Therapeutic laser device and method including noninvasive subsurface ...

1. A method for treating a patient having a disorder, said method comprising:

irradiating a tissue of said patient with a near-infrared laser light having a first therapeutically effective intensity and with a visible laser light having a second therapeutically effective intensity;

automatically monitoring said irradiated tissue to noninvasively determine subsurface intensity of at least one of said near-infrared laser light and said visible laser light, said automatically monitoring comprising analyzing a radial dependence of a diffuse reflectance from said tissue of at least one of said near-infrared laser light and said visible laser light; and

automatically terminating said irradiating when said monitoring indicates that said near-infrared laser light and said visible laser light have been applied to said tissue in amounts therapeutically effective to treat said disorder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said diffuse reflectance is detected from at least two detection points on a surface of said tissue, and wherein said two detection points are at separate positions along a radius originating at a surface focal point of said laser lights.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically adjusting an intensity of at least one of said near-infrared laser light and said visible laser light in response to information obtained by said monitoring.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said treating alleviates pain associated with said disorder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said treating speeds healing of injuries associated with said disorder.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said tissue comprises a musculo-skeletal soft-tissue of said patient.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said tissue comprises skin of said patient.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said near-infrared laser light has a wavelength of 750 to 1000 nm.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said visible laser light has a wavelength of 450 to 749 nm.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said near-infrared laser light has a wavelength of 750 to 1000 nm.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said near-infrared laser light has a peak intensity of 0 to 2000 watts/cm2.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said visible laser light has a peak intensity of 0 to 2000 watts/cm2.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said near-infrared laser light has a peak intensity of 0 to 2000 watts/cm2.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said near-infrared laser light has a wavelength of 750 to 1000 nm and said visible laser light has a wavelength of 450 to 749 nm.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said near-infrared laser light and said visible laser light are pulsed.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said near-infrared laser light is pulsed at a first frequency and said visible laser light is pulsed at a second frequency different from said first frequency, and wherein signals of said near-infrared laser light and said visible laser light are detected by a common sensor and filtered by frequency.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said irradiating is terminated when said monitoring indicates that at least one of said near-infrared laser light and said visible laser light has penetrated to a sub-surface region of said tissue in an amount therapeutically effective to treat said disorder.

18. A laser apparatus adapted to perform the method of claim 1, said laser apparatus comprising:

a near-infrared light laser;

a visible light laser;

a power supply in electrical communication with said lasers;

waveguides for guiding beams from said lasers to a common focal point on a surface of a target tissue;

detectors adapted to detect radiation remitted from said target surface along a radius originating at said common focal point; and control logic electronics adapted to automatically adjust an output of said lasers based on said remitted radiation detected by said detectors.

19. A method for administering a predetermined dose of radiation to a distal target tissue, said method comprising:

irradiating a proximal tissue adjacent said distal target tissue with at least one laser light which penetrates through said proximal tissue to administer radiation to said distal target tissue;

automatically monitoring said proximal tissue to determine whether to terminate said irradiating, said monitoring comprising detecting a radial dependence of a diffuse reflectance from a surface of said proximal tissue of said at least one laser light; and

automatically terminating said irradiating when said monitoring indicates that said predetermined dose of laser light has been applied to said distal target tissue.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said diffuse reflectance is detected from at least two detection points on said surface of said proximal tissue, and wherein said two detection points are at separate positions along a radius originating at a surface focal point of said at least one laser light.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising automatically adjusting an intensity of said at least one laser light.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said predetermined dose is an amount therapeutically effective to treat a disorder.

23. A laser apparatus adapted to perform the method of claim 19, said laser apparatus comprising:

at least one laser;

a power supply in electrical communication with said at least one laser;

at least one detector adapted to detect radiation remitted from two points on a target surface along a radius originating at a focal point of said at least one laser on said proximal tissue; and

control logic electronics adapted to automatically adjust an output of said at least one laser based on said remitted radiation detected by said at least one detector.