Laser treatment apparatus

• US 6,066,127 A
• Filed: 09/21/1998
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nidek Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nidek Company Limited
• Inventors: Abe, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda C. M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRIS, SONYA C
• Application Number:
  US09/157,314
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 606/2, 606/3, 606/9, 606/10, 606/11, 606/12, 606/14, 606/15, 606/16, 606/17, 606/19, 372/92, 372/98, 372/97, 372/99, 372/107, 359/872
• US Class Current: 606/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00863 Retina
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/0087 Lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00872 Cornea
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00887 Cataract
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00891 Glaucoma
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/008 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00821 for coagulation
• 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 3/082 defining a plurality of resonators, e.g. for mode selection or suppression
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/105 by controlling the mutual position or the reflecting properties of the reflectors of the cavity , e.g. by controlling the cavity lengthH01S3/10076, H01S3/13 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/106 by controlling devices placed within the cavity H01S3/10076, H01S3/13 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/109 Frequency multiplication, e.g. harmonic generation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/113 using intracavity saturable absorbers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/13 Stabilisation of laser output parameters, e.g. frequency or amplitude

Abstract

A laser treatment apparatus which performs a medical or surgical treatment using laser-beam irradiation, The apparatus has a solid-state laser medium for obtaining a laser beam and an excitation light source for exciting the solid-state laser medium. The apparatus further has a first optical system having a Q-switch which emits light oscillated by the solid-state laser medium as a pulse wave laser beam, and a second optical system which emits the light oscillated by the solid-state laser medium as a continuous wave laser beam. An optical path for the light oscillated by the solid-state laser medium is switched to one of optical paths of the first and second optical systems. With this apparatus, plural oscillation modes and wavelengths can be switched over in accordance with the treatment object, and the load on the user is reduced.

Claims

1. A laser treatment apparatus for performing a medical or surgical treatment using laser-beam irradiation, said apparatus comprising:

a solid-state laser medium for obtaining a laser beam;

an excitation light source which excites said solid-state laser medium;

a first optical system having a Q-switch, which emits light oscillated by said solid-state laser medium as a pulse wave laser beam;

a second optical system which emits the light oscillated by said solid-state laser medium as a continuous wave laser beam; and

an optical-path switching system, which switches an optical path for the light oscillated by said solid-state laser medium to one of optical paths of said first and second optical systems.

2. A laser treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second optical systems has wavelength converting system which converts a wavelength of the light oscillated by said solid-state laser medium.

3. A laser treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said wavelength converting system converts light of a fundamental wavelength oscillated by said solid-state laser medium, into a second harmonic.

4. A laser treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller, which controls an exciting operation of said excitation light source based on a switching signal of said optical-path switching system.

5. A laser treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said solid-state laser medium is a solid-state laser medium that is doped with Nd and that is represented by an Nd:

YAG rod.

6. A laser treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said Q-switch includes a dye cell of a saturable absorber.

7. A laser treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second optical system includes a nonlinear optical crystal.

8. A laser treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said nonlinear optical crystal is one of a KTP crystal, a BBO crystal, and an LBO crystal.

9. A laser treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical-system switching system includes a movable mirror.