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US5707403A
Expired / Lapsed
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Method for the laser treatment of subsurface blood vessels
Assignee: ESC MEDICAL SYSTEMS Inc
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Filing: 1996-04-23
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Granted: 1998-01-13
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Expires: 2016-04-23
Abstract
Abstract The invention provides a method for selectively destroying blood vessels contained at a selected depth and in a selective area of a patients dermis by positioning a laser so that light from the laser will impinge on the selected area of the dermis and operating the laser to deliver pulse light to the area, which light has a wavelength between 700 nm and 1100 nm, with each pulse delivering a fluence at the surface above the area being treated of between 5 joules per square centimeter and 100 joules per square centimeter, and each pulse having a pulse duration of between 0.2 milliseconds and 100 milliseconds.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert E. Grove
- 👤 James Z. Holtz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 14:06
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N5/00; A61N5/06; A61N5/0613; A61N5/0616; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/18; A61B18/20; A61B18/203; A61B17/00; A61B2017/00743; A61B2017/00747; A61B2017/00756; A61B2018/00315; A61B2018/00452; A61B2018/00476; A61N2005/0658; A61N2005/0659
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
106 words
A method for destroying blood vessels contained at a selected depth and in a selected area of the dermis comprising the steps of: (a) positioning a laser so that light from said laser will impinge upon said selected area of the dermis; and (b) operating said laser to deliver at least one light pulse to said area having a wavelength between 700 nm and 1100 nm, with each pulse delivering a fluence at a skin surface above said area of between 5 joules per square centimeter and 100 joules per square centimeter and each pulse having a pulse duration of between 0.2 millisecond and 100 milliseconds.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
106 words
A method for destroying blood vessels contained at a selected depth and in a selected area of the dermis comprising the steps of: (a) positioning a laser so that light from said laser will impinge upon said selected area of the dermis; and (b) operating said laser to deliver at least one light pulse to said area having a wavelength between 700 nm and 1100 nm, with each pulse delivering a fluence at a skin surface above said area of between 5 joules per square centimeter and 100 joules per square centimeter and each pulse having a pulse duration of between 0.2 millisecond and 100 milliseconds.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said light impinges upon an area at said surface of between 0.1 square centimeter and 10 square centimeters.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein, during step (b) said laser is operated to deliver a single pulse.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of repeating steps (a) and (b) for additional areas of the dermis containing blood vessels to be destroyed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) includes the step of controlling the fluence delivered by the laser to said surface to control said selected depth.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) includes the step of controlling the pulse duration depending on the size of the blood vessel to be destroyed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said pulse duration is between 1.0 milliseconds and 30 milliseconds.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the laser is a continuous wave laser and wherein step (b) includes the step of gating the laser to provide the pulsed light.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the laser is a high repetition laser and wherein step (b) includes the step of gating the laser to provide the pulsed light.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said blood vessels are leg veins and wherein step (a) includes the step of positioning the laser at a portion of said leg vein which is to be treated and destroyed.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said blood vessels are telangiectasias and wherein step (a) includes the step of positioning the laser at a portion of said telangiectasias which is to be treated and destroyed.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said blood vessels are port wine stains and wherein step (a) includes the step of positioning the laser over a portion of said port wine stains which are to be treated and destroyed.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said blood vessels are at the base of hair follicles and wherein step (a) includes the step of positioning the laser over a portion of said hair follicles which are to be treated and destroyed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said blood vessels underline psoriatic plaque and wherein step (a) includes the step of positioning the laser over a portion of said psoriatic plaque which are to be treated and destroyed.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
110 words
A method for selectively destroying veins contained at a selected depth and in a selected area of the dermis of a person's leg comprising the steps of: (a) positioning a laser so that light from said laser will impinge upon said dermis of a person's leg in said selected area; and (b) operating said laser to deliver at least one light pulse having a wavelength between 700 nm and 1100 nm, each pulse delivering a fluence at a skin surface above said area of between 5 joules per square centimeter and 100 joules per square centimeter and each pulse having a pulse duration of between 0.2 millisecond and 100 milliseconds.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
110 words
A method for selectively destroying veins contained at a selected depth and in a selected area of the dermis of a person's leg comprising the steps of: (a) positioning a laser so that light from said laser will impinge upon said dermis of a person's leg in said selected area; and (b) operating said laser to deliver at least one light pulse having a wavelength between 700 nm and 1100 nm, each pulse delivering a fluence at a skin surface above said area of between 5 joules per square centimeter and 100 joules per square centimeter and each pulse having a pulse duration of between 0.2 millisecond and 100 milliseconds.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-01-12 | 2001-07-14 | 2002-01-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-01-12 | 2005-07-14 | 2006-01-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-01-12 | 2009-07-14 | 2010-01-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |