Self-contained, eye-safe hair-regrowth-inhibition apparatus and method

Abstract

A dermatologic hair-regrowth-inhibiting apparatus is disclosed which is cordless and sufficiently compact as to be hand-held. A self-contained housing is configured for gripping by a person's hand for cordless manipulation in a hair-regrowth-inhibiting procedure. A light source and electrical circuit are contained within the housing. The circuit includes one or more batteries for energizing the light source to produce output light pulses. A light path within the housing includes an aperture through which eye-safe light pulses are propagated out of the housing having properties sufficient for at least temporary hair-regrowth inhibition. A diffuser is disposed along the light path to reduce the integrated radiance to an eye-safe level.

1 . (canceled)  
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , further comprising a heatsink for contacting a region of the skin, having one or more thermal characteristics that serve to remove heat from the skin and wherein the temperature of the heatsink is at or above a normal skin temperature, wherein a normal skin temperature is a temperature of the skin when not being treated with the device.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the heatsink comprises a sapphire output window.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , further comprising a heatsink for contacting a region of the skin, having one or more thermal characteristics that serve to remove heat from the skin and wherein the temperature of the heatsink is maintained below a normal skin temperature, wherein a normal skin temperature is a temperature of the skin when not being treated with the device.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the heatsink comprises a sapphire output window.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , further comprising at least one sensor for permitting light pulses to be propagated from the housing only when the at least one sensor is sufficiently proximate to the target area.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein at least one light pulse is automatically triggered when the at least one sensor is sufficiently proximate.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein a light pulse emitted at the aperture has a spot size not greater than 5 cm 2 .  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein a light pulse emitted at the aperture has a spot size not less than 0.25 cm 2 .  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein a light pulse emitted at the aperture has a spot size not greater than 5 cm 2 .  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein the light source includes one or more diode lasers.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more diode lasers includes one or more laser diode bars each comprising multiple laser diode emitters.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more laser diode bars are thermally coupled to a fan-cooled heatsink.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein the light source is divergent.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein the light source comprises one or more flashlamps.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein the light source comprises one or more light emitting diodes.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein the output light pulse has a bandwidth of 2 nanometers or more.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein a majority of the energy of a light pulse emitted by the apparatus is between 700 nm and 1100 nm.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein a light pulse emitted by the apparatus has a duration not more than 1 second.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein a light pulse emitted by the apparatus has a duration not less than 10 milliseconds.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein a light pulse emitted by the apparatus has a duration of not more than 1 second.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein a light pulse emitted by the apparatus has a duration not less than 200 milliseconds.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , a light pulse emitted by the apparatus has a duration not more than 600 milliseconds.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein a light pulse emitted by the apparatus has a peak power not less than 10 watts.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein a light pulse emitted by the apparatus has a peak power not more than 120 watts.  
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein a light pulse emitted by the apparatus has a peak power not less than 10 watts.  
     
     
         27 - 35 . (canceled)  
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein the electrical circuit comprises a supercapacitor for energizing the light source.  
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein the electrical circuit comprises a direct drive electrical circuit for energizing the light source.  
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein the optical diffuser comprises a reflective diffuser.  
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , further comprising a mixer along the light path for distributing light more uniformly at the aperture.  
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , wherein a principal optical axis of light emitted from the light source striking the diffuser is not parallel to the normal of a surface of the diffuser.  
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the light source comprises one or more laser diode bars.  
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 146 , further comprising an audible feedback component.  
     
     
         43 - 56 . (canceled)  
     
     
         57 . The apparatus of  claim 147 , wherein the light source comprises one or more diode laser bars each comprising multiple laser diode emitters.  
     
     
         58 . The apparatus of  claim 147 , wherein the light source comprises two or more diode laser bars each comprising multiple laser diode emitters.  
     
     
         59 . The apparatus of  claim 147 , wherein the light source comprises one or more laser diode bars that are thermally coupled to a fan-cooled heatsink.  
     
     
         60 . (canceled)  
     
     
         61 . The apparatus of  claim 147 , wherein the light source comprises one or more flashlamps.  
     
     
         62 . The apparatus of  claim 147 , wherein the light source comprises one or more light emitting diodes.  
     
     
         63 - 73 . (canceled)  
     
     
         74 . The apparatus of  claim 147 , wherein the light path includes an optical diffuser.  
     
     
         75 . The apparatus of  claim 74 , further comprising a mixer along the light path for distributing light more uniformly at the output aperture.  
     
     
         76 . The apparatus of  claim 74 , wherein a principal optical axis of light emitted from the light source and striking the diffuser is not parallel to the normal of the surface of the diffuser.  
     
     
         77 . The apparatus of  claim 76 , wherein the light source comprises one or more laser diode bars.  
     
     
         78 - 89 . (canceled)  
     
     
         90 . The apparatus of  claim 74 , wherein the optical diffuser comprises a reflective diffuser.  
     
     
         91 . The apparatus of  claim 147  wherein the repetition rate of the light pulses emitted by the apparatus is between 0.1 Hz and 2 Hz.  
     
     
         92 - 116 . (canceled)  
     
     
         117 . A hair-regrowth-inhibiting method for inhibiting hair regrowth, comprising: 
 (a) gripping in a person's hand a self-contained housing assembly of a hair-regrowth-inhibiting device;    (b) positioning the housing assembly such that an output window component of the device is proximate to a target area of skin of a same or different person;    (c) energizing a light source with an electrical circuit to produce output light in the range of 4-100 J/cm 2  and having sufficient fluence at the output aperture to effect at least temporary hair removal at the target area;    (d) transmitting the output light as one or more pulses of duration t generated by the light source along a light path within the housing including an aperture through which eye-safe light pulses are propagated from the housing assembly having properties sufficient for at least temporarily inhibiting hair regrowth;    (e) diffusing the output light pulses along the light path so that an integrated radiance of the output light pulses in Jcm −2  sr −1  is less than 10 t 1/3  when the wavelength of the light is 600 to 700 nm, less than 10*10 (λ−700)/515 t 1/3  when the wavelength λ of the light is 700 to 1060 nm, and less than 50 t 1/3  when the wavelength of the light is 1060 to 1200 nm where t is less than 10 seconds; and    (f) manipulating the hand-held, dermatologic device in a hair-regrowth-inhibiting procedure.    
     
     
         118 . The method of  claim 117 , further comprising removing sufficient heat from the skin to reduce or prevent epidermal injury.  
     
     
         119 . The method of  claim 118 , wherein the removing comprises contacting a region of the skin with a heatsink having one or more thermal characteristics that serve to remove sufficient heat from the contacted skin region to reduce or prevent epidermal injury.  
     
     
         120 . The method of  claim 117 , wherein the apparatus is cordless and has a total weight of no more than 1 kilogram and occupies no more than 1500 cm 3  of volume.  
     
     
         121 . The method of  claim 117 , further comprising permitting light pulses to be propagated from the housing only when substantial contact is made between a contact sensor and a contacted surface.  
     
     
         122 . The method of  claim 121 , further comprising automatically triggering a light pulse when said contact is made.  
     
     
         123 . The method of  claim 117 , wherein the transmitted output light pulses have a spot size at the aperture not greater than 5 cm 2 .  
     
     
         124 . The method of  claim 123 , wherein the transmitted output light pulses have a spot size at the aperture not less than 0.25 cm 2 .  
     
     
         125 . The method of  claim 117 , wherein the energized light source comprises one or more laser diodes.  
     
     
         126 . The method of  claim 125 , wherein the one or more laser diodes comprise one or more laser diode bars each comprising multiple emitters.  
     
     
         127 . The method of  claim 125 , wherein the one or more laser diodes comprise two or more laser diode bars each comprising multiple laser diode emitters.  
     
     
         128 . The method of  claim 125 , further comprising removing heat generated by the laser diode bars though a heat sink in thermal contact with the diode bars.  
     
     
         129 . The method of  claim 117 , wherein a light pulse from the energized light source has a pulse duration of not more than 1 second.  
     
     
         130 . The method of  claim 117 , wherein a light pulse from the energized light source has a pulse duration of not less than 10 milliseconds.  
     
     
         131 . The method of  claim 130 , wherein a light pulse from the energized light source has a pulse duration of not more than 1 second.  
     
     
         132 . (canceled)  
     
     
         133 . The method of  claim 117 , wherein the energizing comprises at least partial discharge of a supercapacitor for energizing the light source.  
     
     
         134 . The method of  claim 117 , wherein the energizing comprises direct drive energizing of the light source.  
     
     
         135 . The method of  claim 134 , wherein the energizing comprises generating current pulses for generating light pulses without at least partial discharge of one or more storage capacitors, such that the one or more batteries do not charge such one or more storage capacitors, and instead the energizing comprises one or more batteries directly energizing a light source.  
     
     
         136 . The method of  claim 134 , wherein the energizing comprises generating current pulses for generating light pulses without a transformer.  
     
     
         137 . The method of  claim 117 , wherein a person performing the cordless manipulation of the method is a same person upon whose skin the light pulses are applied.  
     
     
         138 . The method of  claim 117 , wherein a person performing the cordless manipulation of the method is a different person than the person upon whose skin the light pulses are applied.  
     
     
         139 . The method of  claim 117 , further comprising mixing the light downstream of the light source for distributing light more uniformly at the output aperture.  
     
     
         140 . The method of  claim 117 , further comprising lowering the output fluence below a maximum level using a switch for turning down the output fluence.  
     
     
         141 . (canceled)  
     
     
         142 . The method of  claim 117 , wherein light pulses are emitted at a repetition rate between 0.1 Hz and 2 Hz, have a peak power between 10 watts and 120 watts, and have a spot size between 0.25 cm 2  and 5 cm 2 , and wherein the cordless apparatus has a total weight of no more than 1 kilogram, and occupies no more than 1500 cm 3  of volume.  
     
     
         143 . The method of  claim 142 , wherein the energizing comprises energizing one or more diode laser light sources.  
     
     
         144 . The method of  claim 142 , wherein the energizing comprises energizing one or more flashlamp light sources.  
     
     
         145 . The method of  claim 142 , wherein the energizing comprises energizing one or more light emitting diode light sources.  
     
     
         146 . A dermatologic apparatus comprising 
 a housing configured to be held in a person's hand for performing a hair-regrowth-inhibiting procedure, the housing having a volume of no more than 1500 cm 3  and having an output aperture, a light source within the housing for providing, through the output aperture, light in the range of 4-100 J/cm 2  at a target area of human skin comprising at least one pulse and having sufficient fluence to effect hair removal at the target area,    an electrical circuit for energizing the light source to produce output light pulses of duration t, and    an optical diffuser within the housing and disposed along the light path for diffusing the light so that light emitted from the output aperture has an integrated radiance in Jcm −2 sr −1  less than 10 t 1/3  when the wavelength of the light is 600 to 700 nm, less than 10*10 (λ−700)/515 t 1/3  when the wavelength λ of the light is 700 to 1060 nm, and less than 50 t 1/3  when the wavelength of the light is 1060 to 1200 nm where t is less than 10 seconds.    
     
     
         147 . A dermatologic apparatus comprising 
 a self-contained housing configured for gripping by a person's hand for cordless manipulation in a hair-regrowth-inhibiting procedure,    a light source comprising a plurality of laser diodes within the housing for providing light in the range of 4-100 J/cm2 and having sufficient fluence at a target area of human skin to effect hair removal at a target area of human skin,    an electrical circuit for energizing the light source to produce output light pulses of duration t, and    a light path within the housing including an output aperture through which eye-safe light pulses are propagated out of the housing, the light pulses emitted from the output aperture having an integrated radiance in Jcm −2 sr −1  less than 10 t 1/3  when the wavelength of the light is 600 to 700 nm, less than 10*10 (λ−700)/515 t 1/3  when the wavelength λ of the light is 700 to 1060 nm, and less than 50 t 1/3  when the wavelength of the light is 1060 to 1200 nm where t is less than 10 seconds.