Up and down conversion systems for production of emitted light from various energy sources including radio frequency, microwave energy and magnetic induction sources for upconversion

Abstract

Methods and systems for producing a change in a medium. A first method and system (1) place in a vicinity of the medium at least one upconverter including a gas for plasma ignition, with the upconverter being configured, upon exposure to initiation energy, to generate light for emission into the medium, and (2) apply the initiation energy from an energy source including the first wavelength λ 1 to the medium, wherein the emitted light directly or indirectly produces the change in the medium. A second method and system (1) place in a vicinity of the medium an agent receptive to microwave radiation or radiofrequency radiation, and (2) apply as an initiation energy the microwave radiation or radiofrequency radiation by which the agent directly or indirectly generates emitted light in the infrared, visible, or ultraviolet range to produce at least one of physical and biological changes in the medium.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for producing a change in a medium, comprising:
 (1) placing in a vicinity of the medium an agent receptive to microwave radiation or radiofrequency radiation; and   (2) applying as an initiation energy said microwave radiation or radiofrequency radiation by which said agent directly or indirectly generates emitted light in the infrared, visible, or ultraviolet range to produce at least one of physical and biological changes in the medium.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the agent receptive to microwave radiation or radiofrequency radiation is at least one upconverter. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 at least one upconverter is provided proximate the medium;   at least one upconverter is provided outside the medium;   at least one upconverter is provided within the medium, or   plural upconverters are provided within the medium at a density where the emitted light irradiates a part of the medium.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein placing comprises providing segregated within the medium the plural upconverters. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein applying comprises applying the initiation energy to alter a surface structure of an article in the medium. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein applying comprises photo-grafting a molecular species onto a surface of the article. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein applying the initiation energy from an energy source comprises applying at least one of microwave radiation or radiofrequency radiation to generate light in the visible or ultraviolet wavelength range for said light for emission into the medium. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein providing comprises providing a gas container in said vicinity of the medium, said gas container having transparent walls and comprising an ionizable gas which upon receipt of the microwave radiation or radiofrequency radiation energy emits light in the visible or ultraviolet wavelength range. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein providing a gas container comprises providing a gas container filled with at least one member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, argon, nitrogen, xenon, ammonia, iodine vapor; mercury vapor; an organic gas, hydrogen-nitrogen mixtures, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein providing a gas container comprises providing a gas container filled with at least partially with ammonia. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein providing a gas container comprises providing a gas container including at least one of a carbon structure, a carbon nanotube, a single wall carbon nanotube, a double wall carbon nanotube, graphene, and metal materials made of aluminum or copper. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein providing a gas container comprises providing a gas container having a containment wall comprising at least one of a silicate glass, an alkali glass, a sodium glass, and a phosphate glass. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein providing a gas container comprises providing a gas container comprising at least one of a silica gel, a precipitate silicate, a cenosphere, a conductosphere, or a hollow sphere. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the medium is a subject, further comprising:
 administering to the subject at least one activatable pharmaceutical agent that is capable of causing a predetermined cellular change when activated, and   interacting emitted light from the agent with the at least one activatable pharmaceutical agent to activate the activatable pharmaceutical agent in situ,   thus causing the predetermined cellular change to occur in the medium of the subject.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said predetermined cellular change treats a cell proliferation related disorder. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the cell proliferation related disorder is at least one member selected from the group consisting of cancer, bacterial infection, viral infection, immune rejection response, autoimmune disorders, aplastic conditions, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one activatable pharmaceutical agent is a photoactivatable agent. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one activatable pharmaceutical agent is selected from psoralens, pyrene cholesteryloleate, acridine, porphyrins, fluorescein, rhodamine, 16-diazorcortisone, ethidium, transition metal complexes of bleomycin, transition metal complexes of deglycobleomycin organoplatinum complexes, alloxazines, vitamin Ks, vitamin L, vitamin metabolites, vitamin precursors, naphthoquinones, naphthalenes, naphthols and derivatives thereof having planar molecular conformations, porphorinoporphyrins, dyes and phenothiazine derivatives, coumarins, quinolones, quinones, and anthraquinones. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one activatable pharmaceutical agent is a psoralen, a coumarin, a porphyrin or a derivative thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one activatable pharmaceutical agent is a psoralen selected from 8-MOP or AMT. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one activatable pharmaceutical agent is one selected from 7,8-dimethyl-10-ribityl, isoalloxazine, 7,8,10-trimethylisoalloxazine, 7,8-dimethylalloxazine, isoalloxazine-adenine dinucleotide, alloxazine mononucleotide, aluminum (III) phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate, hematoporphyrin, and phthalocyanine. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one activatable pharmaceutical agent is coupled to a carrier that is capable of binding to a receptor site. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the carrier is one selected from insulin, interleukin, thymopoietin or transferrin. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one activatable pharmaceutical agent is coupled to the carrier by a covalent bond. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one activatable pharmaceutical agent is coupled to the carrier by non-covalent bond. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the receptor site is one selected from nucleic acids of nucleated cells, antigenic sites on nucleated cells, or epitopes. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one activatable pharmaceutical agent has affinity for a target cell. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one activatable pharmaceutical agent is capable of being preferentially absorbed by a target cell. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the predetermined cellular change is apoptosis in a target cell. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one activatable pharmaceutical agent causes an auto-vaccine effect in the subject that reacts with a target cell. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the auto-vaccine effect is generated in a joint or lymph node. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one activatable pharmaceutical agent is a DNA intercalator or a halogenated derivative thereof. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 applying said light from the at least one upconverter to a target structure in a subject in need of treatment, wherein the light contacts the target structure and induces a predetermined change in said target structure in situ in the medium of the subject, wherein said predetermined change modifies the target structure and modulates a biological activity of the target structure.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising administering to said medium at least one energy modulation agent which adsorbs, intensifies or modifies said light into an energy that effects a predetermined change in a target structure in said medium. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said at least one energy modulation agent is specifically located around, on, or in said target structure. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said at least one energy modulation agent transforms the initiation energy into a photonic or another electromagnetic energy that effects the predetermined change in said target structure. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said at least one energy modulation agent decreases a wavelength of the initiation energy. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said at least one energy modulation agent increases a wavelength of the initiation energy. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said at least one energy modulation agent comprises one or more members selected from a biocompatible fluorescing metal nanoparticle, fluorescing metal oxide nanoparticle, fluorescing metal coated metal oxide nanoparticle, fluorescing dye molecule, gold nanoparticle, silver nanoparticle, gold-coated silver nanoparticle, a water soluble quantum dot encapsulated by polyamidoamine dendrimers, a luciferase, a biocompatible phosphorescent molecule, a combined electromagnetic energy harvester molecule, and a lanthanide chelate exhibiting intense luminescence. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 35 , in which said predetermined change results in destruction, lysis or inactivation of the target structure. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 35 , in which said predetermined change does not result in destruction or inactivation of the target structure. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 35 , in which said predetermined change enhances an activity of the target structure. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the activity enhanced is energy emission from the target structure, which then mediates, initiates or enhances a biological activity of other target structures in the medium, or of a second target structure. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the target structure comprises at least one of a eukaryotic cell, a prokaryotic cell, a subcellular structure, an extracellular structure, a virus or prion, or a cellular tissue. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the target structure is a subcellular structure selected from a cell membrane, a nuclear membrane, cell nucleus, nucleic acid, mitochondria, ribosome, or other cellular organelle or component. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the predetermined change results in treatment of a condition, disorder or disease in said medium, wherein said medium is a subject in need of treatment for said condition, disorder or disease. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said condition, disorder or disease comprises at least one of a cancer, a disease occurring in a soft tissue and/or cartilage, a disease occurring in bone tissue, a chronic pain, an autoimmune disease, a prion, viral, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infection, a disease characterized by varicose veins, a disease characterized by an enlarged prostate, a disease characterized by retinal injuries and other ocular diseases, a disease characterized by a behavioral, perceptional and/or cognitive disorder, or Parkinson's disease. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said predetermined change comprises a wound healing, an enhancement of tissue growth, nerve regeneration or sensory regeneration/restoration, reduction or removal of fat deposits (liposuction), nerve (brain) imaging and stimulation or direct control of brain cell activity with light, modulation of cell death (apoptosis), modulating cell growth and division, modulation of an activity, quantity, or number of intracellular components in a cell, or modulation of an activity, quantity, or number of extracellular components produced by, excreted by, or associated with a cell. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising generating heat in the target structure from said light from the at least one energy modulation agent and enhancing an induction of the predetermined change. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said predetermined change modifies the target structure and modulates a biological activity of the target structure thus treating a condition, disorder or disease affecting the target structure.