Deformable Light Guide for Direct Tissue Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current phototherapy methods face challenges in delivering a desired dose of light to specific, hard-to-reach areas of the body, such as those within body cavities, which can be uncomfortable and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
The development of an illumination device featuring a deformable light guide optically coupled to a light source, allowing the device to conform to tissue surfaces for direct light delivery, and the ability to irradiate light into ancillary body cavities through primary body cavities, such as the oral cavity to the nasal cavity, with customizable light output characteristics for different tissue areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a rigid light guide is used to deliver light to body cavities, then light delivery is possible, but patient comfort deteriorates and accessibility to certain areas becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible light guide that can be inserted through the oral cavity to reach the nasal cavity and other difficult-to-access body cavities. The flexibility of the light guide eliminates patient discomfort associated with rigid structures while maintaining the ability to deliver light therapy to target areas through anatomical passages.
2Reliability
If light is delivered directly to hard-to-reach tissue areas, then treatment efficacy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the oral cavity as an intermediary passage to deliver light to the nasal cavity and other target areas. This approach allows direct light delivery to hard-to-reach tissues without requiring complex drilling or surgical access, thereby maintaining treatment efficacy while avoiding increased device complexity.
3Reliability
If multiple light sources with different characteristics are used for different tissue areas, then therapeutic effectiveness improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates multiple light sources with different spectral characteristics (e.g., different wavelengths) at different locations along the light guide. Each light source is positioned to target specific tissue areas with appropriate light characteristics, enabling tailored therapeutic effects for different anatomical regions without requiring an overly complex centralized control system.
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
This approach enhances light delivery to target tissues, increasing treatment efficacy, reducing treatment time, and minimizing discomfort by allowing direct coupling of light to tissues and providing tailored therapeutic effects to specific areas.
Implementation Method 1
a deformable light guide optically coupled to the light source. The deformable light guide is configured to conform to a surface of tissue when in contact with the tissue such that light from the light source is coupled directly from the deformable light guide to the tissue
Implementation Method 2
Phototherapy, which is the exposure of the body to one or more types of light to induce a biological effect
Data Source
AI summary
An illumination device includes a light source and a deformable light guide optically coupled to the light source. The deformable light guide is configured to conform to a surface of tissue when in contact with the tissue such that light from the light source is coupled directly from the deformable light guide to the tissue. By using a deformable light guide, more light can be delivered to a target tissue. This may increase treatment efficacy, reduce treatment time, or both.