Multiple aperture hand-held laser therapy apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A therapeutic laser apparatus comprising:
- an encasement adapted to be hand-held;
a base assembly in the encasement, comprising a laser diode for generating a monochromatic laser beam whereby a diverging laser beam is emitted from the base assembly; and
at least two head assemblies removably enagageable with the base assembly, each head assembly comprising;
a lens mount having an axial dimension; and
a collimating lens on the lens mount for creating a collimated, approximately coherent final beam;
wherein the axial dimension of the lens mount of a first one of the head assemblies is different from the axial dimension of the lens mount of a second one of the head assemblies, and wherein a size of the collimating lens of the first one of the head assemblies is different from a size of the collimating lens of the second one of the head assemblies;
whereby when the first one of the at least two head assemblies is engaged with the base assembly, the collimating lens of the first head assembly intercepts, at a first distance from the base assembly, the diverging beam emitted from the base assembly, and when the second one of the at least two head assemblies is engaged with the base assembly, the collimating lens of the second head assembly intercepts, at a second distance from the base assembly, the diverging beam emitted from the base assembly;
wherein the first head assembly when in use with the base assembly creates a first final beam having a lateral beam dimension different from a corresponding lateral dimension of a second final beam created by the second head assembly when in use with the base assembly.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hand-held therapeutic laser apparatus with a special opto-mechanical construction, which enables changeability of a front collimating lens to create different effective laser apertures. A smaller effective aperture has a comparatively higher radiant flux density for treatment of a small area that requires a higher energy dose, while a larger effective aperture facilitates treatment of a large area at a relatively reduced radiant intensity.
57 Citations
11 Claims
-
1. A therapeutic laser apparatus comprising:
-
an encasement adapted to be hand-held; a base assembly in the encasement, comprising a laser diode for generating a monochromatic laser beam whereby a diverging laser beam is emitted from the base assembly; and at least two head assemblies removably enagageable with the base assembly, each head assembly comprising; a lens mount having an axial dimension; and a collimating lens on the lens mount for creating a collimated, approximately coherent final beam; wherein the axial dimension of the lens mount of a first one of the head assemblies is different from the axial dimension of the lens mount of a second one of the head assemblies, and wherein a size of the collimating lens of the first one of the head assemblies is different from a size of the collimating lens of the second one of the head assemblies; whereby when the first one of the at least two head assemblies is engaged with the base assembly, the collimating lens of the first head assembly intercepts, at a first distance from the base assembly, the diverging beam emitted from the base assembly, and when the second one of the at least two head assemblies is engaged with the base assembly, the collimating lens of the second head assembly intercepts, at a second distance from the base assembly, the diverging beam emitted from the base assembly; wherein the first head assembly when in use with the base assembly creates a first final beam having a lateral beam dimension different from a corresponding lateral dimension of a second final beam created by the second head assembly when in use with the base assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A handheld, low-level laser apparatus comprising:
-
a laser diode configured to generate an infrared (IR) laser emission having an astigmatism and propagating along a laser path; one or more corrective lens positioned in the laser path and configured to receive the IR laser emission therethrough, the one or more corrective lens being further configured alone or in combination to correct the astigmatism of the IR laser emission and to collimate the IR laser emission; a divergence lens positioned in the laser path after the one or more corrective lens and configured to receive the IR laser emission therethrough and to diverge the IR laser emission after the IR laser emission passes through the one or more corrective lens; and a front lens positioned in the laser path after the divergence lens and configured to receive the IR laser emission therethrough and to collimate the IR laser emission after the IR laser emission passes through the divergence lens. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A low-level laser beam producing method comprising:
-
using a laser diode, generating an infrared (IR) laser emission having an astigmatism and propagating the IR laser emission along a laser path; using one or more corrective lens positioned in the laser path, receiving the IR laser emission therethrough and, using the one or more corrective lens alone or in combination, correcting the astigmatism of the IR laser emission and collimating the IR laser emission; using a divergence lens positioned in the laser path after the one or more corrective lens, receiving the IR laser emission therethrough and diverging the IR laser emission after the IR laser emission passes through the one or more corrective lens; and using a front lens positioned in the laser path after the divergence lens, receiving the IR laser emission therethrough and collimating the IR laser emission after the IR laser emission passes through the divergence lens.
-
Specification