Multiple aperture hand-held laser therapy apparatus

• US 9,553,422 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medical Coherence LLC
• Original Assignee: Medical Coherence LLC
• Inventors: Gerlitz, Yonatan
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shapiro, Victor
• Application Number:
  US13/873,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20130317571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 372/101, 347/137, 359/663, 359/569, 235/462.24
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00747 Dermatology
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00636 Sensing and controlling the application of energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2025 with a pilot laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0644 Handheld applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0651 Diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/06 using light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 using laser light
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/32 Material from living organisms, e.g. skins
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0006 taking account of the properties of the material involved B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0096 Portable laser equipment, e.g. hand-held laser apparatus surgical laser instruments A61B18/20, Dental Lasers A61C1/0046, Hand-held laser dental apparatus for curing resins A61C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0648 comprising lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/702 Auxiliary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0025 for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/30 Collimators
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/13 : Stabilisation of laser output parameters, e.g. frequency or amplitude

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.

Claims

1. A therapeutic laser apparatus comprising:

an encasement adapted to be hand-held;

a base assembly in the encasement, the base assembly comprising a laser diode configured to generate a monochromatic laser beam and the base assembly being configured to emit a diverging laser beam; 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 configured to create an approximately coherent, approximately circular, collimated final beam;

the axial dimension of the lens mount of a first one of the head assemblies being different from the axial dimension of the lens mount of a second one of the head assemblies, and a size of the collimating lens of the first one of the head assemblies being different from a size of the collimating lens of the second one of the head assemblies;

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 intercepting, at a first distance from the base assembly, 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 intercepting, at a second distance from the base assembly different from the first distance, the diverging beam emitted from the base assembly;

when in use with the base assembly, the first head assembly creating a first collimated final beam having a lateral beam dimension different from a corresponding lateral beam dimension of a second collimated final beam created by the second head assembly when in use with the base assembly.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the at least two head assemblies comprise a plurality of head assemblies interchangeable in relation to the base assembly; and

any one of the head assemblies when in use with the base assembly emits an approximately coherent, collimated 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.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the diverging laser beam emitted from the base assembly is emitted directly from the laser diode, and propagates with a first angle of divergence and with a second angle of divergence greater than the first angle of divergence; and

the collimating lens is an oblong toroidal lens having a major dimension aligned with the second angle of divergence.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the base assembly further comprises:

a correction lens configured to correct astigmatism in a diverging original beam emitted from the laser diode and to modify the original beam to create an approximately circular coherent beam; and

a divergent lens configured to create, from the coherent beam created by the correction lens, the diverging laser beam emitted from the base assembly;

the diverging laser beam emitted from the base assembly being an approximately circular diverging beam.

4. The apparatus according to claim wherein the final beam forms 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 width of the illuminated area.

6. A therapeutic laser apparatus having an adjustable effective laser aperture, the apparatus comprising:

an encasement adapted to be hand-held;

a base assembly in the encasement, the base assembly comprising;

a laser diode configured to generate a monochromatic laser beam;

a correction lens configured to modify a diverging original beam emitted from the laser diode to correct beam astigmatism and to create an approximately circular, coherent, collimated beam; and

a divergent lens configured to create, from the coherent beam created by the correction lens, a diverging laser beam emitted from the base assembly;

the diverging laser beam emitted from the base assembly being approximately circular; and

a 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 configured to create an approximately coherent, collimated final beam;

the axial dimension of the lens mount of a first one of the head assemblies being different from the axial dimension of the lens mount of a second one of the head assemblies, and a size of the collimating lens of the first one of the head assemblies being different from a size of the collimating lens of the second one of the head assemblies;

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 intercepting, at a first distance from the base assembly, approximately 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 intercepting, at a second distance from the base assembly different from the first distance, approximately all the diverging beam emitted from the base assembly;

when in use with the base assembly, any one of the head assemblies emitting an approximately coherent, collimated 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.

7. A therapeutic laser apparatus comprising:

an encasement adapted to be hand-held;

a base assembly in the encasement, the base assembly comprising a laser diode configured to generate a monochromatic laser beam and the base assembly being configured to emit a diverging laser beam; 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 configured to create an approximately coherent, collimated final beam, the final beam defining 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;

the axial dimension of the lens mount of a first one of the head assemblies being different from the axial dimension of the lens mount of a second one of the head assemblies, and a size of the collimating lens of the first one of the head assemblies being different from a size of the collimating lens of the second one of the head assemblies;

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 intercepting, at a first distance from the base assembly, 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 intercepting, at a second distance from the base assembly different from the first distance, the diverging beam emitted from the base assembly;

when in use with the base assembly, the first head assembly creating a first collimated final beam having a lateral beam dimension different from a corresponding lateral beam dimension of a second collimated final beam created by the second head assembly when in use with the base assembly.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein:

the at least two head assemblies comprise a plurality of head assemblies interchangeable in relation to the base assembly; and

any one of the head assemblies when in use with the base assembly emits an approximately 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.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein:

the diverging laser beam emitted from the base assembly is emitted directly from the laser diode; and

propagates with a first angle of divergence and with a second angle of divergence greater than the first angle of divergence; and

the collimating lens is an oblong toroidal lens having a major dimension aligned with the second angle of divergence.