Flexible light therapy device, a plaster and a bandage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10384076-B2
Application number	US-201113816937-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2011
Priority date	Aug 17, 2010
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

A flexible light therapy device, a bandage and a plaster for providing a therapeutic effect to a treatment target area ( 226 ) of a living being are provided. The flexible light therapy device comprises a light source ( 214 ) for emitting light ( 220 ), a light transmitting element ( 212 ) and a heat management means ( 210 ). The light transmitting element ( 212 ) is of a flexible light transmitting material and is optically coupled to the light source ( 214 ). The light transmitting element ( 212 ) comprises a light exit window ( 222 ) to emit the light ( 220 ) towards the treatment target area ( 226 ). The heat management means ( 210 ) is thermally coupled to the treatment target area ( 226 ) and distributes heat and controls the distribution of heat across the treatment target area ( 226 ). Part of the distributed heat may originate from the light source ( 214 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flexible light therapy device for providing a therapeutic effect to a treatment area, comprising:
a light source configured to:
emit a light; and
generate a light source heat;

a flexible material, optically coupled to the light source, comprising:
a reflective or scattering portion; and
a light transmitting element comprising a light exit window
directing the light towards the treatment area; and
a heat conductive layer, comprising a phase change material for storing light source heat, thermally coupled to the light source, configured to:
receive the light source heat; and
distribute the light source heat towards the treatment area through the light transmitting element, wherein the light transmitting element and the heat conductive layer are configured to:

convey both a greater amount of said light and a lesser amount of said heat to the treatment area at a second sub-area of the light exit window than a corresponding amount of said light and a corresponding amount of said heat conveyed through the light transmitting element at a first sub-area of the light exit window, wherein the first sub-area is closer to the light source than the second sub-area and the reflective or scattering portion is at least in part arranged opposite the second sub-area.

2. The flexible light therapy device according to claim 1 , wherein the heat conductive layer is thermally coupled to the light transmitting element.

3. The flexible light therapy device according to claim 1 , wherein the heat conductive layer distributes the heat in time.

4. The flexible light therapy device according to claim 1 , wherein the light transmitting element is shaped to provide a greater amount of the light to the second sub-area than to the first sub-area.

5. The flexible light therapy device according to claim 4 , wherein the light transmitting element has a shape to control the distribution of light to the treatment area.

6. The flexible light therapy device according to claim 1 , wherein said first sub-area and the second sub-area comprise the treatment area.

Assignees

• Wagenaar Cacciola Giovanna
• Paulussen Elvira Johanna Maria
• Meeusen Jorgen
• Kok Gregorius Wilhelmus Maria
• Calon Georges Marie
• Zhuo Guofu
• Van Pieterson Liesbeth
• Mutter Claudia
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Wagenaar Cacciola Giovanna
• Paulussen Elvira Johanna Maria
• Meeusen Jorgen
• Kok Gregorius Wilhelmus Maria
• Calon Georges Marie
• Zhuo Guofu
• Van Pieterson Liesbeth
• Mutter Claudia

Classifications

• A61N2005/0653

  Organic light emitting diodes · CPC title

• A61N5/0625 Primary

  Warming the body, e.g. hyperthermia treatment · CPC title

• A61N2005/0663

  Coloured light · CPC title

• A61N2005/0645

  Applicators worn by the patient · CPC title

• A61N2005/063

  comprising light transmitting means, e.g. optical fibres · CPC title