Laser treatment apparatus

• US 6,530,918 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2000
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nidek Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nidek Company Limited
• Inventors: Ueno, Tokio, Tomita, Seiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, III, Henry M.
• Application Number:
  US09/668,151
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 607/88-95, 606/4, 606/6, 606/10-11, 606/16-18
• US Class Current: 606/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2025 with a pilot laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/008 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00821 for coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/009 Auxiliary devices making contact with the eyeball and coupling in laser light, e.g. goniolenses apparatus for eye examination A61B3/0008

Abstract

A laser treatment apparatus for irradiating an affected part of a patient with a treatment laser beam to treat the affected part is disclosed. The apparatus includes a treatment laser beam irradiation system for emitting and delivering the treatment laser beam of a wavelength in a visible region to irradiate the affected part; an observation system provided with an observation optical system for observing the affected part; a protective filter disposed in an optical path of the observation optical system, for intercepting the treatment beam; a first aiming beam irradiation system for emitting and delivering a first aiming beam of about the same wavelength as the wavelength of the treatment beam to irradiate the affected part; a second aiming beam irradiation system for emitting and delivering a second aiming beam of a different wavelength in a visible region from the wavelength of the treatment beam to irradiate the affected part; and an aiming beam switching system for switching between irradiation of the first aiming beam and irradiation of the second aiming beam.

Claims

1. A laser treatment apparatus for irradiating an affected part of a patient with a treatment laser beam to treat the affected part, the apparatus including:

treatment beam irradiation means for emitting and delivering the treatment laser beam of a first wavelength in a visible region to irradiate the affected part;

observation means provided with an observation optical system for observing the affected part;

a protective filter disposed in an optical path of the observation optical system, for intercepting the first wavelength;

attenuation means for attenuating output power of the treatment laser beam, the treatment laser beam with the attenuated output power being irradiated as a first aiming beam to the affected part;

aiming beam irradiation means for emitting and delivering a second aiming beam to irradiate the affected part, the second aiming beam being of a different second wavelength in the visible region from the first wavelength, the second wavelength not being intercepted by the protective filter; and

aiming beam switching means for switching between irradiation of the first aiming beam and irradiation of the second aiming beam selectively such that the first aiming beam is irradiated when the treatment beam is not irradiated and the second aiming beam is irradiated when the treatment beam is irradiated.

2. The laser treatment apparatus according to claim 1 further including trigger means for inputting a trigger signal to instruct irradiation of the treatment beam,

wherein the aiming beam switching means switches between irradiation of the first aiming beam and irradiation of the second aiming beam selectively in accordance with input of the trigger signal such that the first aiming beam is irradiated when the trigger signal is not input and the second aiming beam is irradiated when the trigger signal is input from the trigger means.

3. The laser treatment apparatus according to claim 1 further including filter detection means for detecting whether the protective filter is in the optical path of the observation optical system,

wherein the aiming beam switching means switches between irradiation of the first aiming beam and irradiation of the second aiming beam selectively in accordance with a detection result of the filter detection means such that the first aiming beam is irradiated when the filter is not in the optical path and the second aiming beam is irradiated when the filter is in the optical path.

4. The laser treatment apparatus according to claim 3 further including:

trigger means for inputting a trigger signal to instruct irradiation of the treatment beam;

filter moving means for moving the protective filter in or out of the optical path of the observation optical system; and

control means for controlling the filter moving means in accordance with input of the trigger signal from the trigger means.

5. The laser treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attenuation means includes a filter for attenuating the output power of the treatment beam to 1/100 to 1/1000.

6. A laser treatment apparatus for irradiating an affected part of a patient with a treatment laser beam to treat the affected part, the apparatus including:

treatment beam irradiation means for emitting and delivering the treatment laser beam of a wavelength in a visible region to irradiate the affected part;

observation means provided with an observation optical system for observing the affected part;

a protective filter disposed in an optical path of the observation optical system, for intercepting the wavelength of the treatment beam;

first aiming beam irradiation means for emitting a first aiming beam of a wavelength in the visible region, for delivering the first aiming beam to irradiate the affected part, the wavelength of the first aiming beam being intercepted by the protective filter;

second aiming beam irradiation means for emitting a second aiming beam of a wavelength in the visible region, for delivering the second aiming beam to irradiate the affected part, the wavelength of the second aiming beam not being intercepted by the protective filter;

filter type determining means for determining a type of the protective filter between a movable type and a fixed type, the movable type of the filter being inserted into and retracted from the optical path, the fixed type of the filter being fixed in the optical path; and

aiming beam switching means for switching between irradiation of the first aiming beam and irradiation of the second aiming beam selectively in accordance with a determination result of the filter type determination means such that the second aiming beam is only irradiated when the fixed type is determined and the first and second aiming beams are selectively irradiated when the movable type is determined.

7. A laser treatment apparatus for irradiating an affected part of a patient with a treatment laser beam to treat the affected part, the apparatus including:

a treatment beam irradiation optical system provided with a laser source for emitting the treatment laser beam of a wavelength in a visible region, for delivering the treatment beam to irradiate the affected part;

an observation optical system for observing the affected part;

a protective filter disposed in an optical path of the observation optical system, for intercepting the wavelength of the treatment beam;

a first aiming beam irradiation optical system for emitting a first aiming beam of a wavelength in the visible region, for delivering the first aiming beam to irradiate the affected part, the wavelength of the first aiming beam being intercepted by the protective filter;

a second aiming beam irradiation optical system for emitting a second aiming beam of a wavelength in the visible region, for delivering the second aiming beam to irradiate the affected part, the wavelength of the second aiming beam not being intercepted by the protective filter; and

a control unit for switching between irradiation of the first aiming beam and irradiation of the second aiming beam selectively such that the first aiming beam is irradiated when the treatment beam is not irradiated and the second aiming beam is irradiated when the treatment beam is irradiated.

8. The laser treatment apparatus according to claim 7 further including a trigger switch for inputting a trigger signal to instruct irradiation of the treatment laser beam,

wherein the control unit switches irradiation of the first aiming beam and irradiation of the second aiming beam selectively in accordance with input of the trigger signal such that the first aiming beam is irradiated when the trigger signal is not input and the second aiming beam is irradiated when the trigger signal is input.

9. The laser treatment apparatus according to claim 7 further including a sensor for detecting whether the protective filter is in the optical path of the observation optical system,

wherein the control unit switches between irradiation of the first aiming beam and irradiation of the second aiming beam selectively in accordance with a detection result of the sensor such that the first aiming beam is irradiated when the filter is not in the optical path and the second aiming beam is irradiated when the filter is in the optical path.

10. The laser treatment apparatus according to claim 9 further including:

a trigger switch for inputting a trigger signal to instruct irradiation of the treatment laser beam; and

a filter moving unit for inserting or retracting the protective filter in or from the optical path of the observation optical system;

wherein the control unit controls the filter moving unit in accordance with input of the trigger signal.

11. The laser treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the wavelength of the treatment beam and the wavelength of the first aiming beam are approximately the same wavelength.