Light-Activated Brown Adipose Tissue for Non-Invasive Weight Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating obesity, including surgical procedures and pharmaceutical approaches, are limited in effectiveness and often come with undesirable side effects, and there is a need for non-invasive methods to activate brown adipose tissue (BAT) to increase energy expenditure and improve metabolic function.
Innovation Solution
The use of light energy, specifically in the infrared or ultraviolet range, to activate brown adipose tissue, either directly or through light-activatable mediums, to increase energy expenditure without surgical intervention or pharmaceuticals, by positioning devices near BAT depots and controlling light delivery based on various triggers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If surgical procedures are used to treat obesity, then weight loss can be achieved, but postoperative pain, wound infection risk, and recovery time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical surgical intervention with optical energy delivery. Light energy is used to activate brown adipose tissue through non-invasive optical stimulation, eliminating the need for physical incisions, sutures, and mechanical manipulation of tissues. This substitution of mechanical surgery with optical activation directly resolves the contradiction by achieving metabolic effects without surgical trauma.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces light energy as an intermediary medium to activate brown adipose tissue. Instead of directly mechanically removing or restricting food intake through surgery, light serves as an intermediary that triggers biochemical pathways in BAT, leading to increased energy expenditure and weight loss. This intermediary approach achieves the desired outcome without direct mechanical intervention.
2Use of energy by moving object
If pharmaceutical approaches are used to increase energy expenditure, then metabolic function can be improved, but side effects and physiological limitations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical pharmaceutical intervention with optical energy delivery. Instead of using drugs that chemically alter metabolism and risk side effects, light energy is used to physically stimulate brown adipose tissue activation through photobiomodulation or photochemical pathways. This substitution eliminates pharmaceutical side effects while achieving increased energy expenditure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the activation parameter from chemical (pharmaceutical concentration and dosage) to physical (light wavelength, intensity, and duration). By controlling optical parameters rather than chemical dosages, the system achieves precise control over BAT activation without the systemic side effects associated with pharmaceuticals. The light parameters can be locally adjusted to target specific BAT depots without affecting other body systems.
3Ease of operation
If light energy is used to activate brown adipose tissue, then non-invasive treatment is achieved, but light penetration depth and tissue targeting precision must be optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by delivering light energy to specific localized regions where brown adipose tissue depots are present. Different wavelengths, intensities, or patterns of light can be applied to different body regions (e.g., supraclavicular, cervical, or axillary BAT depots). This localized approach ensures that light energy is concentrated where needed while minimizing exposure to surrounding tissues, thereby achieving both non-invasive treatment and precise targeting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic or pulsed light delivery patterns to enhance tissue penetration and targeting precision. By delivering light in controlled pulses or cycles rather than continuous exposure, the system allows for thermal management, reduces scattering effects, and enables more precise control over the spatial and temporal distribution of energy. This periodic action facilitates deeper tissue penetration while maintaining targeting accuracy.
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 method effectively activates BAT, leading to increased energy expenditure, weight loss, and improved metabolic function without the risks associated with surgery or pharmaceuticals, providing a non-invasive and potentially long-term solution for obesity and related metabolic disorders.
Implementation Method 1
activating the device to deliver light energy to the patient to activate the brown adipose tissue and increase energy expenditure of the brown adipose tissue
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices are provided for activating brown adipose tissue (BAT) with light. Generally, the methods and devices can activate BAT to increase thermogenesis, e.g., increase heat production in the patient, which over time can lead to weight loss and/or improved metabolic function. In one embodiment, a medical device is provided that activates BAT by using light to stimulate nerves that activate the BAT and/or to stimulate brown adipocytes directly, thereby increasing thermogenesis in the BAT and inducing weight loss and/or improved metabolic function through energy expenditure. The light can be configured to directly or indirectly stimulate the nerves and/or the brown adipocytes. The light can be configured to indirectly stimulate the nerves and/or the brown adipocytes by activating a light activatable medium administered to a patient and configured to respond to the light to cause activation of the brown adipose tissue.