Surgery – Instruments – Light application
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-08
2004-11-30
Farah, Ahmed M (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Instruments
Light application
C606S003000, C606S010000, C607S088000, C128S898000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06824542
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to hair removal. More particularly, this invention relates to a method for the temporary removal of hair.
As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,438, hair may be removed from selected skin surfaces by the application of intense, wide area, pulsed electromagnetic (light) energy. According to the methodology of U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,438, the energy heats the hair and coagulates the tissue around the hair and follicle without damaging the healthy skin. Pursuant to that prior art disclosure, it is preferable to provide an optically transparent water based gel on the skin prior to treatment with the electromagnetic energy. The gel cools the epidermis but is applied so as not to enter the cavity around the hair follicle, and thus does not cool the hair and the hair follicle. The applied energy then coagulates the hair without damaging the skin.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,438 teaches the use of incoherent polychromatic radiation in a wavelength range that penetrates into the skin without being highly attenuated. It is indicated in the patent that wavelengths shorter than 550 nm are not useful because they will be highly attenuated before reaching the lower parts of the hair follicles. Instead, wavelengths in the range of 550 to 630 nm are heavily absorbed by blood and can therefore be used to coagulate the vessels that feed the hairs. Additionally, longer wavelengths, in the range of 600 to 100 nm have a very good penetration into non-pigmented skin and can be used to couple to the melanin of the hair.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,273 discloses a method of removing hair that includes producing a plurality of pulses of incoherent electromagnetic energy, which is filtered in accordance with the color of the hair being removed. A flashlamp produces pulses having delays on the order of 0.1 msec to 100 msec, and an energy fluence on the order of 10 to 100 J/cm
2
. Energy that has a wavelength of less than 500 nm or 600 nm and greater than 1300 nm is preferably filtered out. Light is applied to the treated area in either a long pulse or in a sequence of pulses separated by a delay. The delay and/or pulse length is preferably controlled by the operator to provide enough heat to remove the hair but not enough heat to damage the skin. For example, the pulse length or delay between the pulses should be more than the cooling time of the gel covered epidermis and less than the cooling time of the hair and follicle. Specifically, a pulse length of 50 msec if a single pulse is used or a delay of 50 msec between the pulses if a pulse sequence is used are appropriate values.
In brief, the art using electromagnetic radiation such as pulses of incoherent light is intended to permanently remove hair from selected skin surfaces. The light pulses have parameters such as spectral dispersion, pulse duration and total energy that are selected to destroy the hair follicles in the selected skin area. Understandably, such methods carry a certain amount of risk that the skin may be damaged. Accordingly, the prior art methods of hair depilation are typically intended for use by trained cosmetologists and other professionals. The consuming public is left with few options in removing undesired hair.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for temporary hair removal.
A more particular object of the present invention is to provide such a method that is safe for home use.
It is a related object of the invention to provide a method for hair removal, which may replace current home-based methods, for instance, of shaving, waxing, plucking, tweezing, or using depilatories.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a method that can result in a smooth cleaner hair removal than is possible with razors and shavers.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the drawings and descriptions herein. It is to be understood that each object of the invention is achieved by at least one embodiment of the invention. It is not necessarily the case that any embodiment achieves all of the objects of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A hair removal method comprises, in accordance with the present invention, generating a predetermined number of pulses of light each having a predetermined electromagnetic spectrum, and directing the pulses of light towards a skin surface. The light pulses having at least one pulse duration, at least one inter-pulse interval (if the number of pulses is greater than one), and a total energy all predetermined to temporarily prevent a growth of hair through the skin surface for a period of time. Prior to a lapse of the period of time after the directing of the pulses towards the skin surface, the predetermined number of pulses of light are again generated and directed towards the skin surface.
The pulse parameters, namely, the pulse number, the pulse duration(s), the inter-pulse interval(s), the total energy and the spectral distribution(s), are selected in concert to only temporarily prevent the appearance of hair on the treated skin surface. Thus, in contrast to prior methods, which are aimed at completely destroying the hair follicle, the present method contemplates only a partial destruction of the follicles or, alternatively, a destruction of the hair inside the follicles. In either case, the hair will grow and again appear on the treated surface in the absence of additional controlled light application.
The light used in a hair removal method in accordance with the present invention may be incoherent and produced by a flashlamp or other source of incoherent electromagnetic radiation. Alternatively, the light may be coherent and produced by a laser source. In the former case the electromagnetic spectrum of the light pulses is a band of wavelengths, while in the latter case, the electromagnetic spectrum of a light pulse delivered at one time is a single wavelength. In the former case filters may be used to limit the band of transmitted wavelengths, while in the latter case the laser source may be adjustable or tunable for producing wavelengths of different frequencies.
In accordance with the present invention, a user determines the time it takes for the hair to regenerate and reappear on the treated skin surface and reapplies the light pulses prior to the expected time of hair growth through the treated skin surface. More specifically, a hair removal method in accordance with the present invention includes generating a predetermined number of pulses of light each having a predetermined electromagnetic spectrum and applying the pulses of light to a given skin surface, the pulses having at least one predetermined pulse duration, at least one predetermined inter-pulse interval (if the number of pulses is greater than one), and a predetermined total energy. The various pulse parameters are “predetermined” insofar as they are set or selected prior to the application of the light energy to the selected skin surface. The determination of the different pulse parameters is generally made partially at the time of manufacture of the light-generating device and partially by the selection or selections made by the user. At least in part owing to the application of the pulses to the skin surface, an appearance of visible hair fibers on the skin surface is temporarily prevented. Passing days are then counted between the applying of the pulses to the skin surface and a subsequent reappearance of hair fibers on the skin surface, thereby determining an expected hair regeneration period. After determination of this hair regeneration period, the same pulse sequence is generated, having the same pulse number, the same electromagnetic spectrum(s), the same pulse duration(s), the same inter-pulse interval(s) (if applicable), and the same total energy. This pulse sequence is directed towards the given skin surface. Thereafter, prior to a lapse of the determined hair regeneration period, the light application is repeated with pulses of light having (if desired) the same spectrum, the same numbe
Coleman Henry D.
Farah Ahmed M
Sapone William J.
Sudol R. Neil
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