Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
72 words
An apparatus for treating a region of skin comprising a pulsed light source (301), a housing (306) in which the light source is disposed, wherein the housing (306) includes an aperture suitable for directing the light to the region of skin, and characterised in that the pulsed light source is capable of heating and shrinking collagen in the region of skin, thereby reviving the elasticity of the collagen and of the skin.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further including a timing circuit coupled to the pulsed light source, adapted to indicate when a delay time has passed after an application of a cooling substance to the skin region.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 further comprising a microprocessor (309) coupled to the pulsed light source for determining the delay time in response to a selected skin temperature profile.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 when appended to claim 2 further comprising a means for reducing the temperature of the cooling substance, wherein the cooling means is disposed to provide a signal indicative of cooling to the timing circuit.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
57 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 further comprising a pulse formation circuit and a pulse duration input, wherein the pulse duration circuit is coupled to the pulsed light source and is adapted to control the duration of pulses emitted by the pulsed light source in response to the pulse duration input.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
22 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the pulsed light source includes a noncoherent light source.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
43 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 further including a filter (303, 304) disposed adjacent to the aperture, wherein a temperature distribution within the skin is controlled in response to a radiation spectrum produced by filtering the light.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
23 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 further including a light guide (305) disposed adjacent to the aperture.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
40 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 8 further including a pulse delay circuit adapted to produce a delay in the range of 0.5-10msec between successive pulses of light emitted by the pulsed light source pulses.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
31 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the light source is adapted to provide pulses having energy fluences on the order of 100J/cm 2 .
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
A cosmetic treatment of a region of skin comprising the steps of applying pulsed light, heating collagen and shrinking collagen, thereby reviving the elasticity of the collagen and of the skin.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
A cosmetic treatment as claimed in claim 11 further comprising the step of protecting the epidermis and outer layers of the skin by cooling the epidermis and outer layers of the skin.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
A cosmetic treatment as claimed in claim 12 in which the step of cooling includes the step of applying a transparent substance having a temperature less than an ambient temperature, to the region of the skin.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A cosmetic treatment as claimed in claim 13 further including the step of controlling a delay time between the application of the substance and the application of light, to control the temperature distribution within the skin.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
A cosmetic treatment as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 14 further comprising the steps of controlling a pulse duration and applying multiple pulses to control a temperature distribution within the skin.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
A cosmetic treatment as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 15 wherein the step of applying pulsed light includes the step of pulsing a noncoherent light source.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
A cosmetic treatment as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 16 further including the step of controlling the radiation spectrum by filtering the light to control a temperature distribution within the skin.