Method and apparatus for causing rapid and deep spatially selective coagulation during thermally mediated therapeutic procedures
US5979454A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 6, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 9, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 6, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61N2005/0644
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Successful laser treatment of hemangiomas requires selective photocoagulation of subsurface targeted blood vessels without thermal damage to the overlying epidermis. An apparatus for in vivo exposure of laser radiation from a continuous Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm delivers repetitive cryogen spurts, each having a duration of the order of milliseconds during continuous laser irradiation. Control of the cryogen spray cooling is achieved through monitoring of the radiometric surface temperature of the tissue site and either controlling the repetition rate of the cryogen spurts according to temperature or according to a threshold temperature of the irradiated surface and/or repetition rate of the cryogen spurts according to power density and the duration of continuous irradiation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.