IPL Handpiece with Distance Guide for Ocular Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current intense pulsed light (IPL) devices are not suitable for precise and safe treatment of ocular structures due to cumbersome design, lack of precision, and potential risk of damaging inner ocular structures, necessitating a need for a more precise and safe method to treat superficial blood vessels, lesions, and conditions like blepharitis and trichiasis without invasive procedures.
Innovation Solution
A handpiece designed for precise manipulation, equipped with a distance guide and cooling features, allowing for controlled application of IPL to ocular structures, with an eye shield to protect the cornea and interior eye from the light, enabling non-invasive and permanent treatment of conjunctival blood vessels, lesions, and blepharitis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional IPL devices are used for ocular treatment, then treatment coverage area is large, but precision and safety are compromised due to risk of damaging inner ocular structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using a small footprint crystal (e.g., 4mm diameter) that concentrates IPL energy on a localized area of the ocular surface. This allows precise treatment of specific lesions or vascular structures while limiting heat diffusion to adjacent sensitive structures like the cornea and retina. The handpiece design with restricted light exit geometry ensures energy is delivered only where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the treatment system into distinct functional components: a handheld delivery device with a small crystal, a separate cooling mechanism, and a distance guide system. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component - the crystal for precision, the cooling system for safety, and the distance guide for reproducibility - while maintaining overall system effectiveness for ocular surface treatment.
2Power
If conventional IPL devices are used for ocular treatment, then treatment power is high, but control and safety are reduced due to potential overheating of ocular structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action through a distance guide that maintains a predetermined spacing between the crystal and ocular surface before treatment begins. This pre-established geometry ensures that even at high power settings, the energy delivery is controlled and predictable. The cooling system is also activated in advance to establish a thermal safety baseline before high-power IPL delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms through the cooling system that monitors and adjusts thermal conditions during treatment. The handpiece design includes features that provide tactile or visual feedback to the operator about crystal-to-tissue distance and contact, allowing real-time adjustments to maintain safety margins while delivering effective treatment power.
3Ease of operation
If conventional IPL devices are used for ocular treatment, then device size is large, but ease of manipulation and precision are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential treatment function from the bulky conventional IPL console by using a handheld delivery device with a small crystal that can be precisely maneuvered. The complex power generation and wavelength filtering components remain in a separate console, while the handpiece is minimized to only the necessary optical delivery elements, making it easy to manipulate like a pen or pencil while maintaining treatment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent addresses manipulation precision by adding the dimension of distance control through a guide system that establishes a fixed crystal-to-tissue spacing. This transforms the operator's task from controlling both position and distance simultaneously to primarily controlling lateral position, while the distance is maintained by the mechanical guide structure, significantly improving ease of precise operation.
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 allows for safe and precise treatment of ocular and periocular issues, preventing damage to inner ocular structures by maintaining controlled temperature and ensuring the heat is focused on target areas, thus addressing the limitations of existing IPL devices in ocular applications.
Implementation Method 1
IPL systems utilize a source that emits pulsed polychromatic light in a broad wavelength spectrum of 515-1200 nm. Hemoglobin largely absorbs at a wavelength of approximately 580 nm, and brown structures such as melanin absorb in the range of about 400 to 750 nm. Filters are used to allow the optimal wavelength to penetrate the tissue, thereby essentially heating only the target structure to the desired degree that causes the structure to disappear.
Implementation Method 2
The pulse duration, typically in milliseconds, can also be adjusted so that it is lower than the thermal relaxation time of the targeted structure. This avoids damage to the adjacent tissue. The interval between pulses, also in milliseconds, can be adjusted as well. The delay allows heat to decrease in adjacent tissue, while heat is maintained in target tissue.
Data Source
AI summary
A new configuration of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) equipment includes a handpiece that allows the application of IPL directly to the eye and eyelid. The handpiece is sized and configured for precise digital manipulation. The invention also includes a distance guide for maintaining precise distances between the area to be treated and a crystal mounted in the handpiece. Eye shields protect the cornea and surrounding sclera during the application of IPL.