Therapeutic laser device

• US 6,746,473 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2001
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Erchonia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Erchonia Patent Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Shanks, Steven C., Tucek, Kevin B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON III, HENRY M
• Application Number:
  US09/932,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20020123781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 607/88, 607/89, 606/9-13, 606/17
• US Class Current: 607/89
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2025 with a pilot laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/207 mixing two wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0644 Handheld applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 using laser light

Abstract

An improved hand-held laser device that can simultaneously provide multiple types of low level laser therapy treatments. The device enables laser light of different pulse widths, different beam shapes and spot sizes to be applied externally to a patient'"'"'s body. The device includes multiple laser sources. In the preferred embodiment, two semiconductor diode laser sources simultaneously provide two separate laser beams, one laser beam producing a line of continuous red laser light and the other producing a spot of pulsed laser light.

Claims

1. A laser device comprising:

a) a plurality of laser energy sources for generating a plurality of laser beams;

b) a wand from which the laser beams emit, the wand housing the laser energy sources within and being capable of being retained in a hand of a user and freely moved relative to the surface of the skin of a patient; and

c) an optical arrangement attached to the wand for receiving the laser beams and for transforming each of the laser beams into a desired spot shape.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein at least two of the laser beams are emitted simultaneously.

3. A device according to claim 1 further comprising a controller for independently controlling the generation of laser energy by each of the plurality of laser energy sources.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein each of the laser energy sources is less than one watt.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the laser energy sources is a semiconductor diode.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein the laser energy source in claim 5 generates a laser beam having a wavelength in the visible range.

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the spot shapes is substantially linear.

8. A device according to claim 1 further comprising a first laser beam having a first spot shape and a second laser beam having a second spot shape wherein the first spot shape is substantially linear and the second spot shape is circular.

9. A device according to claim 1 further comprising a control circuit for controlling a pulse width of each laser beam.

10. A device according to claim 9 wherein the pulse width of at least one of the laser beams is such that the laser light emitted is substantially continuous.

11. A device according to claim 9 further comprising a first laser beam having a first pulse width and a second laser beam having a second pulse width wherein the first pulse width is such that the laser light emitted is substantially continuous and the second pulse width is not zero.

12. A device according to claim 11 wherein the second pulse width is at least one-millionth of a second.

13. A therapeutic laser device comprising:

a) a first semiconductor diode laser energy source generating a first laser beam having a first pulse width and a second semiconductor diode laser energy source generating a second laser beam having a second pulse width, wherein at least one of the laser beams has a wavelength in the red range of the visible spectrum;

b) a wand from which the laser beams emit, the wand having an interior cavity that houses the laser energy sources and that is capable of being retained in a hand of a user and freely moved relative to the surface of the skin of a patient;

c) an optical arrangement mounted in the interior cavity of the wand for receiving the laser beams and for transforming each of the laser beams into a desired spot shape wherein the first laser beam'"'"'s spot shape is substantially linear and the second laser beam'"'"'s spot shape is substantially circular;

d) a control circuit for controlling the first pulse width and the second pulse width wherein the first pulse width is a continuous emission and the pulse width is greater than zero.