| US 7,465,312 B2 | ||
| Systems and methods for treating superficial venous malformations like spider veins | ||
| Killian O'Dowd, Dublin (Ireland); Anthony Jakubowski, Montgomery, Ill. (US); Edward George Mackay, II, Largo, Fla. (US); Aidan Mulloy, Dublin (Ireland); Alan A. Creamer, Carlsbad, Calif. (US); and Sherif Sultan, Galway (Ireland) | ||
| Assigned to Green Medical, Inc., Montgomery, Ill. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jun. 05, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/446,800. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/796656, filed on May 02, 2006. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0260228 A1, Nov. 08, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. A61N 5/06 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 607—88 [607/89; 606/7; 606/9; 128/898] | 5 Claims |
| 1. A method for treating a spider vein comprising
identifying a targeted treatment site where a spider vein exists,
identifying an intravenous injection site offering venous access to the targeted treatment site spaced at a distance from
the targeted treatment site,
providing a prescribed volume of a photosensitizing agent in solution that, when exposed to a source of light energy at a
selected wavelength, generates singlet oxygen and free radicals without generating heat,
injecting the prescribed volume of the photosensitizing agent in solution at the intravenous injection site,
waiting a prescribed time period to allow the photosensitizing agent in solution to become systemic and be carried by blood
into contact with endothelial tissue of an inner wall of the spider vein,
applying light energy percutaneously to the targeted treatment site, the light energy having the selected wavelength that
activates the photosensitizing agent to generate singlet oxygen and reactive oxygen radicals that disrupt normal cell functions
and cause intentional endothelial tissue cell death in the inner wall of the spider vein and evoke a healing process without
affecting tissue cells outside the spider vein, and
allowing the healing process to shut and shrink the spider vein in the targeted treatment site.
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