Green Light Modulation for Post-Operative Pain Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for managing postoperative pain, especially in elderly patients, are limited by significant side effects from opioid use and inadequate non-pharmacological alternatives, necessitating a more effective and safer approach to reduce pain and inflammation.
Innovation Solution
Administering green light with wavelengths between 515 nm and 535 nm before and after surgery to modulate pain sensitivity by enhancing endogenous opioid levels and reducing neuroinflammation, thereby potentiating opioid antinociceptive effects and decreasing microglial activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pharmacologic methods (opioids) are used for pain management, then pain relief is achieved, but side effects increase and opioid burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces pharmacologic intervention with photobiomodulation therapy using green light (515-535 nm) administered to the retina. This substitution eliminates the harmful side effects and opioid burden while maintaining effective pain relief through non-pharmacological mechanisms that modulate central nervous system inflammation and enhance endogenous opioid release.
Solution Approach 2:
The therapy enhances the body's endogenous opioid system and natural pain modulation mechanisms. By stimulating retinal photoreceptors with green light, the system activates internal healing and pain control resources rather than relying on external pharmacologic agents, thereby reducing dependency and side effects.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If non-pharmacological methods are used, then opioid burden is reduced, but pain management effectiveness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes specific wavelength parameters (515-535 nm green light) that have been optimized to activate particular photoreceptor mechanisms in the retina. This precise parameter selection ensures that the non-pharmacological method achieves pain management effectiveness comparable to or exceeding traditional pharmacologic approaches while avoiding opioid dependency.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If green light therapy is administered, then neuroinflammation is reduced and endogenous opioid levels increase, but the mechanism and duration of action require optimization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements daily administration of green light therapy both before and after surgery to maintain continuous modulation of central nervous system inflammation and endogenous opioid release. This continuous action ensures sustained antinociceptive effects throughout the postoperative recovery period, optimizing both the reduction of neuroinflammation and the duration of pain relief.
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 effectively reduces postoperative pain and hypersensitivity, potentially lowering opioid consumption and side effects, while providing a non-invasive, long-lasting antinociceptive effect by modulating central nervous system plasticity and inflammation.
Implementation Method 1
administering light with one or more wavelengths in the range between approximately 515 nm and approximately 535 nm to a retina of the subject
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems and devices are disclosed that provide, among other benefits, an adequate and effective pain management that can be implemented as part of surgical planning, pain management, and other applications. An example methodology for reducing post-operative pain of a subject includes administering, daily, for a first number of days before a surgery on the subject and according to a first pre-arranged schedule of administrations, light with one or more wavelengths in the range between approximately 515 nm and approximately 535 nm to the subject. The method further includes administering, daily, for a second number of days following the surgery and according to a second pre-arranged schedule of administrations, light with one or more wavelengths in the range between approximately 515 nm and approximately 535 nm. The light is administered for a time period during each day of the light administration.