Device and method for the treatment of skin, and use of the device

摘要

The invention provides a skin treatment device comprising a laser source (40) and focusing optics (50), such that a focal spot (18) is positioned in a dermis layer (24) of the skin to be treated. The laser beam (42) is powered and focused (16) such that a LIOB (laser induced optical breakdown) phenomenon is obtained, which affects the skin in order to stimulate re-growth of tissue. This in turn reduces wrinkles (30). The device may comprise wrinkle-determining means (52, 54, 56, 58). The focusing optics (50) may have a numerical aperture of at least 0.4. The invention also provides a corresponding method to treat skin, in particular to reduce wrinkles (30), by providing a focused laser beam (16) that causes LIOB in the dermis layer (24) of the skin. The advantage is that damage to overlaying epidermis layers may be avoided by the use of the very local LIOB phenomenon.

主权项

1. A device for non-invasive treatment of skin tissue comprising:
a laser source for generating a laser beam during a predetermined pulse time, a skin surface image sensor for determining topographical information about a surface of the skin above the tissue in a dermis layer to be treated, wherein the skin surface image sensor is arranged to determine a position of a line of a locally deepest depression of the skin tissue; and an optical system for focusing the laser beam into a focal spot, with respect to the line of the locally deepest depression of the skin tissue,where, in operation:
The optical system positions the focal spot at a treatment depth within the dermis layer of the skin tissue; and the optical system dimensions the focal spot and the laser source powers the laser beam such that, in the focal spot, the laser beam has a power density which is above a characteristic threshold value for skin tissue, above which value, for the predetermined pulse time, a laser induced optical breakdown (LIOB) phenomenon occurs in the skin tissue.