Claims for Patent: 11,235,169

Summary for Patent: 11,235,169

Title:	Illumination device for photodynamic therapy, method for treating a skin disease and method for operating an illumination device
Abstract:	An Illumination device (100) for photodynamic therapy is provided, the illumination device comprising at least one electromagnetic radiation emitting unit (10), the at least one electromagnetic radiation emitting unit comprising at least one electromagnetic radiation source (1), the electromagnetic radiation source being configured to generate radiation for the irradiation of a region of an irradiation object in an illumination session, wherein the irradiation object is to be arranged at a predetermined object location (300), wherein the predetermined object location is arranged at a distance relative to a radiation output area (11) of the radiation emitting unit through which the radiation generated by the at least one electromagnetic radiation source exits the radiation emitting unit during operation of the illumination device (100).
Inventor(s):	Osterloh; Markus (Leverkusen, DE), Novak; Ben (Leverkusen, DE), Lubbert; Hermann (Leverkusen, DE)
Assignee:	BIOFRONTERA PHARMA GMBH (Leverkusen, DE)
Application Number:	17/215,785
Patent Claims:	1. Illumination device for photodynamic therapy, the illumination device comprising five or more electromagnetic radiation emitting units, each electromagnetic radiation emitting unit comprising several radiation sources, the electromagnetic radiation sources being configured to generate radiation for the irradiation of a region of an irradiation object in an illumination session, wherein the irradiation object is to be arranged at a predetermined object location, wherein the predetermined object location is arranged at a distance relative to radiation output areas of the radiation emitting units through which the radiation generated by the electromagnetic radiation sources exits the respective radiation emitting unit during operation of the illumination device), wherein in each radiation emitting unit a plurality of radiation sources is arranged on a radiation source carrier, the radiation sources on the radiation source carrier are grouped into a plurality of groups, wherein the radiation sources of each group are arranged in a regular, two-dimensional group pattern, wherein at least two groups of the plurality of groups have different group patterns, each group comprises a plurality of radiation sources, a first group with a first group pattern is arranged between a second and a third group, when seen in plan view of the radiation source, the second and the third group have the same group pattern and the first group has a different group pattern, the first group has a lower occupancy density with radiation sources than the second and third groups, wherein the illumination device comprises a distance monitoring system, wherein the distance monitoring system is configured to monitor the distance of the irradiation object from the radiation emitting units, wherein the distance monitoring system comprises a plurality of distance sensors and each radiation emitting unit is assigned a distance sensor for measuring a distance between the irradiation object and the respective radiation emitting unit wherein the illumination device is configured such that each radiation emitting unit, is operable in a low-intensity mode when the distance of the radiation emitting unit to the irradiation object lies within an irradiation range of .+-.2.0 cm around a nominal distance of 12.0 cm or 12.5 cm, the low-intensity mode being a mode in which the radiation intensity emitted by the radiation emitting unit is at most 50% of a nominal radiation intensity used during the illumination session, wherein the nominal radiation intensity is the radiation intensity which results in the maximum irradiance of the irradiation object during the illumination session, is automatically switched from the low-intensity mode into a no-intensity mode when the distance of the radiation emitting unit to the irradiation object leaves the irradiation range, the no-intensity mode being a mode in which the radiation emitting unit does not emit radiation, is switchable from the low-intensity mode into a nominal-intensity mode, the nominal-intensity mode being a mode in which the radiation intensity is the nominal radiation intensity. 2. Illumination device according to claim 1, wherein an occupancy density of the radiation source carrier with radiation sources is smaller in a center region of the radiation source carrier than in peripheral regions of the radiation source carrier outside the center region. 3. Illumination device according to claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitting units are configured to be arranged in a C-shape configuration and/or semi-circle configuration. 4. Illumination device according to claim 3, wherein the radiation source carrier is an elongate carrier with a main direction of extension defining a longitudinal direction (L). 5. Illumination device according to claim 3, wherein, when the distance of the radiation emitting units to the irradiation object is each the nominal distance, the illuminated area on the irradiation object illuminated by the radiation emitting units is at most 32 cm.times.26 cm and at least 26 cm.times.20 cm. 6. Illumination device according to claim 5, wherein, in each radiation emitting unit, the pattern of the radiation sources on the radiation source carrier is symmetrical relative to one axis or two axis, which are perpendicular. 7. Illumination device according to claim 6, wherein the occupancy density with radiation sources in the second and third group is at least 1.2 times and at most 5 times the occupancy density in the first group. 8. Illumination device according to claim 7, wherein the radiation emitting unit comprises a unit housing which defines an outer edge of the radiation emitting unit. 9. Illumination device according to claim 8, wherein, in at least one radiation emitting unit, an area on the radiation source carrier occupied with radiation sources is at most 28 cm.times.16 cm and at least 22 cm.times.10 cm. 10. Illumination device according to claim 9, wherein the radiation emitting unit comprises one continuous radiation source carrier common for all radiation sources of the radiation emitting unit. 11. Illumination device according to claim 10, wherein the radiation sources are optoelectronic components, wherein the emission spectrum of the optoelectronic components has a peak wavelength in the following range: 635 nm.+-.5 nm. 12. Illumination device according to claim 11, wherein the radiation emitting units are movably connected to one another. 13. Illumination device according to claim 12, wherein in at least one radiation emitting unit, the distance sensor is located offset of a geometric center of the radiation source carrier when viewed in plan view. 14. Illumination device according to claim 13, wherein the distance monitoring system is configured to call for an adjustment of the operation of the illumination device by: varying the distance between the respective radiation emitting unit and the irradiation object. 15. A method for treating a skin disease comprising the following steps: a) applying a pharmaceutical substance to the surface of the skin in a region which is to be treated; b) arranging the skin region to be treated in a predetermined object location of the illumination device according to claim 1, c) irradiating the skin region to be treated with the illumination device. 16. Method according to claim 15, comprising an execution of a start sequence prior to an illumination session, wherein the execution of the start sequence comprises: switching on the radiation emitting units such that the respectively assigned distance sensor is activated for measuring the distance to the irradiation object, adjusting the distance of each radiation emitting unit to the irradiation object until the respective distance is within the irradiation range, when the distance of the respective radiation emitting unit is in the irradiation range, operating the radiation emitting units in the low-intensity mode in order to illuminate the irradiation object with a low radiation intensity, adjusting the position of the irradiation object relative to the illumination device while maintaining the distance of each radiation emitting unit to the irradiation object in the irradiation range, switching a radiation emitting unit from the low-intensity mode into the no-intensity mode if the distance of said radiation emitting unit to the irradiation object leaves the irradiation range, switching at least one radiation emitting unit into the nominal-intensity mode when the position of the irradiation object relative to the illumination device has been adjusted. 17. A method for operating an illumination device according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: providing a measurement signal which is indicative for a distance between at least one radiation emitting unit and the radiation object, generating an operation signal as a function of the measurement signal, said operation signal being configured to trigger a call for an adjustment of the operation of the illumination device. 18. Computer program product comprising machine-readable instructions, which, when loaded and executed on a processor, are configured to cause the illumination device to execute the method of claim 17. 19. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon the computer program product according to claim 18. 20. Illumination device for photodynamic therapy, the illumination device comprising five or more electromagnetic radiation emitting units, each electromagnetic radiation emitting unit comprising several radiation sources, the electromagnetic radiation sources being configured to generate radiation for the irradiation of a region of an irradiation object in an illumination session, wherein the irradiation object is to be arranged at a predetermined object location, wherein the predetermined object location is arranged at a distance relative to radiation output areas of the radiation emitting units through which the radiation generated by the electromagnetic radiation sources exits the respective radiation emitting unit during operation of the illumination device, wherein the illumination device comprises a distance monitoring system, wherein the distance monitoring system is configured to monitor the location and/or the distance of the irradiation object from the radiation emitting units, wherein the distance monitoring system comprises a plurality of distance sensors and each radiation emitting unit is assigned a distance sensor for measuring a distance between the irradiation object and the respective radiation emitting unit, wherein the distance monitoring system is configured to call for an adjustment of the operation of the illumination device by varying the distance between the radiation emitting units and the irradiation object, wherein the illumination device is configured such that each radiation emitting unit, is operable in a low-intensity mode when the distance of the radiation emitting unit to the irradiation object lies within an irradiation range of .+-.2.0 cm around a nominal distance of 12.0 cm or 12.5 cm, the low-intensity mode being a mode in which the radiation intensity emitted by the radiation emitting unit is at most 50% of a nominal radiation intensity used during the illumination session, wherein the nominal radiation intensity is the radiation intensity which results in the maximum irradiance of the irradiation object during the illumination session, is automatically switched from the low-intensity mode into a no-intensity mode when the distance of the radiation emitting unit to the irradiation object leaves the irradiation range, the no-intensity mode being a mode in which the radiation emitting unit does not emit radiation, is switchable from the low-intensity mode into a nominal-intensity mode, the nominal-intensity mode being a mode in which the radiation intensity is the nominal radiation intensity, wherein in each radiation emitting unit a plurality of radiation sources is arranged on a radiation source carrier, the assigned distance sensor is located offset of a geometric center of the radiation source carrier when viewed in plan view.