damage in the surrounding tissues
Implementation Method 5
handpiece with a sapphire window for precise temperature control
Implementation Method 6
duration of the laser impulse τ such as not to be longer than the time for diffusion of the heat by the sebaceous gland and such as to avoid heating of the tissue surrounding said gland
Data Source
AI summary
A laser device for the selective treatment of acne comprising: a laser source (1) terminating in an optical collimator (2), which supplies a laser beam; said laser source (1) comprises a switch (13) which allows impulses of said laser beam with pre-defined duration to be transmitted; an opto-mechanical interface (3) comprising a lens (4) focusing the laser beam received from the optical collimator (2); an optical fibre (5) connected to said opto-mechanical interface (3); characterized in that said optical fibre (5) has a length greater than 15 m; and said device comprises a handpiece (10) connected to said optical fibre (5) where said handpiece (10) comprises an optical zoom system (11) which allows the diameter of the laser beam emerging from said handpiece (10) to be varied from 0.5 mm to 5 mm.