Light emitting fabrics for photodynamic therapy: Technology, experimental and clinical applications

Abstract

A homogeneous and reproducible fluence rate delivery during clinical photodynamic therapy (PDT) plays a determinant role in preventing under-or overtreatment. The development of a flexible light source able to generate uniform light on all its surface would considerably improve the homogeneity of light delivery. The integration of plastic optical fibers into textile structures offers an interesting alternative. This article aims to describe briefly the technology used to develop light emitting fabrics (LEF) and their use in vitro (CELL-LEF), in vivo (VIVO-LEF) for experimental evaluation of PDT. Finally, the use of LEF for clinical applications is given by three examples. For in vitro applications, the CELL-LEF device allows the illumination of several 96-well cell culture plates. For the VIVO-LEF, the system developed for PDT can treat three mice simultaneously with a homogeneous and high irradiance The medical LEF systems developed for PDT in dermatology for the treatment of actinic keratosis demonstrate their superiority thanks to a uniform light distribution due the flexibility of LEF. Interestingly, the technology used for manufacturing LEF is very well known by the textile industry, leading to very competitive production costs. The fact that optical fibers can transmit light from 400 to 1200 nm allows the connection of LEF to different laser sources covering the light spectrum of all photosensitizers used for medical applications. New developments should allow to use the LEF inside cavities such as the pleural or the peritoneal cavities.

Photodynamic therapy with light emitting fabrics: a review

“…This was connected to CELL-LEF which gave irradiance values ranging from 0.81 to 1.18 mW cm −2 with a homogeneity of 90.9%, much below the accessible emission limits of class 1 as per IEC 60,825 standard. The study also surpassed concerns regarding elevation in temperature during treatment as an illumination of 45 min led to an increase of only + 1.14 °C while the inside of the well recorded an increase of + 0.88 °C [17,18].…”

“…Finally, the CELL-LEF can be encompassed by a light proof cover to prevent admission of stray light that might activate the photosensitizer (Fig. 7) [17].…”

Light Technology for Efficient and Effective Photodynamic Therapy: A Critical Review

“…This device (CE-marked) delivers uniform illumination with 2.9 mW/cm 2 over a 314 cm 2 surface. Likewise, different approaches have also been developed to obtain uniform light distributions for artificial daylight PDT, such as multi-wavelength LED [ 108 ], or non-coherent UV-protected greenhouses for therapy [ 109 ] and textile fabrics [ 110 ]. In 2018, O’Mahoney et al implemented a uniform-illumination light source for artificial daylight photodynamic therapy [ 111 ].…”

Light-Emitting Textiles: Device Architectures, Working Principles, and Applications

“…In 2013, a textile based on side-emitting POFs obtained via weaving was tested during in vitro experiments that demonstrated a significant increase in collagen production in human fibroblasts irradiated by the fabric [134]. Koncar worked on the development of textile light diffusers by exploiting the macro-bending of POFs with homogenous light emission and flexibility, obtaining suitable performances for photodynamic therapy [135,136], and such technology has been recently tested both during in vitro and in vivo experiments [137]. LEDs have also been integrated with textiles for light therapy; researchers from Ghent University demonstrated an LED-based textile that delivers breathability, excellent mechanical compliance, and good irradiance without excessive thermal heating [138].…”