Power modulation of a scanning beam for imaging, therapy, and/or diagnosis

• US 20080226034A1
• Filed: 03/12/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Weir, Michael P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,216,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/145
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00097 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00172 with means for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/3132 for laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/20351 Scanning mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/20361 with redirecting based on sensed condition, e.g. tissue analysis or tissue movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/204 Attenuators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/208 with multiple treatment beams not sharing a common path, e.g. non-axial or parallel
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2469 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/105 with one or more pivoting mirrors or galvano-mirrors G02B26/101 takes precedence

Abstract

An assembly comprising a radiation source to generate a beam of radiation, a modulator for modulating the power of the beam of radiation as a function of the position of the beam within a field-of-view to maintain the beam'"'"'s power within a desired exposure level as the beam scans the field-of-view, and a reflector oscillating in a sinusoidal manner to direct the beam of radiation onto a field-of-view.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising:

a radiation source to generate a beam of radiation;

a modulator for modulating the power of the beam of radiation as a function of the position of the beam within a field-of-view to maintain a desired exposure level as the beam scans the field-of-view; and

a reflector oscillating in a sinusoidal manner to direct the beam of radiation onto a field-of-view.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the reflector is at least part of a medical instrument.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the modulator is at least one of a laser driver, an acoustic-optic modulator a Pockels cell, a photoelastic modulator, and a spatial light modulator.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the modulator modulates the power as an inverse function of the time the beam of radiation spends in a region within the field-of-view.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the modulation is proportional to 1/arcsine of the deflection angle of the beam.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the modulation further includes a function of the spot size of the beam.

7. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the modulation is proportional to [arcsine(angle)*cosⁿ(angle)]⁻

1.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein n is 3.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the modulator modulates the power as a function of the position of the beam of radiation in a first scan direction.

10. An assembly comprising:

a radiation source to generate a beam of radiation, the radiation source including at least one of a therapeutic beam, and a diagnostic beam;

a modulator for modulating the power of the beam of radiation as a function of the position of the beam within a field-of-view to maintain a desired exposure level as the beam scans the field-of-view; and

a reflector oscillating in a sinusoidal manner to direct the beam of radiation onto a field-of-view, wherein the reflector is at least part of a medical instrument.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the modulator is at least one of a laser driver, an acoustic-optic modulator, a Pockels cell, a photoelastic modulator, and a spatial light modulator.

12. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the modulator modulates the power as an inverse function of the time the beam of radiation spends in a region within the field-of-view.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the modulation is proportional to 1/arcsine of the deflection angle of the beam.

14. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the modulation is proportional to [arcsine(angle)*cosⁿ(angle)]⁻

1.

15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein n is 3.

16. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the modulator modulates the power as a function of the position of the beam of radiation in a first scan direction.

17. An assembly comprising:

a radiation source to generate a beam of radiation;

a modulator for modulating the power of the beam of radiation as a function of the velocity of the beam within a field-of-view to maintain a desired exposure level as the beam scans the field-of-view; and

a reflector oscillating in a sinusoidal manner to direct the beam of radiation onto a field-of-view.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the modulation is proportional to [arcsine(angle)*cosⁿ(angle)]⁻

1.

19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein n is 3.

20. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the reflector is at least part of a medical instrument.