Picosecond laser apparatus and methods for treating target tissues with same
First Claim
1. A method for shifting a wavelength of a subnanosecond pulse laser apparatus comprising:
- providing a subnanosecond pulse as a pump for a laser resonator with a short roundtrip time, the laser resonator comprising an optical element, the laser resonator having a laser resonator length, wherein the optical element is a laser crystal with high absorption coefficient at the wavelength of the subnanosecond pulse, the laser crystal having a crystal length, wherein the crystal length is equal to the laser resonator length, wherein the roundtrip time of the laser resonator is substantially shorter than a pulse duration of the subnanosecond pulse that was used to pump the laser resonator; and
generating, in the laser resonator, a subnanosecond wavelength shifted pulse having at least about 100 mj/pulse energy with a pulse duration such that a shorter subnanosecond pumping pulse used to pump the laser resonator results in a shorter generated subnanosecond pulse.
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Abstract
Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for applying laser energy having desired pulse characteristics, including a sufficiently short duration and/or a sufficiently high energy for the photomechanical treatment of skin pigmentations and pigmented lesions, both naturally-occurring (e.g., birthmarks), as well as artificial (e.g., tattoos). The laser energy may be generated with an apparatus having a resonator with the capability of switching between a modelocked pulse operating mode and an amplification operating mode. The operating modes are carried out through the application of a time-dependent bias voltage, having waveforms as described herein, to an electro-optical device positioned along the optical axis of the resonator.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for shifting a wavelength of a subnanosecond pulse laser apparatus comprising:
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providing a subnanosecond pulse as a pump for a laser resonator with a short roundtrip time, the laser resonator comprising an optical element, the laser resonator having a laser resonator length, wherein the optical element is a laser crystal with high absorption coefficient at the wavelength of the subnanosecond pulse, the laser crystal having a crystal length, wherein the crystal length is equal to the laser resonator length, wherein the roundtrip time of the laser resonator is substantially shorter than a pulse duration of the subnanosecond pulse that was used to pump the laser resonator; and generating, in the laser resonator, a subnanosecond wavelength shifted pulse having at least about 100 mj/pulse energy with a pulse duration such that a shorter subnanosecond pumping pulse used to pump the laser resonator results in a shorter generated subnanosecond pulse. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 20, 21, 22)
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9. An apparatus for shifting a wavelength of a subnanosecond pulse laser comprising
a laser resonator having a laser resonator length, wherein roundtrip time of light in laser resonator is substantially shorter than a pulse duration of a subnanosecond pulse that is used to pump the laser resonator; - and
a laser crystal with a high absorption coefficient at a wavelength of the subnanosecond pulse, wherein laser crystal has a crystal length, wherein the crystal length and the laser resonator length are equal, the laser crystal disposed in the laser resonator, the laser resonator being capable of generating a subnanosecond wavelength shifted pulse having at least about 100 mj/pulse energy with a pulse duration such that a shorter subnanosecond pumping pulse used to pump the laser resonator results in a shorter generated subnanosecond pulse. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24)
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Specification