Red Light Implants for Treating Degenerative Disc Disease

Abstract

Red light-emitting implants for treating degenerative disc disease.

1 . A method of treating a degenerating intervertebral disc having an annulus fibrosus and a nucleus pulposus, comprising:
 irradiating the intervertebral disc with an amount near infrared or red light sufficient to stimulate extracellular matrix production.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the light source is a red light source. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the light source is a near infrared light source. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the light irradiation of cells in the disc upregulates cytochrome c oxidase activity in the cells. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the light irradiates the disc in an amount of between 1 J/cm 2  and 10 J/cm 2 . 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the light has a wavelength of between about 650 nm and about 1000 nm. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the light has a wavelength of between 800 and 900 nm. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the light has a wavelength of between 800 nm and 835 nm. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the red light is delivered through an outside surface of the annulus fibrosus. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the red light is delivered through an intradiscal implant. 
   
   
       11 . A method of treating a degenerating intervertebral disc having an annulus fibrosus and a nucleus pulposus, comprising:
 implanting a near infrared or red light source in the patient, and activating the light source to irradiate the intervertebral disc with an effective amount of red light.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the light source is a red light source. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the light source is a near infrared light source. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the light irradiation of cells in the disc upregulates cytochrome c oxidase activity in the cells. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the light irradiates the disc in an amount of between 1 J/cm 2  and 10 J/cm 2 . 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the light has a wavelength of between about 650 nm and about 1000 nm. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the light has a wavelength of between 800 and 900 nm. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the light has a wavelength of between 800 nm and 835 nm. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the red light is delivered through an outside surface of the annulus fibrosus. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the red light is delivered through an intradiscal implant. 
   
   
       21 . A method of treating a degenerating intervertebral disc having an annulus fibrosus and a nucleus pulposus, comprising:
 activating a light emitting diode (LED) to irradiate the intervertebral disc with an amount effective near infrared or red light.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the light source is a red light source. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the light source is a near infrared light source. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the light irradiation of cells in the disc upregulates cytochrome c oxidase activity in the cells. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the light irradiates the disc in an amount of between 1 J/cm 2  and 10 J/cm 2 . 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the light has a wavelength of between about 650 nm and about 1000 nm. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the light has a wavelength of between 800 and 900 nm. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the light has a wavelength of between 800 nm and 835 nm. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the red light is delivered through an outside surface of the annulus fibrosus. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the red light is delivered through an intradiscal implant.