1. A dermatological system, comprising:
an optical waveguide for transmitting radiation received at a first end thereof to a second end adapted to contact a subject’s skin surface so as to irradiate a portion of the skin, and
a reflecting plate adapted to contact a portion of the skin surface and surrounding at least a portion of said second waveguide end,
said reflecting plate returning at least a portion of radiation backscattered from the irradiated skin portion to the subject’s skin.
2. A dermatological system according to claim 1, wherein said plate comprises an aperture sized and shaped for receiving at least a portion of said second end of the wave guide.
3. A dermatological system according to claim 1, wherein said reflecting plate has a concave shape.
4. A dermatological system according to claim 1, wherein said reflecting plate is formed of a thermally conductive material.
5. A dermatological system according to claim 4, further comprising a heating element in thermal contact with said reflecting plate for heating thereof.
6. A dermatological system according to claim 5, wherein said heating element comprises a thermoelectric element.
7. A dermatological system according to claim 1, wherein said reflective plate comprises an angle-dependent reflective coating.
8. A dermatological system according to claim 1, wherein said reflective plate provides specular reflection of radiation.
9. A dermatological system according to claim 1, wherein said reflective plate provides diffuse reflection of radiation.
10. A dermatological system according to claim 1, wherein said second end of the waveguide comprises reflecting side walls for returning at least a portion of radiation applied to the patient’s skin that is retroreflected into the waveguide back to the patient’s skin.
11. A dermatological system according to claim 10, wherein said waveguide further comprises a chamber optically coupled to the second end for internally reflecting at least a portion of backscattered radiation extending through the second end into said chamber back to the patient’s skin.
12. A system for treating a dermatological condition located in a volume of a patient’s skin, comprising:
an optical waveguide having a first end for receiving radiation generated by a radiation source and a second end for contacting a patient’s skin, said waveguide transmitting said received radiation from the first end to the second end for application to the patient’s skin, and
a reflector disposed within said waveguide for returning at least a portion of backscattered radiation entering the waveguide back to the patient’s skin.
13. A system according to claim 12, wherein said reflector comprises reflecting side walls of said second end of the waveguide, said reflecting walls returning at least a portion of radiation applied to the patient’s skin that is retroreflected into the waveguide back to the patient’s skin.
14. A system according to claim 12, wherein said waveguide further comprises a chamber optically coupled to the second end for internally reflecting at least a portion of backscattered radiation extending through the second end into said chamber back to the patient’s skin.
15. A system according to claim 12, wherein said second end of the waveguide has an aperture at least substantially as large as a backscatter aperture of radiation backscattered from the patient’s skin.
16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said reflector has a reflection aperture D at least substantially as great as said backscatter aperture.
17. A system according to claim 12, wherein said reflector comprises at least a portion of said second end of the waveguide formed as a reflection plate.
18. A system according to claim 17, wherein said reflection plate has a concave shape.
19. A system according to claim 12, wherein said reflector is disposed along at least a portion of a sidewall of said wave guide.
20. A system according to claim 19, wherein said reflector has a coefficient of reflection for reflecting backscattered radiation more strongly at angles nearly perpendicular to the skin surface than at angles nearly parallel to the skin surface.
21-32. (canceled)
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-14. (canceled)
15. Electrical energy distribution network for a transport vehicle, such as an aircraft, of the type comprising a management unit and nodes to which at least one power supply source and equipment to be supplied by said power supply source can be connected by means of links, referred to as external links, characterised in that said nodes are connected together by internode links forming at least one mesh of a meshed network, said or each mesh being polygonal of an order higher than or equal to three, at least one node in the or each mesh being an active node, each active node in said network being controlled by the management unit in order to control each of the electrical connections of the internode and external links connected to said active node.
16. Network according to claim 15, characterised in that all the meshes of said network are identical.
17. Network according to claim 15, characterised in that each of the nodes other than said active node or nodes provides the electrical connection of all the internode links and external links connected to said node.
18. Network according to claim 15, characterised in that said or each active node comprises firstly switches each having a terminal connected to a port to which an internode or external link is connected and a terminal connected to a common point and, secondly, a control unit designed to receive control data from said management unit and to control each of said switches for opening or closing.
19. Network according to claim 18, characterised in that said management unit allocates a logic address to each active node and to each switch of said node, said management unit transmitting control data to the logic address of the switch concerned or, in the case of control data relating to all the switches of an active node, the logic address of said node.
20. Network according to claim 18, characterised in that said or each active node comprises means for measuring physical operating characteristics of said node that deliver their measurement signals to the control unit, said control unit controlling the switches according to these measurement signals.
21. Network according to claim 20, characterised in that said measurement signals are transmitted by the control unit to the management unit, which in response transmits to said node control data that are a function of these measurement signals.
22. Network according to claim 15, characterised in that the internode or external links consist of coaxial cables comprising a conductor for the power supply signal and a conductor for the earth, each node providing with the links the continuity of the network earth.
23. Network according to claim 22, characterised in that said internode or external links also comprise means for transporting control signals, each node providing with said links the transmission of these signals in the whole of the network.
24. Network according to claim 15, characterised in that each active node has a physical address and means for communicating said physical address, such as a radio-frequency identification device.
25. Electrical installation of aircraft, characterised in that it comprises at least one electrical energy distribution network according to claim 15.
26. Electrical installation according to claim 25, characterised in that it comprises a plurality of electrical energy distribution networks, the active nodes of which are controlled by the same management unit.
27. Electrical installation according to claim 25, characterised in that said at least one of said distribution networks is installed level with the floor of the aircraft.
28. Electrical installation according to claim 27, characterised in that the nodes of said distribution network or networks are fixed on cross members forming part of the structure of the aircraft and the links are mounted either on said cross members or on passenger seat runners of the aircraft.