Surgery – Truss – Pad
Patent
1987-08-05
1990-03-20
Coven, Edward M.
Surgery
Truss
Pad
350 16, A61N 508
Patent
active
049092545
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to the phototherapy of skin wounds and, in particular, to the phototherapy of skin wounds with ultra violet light from which the UVB component (wavelengths of 280 nm to 315 nm) has been substantially removed or attenuated so that the wound is irradiated with UVC (wavelengths of 200 to 280 nm) and UVA (315 to 400 nm). Preferably the wound is also irradiated with visible and infra-red radiation.
BACKGROUND ART
Prior to the advent of modern antibiotics, it was known that beneficial effects could be obtained in the treatment of skin wounds in mammals by the irradiation of the wounds by sunlight and by carbon-arc radiation. In addition, the germicidal action of significant levels of UVC radiation is well known. Furthermore, the beneficial properties of UVA radiation have also been reported.
Such ultraviolet radiation fell into a decline with the advent of antibiotics since it suffers from the problem that the ultraviolet radiation used included excessive emissions of damaging erythemal UVB radiation which readily causes burning and blistering and is generally regarded as being carcinogenic. Since the UVB radiation was itself harmful, it was necessary to maintain the radiation level overall at a fairly low level thereby preventing the beneficial properties of the UVC and UVA components from being applied at an effective dosage level.
Whilst antibotics were initially spectacularly successful, many organisms have now developed resistance to antibotics and therefore higher doses and longer periods of treatment are required. In addition, in some applications, such as the treatment of racehorses, there are objections to the use of antibiotics and it is often difficult to apply bandages and other surface treatments to the legs of racehorses in particular.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages inherent with antibiotic treatment and provide a method and apparatus whereby the germicidal and other beneficial properties of UV radiation can be utilized without the unnecessary, short-term damage and possible carcinogenic problems inherent with UVB radiation by the reduction or substantial elimination of the UVB component.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method of phototherapy of skin wounds of mammals, said method comprising the step of irradiating the wound area with ultraviolet light from which the UVB component has been substantially removed or attenuated whereby the wound is irradiated with substantially UVA and UVC radiation. Preferably the wound is also irradiated with visible light and/or infra-red radiation.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is disclosed apparatus for carrying out the above method and comprising a source of UV radiation, focusing means to focus the UV radiation onto a target area, and a filter placed in said radiation to substantially remove or attenuate any UVB component in said radiation. Preferably a monitor device is provided in order to monitor the radiation dosage.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through the apparatus of the preferred embodiment,
FIG. 2 is a centrally located vertical cross-section through the apparatus of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the vertical section through the monitor optics illustrated in FIG. 2, and
FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the monitor optics arrangement of FIG. 3.
As seen in the drawings, the apparatus of the preferred embodiment comprises a high-pressure mercury-vapor gas-discharge lamp 1, with a quartz envelope, preferably having a power of approximately 100 W which is mounted vertically within a lamp enclosure 16 formed from UV stable material. The enclosure 16 is provided with light baffles 13 and a cooling fan 15. At one end of the lamp enclosure 16 is a selective-UV filter 2 (to be described hereafter) which
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Motovilov, "Narrow-Band Interference Filters for the UV Region of the Spectrum"; 6/67; Optics and Spectroscopy; vol. 22, pp. 537, 538.
Philips Technical Review, 41, No. 718, 1983, pp. 225-238.
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
Coven Edward M.
Graham Mark S.
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