LASER APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE LASER APPARATUS

• US 20130070802A1
• Filed: 11/08/2012
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ichihara, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 372/70
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0095 by applying light and detecting acoustic waves, i.e. photoacoustic measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0643 comprising mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/705 Beam measuring device
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2418 using optoacoustic interaction with the material, e.g. laser radiation, photoacoustics photoacoustic cells G01N21/1702; measuring characteristics of vibrations by using radiation-sensitive means G01H9/00; acousto-optical conversion techniques for short-range imaging G01S15/8965; sound-producing devices using laser bundle G10K15/046
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/005 Optical devices external to the laser cavity, specially adapted for lasers, e.g. for homogenisation of the beam or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping shaping laser beam for working metal or other materials B23K26/06; optical elements, systems or apparatus in general G02B
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/091 using optical pumping
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/092 of flash lamp H01S3/0937 takes precedence ; flash lamps per se H01J61/80; circuit arrangements for operating flash lamps in general H05B41/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1306 Stabilisation of the amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1312 by controlling the optical pumping

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of controlling a laser apparatus, which has a laser light irradiation unit, an excitation unit including a flash lamp, a laser light shielding unit, and a control unit configured to control light shielding by the light shielding unit and release of the light shielding and control setting conditions of the flash lamp. The control unit performs a process of blocking the laser light by the light shielding unit when irradiation of the laser light is stopped, then performs a process of controlling the setting condition so that consumption of the flash lamp is reduced, performs, when the irradiation is restarted, a process of controlling the setting conditions so that the laser light is stably irradiated, and then performs a process of releasing the light shielding.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a laser apparatus, which has an irradiation unit configured to irradiate a laser light to an irradiated object, an excitation unit configured to excite the irradiation unit by emission of a flash lamp, a light-shielding unit configured to block the laser light irradiated from the irradiation unit, and a control unit configured to control light shielding by the light-shielding unit and release of light shielding and control setting conditions associated with the emission of the flash lamp, the control unit performing a method comprising:

performing a process of blocking the laser light by the light-shielding unit, when the irradiation with the laser light from the irradiation unit to the irradiated object is stopped;

performing a consumption reduction start process of controlling the setting condition so that the consumption of the flash lamp is reduced;

performing, when the irradiation with the laser light from the irradiation unit to the irradiated object is restarted, a consumption reduction stop process of controlling the setting condition so that the laser light is stably irradiated by the irradiation unit; and

performing a process of releasing the light shielding by the light-shielding unit.

2. The method of controlling a laser apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting condition is a repetition frequency of the emission of the flash lamp, and in the consumption reduction start process, the control unit reduces the repetition frequency.

3. The method of controlling a laser apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting condition is a lamp current value that controls the emission of the flash lamp, and in the consumption reduction start process, the control unit reduces the lamp current value.

4. The method of controlling a laser apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting condition is a simmer current value energized to the flash lamp, and in the consumption reduction start process, the control unit reduces the simmer current value.

5. The method of controlling a laser apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when an output of the laser light irradiated from the irradiation unit is not more than a predetermined prescribed lower limit value in a period from blocking the laser light irradiated from the irradiation unit to the irradiated object to releasing the light shielding, the control unit performs the consumption reduction stop process.

6. The method of controlling a laser apparatus according to claim 5, wherein after the control unit performs the consumption reduction stop process in the period from blocking the laser light irradiated from the irradiation unit to the irradiated object to releasing the light shielding, when the output of the laser light irradiated from the irradiation unit is not less than a prescribed value at the time when the laser light is stably irradiated, the control unit performs the consumption reduction start process.

7. The method of controlling a laser apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the laser light irradiated from the irradiation unit to the irradiated object is blocked, when a time previously determined by measurement has elapsed as the time when the output of the laser light irradiated from the irradiation unit is not more than a prescribed lower limit value, the control unit performs the consumption reduction stop process.

8. The method of controlling a laser apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the laser light irradiated from the irradiation unit to the irradiated object is blocked, the control unit then performs the consumption reduction stop process, and thereafter, when a time previously determined by measurement has elapsed as the time when the output of the laser light irradiated from the irradiation unit is not less than a prescribed value at the time when the laser light is stably irradiated, the control unit performs the consumption reduction start process.

9. A laser apparatus comprising:

an irradiation unit configured to irradiate a laser light to an irradiated object;

an excitation unit configured to excite the irradiation unit by emission of a flash lamp;

a light-shielding unit configured to block the laser light irradiated from the irradiation unit; and

a control unit configured to control light shielding by the light-shielding unit and release of light shielding and control setting conditions associated with the emission of the flash lamp,

wherein

when the irradiation with the laser light from the irradiation unit to the irradiated object is stopped, the control unit blocks the laser light by the light-shielding unit, then controls the setting condition so that the consumption of the flash lamp is reduced; and

when the irradiation with the laser light from the irradiation unit to the irradiated object is restarted, the control unit controls the setting condition so that the laser light is stably irradiated by the irradiation unit, and then releases the light shielding by the light-shielding unit.