Method and apparatus for selective photothermolysis of veins

摘要

A system and method are provided that are capable of selectively treating a vein using photothermolysis techniques, where an electromagnetic radiation is applied to tissue containing the vein. The radiation can be selected so that it may be more effectively absorbed by veins as compared to arteries. Thus, unwanted thermal damage to arteries in the vicinity of the vein being treated can be reduced or avoided. The radiation can have a frequency of approximately 654 nm, which can provide a ratio of absorption by veins to absorption by arteries of about 3.7. Other wavelengths near 654 nm may be provided, for example, which can have an absorption ratio greater than, e.g., about 3.3 to 3.6.

主权项

1. A method for treating a region of interest (ROI) of a patient's body, the method comprising:
identifying an ROI of skin of the patient's body, said identified ROI including at least one venous malformation; treating the identified ROI with light having an operational wavelength at which blood in a vein in human skin has an absorption coefficient that is k times higher than an absorption coefficient of a typical artery in human skin such as to photocoagulate said vein by selective photothermolysis of the at least one venous malformation while avoiding damage to an artery within the skin of the ROI, a value of k being between 2.77 and 3.50 or greater than or equal 3.6, said blood containing about 30 percent of deoxyhemoglobin and about 70 percent oxyhemoglobin.