JP2794624B2 - Laser probe - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

This invention relates to a laser probe,
In particular, the present invention relates to a laser probe suitable for an ophthalmic laser coagulation apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, ophthalmic surgery, for example, coagulation surgery for the posterior segment of the eye, often uses a laser coagulation apparatus. Examples of a laser probe used in such a laser coagulation apparatus are shown in FIGS.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a hook shape [Hook Ty].
pe] of the laser probe 40. This hook-shaped laser probe 40 follows the eyeball as shown in FIG.
Of the hook-shaped handpiece 41 bent like this
Was inserted into the posterior segment of the eye 43, Ru surgical site of posterior segment 43 which is solidified by heating effect by the irradiation of the laser beam is considered <br/>. FIG. 8 shows the details of the distal end portion 42 (indicated by the arrow). In the configuration shown in FIG. 8, the laser probe 40 is formed of a stainless steel pipe, and its tip 44 has an opening 4.
5 is formed, and a fixing piece 46 is attached to the opening 45. The light guide fiber 47 (optical fiber) is guided into the laser probe 40 and is fixed by the fixing piece 46 described above. The laser light L01 emitted from the light guide fiber 47 is diffused as shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 shows a laser probe 48 of a straight type. This straight type laser probe 4
8 positions the distal end portion 50 of the handpiece 49 near the posterior segment 43 through the vitreous body 52 in the eyeball portion 51, and transmits the laser light supplied from the light guide fiber 47 to the posterior segment 4.
Irradiation is performed on the operative site of No. 3 and the operative site is coagulated by the heating effect of laser beam irradiation. In addition, 53 is a sclera.

[0005]

However, the above-mentioned various laser probes 40 and 48 have problems, respectively, and improvements have been desired.

In the case of the hook-shaped laser probe 40,
Although the laser beam L01 is irradiated directly from the light guide fiber 47, the sclera 53 has a problem that the sclera 53 is strongly scattered and diffused, the energy per unit area is reduced, and the coagulation action is weakened. In particular, a semiconductor laser having a large diffusion angle, such as a semiconductor laser, has a problem that this effect is large. Further, when the energy level of the laser beam is increased to enhance the coagulation action, there is a problem that the surface of the sclera portion in contact with the fixing piece 46 is damaged.

In the case of the straight type laser probe 48, the tip of the light guide fiber 47 is exposed at the tip of the stainless steel pipe 54 of the handpiece 49, so that the diffusion angle of the light guide fiber 47 is different from that of the semiconductor laser. There was a problem that large ones could not be used. On the other hand, in the case of a thin beam such as a gas laser, a part of the end face is heated, so that there is a problem that it may adhere to the surface layer (for example, retina) of body tissue.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a laser probe having a tip capable of preventing laser light from diffusing and concentrating the energy of the laser light at a desired position.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to an eyeball
Hook shaped handpiece and handpiece
So that the tip of the lens faces a predetermined part of the posterior segment of the eyeball
It is necessary to irradiate a predetermined part with laser light.
A laser probe configured to coagulate a predetermined portion , an optical fiber for guiding laser light to a distal end portion via a handpiece , and a laser beam emitted from the distal end portion.
Focus the laser beam at a predetermined distance from the tip.
Special focus means to connect the points.
This is a laser probe.

[0010]

When the laser beam passes through the lens system, the laser beam is focused at a predetermined distance from the tip of the probe.
Therefore, the energy of the laser beam can be concentrated at a desired position, and a specific portion can be selectively heated. Even if the laser beam has a large diffusion angle like a semiconductor laser, diffusion can be prevented, and the energy of the laser beam can be selectively and efficiently concentrated at a desired position.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a probe for ophthalmic surgery as shown in FIGS. The description of this embodiment will be made in the following order. (A) About 1st Example (B) About 2nd Example (C) About 3rd Example

(A) First Embodiment In the first embodiment , a hook type [Hook Type ] shown in FIG.
The present invention is applied to the laser probe e). 1 and 2 show the tip of a hook-shaped laser probe.

[0013] In the configuration of FIG.
Is formed of a stainless steel pipe, and an optical glass part 3 is attached to a tip part 2 thereof. Optical glass part 3
, The tip 5 of the light guide fiber 4 is embedded, and a mirror surface 6 corresponding to a concave mirror is formed by metal evaporation.
The laser beam L11 incident on the optical glass part 3 from the light guide fiber 4 is reflected by the mirror surface 6 and emitted from the end face 7 of the optical glass part 3 as shown in FIG. At this time, a focal point f1 is formed at a position of a focal distance a from the end face 7.

FIG. 2 shows a modification of the first embodiment. FIG.
In the above configuration, the laser probe 10 is formed of a stainless steel pipe, and an opening 11 is formed at the tip 2 thereof. The light guide fiber 4 is guided into the laser probe 10 and is fixed by a fixing piece 12 at a position near the tip 2. A mirror 13 is fixed in the distal end portion 2 of the laser probe 10, and an opening 1 is
1 is a cylindrical lens, for example, a SELFOC lens 1
4 is fixed so as to receive the reflected light from the mirror 13. The laser light L12 emitted from the light guide fiber 4 is reflected by the mirror 13 as shown in FIG. The laser light L12 is collimated by the Selfoc lens 14 and emitted. The laser light L12 is focused at a focal distance b from the end face 15 of the SELFOC lens 14.
f2 is tied. The position of the focal point f2 is, for example, in the eyeball 17 beyond the sclera 16. Other contents are the same as the contents of FIG. 1 described above.

According to the first embodiment and the modification, even a laser beam having a large diffusion angle such as a semiconductor laser can be prevented from diffusing, and the energy of the laser beam can be concentrated at a desired position. For this reason, the sclera part 18
A specific part inside the inside can be selectively heated and solidified. As a result, the energy per unit area can be increased, and the laser beams L11 and L12 are more than necessary.
It is not necessary to increase the output level, and damage to the sclera can be prevented.

(B) Second Embodiment In the second embodiment, the present invention is applied to the straight laser probe shown in FIG. FIG.
FIG. 4 shows the tip of a straight laser probe.

In the configuration shown in FIG.
1 is formed of, for example, a stainless steel pipe having a diameter of 20 G (gauge), and an opening 23 is formed at a tip end portion 22 thereof. A light guide fiber 24 is guided into the laser probe 21 and is fixed at a position near the distal end portion 22.
5 is fixed. A selfoc lens 26 is fixed in the distal end portion 22 of the laser probe 21. Laser light L2 emitted from light guide fiber 24
Is incident on the selfoc lens 26 as shown in FIG. The laser beam L2 is
Is converted into parallel light, and is emitted from the selfoc lens 26. The laser beam L2 is
A focal point f3 is formed at a position of a focal distance c from the end surface 27 of the lens.

In this case, since the focal length c is relatively short, the angle θ21 increases, and the range in which energy is concentrated can be narrowed. Therefore, only a limited depth [range] can be heated.

FIG. 4 shows a modification of the second embodiment. The configuration of FIG. 4 differs from the configuration of FIG. 3 in that the selfoc lens 26 is moved toward the light guide fiber 24 and fixed. Other configurations are the same as those in FIG. 3 described above. In this case, the focal length d is relatively
Since the length becomes longer, the angle θ22 becomes smaller, and the range in which energy is concentrated can be widened. Therefore, a rather wide range can be heated.

According to the second embodiment and the modification, by changing the position of the selfoc lens 26, the energy of the laser beam can be concentrated at a desired position, and a specific portion can be selectively heated. it can. In addition, since the selfoc lens 26 is not provided in the opening 23 in a bare manner, laser light having a large diffusion angle, such as a semiconductor laser, can be used while preventing diffusion, and there is a risk of damaging the surface layer of body tissue. Can be reduced.

The tip 22 of the laser probe 21
Can be attached to and detached from the handpiece 28 main body.

(C) Third Embodiment In the third embodiment, the present invention is applied to a wedge type laser probe. 5 and 6 show the tip of a wedge-shaped laser probe.

In the configuration shown in FIG.
1 is made of, for example, a stainless steel pipe having a diameter of 20 G (gauge), and an optical chip 33 is attached to a distal end portion 32 thereof. The tip 35 of the light guide fiber 34 is embedded in the optical chip 33, and the tip 36 of the optical chip 33 is rounded to obtain a lens effect. The optical chip 33 is formed of an artificial jewel. The laser beam L31 incident on the optical chip 33 from the light guide fiber 34 is emitted from the tip 36 after being repeatedly reflected in the optical chip 33 as shown in FIG. In this case, every time the reflection is repeated, the reflection angle θ3
1, θ32, ──, and θ3n increase, but since the tip 36 is rounded to have a lens effect, the focal length e from the tip 36 is increased.
The focus f4 is formed at the position of.

FIG. 6 shows details of the reference example. FIG.
5 is different from the configuration of FIG.
The third end 36 is not rounded but formed in a wedge shape. L32 is a laser beam. The other configuration is the same as the configuration in FIG. 5 described above.

As is clear from the comparison of the structure shown in FIG. 5 with the reference example shown in FIG. 6, since the tip 36 of the optical chip 33 has a lens effect, a position at a slight focal distance e from the tip 36. Can be focused on f4. Therefore,
Even a laser beam having a large diffusion angle such as a semiconductor laser can be used while preventing diffusion, and can be heated by concentrating the energy of the laser beam L31 only on a desired position, for example, only on the surface layer of the body tissue. . For this reason,
It is possible to prevent the inside of the eyeball from being heated. In addition, the tip 36 of the optical chip 33 can be prevented from being stained or damaged, and the heated portion is easy to see because the tip 36 is small.

Although this embodiment describes a laser probe for ophthalmic surgery, it goes without saying that the present invention can be similarly applied to a laser probe for other uses.

[0027]

According to the laser probe of the present invention, the laser beam can be focused at a position a predetermined distance from the tip of the probe by passing through the lens system. There is an effect that the energy of the laser beam can be concentrated and a specific portion can be selectively heated. Therefore, there is an effect that a laser beam having a large diffusion angle such as a semiconductor laser can be used. A semiconductor laser has an effect that a laser coagulation device can be reduced in size and cost because a light source is inexpensive and consumes low power.

According to the embodiment, in the case of a hook-shaped laser probe, even a laser beam having a large diffusion angle, such as a semiconductor laser, can be prevented from diffusing, and the energy per unit area can be increased. The energy of the laser beam can be concentrated at the position, and the coagulation action can be strengthened by heating. As a result, it is possible to prevent the rear eye from being damaged without having to increase the output level of the laser beam more than necessary. . In the case of a straight-type laser probe, the energy of the laser beam can be concentrated at a desired position, and the solidification effect can be increased by heating, and the optical fiber is not exposed as in the conventional case. A laser having a large diffusion angle such as a laser can be used. On the other hand, even a thin beam such as a gas laser has an effect that it can be prevented from adhering to the surface layer of the body tissue (for example, the retina).

Furthermore, in the case of a wedge-shaped laser probe, since the tip of the optical tip has a lens effect, it can be focused at a position at a short distance from the tip, and the body tissue can be focused. It is easier to concentrate the energy of the laser light only on the surface layer of the optical chip, and it is possible to prevent the heating action from being applied to the inside of the eyeball, to prevent dirt and damage at the tip of the optical chip part, and to make the heated part easier to see This has the effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention .

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view showing a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention .

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention .

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view showing a modification of the second embodiment of the present invention .

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view showing a third embodiment of the present invention .

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view showing a reference example of the third embodiment of the present invention .

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a hook-shaped laser probe to which the present invention is applied .

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a conventional tip portion .

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a straight type laser probe to which the present invention is applied .

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A hook-shaped hank bent along the eyeball
Dope and the tip of the handpiece is a predetermined part of the posterior segment of the eyeball
And the laser beam
By irradiating the laser beam,
A laser probe that is hardened, and guides laser light to the distal end through the handpiece.
Ku and the optical fiber, from the tip of the laser light emitted from the distal end
Focal point that is focused at a predetermined distance
A laser probe comprising: a focus means . Wherein Oite to claim 1, said focusing means, a laser probe, which is a concave mirror. 3. Oite to claim 1, said focusing means, laser probes <br/> characterized in that a lens means.