ND:YAG LASER FOR REMOVING FATTY TISSUE

• US 20090105696A1
• Filed: 02/15/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lutronic Corporation (Lutronic, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lutronic Corporation (Lutronic, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hwang, Hae Lyung, Lee, Hee Chul
• Application Number:
  US12/280,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20090105696A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/22 the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; Couplings or hand-pieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00464 Subcutaneous fat, e.g. liposuction, lipolysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2005 with beam delivery through an interstitially insertable device, e.g. needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2035 Beam shaping or redirecting; Optical components therefor A61B2018/2255 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/20553 with special lens or reflector arrangement A61B2018/2255, A61B2018/2261, A61B2018/2266, A61B2018/2272, A61B2018/2277, A61B2018/2283 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/029 Fat cell removal or destruction by non-ablative heat treatment

Abstract

A Nd:YAG laser at a wavelength of 1444 nm for removing fatty tissue is disclosed, which can directly irradiate laser light onto subcutaneous fat and efficiently remove fatty tissue with an adverse reaction on surrounding tissue minimized by using laser light at an oscillating wavelength of 1444 nm which has both a high fat absorptivity and a high water absorptivity among wavelengths that can be oscillated by the Nd:YAG laser. The Nd:YAG laser includes a flash lamp, a Nd:YAG rod, a high reflection mirror, an output coupler, a convergent lens for converging the laser light beam oscillating through the output coupler, an optical fiber for guiding the converged laser beam, and a guide needle for guiding the laser beam from the guide fiber to subcutaneous fat. Both end surfaces of the Nd:YAG rod, an inner surface of the high reflection mirror, and inner and outer surfaces of the output coupler are coated so as to oscillate only the laser beam at the wavelength of 1444 nm through the output coupler.

Claims

1. A Nd:

YAG (Neodymium;

Yttrimium Aluminum Garnet) laser at a wavelength of 1444 nm that directly irradiates laser light onto fatty tissue to remove the fatty tissue and includes a flash lamp for being supplied with a power from a power supply unit and emitting light, a Nd;

YAG rod for amplifying and oscillating the excited laser light inputted from the flash lamp, a high reflection mirror and an output coupler, positioned on both sides of the Nd;

YAG rod, for reflecting the light outputted from the Nd;

YAG rod, the Nd;

YAG laser comprising;

a convergent lens for converging the laser light beam oscillating through the output coupler;

an optical fiber for guiding the laser beam converged by the convergent lens; and

a guide needle, made of metallic material and connected to an end of the optical fiber, for guiding the laser beam from the guide fiber to subcutaneous fat;

wherein both end surfaces of the Nd;

YAG rod, an inner surface of the high reflection mirror, and inner and outer surfaces of the output coupler are coated so as to oscillate only the laser beam at the wavelength of 1444 nm through the output coupler.

2. The Nd:

YAG laser of claim 1, wherein in order to oscillate only the laser beam at a wavelength of 1444 nm, both surfaces of a Nd;

YAG rod are antireflection-coated so as to effect an antireflection of the light at a wavelength of 1000˜

1500 nm;

an inner surface of the high reflection mirror is coated to fully reflect the light at a wavelength of 1444 nm and to transmit over 95% of the light at wavelengths in the range of 1320˜

1340 nm and 1064 nm;

an inner surface of the output coupler is coated to have a reflection rate of 80% at a wavelength in the range of 1300˜

1500 nm and to have a transmission rate of over 95% at a wavelength of 1064 nm; and

an outer surface of the output coupler is antireflection-coated at a wavelength band of 1000˜

1500 nm.

3. The Nd:

YAG laser of claim 2, further comprising a filter, installed in front of the convergent lens, for reflecting the laser beam at a wavelength in the range of 1060˜

1350 nm and transmitting only the laser beam at a wavelength of 1444 nm in order to prevent the laser light at a wavelength of 1064 nm among the laser lights outputted from the output coupler from being incident to the optical fiber.

4. The Nd:

YAG laser of claim 1, wherein the oscillating laser beam output has a repetition rate of 1-20 Hz, energy per pulse of 100˜

1000 mJ, power of 0.5-20W, and pulse width that varies in the range of 100 μ

s˜

60 ms.

5. The Nd:

YAG laser of claim 2, wherein the oscillating laser beam output has a repetition rate of 1-20 Hz, energy per pulse of 100˜

1000 mJ, power of 0.5-20W, and pulse width that varies in the range of 100 μ

s˜

60 ms.

6. The Nd:

YAG laser of claim 3, wherein the oscillating laser beam output has a repetition rate of 1-20 Hz, energy per pulse of 100˜

1000 mJ, power of 0.5-20W, and pulse width that varies in the range of 100 μ

s˜

60 ms.