Surgery: light – thermal – and electrical application – Light – thermal – and electrical application – Light application
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-15
2001-04-03
Dvorak, Linda C. M. (Department: 3739)
Surgery: light, thermal, and electrical application
Light, thermal, and electrical application
Light application
C606S009000, C128S898000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210426
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to laser treatment arrangements, and more particularly to a laser system for preventing surgical scars on human tissue.
2. Prior Art
Scars are a fact of life for most people at one time or another. Such scars may arise as a result of an accident, injury, or surgical procedure. Healing of a scar will begin immediately. The healing process may take a week to a month, depending upon the severity of the skin injury. In an injury where blood vessels are severed along with the dermis and epidermis layers of the skin, the red and white blood cells from those severed vessels leak into the wound site. The blood cells which are called platelets “thrombocytes”, and a blood-clotting protein called fibrinogen, help form a clot of the blood. The cells begin to form a network, and the sides of the injury begin to join together. Cellular debris from the epidermis layer begins to invade the area amongst the blood cells. Fibroblasts, or the tissue forming cells, close in around the injury. Within twenty-four hours, the injured or clotted area becomes dehydrated, and a scab is formed at the site. Neutrophils or white blood cells travel from the blood vessels into the injured area and ingest microorganisms, cellular debris, and other foreign material. Division of the epidermal cells begins at the edge of the injury, and those cells begin to build a bridge across that tissue wound. Monocytes, or white blood cells, migrate toward the wound from its surrounding tissue.
Monocytes enter the wound site itself within two to three days after the wound or surgical procedure was created. Those monocytes ingest the remaining foreign material. The epidermal cells complete a patch of new skin under the scab that is formed. After a new epidermal surface has been formed, the protective scab is sloughed off. Then the tissue forming cells called fibroblasts begin to build scar tissue with collagen.
The epidermis has been restored after about ten days from the injury or surgical procedure, and the scab is typically gone. A tough scar tissue continues to build up, and bundles of collagen accrue along the lines of the original injury or surgical cut.
Once scars have formed, treatment of them has generally been limited to various resurfacing procedures, such as dermabrasion and chemical peels. Continuous wave carbon dioxide, argon, and pulsed dye lasers have been applied onto scar tissue in an attempt to improve the appearance of a variety of scars and keloids.
These attempts at scar treatment are performed with the attempt to ensure their removal. Such treatment is often ineffective, short-lived, and sometimes even results in additional scar formation.
It is an object of the present invention, to provide a unique wound treatment aimed at scar prevention.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an efficient cost effective treatment for skin injuries due to accidents or surgical procedures, aimed at preventing the initial formation of scar tissue.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises an arrangement for the prevention of scar formation on a wound or a surgical site. The scar prevention is accomplished by the use of an optical radiation apparatus such as a pulse dye laser. The pulse dye laser is connected to a handpiece by an elongated flexible optical fiber. The laser handpiece is supported at the distal end of the elongated flexible optical fiber and includes a lens for directing a beam of light to a surgical site or a site of an injury. The apparatus of the present invention creates a beam of light preferably having a wavelength range of between about 530 nm to about 1000 nm. The beam of optical radiation of the present invention preferably has range of pulse width between about 0.1 ms. to 10.0 ms. The fluence of the laser may extend from a range of about 2 J/cm
2
to about 12 J/cm
2
. Such a laser pulse is intended to coagulate blood vessels in their initial formation stage to reduce fibroblast activity. Such reduction in fibroblast activity will minimize collagen formation to permit the injury or surgical site to have a more normal looking skin.
The method of operating the optical radiation apparatus of the present invention includes the application of the optical radiation of wavelength range between about 530 nm and 1000 nm, with a pulse width in a range of about 0.1 ms to 10.0 ms onto the situs of an injury of surgical procedure of a patient, critically within a time constraint of that injury or procedure preferably between about two days after the injury or surgical procedure has taken place, and certainly before two months of that date of injury or surgical procedure. By coagulating the blood vessels, which are typically smaller than 0.1 mm, collagen formation may be minimized and thus scar formation is also minimized or prevented. Additional treatment of the surgical site of injury may be provided by the optical radiation apparatus at follow-up intervals, preferable within that two day to two month time period from the occurrence of that injury or surgical procedure or first treatment.
Thus it has been shown that the utilization of the optical radiation apparatus with a wave length range of between about 535 nm and 1000 nm, and a fluence of about 2 J/cm
2
to about 12 J/cm
2
within a relatively short time interval after the skin injury, may minimize or prevent any scar tissue formation.
The invention thus comprises a method for the prevention of a scar on the skin of a patient after the beginning healing of a wound or surgical site, comprising the steps of providing an optical radiation apparatus with an optical radiation handpiece communicating therewith, energyzing the optical radiation apparatus, to provide a beam of light through the handpiece; and directing the beam from the handpiece onto a wound or surgical site after 2 days and before 2 months from the date of injury or surgical procedure. The method also includes the beam of light having a wavelength range of about 530 nm to about 1000 nm. The method also includes the beam having a fluence range of from 2 J/cm
2
to 12 J/cm
2
. The pulsed dye laser beam also has a beam size of about 3 mm to about 10 mm in diameter.
The invention also comprises a method for the prevention of a scar on the skin of a patient after the beginning healing of a wound or surgical site, comprising the steps of: providing a pulsed dye laser apparatus with a laser handpiece communicating therewith; energyzing the pulsed dye laser apparatus to provide a beam of laser light; directing the laser beam onto a wound or surgical site after 2 days and before 2 months from the date of injury or surgical procedure, wherein the pulsed dye laser beam preferably has a wavelength range of about 575 nm to about 600 nm., the pulsed dye laser beam having a fluence range of form 2 J/cm
2
to 12 J/cm
2
, the pulsed dye laser beam having a pulse width range of about 0.1 ms to 1.5 ms, and wherein the pulsed dye laser beam has a beam size range of about 3 mm to about 10 mm in diameter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4672969 (1987-06-01), Dew
patent: 5464436 (1995-11-01), Smith
patent: 5766233 (1998-06-01), Thiberg
patent: 5897549 (1999-04-01), Tankovich
patent: 5951596 (1999-09-01), Bellinger
patent: 5964749 (1999-10-01), Eckhouse et al.
Cho George
Furumoto Horace
Sierra Rafael A
Cynosure Inc
Dvorak Linda C. M.
Farah Ahmed
Halgren Don
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