Multiple Aperture Hand-Held Laser Therapy Apparatus
First Claim
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1. A hand-held laser apparatus comprising:
- a laser diode that is adapted to produce a monochromatic laser beam;
a front lens adapted to receive the beam directly from the laser diode and exploit the natural beam divergence of the laser diode to form an substantially coherent monochromatic, collimated output beam;
wherein the formed beam defines on a plane perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the beam an elongated illuminated area in which the length of the illuminated area is at least twice the size of the width of the illuminated area;
a controller that is adapted to control activation of the laser diode; and
an encasement enclosing the laser diode, the lens and the controller;
wherein the encasement is adapted to be hand-held, and the optical-mechanical configuration of the apparatus allows a changing of the front lens and thus of the effective aperture and radiant intensity of the output beam.
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Abstract
A hand-held therapeutic laser apparatus with a special opto-mechanical construction, which enables changeability of a front collimating lens to create different effective laser apertures. A smaller effective aperture has a comparatively higher radiant flux density for treatment of a small area that requires a higher energy dose, while a larger effective aperture facilitates treatment of a large area at a relatively reduced radiant intensity.
18 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A hand-held laser apparatus comprising:
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a laser diode that is adapted to produce a monochromatic laser beam; a front lens adapted to receive the beam directly from the laser diode and exploit the natural beam divergence of the laser diode to form an substantially coherent monochromatic, collimated output beam;
wherein the formed beam defines on a plane perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the beam an elongated illuminated area in which the length of the illuminated area is at least twice the size of the width of the illuminated area;a controller that is adapted to control activation of the laser diode; and an encasement enclosing the laser diode, the lens and the controller; wherein the encasement is adapted to be hand-held, and the optical-mechanical configuration of the apparatus allows a changing of the front lens and thus of the effective aperture and radiant intensity of the output beam.
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2. A therapeutic laser apparatus comprising:
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an encasement adapted to be hand-held; a base assembly in the encasement, comprising a laser diode for generating a monochromatic laser beam whereby a diverging laser beam is emitted from the base assembly; and at least two head assemblies removably enagageable with the base assembly, each head assembly comprising; a lens mount having an axial dimension; and a collimating lens on the lens mount for creating an approximately coherent final beam; wherein the axial dimension of the lens mount of a first one of the head assemblies is different from the axial dimension of the lens mount of a second one of the head assemblies, and wherein a size of the collimating lens of the first one of the head assemblies is different from a size of the collimating lens of the second one of the head assemblies; whereby when the first one of the at least two head assemblies is engaged with the base assembly, the collimating lens of the first head assembly intercepts, at a first distance, the diverging beam emitted from the base assembly, and when the second one of the at least two head assemblies is engaged with the base assembly, the collimating lens of the second head assembly intercepts, at a second distance, the diverging beam emitted from the base assembly; wherein the first head assembly when in use with the base assembly creates a first final beam having a lateral beam dimension different from a corresponding lateral dimension of a second final beam created by the second head assembly when in use with the base assembly. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus according to clam 2 wherein the base assembly further comprises:
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a correction lens for correcting astigmatism in a diverging original beam emitted from the laser diode and for modifying the original beam to create an approximately circular coherent beam; and a divergent lens for creating, from the coherent beam created by the correction lens, the diverging laser beam emitted from the base assembly; wherein the diverging laser beam emitted from the base assembly is an approximately circular diverging beam. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A therapeutic laser apparatus having an adjustable effective laser aperture, the apparatus comprising:
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an encasement adapted to be hand-held; a base assembly in the encasement, the base assembly comprising; a laser diode for generating a monochromatic laser beam; a correction lens for modifying a diverging original beam emitted from the laser diode to correct beam astigmatism and to create an approximately circular coherent beam; and a divergent lens for creating, from the coherent beam created by the correction lens, a diverging laser beam emitted from the base assembly;
wherein the diverging laser beam emitted from the base assembly is approximately circular; anda plurality of head assemblies, removably enagageable with the base assembly and interchangeable in relation to the base assembly, each head assembly comprising; a lens mount having an axial dimension; and a collimating lens on the lens mount for creating a substantially coherent final beam; wherein the axial dimension of the lens mount of a first one of the head assemblies is different from the axial dimension of the lens mount of a second one of the head assemblies, and wherein a size of the collimating lens of the first one of the head assemblies is different from than a size of the collimating lens of the second one of the head assemblies; whereby when the first one of the at least two head assemblies is engaged with the base assembly, the collimating lens of the first head assembly intercepts, at a first distance from the base assembly, substantially all the diverging beam emitted from the base assembly, and when the second one of the at least two head assemblies is engaged with the base assembly, the collimating lens of the second head assembly intercepts, at a second distance from the base assembly, substantially all the diverging beam emitted from the base assembly; wherein any one of the head assemblies when in use with the base assembly emits a substantially coherent final beam having a radiant flux different from a radiant flux emitted from any other of the head assemblies when in use with the base assembly.
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9. A therapeutic laser apparatus comprising:
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an encasement adapted to be hand-held; a base assembly in the encasement, comprising a laser diode for generating a monochromatic laser beam whereby a diverging laser beam is emitted from the base assembly; and at least two head assemblies removably enagageable with the base assembly, each head assembly comprising; a lens mount having an axial dimension; and a collimating lens on the lens mount for creating a substantially coherent final beam, wherein the final beam defines on a plane perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the beam an elongated illuminated area in which the length of the illuminated area is at least twice the size of the width of the illuminated area; wherein the axial dimension of the lens mount of a first one of the head assemblies is different from the axial dimension of the lens mount of a second one of the head assemblies, and wherein a size of the collimating lens of the first one of the head assemblies is different from a size of the collimating lens of the second one of the head assemblies; whereby when the first one of the at least two head assemblies is engaged with the base assembly, the collimating lens of the first head assembly intercepts, at a first distance, the diverging beam emitted from the base assembly, and when the second one of the at least two head assemblies is engaged with the base assembly, the collimating lens of the second head assembly intercepts, at a second distance, the diverging beam emitted from the base assembly; wherein the first head assembly when in use with the base assembly creates a first final beam having a lateral beam dimension different from a corresponding lateral dimension of a second final beam created by the second head assembly when in use with the base assembly. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification