Apparatus for laser light medical treatment

• US 4,561,440 A
• Filed: 11/16/1982
• Issued: 12/31/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Japan Medical Laser Laboratory Company Limited, Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Japan Medical Laser Laboratory Company Limited, Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kubo, Kiyoshi, Ohshiro, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US06/442,083
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 128/303.1, 128/303.13, 128/395-398, 128/736, 219/121 LB
• US Class Current: 607/89
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0644 Handheld applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0619 Acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 using laser light

Abstract

A laser light medical treatment apparatus has a contact detection means comprising a pair of contact tips 16a, 16b on both sides of a laser light emission hole 6 so that when the hand set 1, 30 of the apparatus is applied on the skin of a patient. The contact tips detect touching on the skin by means of a small conduction current thereacross, thereby closing a switching circuit 46, 44 to actuate the laser 4 to oscillate. In addition, warning sound means 8 and warning lamp means 7 are provided so as to warn of the light beam emission of the laser, which light is invisible and dangerous to the human eye.

Claims

1. An apparatus for laser light medical treatment comprising:

a hand set casing, having an emission hole,

laser light beam emitting means, including a source of laser light, being disposed within said hand set casing and for applying a laser light beam through said emission hole to a skin of a patient for medical treatment,

proximity sensing means provided on both sides of and close to said emission hole for detection of a proximity of said emission hole to said skin of the patient, and

switching means to cut off emission of said laser light beam when said proximity of said emission hole to said skin is not detected by said proximity sensing means.

2. An apparatus for laser light medical treatment in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said proximity sensing means is a pair of electrodes disposed on both sides of said emission hole for electrical detection of proximity of skin to said electrodes.

3. An apparatus for laser light medical treatment in accordance with claim 2, wherein

said proximity sensing means further comprises a detector means for detecting a change in a current passing between said electrodes.

4. An apparatus for laser light medical treatment in accordance with claim 2, wherein

said proximity sensing means further comprises a detector means for detecting a change of a capacitance between said electrodes.

5. An apparatus for laser light medical treatment in accordance with claim 1, which further comprises

timer means for controlling said laser light beam emission in a manner to be emitted for a desired set time period.

6. An apparatus for laser light medical treatment in accordance with claim 1, which further comprises

time period indicating means for indicating remaining treating time period during the treating.

7. An apparatus for laser light medical treatment in accordance with claim 1, which further comprises warning means for warning when the laser light beam emitting means is in an emitting state.

8. An apparatus for laser light medical treatment in accordance with claim 7, wherein said warning means comprises

a photoelectric element which issues a signal when receiving a back light of said laser light beam emitting means, and

a switching means for cutting off power feeding to said laser light beam emitting means.

9. An apparatus for laser light medical treatment in accordance with claim 8, wherein

said warning means is a sound producing means.

10. An apparatus for laser light medical treatment in accordance with claim 8, wherein

said laser light emits invisible light and

said warning means is a light emitting means which emits visible light.

11. An apparatus for laser light medical treatment in accordance with claim 7, wherein

said warning means is a sound producing means.

12. An apparatus for laser light medical treatment in accordance with claim 7, wherein

said laser light emitting means emits invisible light and

said warning means is a light emitting means which emits visible light.