Componentry and devices for light therapy delivery and methods related thereto

Abstract

The invention comprises componentry and devices for light therapy application to a patient in need thereof. The present invention relates to controllers for light therapy devices, light delivery elements, light guides, light guide arrangements configured to deliver personalized light therapy to one or more patients, with related componentry, dosage, and configurations of light therapy delivery elements (e.g., bandages, garments, braces, inserts etc.) suitable to deliver light therapy to one or more patient body areas and associated tissues, as well as sensors for monitoring treatment progress and dosage optimization. Methods of delivering light therapy to a patient and treatment of associated medical indications are also set out herein. Personalized LLLT dosage configurations and telemedicine LLLT treatment platforms and systems are also provided herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 ) A method of generating information about an amount of hair on a human scalp area of interest comprising:
 a) identifying, by a computer or a provider, a first person in need of information about an amount of hair on a scalp area;   b) generating, a first set of scalp images from the scalp area of the first person in a first scalp imaging event, wherein the first set of scalp images are generated from a device comprising:
 i) a cap configured to conform to a shape of a human scalp, wherein the cap comprises:
 (1) a control module comprising:
 (a) a microprocessor; 
 (b) a battery bower source; 
 (c) memory configured to store instructions associated with operation of the control module; 
 (d) communications circuitry in communications engagement with a remote device or server; 
 (e) a housing or containment structure configured to contain each of the microprocessor, the battery power source, the memory, and the communications circuitry; and 
 
 (2) at least one light source configured to transmit light to the scalp area, wherein the at least one light source is in communications engagement with the control module; and 
 (3) at least one imaging sensor arranged proximal to a scalp facing side of the cap, wherein the at least one imaging sensor is in communications engagement with the control module; 
 
   c) analyzing, by the computer, the first set of scalp images to determine a first amount of hair on the scalp area; and   d) generating, by the computer, information about the first amount of hair on the scalp area.   
     
     
         2 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source comprises a laser light source enclosed within the housing or containment structure, and wherein the laser light source transmits light to the scalp area via a light guide arrangement configured proximal to the scalp facing side of the cap. 
     
     
         3 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the generated information about the first amount of hair is used to generate a scalp treatment plan for the first person. 
     
     
         4 ) The method of  claim 3 , wherein the scalp treatment plan comprises instructions for application of one or more laser light therapy treatment (LLLT) dosages to the scalp area of the first person. 
     
     
         5 ) The method of  claim 3 , wherein the instructions for application of the one or more LLLT dosages are configured for communication to the device from the remote device or server. 
     
     
         6 ) The method of  claim 5  further comprising:
 a) applying, by the device, at least one of the one or more LLLT dosages to the scalp area of the first person; 
 b) generating, by the device, a second set of scalp images for the first person in a second scalp imaging event; and 
 c) analyzing, by the computer, the second set of scalp images to determine a second amount of hair on the scalp area of the first person, thereby generating information associated with a difference in the first and second amounts of hair on the scalp area in the first and second scalp imaging events. 
 
     
     
         7 ) The method of  claim 6 , wherein the device is configured to communicate information to a remote user device having a user interface configured to receive information associated with application of the one or more LLLT dosages to the scalp area of the first person and the information associated with the difference in the first and second amounts of hair, thereby providing notifications on the remote user device about the difference in the first and second amounts of hair on the scalp area of the first person between the first and second scalp imaging events. 
     
     
         8 ) A method of generating information about an amount of hair on a human scalp area of interest over a period of time, the method comprising:
 a) identifying, by a computer or a provider, a first person in need of information about one or more differences in an amount of hair on a scalp area over a period of time;   b) generating a plurality of scalp area image sets from the scalp area in each of a plurality of scalp imaging events, wherein each of the plurality of scalp area image sets are generated from a device comprising:
 i) a cap configured to conform to a shape of a human scalp, wherein the cap comprises:
 (1) a control module comprising:
 (a) a microprocessor; 
 (b) a battery power source; 
 (c) memory configured to store instructions associated with operation of the control module 
 (d) communications circuitry in communications engagement with a remote device or server; and 
 (e) a housing or containment structure configured to contain each of the microprocessor, the battery power source, the memory, and the communications circuitry; 
 
 (2) at least one light source configured on a scalp facing side of the cap, wherein the at least one light source is operationally engaged with the control module; and 
 (3) at least one imaging sensor arranged proximal to the scalp facing side of the cap, wherein the at least one imaging sensor is in communications engagement with the control module; 
 
   c) analyzing, by the computer, each of the plurality of the scalp area image sets to determine an amount of hair on the scalp area of the first person in each of the plurality of scalp imaging events; and   d) generating, by the computer, difference information about one or more differences in the amount of hair on the scalp area of the first person in each of the plurality of scalp imaging events.   
     
     
         9 ) The method of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one light source comprises a laser light source enclosed within the housing or containment structure, wherein the laser light source transmits light to the scalp area via a light guide arrangement configured proximal to the scalp facing side of the cap. 
     
     
         10 ) The method of  claim 8 , wherein the difference information is used to generate a scalp treatment plan for the first person. 
     
     
         11 ) The method of  claim 10 , wherein the scalp treatment plan comprises instructions for application of one or more laser light therapy treatment (LLLT) dosages to the scalp area. 
     
     
         12 ) The method of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions for application of the one or more LLLT dosages are configured for communication to the control module from the remote device or server. 
     
     
         13 ) The method of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions are configured to generate a plurality of additional scalp area image sets, wherein each of the plurality of additional scalp image sets are associated with the scalp treatment plan, thereby allowing information associated with a therapeutic effect of the scalp treatment plan to be generated. 
     
     
         14 ) The method of  claim 13 , wherein the device is configured to communicate information to a remote user device having a user interface configured to receive information associated with application of the one or more LLLT dosages to the scalp area and the information associated with the one or more differences in the amount of hair on the scalp area, thereby providing notifications on the remote user device about the one or more differences in amount of hair on the scalp of the first person between the plurality of scalp imaging events. 
     
     
         15 ) A method of generating information about scalp hair amounts in a plurality of persons comprising:
 a) identifying, by a computer or a provider, a plurality of persons who are each, independently, in need of scalp hair amount information for a scalp area of interest;   b) generating, in a first scalp imaging event, scalp area image sets of each of the scalp areas for each of the plurality of persons, wherein the each of the scalp area image sets are generated from a device comprising:
 i) a cap configured in a shape of a human scalp, wherein the cap comprises:
 (1) a control module comprising:
 (a) a microprocessor; 
 (b) a battery power source; 
 (c) memory configured to store instructions associated with operation of the control module; 
 (d) communications circuitry in communications engagement with a remote device or server; and 
 (e) a housing or containment structure configured to contain each of the microprocessor; the battery power source, the memory, and the communications circuitry; 
 
 (2) at least one light source configured on a scalp facing cap side, wherein the at least one light source is operationally engaged with the control module; and 
 (3) at least one imaging sensor arranged proximal to the scalp facing cap side, wherein the at least one imaging sensor is in communications engagement with the control module; 
 
   c) analyzing, by the computer, each of the scalp area image sets to determine an amount of hair on each of the scalp areas for each of the plurality of persons; and   d) generating, by the computer, information about the amount of hair on each of the scalp areas for each of the plurality of persons.   
     
     
         16 ) The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one light source comprises a laser light source enclosed within the housing or containment structure, and wherein when the cap is worn on a person the laser light source is configured to transmit light to the scalp area of the person via a light guide arrangement located proximal to the scalp facing cap side. 
     
     
         17 ) The method of  claim 13 , wherein at least some of the information about the amount of hair is used to generate a scalp treatment plan for a person in need of scalp area treatment, and wherein the scalp treatment plan comprises instructions for application of one or more laser light therapy treatment (LLLT) dosages to the scalp area of the person in need of scalp area treatment. 
     
     
         18 ) The method of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions for application of the one or more LLLT dosages are configured for communication to the control module from the remote device or server. 
     
     
         19 ) The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a) identifying, by the computer or the provider, at least some persons of the plurality of persons for imaging in a second scalp imaging event;   b) generating, by the device, second scalp area image sets for each of the at least some persons identified from the plurality of persons;   c) analyzing, by the computer, each of the second scalp area image sets; and   d) generating, by the computer, information about an amount of hair on the scalp areas for the at least some persons in each of the first and second scalp area image sets, thereby providing information about a difference in an amount of hair between the first and second scalp imaging events for each of the at least some persons identified from the plurality of persons.   
     
     
         20 ) The method of  claim 19 , wherein hair growth or loss information for each of the at least some persons identified from the plurality of persons is used to a generate scalp treatment plan associated with a therapeutic treatment in a person in need of treatment for hair loss. 
     
     
         21 ) The method of  claim 20 , wherein the scalp treatment plan comprises instructions for application of one or more laser light therapy treatment (LLLT) dosages to the scalp area of the person in need of treatment, wherein the instructions are configured for communication to the device from the remote device or server. 
     
     
         22 ) The method of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions for application of the one or more LLLT dosages comprise one or more applications of LLLT to the scalp area over a period of time for the person in need of treatment, and wherein the device is configured with instructions for the at least one imaging sensor to generate a plurality of image sets when the cap is worn by the person in need of treatment, thereby allowing determination of a difference in an amount of hair on the scalp area over the period of time for the person in need of treatment.