Development and efficacy assessment of an intense pulsed light sterilization device for pickled fruits and vegetables

Objective To study the feasibility of joint phototherapy in the treatment of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and non-drug therapy in clinical popularization value of 1064 nm Q-switched laser in combination with low energy intense pulsed noncoherent light for secondary pigmentation. Methods A total of 128 patients with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation were randomly divided into 3 groups according to different treatments: first group (42 cases) was subjected to low energy 1064 nm Q-switched laser treatment; second group (40 cases) had intense pulsed light treatment; third group (46 cases) had low energy 1064 nm Q-switched laser plus intense pulsed light therapy. Results After treating for 6 times, the effective rates of intense pulsed light and Q laser were 50% (20/40) and 52.4% (22/42), respectively, without statistical significance between two groups (P>0.05). Effective rate of the third group was 73.9% (34/46), with significant difference (P<0.05), compared with the first two groups. Conclusions For those who refuse any drug treatment, low energy 1064 nm Q-switched laser with intense pulsed light therapy is an effective option to facial post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Furthermore, it has obvious and safe effect without complications and deserves popularization. Key words: Q-switched laser; Intense pulsed light; Perpigmentation

PurposeWe investigated the change in skin temperature of treated areas during intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment in patients who have meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) to determine whether there is superficial telangiectatic blood vessel ablation.MethodsThe medical records of 90 patients (90 eyes) with MGD who underwent IPL treatment were reviewed. The patients had undergone IPL treatment four times every 4 weeks. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores, dry eye (DE), and MGD parameters were obtained before the first and after the fourth IPL treatments. The skin temperatures of the upper and lower lids were measured before every IPL treatment.ResultsThe skin temperatures of the lower lids were 31.89 ± 0.72°C at the first IPL (IPL#1), 30.89 ± 0.63°C at the second IPL (IPL#2), 30.14 ± 0.95°C at the third IPL (IPL#3), and 29.74 ± 0.87°C at the fourth IPL (IPL#4) treatments. The skin temperatures of upper lids were 32.01 ± 0.69°C at IPL#1, 31.13 ± 0.75°C at IPL#2, 30.34 ± 1.07°C at IPL#3, and 29.91 ± 0.76°C at IPL#4. The skin temperature of the upper and lower lids significantly decreased with every IPL treatment. Schirmer 1 test (ST) result was 12.97 ± 10.22 mm before IPL#1 and 14.45 ± 9.99 mm after IPL#4. Tear break-up time (TBUT) was 3.15 ± 1.38 s before IPL#1 and 5.53 ± 2.34 s after IPL#4. Corneal staining scores (CFS) was 1.61 ± 3.09 before IPL#1 and 0.50 ± 0.78 after IPL#4. Lipid layer thickness (LLT) was 71.88 ± 26.34 nm before IPL#1 and 68.38 ± 24.16 nm after IPL#4. Lid margin abnormality score (LAS) was 1.96 ± 0.62 before IPL#1 and 0.86 ± 0.67 after IPL#4. Meibum expressibility (ME) was 1.67 ± 0.87 before IPL#1 and 1.03 ± 1.67 after IPL#4. Meibum quality (MQ) was 18.18 ± 6.34 before IPL#1 and 10.16 ± 5.48 after IPL#4. OSDI was 35.38 ± 19.97 before IPL#1 and 15.48 ± 34.32 after IPL#4. OSDI scores, DE, and MGD parameters significantly improved after the fourth IPL treatment but not ST and LLT.ConclusionOur study showed that the occurrence of superficial telangiectatic vessels were indirectly reduced by the decrease in skin temperature accompanying IPL treatments in patients with MGD.

IntroductionLaser in situ keratomelieusis (LASIK) is one of the most frequently performed refractive treatments. Dry eye (DE) is common in patients after LASIK and can be bothersome postoperatively. Therapies such as intense pulsed light (IPL), sodium hyaluronate (SH) and heated eye mask (HEM) have been reported to improve signs and symptoms of DE .AimThe purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate and compare the effects of IPL and 0.1% SH (IPL group, 50 eyes) and IPL in combination with 0.1% SH and HEM (IPL + group, 50 eyes) in participants with persistent post-LASIK DE.MethodsThe final analysis included 100 patients (100 eyes) who had LASIK for myopic correction and had been experiencing moderate to severe DE following LASIK for over a year. Participants were randomly assigned to either the IPL group (2 IPL sessions) or IPL + group (2 IPL sessions and daily HEM for 4 weeks), and both groups continued the use of daily 0.1% SH (HYLO-COMOD®) preservative-free eye drops. Non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT), tear film lipid layer (TFLL), lower tear meniscus height (LTMH), meibomian gland quality (MGQ), meibomian gland expressibility (MGEx), corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), ocular surface disease index (OSDI) and artificial tear usage (ATU) survey were assessed at baseline (BL) and follow-up at 2 (F1) and 4 weeks (F2).ResultsFollowing the treatment protocol, all dry eye (DE) parameters assessed in this study improved significantly (P < 0.05) in both groups at F2 compared with their respective BL measurements. Inter-group comparison at F2 found significant differences in their NITBUT (IPL: 6.06 ± 0.59 vs. IPL +: 6.67 ± 0.86, P < 0.001), TFLL (IPL: 1.90 ± 0.65 vs. IPL +: 1.60 ± 0.64, P = 0.021), LTMH (IPL: 0.186 ± 0.053 vs. 0.204 ± 0.034, P = 0.003), MGQ (IPL: 1.48 ± 0.54 vs. IPL +: 1.26 ± 0.56, P = 0.026), MGEx (IPL: 1.62 ± 0.53 vs. IPL +: 1.44 ± 0.50, P = 0.038) and OSDI (IPL: 32.54 ± 6.85 vs. IPL +: 29.76 ± 4.74, P = 0.001), while CFS score (IPL: 4.02 ± 0.65 vs. IPL +: 3.96 ± 0.73, P = 0.652) and ATU (IPL: 1.88 ± 0.63 vs. IPL +: 1.72 ± 0.50, P = 0.159) showed no significant difference.ConclusionPost-LASIK DE signs and symptoms can be improved by combining therapies such as IPL, HEM and 0.1% SH. Increased TFLL due to a combination of IPL, 0.1% SH and HEM had a greater positive impact on the subjective and objective DE measurements in participants with persistent post-LASIK DE.

Nonexcisional, Minimally Invasive Rejuvenation of the Neck

Relationship between optical properties of beverages and microbial inactivation by intense pulsed light

Acoustic cavitation can be fatal to cells and is used to destroy cancerous tumors. The particles in a liquid decrease the ultrasonic intensity threshold needed for onset of cavitation. Bubble generation from intense pulsed light-irradiated gold nanoparticles was investigated as a means of providing nucleation sites for acoustic cavitation in cancer tissues. This study was conducted on colon carcinoma tumors in BALB/c mice. The tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into 7 groups (each containing 15 mice): (1) control, (2) gold nanoparticles, (3) intense pulsed light irradiation, (4) intense pulsed light + gold nanoparticles, (5) ultrasound alone, (6) ultrasound + gold nanoparticles, and (7) intense pulsed light + ultrasound + gold nanoparticles. In the respective groups, gold nanoparticles were injected into tumors. Intense pulsed light and ultrasound irradiation were performed on the tumors 24 hours after injection. Antitumor effects were estimated by evaluation of the relative tumor volume, doubling time, and 5-folding time for tumors after treatment. The cumulative survival fraction of the mice and percentage of the lost tissue volume (treated) were also assessed in different groups. A significant difference in the average relative tumor volumes 15 days after treatment was found between the intense pulsed light + ultrasound + gold nanoparticle group and the other groups (P < .05). The longest doubling and 5-folding times were observed in the intense pulsed light + ultrasound + gold nanoparticles and ultrasound + gold nanoparticle groups. Acoustic cavitation in the presence of gold nanoparticles and intense pulsed light has been introduced as a new way for improving therapeutic effects on tumors by reducing the relative tumor volume and increasing the cumulative survival fraction.

Photodamaged skin is characterized not only by rhytides, but also by epidermal and dermal atrophy, rough skin texture, irregular pigmentation, telangiectasias, laxity, and enlarged pores. There is growing interest in the development of noninvasive methods to treat photodamaged skin. Skin photorejuvenation is the visible improvement of photodamaged skin using a laser or other light source. A noncoherent, broadband, pulsed light source is effective in the treatment of vascular and pigmented lesions of the skin. This study evaluates the role of intense pulsed light in the rejuvenation of photo aged skin. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and quantify the degree of visible improvement in photodamaged skin following a series of full-face, intense pulsed light treatments. Forty-nine subjects with varying degrees of photo-damage were treated with a series of four or more full-face treatments at 3-week intervals using a nonablative, nonlaser intense pulsed visible light source. Fluences varied from 30 to 50 J/cm2. Subject evaluation and skin biopsies were used to assess treatment results. All aspects of photodamage including wrinkling, skin coarseness, irregular pigmentation, pore size, and telangiectasias showed visible improvement in more than 90% of subjects with minimal downtime and no scarring. Eighty-eight percent of subjects were satisfied with the overall results of their treatments. Treatment of photodamaged facial skin using a series of full-face treatments with intense pulsed light is a new and effective noninvasive method of skin rejuvenation with minimal risk and no patient downtime.

This systematic review finds a scarcity of RCT evidence relating to the effectiveness and safety of IPL as a treatment for MGD. Whether IPL is of value for modifying the symptoms or signs of evaporative dry eye disease is currently uncertain. Due to a lack of comprehensive reporting of adverse events, the safety profile of IPL in this patient population is also unclear. The current limitations in the evidence base should be considered by clinicians using this intervention to treat MGD, and outlined to individuals potentially undergoing this procedure with the intent of treating dry eye disease. The results of the 14 RCTs currently in progress will be of major importance for establishing a more definitive answer regarding the effectiveness and safety of IPL for treating MGD. We intend to update this review when results from these trials become available.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intense pulsed light (IPL) combined with hydroquinone cream for melasma treatment. Methods Thirty-five patients with melasma were treated between February 2015 and February 2017, 20 patients treated with IPL combined with hydroquinone cream and 15 patients with IPL alone. All cases were female patients with Fitzpatrick skin types Ⅲ and Ⅳ, and subjected to 4 weeks treatment 1 time, 5 times for a course of treatment. All patients were followed up for six months and the efficacy and safety of the treatment were analyzed comprehensively by subjective satisfaction and physician evaluation. Results All the patients were treated without discomfort and treated patients were effectively followed up. The satisfactory rate of IPL treatment group was 73.3%, and that of combined with hydroquinone cream group was 100%. Two groups of satisfactory rates were higher in IPL combined with hydroquinone cream. The total effective rate of the IPL treatment group was 53.3% compared with that of the 35 patients before and after treatment; in IPL combined with hydroquinone cream treatment group the total effective rate was 85.0%. IPL combined with hydroquinone cream treatment group was significantly more effective than the treatment group (P<0.05). All treatment patients did not present with tissue damage, pigmentation and other adverse reactions. Conclusions IPL combined with hydroquinone cream is a safe and effective treatment of melasma, and patients get a higher rate of satisfaction. Key words: Melasma; Intense pulsed light therapy; Women; Hydroquinone cream

In this study, the effect of environmental aw on microbial inactivation by intense pulsed light (IPL) was investigated. Three different microorganisms (Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and yeast) were used as test organisms. The effect of environmental aw was assessed by irradiating each microbial suspension in sodium chloride solutions with different environmental aw levels (0.99-0.80). As the aw decreased, the aggregation of intracellular material of cell interior was changed and the cell number was increased. However, there was no significant difference in microbial reduction according to the aw after the 0.23-3.05J/cm2 of IPL treatment. It was confirmed that yeast had the highest resistance to IPL because of the differences in cell structure and cell wall components between yeast and bacteria. Additional research is needed to clearly understand the inactivation mechanism according to the type of microorganism by controlling aw using various solutes.

To determine the influence of intense pulsed light (IPL) on the secretion of TGF-beta1 in cultured human fibroblasts and the intervention of JNK inhibitor. The callan foreskin fibroblasts were cultured and divided into 2 groups. In the IPL treatment group, cells were irradiated with IPL with fluences of 0 (negative control), 10, 18, 27, 36, and 36 J/cm2*2 (irradiated with IPL with fluences of 36 J/cm2 twice). In the IPL+inhibitor group, cells were irradiated with IPL with fluences of 36 J/cm2 after incubation with the inhibitor SP600125 for 2 h. TGF-beta1 in the culture supernatant was evaluated 48 h after the irradiation using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Compared with the negative control, TGF-beta1 in the culture supernatant decreased at the IPL irradiation of 10, 18, 27, and 36 J/cm2, whereas TGF-beta1 increased at the IPL irradiation of 36 J/cm2*2. In the IPL+inhibitor group, the concentration of TGF-beta1 in the culture supernatant decreased compared with the controls (P<0.05). IPL can suppress the secretion of TGF-beta1 at the lower fluence and promote the secretion at a higher fluence. JNK inhibitor may play an inhibitive role when IPL regulates the TGF-beta1 secretion in cultured human fibroblasts. IPL may stimulate TGF-beta1 secretion of the fibroblast cells in human skin via JNK signal pathway.

Background Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory disease with high burden. Treatment options are often unsatisfactory. We assessed the effect of a combination therapy of intense pulsed light (IPL) and radiofrequency (RF). Methods The explorative study included 47 patients and was performed as a prospective, monocentric, randomized, three-arm parallel-group design trial with a prior 12 weeks observation period. Treatment arms were IPL and RF monotherapies or IPL + RF combination therapy. After 12 weeks, all patients received IPL + RF for additional 12 weeks (cross-over). Primary endpoint was the change in active lesion numbers, secondary endpoint the change in Dermatology Quality of Life Index (DLQI). Results After 12 weeks, active lesion counts of the IPL + RF group decreased more than in the IPL group (p = .044); the decrease in DLQI was significantly higher in the IPL + RF and RF groups compared to IPL. Prolonged 24-week treatment with IPL + RF obtained better results as 12 weeks. Overall, disease burden after 24 weeks of treatment compared to disease fluctuation during the observation period was significantly lower (change in active lesions −3.6, p = .001; in DLQI −5.2, p = .003). Conclusions IPL + RF treatment appears to represent a promising therapeutic option that leads to reduction of disease activity without severe side effects.

Objective To compare the effect of Q-switch Nd∶YAG laser and intensive pulsed light on freckles. Methods 80 patients with freckles were divided into 2 groups randomly. One group of patients were treated with Q-switch Nd∶YAG 532 nm frequency-doubled laser, the interval was 8 weeks. The other group of patients were treated with 570 nm intensive pulsed light, the interval was 8 weeks. Results We used Mann-Whitney U test to compare the curative effect of the two groups (P <0.05), and the mean rank (34.00) of the Q-switch Nd∶YAG laser treatment group was greater than that (47.00) of the intense pulsed light treatment group. Conclusions The curative effect of Q-switch Nd∶YAG laser is better than that of intensive pulsed light on freckles. Key words: Laser; Intensive pulsed light; Freckle

Cutaneous hyperpigmentation is one of the most cosmetically disturbing sequel of drug-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis. Intense pulsed light is a promising tool for treating some melanocytic lesions. The objective was to assess the effect of intense pulsed light in treating post-toxic epidermal necrolysis facial hypermelanosis. Two Caucasian men aged 35 and 50 years presented with long-standing (32 and 39 years) severe hypermelanosis of the face after sulfonamide-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis. They were treated by intense pulsed light. Cutoff filters of 550, 590, and 615 nm were employed for five intense pulsed light sessions at 4-week intervals. The treatment was characterized by energy fluence of 25 to 32 J/cm2, pulse width of 2.2 to 3.2 ms, and double- to triple-pulse mode respecting a 30-ms delay. Before intense pulsed light treatment, and 2 months after the fifth intense pulsed light session, clinical photographs and skin biopsies were performed in combination with quantitative narrow-band remittance spectrophotometry of melanin pigmentation. Patients were clinically followed-up for 8 months after the end of the treatment. In both patients, clinical, histologic, and spectrophotometric assessments showed an average of 80% decrease in the hypermelanosis. No clinical recurrence of the hypermelanosis developed during the 8-month follow-up after intense pulsed light treatment. No major persistent side effects were experienced, especially hypopigmentation. Intense pulsed light appears to be effective and safe for treating post-toxic epidermal necrolysis hypermelanosis in Caucasian patients.

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun is known to have a deleterious effect on the skin. Repeated insults to the dermal matrix from UV radiation result in the clinical signs of photodamage, including changes in skin elasticity, color, and texture. UV radiation also leads to the accumulation of DNA mutations and promotes tumor development, resulting in the formation of cutaneous precancerous and cancerous lesions. Continuous-wave incoherent blue light, intense pulsed light (IPL), and pulsed dye laser (PDL) are safe and efficacious light sources commonly used for aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (PDT). The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the efficacy of PDT for the treatment of photodamage and actinic keratoses using four different combinations of light sources: PDL, PDL + blue light, IPL, and IPL + blue light. A total of 220 patients with either photodamage or actinic keratosis (AK) were recruited from the Miami Dermatology Laser Institute (Miami, FL) and were assigned prospectively to undergo one PDT treatment with one of the four light options: PDL, PDL + blue light, IPL or IPL + blue light. Of the 220 patients enrolled in treatment groups, 214 patients completed the study. Of the 214 patients, 88 received treatment for AK, and 126 received treatment for photodamage. All patients gave their consent to participate in the study and to allow their photographs to be utilized for the purpose of scientific presentations. Treatment with IPL resulted in a 70.8% reduction of actinic keratoses at a 1-month follow-up. Treatment with IPL and blue light 84.4% reduction of actinic keratoses at 1 month follow up. Treatment with PDL 70.5% reduction of actinic keratoses at 1 month follow up. Treatment with PDL and blue light 69.3% reduction of actinic keratoses at 1 month follow up. Treatment with IPL resulted in an improvement score of 2.9. Treatment with IPL and blue light resulted in an improvement score of 3.0. Treatment PDL resulted in an improvement score of 1.5. Treatment with PDL andblue light resulted in an improvement score of 1.8. Although all four treatment groups led to some improvement in signs of photoaging, IPL + blue light again demonstrated increased efficacy when compared to IPL, PDL, and PDL + blue light treatment groups. Results from our study were limited by an unequal distribution between treatment groups and a lack of follow-up beyond a 1-month period and warrant further research.