MULTIWAVELENGTH LASER SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPHTALMOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS

• US 20090207874A1
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Kalies, Alexander, Dick, Manfred, Wiechmann, Martin, Zimare, Diego, Schuett, Regina
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 372/50.121
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00868 Ciliary muscles or trabecular meshwork
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00872 Cornea
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00891 Glaucoma
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/008 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00825 for photodisruption
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4087 emitting more than one wavelength

Abstract

A multiwavelength laser system for opthalmological applications. The system including a first semiconductor diode laser including a first working beam of a first wavelength; and at least one second semiconductor diode laser having a second working beam of a second wavelength. The second wavelength being different from the first wavelength.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A multiwavelength laser system for opthalmological applications, the system comprising:

a first semiconductor diode laser including a first working beam of a first wavelength; and

at least one second semiconductor diode laser having a second working beam of a second wavelength, the second wavelength different from the first wavelength.

20. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 19, wherein the first working beam and the second working beam each include a pulse duration.

21. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 19, wherein at least one of the first diode laser and the second diode laser includes a crystal selected from the group consisting of:

GaInAsSb, AlGaAsSb, AlAs, GaAs, GaP, InAs, AlGaInP, AlGaInP/GaAs, InP, doped garnets and doped vanadates.

22. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 19, wherein each of the first wavelength and the second wavelength is within a spectral region selected from the group consisting of:

480 nm to 520 nm, 530 nm to 550 nm, 560 nm to 580 nm, 585 nm to 615 nm, 620 nm to 670 nm, 685 nm to 695 nm, 800 nm to 820 nm, and 1040 nm to 1070 nm.

23. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 19, wherein the first working beam includes a first energy and the second working beam includes a second energy, the first energy different from the second energy.

24. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 19, wherein each of the first working beam and the second working beam is emitted in one of a continuous wave mode and a pulsed wave mode.

25. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 19, wherein the first working beam and the second working beam each have an energy that is between 10 μ

J and 50 J.

26. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 25, wherein the energy of the first working beam and the energy of the second working beam is between 0.5 mJ and 25 J.

27. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 26, wherein the energy of the first working beam and the energy of the second working beam is less than 20 J.

28. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 19, wherein the first diode laser and the second diode laser each have a beam parameter product within a range between 0.1 and 125 mm*mrad.

29. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 28, wherein the team parameter product of each of the first diode laser and the second diode laser is between 1 and 100 mm*mrad.

30. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 29, wherein the team parameter product of each of the first diode laser and the second diode laser is between 2 and 80 mm*mrad.

31. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 19, wherein at least one of the first working beam and the second working beam has a pulse duration between 1 femtosecond and 600 seconds.

32. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 31, wherein the pulse duration is between 1 picosecond and 500 seconds.

33. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 32, wherein the pulse duration is between 1 nanosecond and 300 seconds.

34. The multiwavelength laser system as recited in claim 19, wherein the first working beam and the second working beam are controlled separately.

35. A light-guide system, comprising:

at least one fiber optic system;

a multiwavelength laser system including a first semiconductor diode laser having a first working beam of a first wavelength, and at least one second semiconductor diode laser having a second working beam of a second wavelength, the second wavelength different from the first wavelength,

wherein the multiwavelength laser system is couplable into the fiber optic system.

36. The light-guide system as recited in claim 35, wherein the at least one fiber optic system includes at least one optical fiber.

37. The light-guide system as recited in claim 35, wherein the at least one fiber optic system includes a fiber core having a numerical aperture between 0.01 and 0.4.

38. The light-guide system as recited in claim 37, wherein the numerical aperture is between 0.05 and 0.22.

39. The light-guide system as recited in claim 38, wherein the numerical aperture is between 0.07 and 0.15.

40. The light-guide system as recited in claim 35, further comprising a pilot beam couplable into the fiber optic system.

41. The light-guide system as recited in claim 35, wherein the first working beam and the second working beam are at least partially coupled out of the fiber optic system.

42. The light-guide system as recited in claim 41, wherein the first working beam and the second working beam are at least partially coupled out into a power monitoring element.

43. The light-guide system as recited in claim 35, wherein at least one of the first diode laser and the second diode laser has at least one of an energy and power adjustable using a control element of a power control.

44. A method for performing an ophthamological application, the method comprising:

providing a multiwavelength laser system including a first semiconductor diode laser including a first working beam of a first wavelength and at least one second semiconductor diode laser having a second working beam of a second wavelength, the second wavelength different from the first wavelength; and

providing a light-guide system including at least one fiber-optic system, wherein the first working beam and the second working beam are couplable into the light-guide system using the fiber-optic system.

45. The method as recited in claim 44, wherein the opthamological application is at least one of selective laser trabeculotomy (SLT), laser trabeculotomy (ALT, DLT, LT), and laser coagulation.