Flexible Light-Emitting System with Phase-Change Thermal Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current photodynamic therapy (PDT) systems face challenges in delivering uniform light distribution over complex body shapes, leading to potential under- or over-treatment, pain during treatment, and the need for expensive equipment, limiting its use to hospital settings due to inefficiencies and patient discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A flexible light-emitting system integrated with plastic optical fibers and a temperature-modifying system using phase-change materials, allowing for uniform light distribution and temperature control, enabling ambulatory PDT with improved comfort and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional light sources are used for photodynamic therapy, then light delivery can be achieved, but uniform light distribution over complex body shapes cannot be ensured, leading to under- or over-treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The light source is divided into multiple independent LED modules that can be individually positioned and controlled. Each module acts as an independent light-emitting unit, allowing the system to adapt to complex body contours while maintaining uniform light distribution across the treatment area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces temporal dimension through pulsed illumination mode, alternating between illumination periods and rest periods. This allows the system to deliver controlled light doses while managing thermal effects and improving patient comfort, adding a time-based control dimension to the spatial light delivery system.
2Productivity
If continuous illumination is used for photodynamic therapy, then treatment efficiency is maintained, but patient discomfort and pain increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic pulsed illumination with alternating illumination periods and rest periods. During illumination periods, LEDs deliver therapeutic light doses; during rest periods, the light is interrupted to reduce thermal accumulation and patient discomfort. This periodic action maintains treatment efficiency while significantly reducing pain and burning sensations.
Solution Approach 2:
Despite the pulsed mode, the system maintains continuous therapeutic effect by carefully designing the illumination-rest cycle to ensure adequate light dose delivery during illumination periods. The rest periods are optimized to prevent thermal damage while minimizing interruption to the overall treatment efficacy, ensuring continuous useful action throughout the treatment session.
3Productivity
If high irradiance is used to reduce treatment time, then productivity increases, but patient discomfort and risk of overheating increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pulsed illumination mode with controlled duty cycle allows high peak irradiance during illumination periods to maintain treatment speed, while rest periods prevent thermal accumulation. This periodic action enables the system to deliver high light doses without causing excessive heating or patient discomfort, effectively decoupling treatment speed from thermal risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary thermal management by incorporating rest periods before thermal damage can occur. The illumination-rest cycling proactively prevents overheating by allowing heat dissipation during rest periods, ensuring that temperature remains within safe limits throughout the treatment process while maintaining high productivity during illumination phases.
4Reliability
If expensive conventional light sources are used, then adequate light delivery is achieved, but cost and device complexity increase, limiting use to hospital settings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs LED modules that are relatively inexpensive compared to conventional light sources. While individual LEDs have limited lifespan, their low cost allows for economical replacement, and the overall system achieves adequate light delivery for photodynamic therapy at a fraction of the cost of traditional equipment, making it suitable for ambulatory and outpatient settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The LED-based system with pulsed illumination capability provides multiple functions: therapeutic light delivery, thermal management through rest periods, and adaptability to various treatment areas. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate systems, reducing overall device complexity and cost while maintaining reliability for photodynamic therapy applications.
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 system provides a uniform and controlled light and temperature delivery, reducing treatment time, enhancing photodynamic therapy efficacy, and making it more accessible and comfortable for patients, while minimizing equipment costs.
Implementation Method 1
a longitudinal body adapted both to transmit light inside the light fiber along the longitudinal body and to emit light outside the longitudinal body along the longitudinal body toward a treatment volume
Implementation Method 2
a temperature-modifying system using phase-change materials, allowing for uniform light distribution and temperature control
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6
AI summary
The system comprises: - a bundle of light fibers (11) connected to a light-emitting source (8), and both transmitting light inside the light fiber and emitting light toward a treatment volume (V), - a temperature-modifying system attached to the bundle of light fibers (11) to modify temperature in the treatment volume (V).