Textile Optical Fiber Light Conduction for Skin Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing treatments for seasonal affective disorder, such as light therapy, are inconvenient for patients as they require removing clothing to expose skin to light, which is not feasible in all situations, especially during winter when light exposure is limited.
Innovation Solution
A textile with an active outside surface and an active inside surface comprising optical fibers that capture light and transmit it to the skin, allowing for continuous exposure to light even when the human is covered, using optical fibers that function as a light conductor system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If light therapy is implemented using a lightbox, then light exposure to human skin is improved, but convenience and ease of operation deteriorates as patients must remove clothing and sit at a prescribed distance from the light source
Solution Approach 1:
The optical fibers are embedded within the textile structure, with the light conductor system nested inside the fabric layers. The outside surface captures light and transmits it through the textile to the inside surface, allowing light exposure while wearing the textile normally without removing clothing or positioning at a specific distance from a light source.
Solution Approach 2:
The textile itself acts as an intermediary medium between the external light source and the human skin. The optical fibers within the textile capture light from the environment and transmit it to the inside surface, eliminating the need for direct exposure to artificial lightboxes or removal of clothing.
2Illumination intensity
If exposure to sunlight is used for light therapy, then light exposure is improved, but harmful ultraviolet radiation increases the risk of skin cancer
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the beneficial visible light component from sunlight while blocking the harmful ultraviolet radiation. The optical fibers transmit light to the inside surface of the textile, and the textile material filters out UV rays, allowing light therapy without the skin cancer risk associated with direct sunlight exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The textile provides different properties to different parts of the light spectrum: it allows beneficial visible light to pass through to the skin while blocking harmful ultraviolet radiation. This selective transmission creates a localized quality that provides light therapy protection without the harmful effects of direct sunlight.
3Illumination intensity
If artificial light sources are used for light therapy, then light exposure is improved, but the treatment requires removing most clothes and is not feasible in all situations
Solution Approach 1:
The textile serves multiple functions: it provides light exposure therapy, maintains clothing coverage for privacy and comfort, and can be worn in various situations including indoor and outdoor environments. The optical fiber system enables light transmission through the textile material itself, making the textile both a protective covering and a light delivery mechanism.
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 textile ensures that human skin is exposed to light in all situations, reducing symptoms of seasonal affective disorder and neurodermatitis by transmitting captured light from the outside surface to the inside surface, which is in contact with the skin, thereby addressing the inconvenience of existing treatments.
Implementation Method 1
The textile (1) has an active outside surface (3) and an active inside surface (4) which comprises optical fibers (2) covering at least partially the outside surface (3), wherein the outside surface (3) is connected by the optical fibers (2) with the inside surface (4)
Implementation Method 2
the optical fibers (2) transmit the light to the active inside surface (4) of the textile (1)
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a textile (1) with an active outside surface (3) and an active inside surface (4) comprising optical fibers (2) covering at least partially the outside surface (3), wherein the active outside surface(3) captures light, which is transmitted by the optical fibers (2) to the active inside surface (4).