1. A method of treating pre-malignant and malignant abnormalities and disorders of at least one of a lining of the vagina, cervix or uterus in an animal by photodynamic therapy (PDT), wherein said PDT comprises:
(a) administering to said animal a composition comprising an ester of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, as a photosensitiser; and
(b) photoactivating said photosensitiser,
and wherein side-effects of said PDT are prevented or reduced by use of (i) in combination with (ii):
(i) said composition comprises said photosensitiser in a concentration of less than 10% wt,
(ii) said photoactivation is carried out with a light source comprising a light emitting diode and having a fluence rate of less than 50 mWcm2.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said PDT has substantially the same therapeutic effect as the corresponding standard PDT treatment.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said photosensitiser is a compound of general formula I:
R22N\u2014CH2COCH2\u2014CH2CO\u2014OR1\u2003\u2003(I)
(wherein R1 represents a substituted or unsubstituted, straight-chained, branched or cyclic alkyl group; and each R2 independently represents a hydrogen atom) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein in formula I, R1 represents an unsubstituted alkyl group or an alkyl group substituted by an aryl group.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said composition further comprises a second photosensitiser.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the photosensitizer is hexyl ALA ester (HAL) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the photosensitizer is the hydrochloric acid salt of hexyl ALA ester (HAL).
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the abnormality or disorder is pre-malignant.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the abnormality or disorder is a pre-malignant lesion of the cervix.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the abnormality or disorder is a viral infection.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the photosensitizer is hexyl ALA ester (HAL) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the photosensitizer is the hydrochloric acid salt of hexyl ALA ester (HAL).
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the photosensitizer is present in the composition at a concentration of 0.05 percent to 8 percent by weight.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the photosensitizer is present in the composition at a concentration of 2 percent to 8 percent by weight.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluence rate is 5 to 40 mWcm2.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the animal is a human and the lining is the lining of the cervix.
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. An image detection system for detecting an object comprising a defined detection zone in which the object moved through the detection zone is detectable; at least two lighting units for lighting the detection zone with a respective light beam, wherein the light beams intersect; and at least two light reception units for receiving light reflected at the object, wherein one respective lighting unit is associated with a light reception unit, wherein the lighting units each transmit their light beams at a defined light wavelength and the light reception units are configured to receive a respective defined light wavelength of the reflected light associated with them, wherein the one light reception unit receives a different light wavelength than the other light reception unit.
2. The image processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light reception unit comprises a line scan camera having an optical filter for the associated defined light wavelength.
3. The image processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lighting unit and the light reception unit have a reading zone which is defined by the light beam at the defined light wavelength.
4. The image processing system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the lighting units and light reception units are arranged such that the reading zones of the lighting units and light reception units partly cross over so that the object is lighted at the crossover of at least two light beams at different light wavelengths.
5. The image processing system in accordance with claim 5, wherein the lighting units and light reception units are arranged such that the reading zones of the lighting units and light reception units partly cross over at 45\xb0 with respect to one another.
6. The image processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of lighting units and light reception units are provided which are directed toward one another and the object is lighted by a corresponding number of light beams at corresponding light wavelengths so that all the sides of the object are detectable.
7. The image processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light beams comprise light wavelengths of the colors red, blue, yellow andor green.
8. The image processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lighting units whose light beams intersect transmit light beams of different light wavelengths.
9. The image processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lighting units whose light beams do not intersect transmit light beams of the same light wavelengths.