JPS6031742A - Laser probe - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a laser probe that prevents heating of the tip portion from which laser light is emitted.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems] In recent years, endoscopes have come to be widely used in the medical and industrial fields.

The above-mentioned endoscopes are divided into rigid endoscopes that have a rigid and substantially straight insertion section, and flexible endoscopes that have a flexible insertion section that can be inserted into a curved path from the oral cavity or lumen. . These endoscopes have an elongated insertion section inserted into a cavity, etc., to observe or diagnose the target area, and if necessary, can be used as endoscopes inserted through a treatment instrument channel (forceps channel). Treatment tools allow treatment to be performed under endoscopic observation.

In addition to the above-mentioned general endoscopic treatment instruments, it is also possible to insert a laser probe and use laser light emitted from the tip of the laser probe to incise or excise the affected area.

Laser probes that enable treatments such as incisions with laser light are made of concentrated energy that is emitted from the tip of the laser beam through a laser guide fiber that is passed through the laser probe. Since it can be easily removed without bleeding the mouth, etc., it will be used more and more in the future.

By the way, the laser beam emitted from the tip of the laser probe has a very high energy density, and some of the laser beam leaking from the side may damage the jacket tube or protective tube through which the laser guiding fiber is inserted. Sometimes it gets heated and gets damaged during use.

Therefore, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-29207, by using the gap between the outer periphery of the laser light guiding fiber and the inner periphery of the mantle to cover the air or water, the leaked part can be removed. There is a device that prevents the end of the mantle tube from being heated by irradiation of the laser beam.

However, this conventional example has a drawback in that the body cavity is filled with heat-preventing gas and the like, causing great pain to the patient. In addition, there was a risk that this gas would expand the organ and easily perforate it during laser beam irradiation. On the other hand, if the amount of air supplied is reduced, the tip of the laser probe will peel off, heat up, or generate heat, and the laser probe will often be damaged or easily damaged by the heat during use.

In addition, in the conventional example disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-191318, a metal tip member provided with a fluid passage for centering and holding the laser light guide fiber is provided at the tip of the probe. It has almost the same drawbacks.

LObject of the Invention The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and provides a laser that can prevent the tip of a laser probe from being damaged or its durability being reduced due to heat generation or heating caused by light. The purpose is to provide probes.

[Summary of the Invention] The present invention provides a method of covering the tip of a laser light guide section for guiding laser light in a laser probe with a member having low thermal conductivity such as a ceramic member, providing an air supply/exhaust means, and eliminating the cause of light heat. By forming a heating prevention means that prevents the probe portion around the light guide from being heated by the means that prevents excessive leakage of light, damage to the probe or reduction in the lifespan of the probe can be prevented without causing pain to the patient. can be prevented.

[Embodiments of the invention] The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 5 relate to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The figure shows a medical laser device to which the first embodiment is attached and used, FIG. 2 shows the structure of the tip side of the probe of the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is taken along line A-A in FIG. Showing the cross section, the fourth
The figure shows a cross section taken along the line BB in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 shows how the laser beam is emitted from the tip side of the laser guide.

As shown in FIG. 1, the base side of the laser probe 3 of the first embodiment can be detachably attached to a laser probe attaching portion 2 of a medical laser device 1 having a substantially box-shaped outer shape.

The medical laser device 1 houses a YAG laser that uses a material in which neodymium (Nd'1) is dissolved as an operating ion with garnet as the base material, for example, and the laser is activated by a switch on the switch panel 4 or a foot switch (not shown). It is possible to control the irradiation time of the light and adjust the output of the laser light using the output knob 5. In addition, the wavelength of this YAG laser light is in the infrared region of 1.06 [ullll], and it has a greater penetration into tissues than carbon dioxide laser light with a longer wavelength or argon laser light in the visible region, and has excellent coagulation. Because of its effectiveness, it has the feature of allowing incisions to be made in a shorter irradiation time without causing bleeding. In addition, since this laser light is in the infrared region as mentioned above, the Y
It is now possible to easily check the presence or absence of the AG laser beam and easily set the desired location of the fish.

Since the laser device 1 has a relatively large weight, it can be easily moved by casters 6 provided at the lower end.

The laser probe 3 attached to the laser device 1 is
The parts other than the large diameter part of the base are sufficiently small in diameter and can be easily inserted into the forceps channel of an endoscope (not shown). A flexible laser guide 8 that transmits the information is inserted therethrough.

The laser guide 8 includes a light guiding member (light guide) 9 made of flexible optical fiber and a jacket 1 made of resin, for example.
Protected by OC coating. A gas flow path is formed in an annular gap between this laser guide 8 and a mantle tube 7 that concentrically covers the outer periphery of the laser guide 8.

The jacket 10 is removed from the tip side of the laser guide 8 to expose the light guide member 9, and the laser beam is emitted from the tip surface of the light guide member 9. This light guide member 9 has a core portion formed of a transparent portion (E) with a high refractive index on the center side, and a cladding portion (M formed of a bright material) with a low refractive index; The laser beam is transmitted at the interface with the cladding part while being completely protected against repulsion, and the laser beam is emitted from the tip surface exposed when the jacket 10 is removed.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 5, part of the laser light is reflected from the tip surface and leaks from the side surface of the light guide member 9, but in the first embodiment of the present invention, this portion is covered and the thermal conductivity is A depth member 11 (for heat prevention) made of a ceramic material such as zirconia (Zr 02) or potassium titanate (K2O.n Ti02) with a low temperature is attached to the tip of the mantle Chiko 77. This chip member 11 has a substantially annular shape that covers the outer periphery of the light guide member 9, and the rear portion adjacent to this annular portion has a slightly smaller inner diameter and holds the jacket 10 concentrically. This jacket 1
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rear base of the chip member 11 on the outer periphery of the 0 is provided with a slot to form an air passage through which gas can flow in and out. When inserted into a body cavity, it is possible to remove substances adhering to the distal end surface by blowing air, and to remove smoke generated by excision etc. by inhaling (or exhausting).

The operation of the first embodiment of the present invention configured in this manner will be described below.

Insert the insertion side of the endoscope (not shown) from the oral cavity, etc. to the vicinity of the target site in the body cavity, and if the site tolerates bleeding and requires hemostasis, insert the endoscope into the forceps channel. The laser probe 3 of the first embodiment is inserted.

As shown in FIG. 5, most of the laser light irradiated from the exposed light guide member 9 on the tip side of the laser probe 3 whose base side is attached to the laser probe attachment part 2 of the laser device 1 is Although the light is emitted forward from the tip surface of the light guide member 9, it is reflected by the tip surface and a portion leaks out from the side of the light guide member 9.

However, since the outer periphery of the light guide member 9 is covered with the chip member 11 made of a ceramic member with low thermal conductivity, only the inner peripheral surface of the chip member 11 that covers the light guide member 9 is heated. , a means for preventing the temperature from increasing is formed so that almost no heat is transmitted from the inner circumferential surface to the outer circumferential side. The ceramic member forming this chip member 11 also exhibits excellent heat resistance properties (especially new ceramics or fine ceramics), so that this chip member 11 may be damaged by heating due to leakage of laser light, or the chip member 11 may be Damage to the mantle tube 7 on the outer peripheral side can be effectively prevented.

6 and 7 show a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 shows the tip side of the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 shows the A of FIG. 6.
, shows the A-line cross section.

In the laser probe 21 of this second embodiment, the tip member 11 portion in the first embodiment is replaced with a metal chip 22 formed of a metal member, and the exposed light guide member 9
A vibrator 23 made of ceramic having low thermal conductivity as described above is fixed to the inner surface of the metal chip 22 on the outer periphery of the metal chip 22 to prevent the temperature of that portion from increasing on the outer periphery side.

The rest of the structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The effect of this embodiment is that the thickness of the ceramic member is thinner than that of the first embodiment, so the heating prevention function is slightly reduced, but it has a simpler structure than the first embodiment and has a low cost. This can be achieved at low cost.

FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment of the invention. The laser probe 31 of the third embodiment has a coating film 3 formed by applying a ceramic coating agent with low thermal conductivity to the inner surface of the chital tip 22 of the second embodiment, instead of the vibrator 23.
2 was formed. The rest is the same as the second embodiment.

Although the third embodiment has a lower heating prevention function than the first embodiment, it can be easily formed and can be formed even on the conventional example by simply applying a coating agent, so it has a wide range of applications.

FIG. 9 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention.

In the laser probe 41 of this embodiment, the second
Instead of fixing the ceramic vibrator 23 in the embodiment to the inner surface of the metal tip 22, a vibrator 42 with a smaller diameter is used.
The rear end side is fixed to the front end of the jacket 10 so as to cover the exposed side outer circumference of the light guide member 9.

Other than this, the configuration is the same as that of the second embodiment.

The effects of this fourth embodiment are substantially the same as those of the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 shows a fifth embodiment of the invention. In the laser probe 51 of this embodiment, the exposed side outer periphery of the light guide member 9 is not covered with the ceramic vibrator 42 in the fourth embodiment, and the side outer periphery of the light guide member 9 is covered with a ceramic vibrator 42. A coating film 52 is formed by applying a coating agent. Other than this, the configuration is the same as that of the fourth embodiment. This effect is substantially the same as that of the third embodiment.

11 and 12 show a sixth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 11 shows the tip side of the laser probe of the sixth embodiment,
FIG. 12 shows a cross section taken along the line A--A in FIG. 11.

The laser probe 61 of this embodiment serves as a gas flow path between the outer periphery of the laser guide 8 and the inner periphery of the mantle tube 8 in the laser probe 3 of the first embodiment. I! i
An eccentric flexible tube 62 is inserted through the section adjacent to the laser kite 8.

A base communicating with the flexible tube 62 is formed on the side of the base on the rear end side (not shown) of the flexible tube 62, and is connected to a suction device (or exhaust device) via a tube or the like. Gas can be sucked in or exhausted from the opening of the flexible tube 62, the tip of which is adjacent to the tip of the jacket 10, through the hollow passage of the flexible tube 62.

Other than this, the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

It is characterized by the fact that it is equipped with a means to prevent heating by air cooling by air supply and intake (exhaust air). Therefore, even when using a chip member 11 that has a low heating conduction rate when irradiated with laser light for a long time, when the outer peripheral portion of the light guide member 9 becomes high temperature, the gap between the laser guide 8 and the outer tube 7 At the same time, the suction device connected to the base of the flexible tube 62 is driven to provide an air intake path (
It can be viewed through the exhaust pipe. Therefore, by applying the supplied gas to the exposed light guide member 9 and the chip member 11 on the outer periphery of the light guide member 9 and removing its heat, air cooling is achieved by quickly sucking the warmed gas. It has a large function and operates at the same rate as the rate of insufflation and inspiration, thereby preventing the body cavity from swelling with gas, thereby preventing pain from being imposed on the patient.

FIG. 13 shows the distal end side of a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

In the laser probe 71 of this embodiment, a substantially disc-shaped anti-reflection tip 72 is attached to the exposed tip surface of the light guide member 9. Also, the exposed cladding on the outer periphery of the side of the light guide member 9 is removed so that the core portion is exposed.

The anti-reflection tip 72 is fixed to the light guide member 9 with an adhesive or the like, and has a refractive index close to that of the core portion at the rear end, and as it approaches the front end, the refractive index is close to that of the core. , the refractive index is made to gradually become smaller, and the light traveling from the light guide member 9 side is not reflected at the boundary between the tip surface of the light guide member 9 and the tip tip 72, but is refracted and proceeds forward. The difference between the refractive index of the front surface of the tip tip 72 and the air facing the front surface is made sufficiently small to prevent leakage light that is reflected from the front surface and leaks from the side surface, and to be refracted from the front surface and emitted forward. It's Nishide. In addition, since the side surface of the light guiding member 9 exposed to the outside is the core portion having a large refractive index,
Almost all of the light is reflected on this surface, and the proportion of leaked light that is refracted into the air through this side surface can be reduced.

According to the seventh embodiment configured in this way, in addition to the ceramic chip member 11, the light leaking from the side surface of the light guide member 9 is made sufficiently small, and the tip surface of the light guide member 9 (
Since a heating prevention means is also formed which eliminates the cause of leakage light reflected at the front surface, it is possible to more effectively prevent temperature rise due to heating or heat generation due to leakage light. Note that the present invention also includes a case where the tip end 72 has a single refractive index smaller than that of the light guiding member 9 (of course, larger than air).

It should be noted that combinations of the above embodiments also belong to the present invention. For example, the flexible tube 6 in the sixth embodiment
2 is provided in the second embodiment and other examples.

It is clear that the flexible tube 62 in the sixth embodiment can be used for air supply, and the gap side can be used for suction. Further, only the heating prevention means by the air supply and exhaust means in the sixth embodiment above also belong to the present invention.
The seventh embodiment, which reduces leakage light to prevent heating, also belongs to the present invention.

Note that the present invention is not limited to use with YAG lasers, but can be similarly applied to other laser beams.

In this case, if the wavelengths are different, a laser guide with good light guide characteristics depending on the wavelength may be used. Further, if the refractive index of the jacket 10 can be made smaller than that of the core part, a structure can be constructed in which the jacket 10 directly covers the outer periphery of the core part. Further, a structure in which the jacket 10 is not provided also belongs to the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to those that can be inserted into an endoscope.

In addition, the present invention can be attached to and detached from a laser device, as well as
It can also be applied to things that are integrated. Moreover, it is not limited to medical use, but can also be applied to industrial use.

Furthermore, the present invention is applicable not only to laser light but also to cases where laser light with a longer wavelength or electromagnetic waves such as microwaves are used.

It should be noted that the laser probes of the above embodiments are not limited to flexible ones, but also include ones that are rigid and partially included in the scope of the present invention.

In addition, in laser probes in which only one of the air supply path and the exhaust path is formed, not only those in which an air supply path and an exhaust path are formed to perform air supply and exhaust at the same time, but the base side of one of the gas paths The air supply and exhaust can be switched intermittently by branching off and connecting them to the air supply means and exhaust means through M Lu valves, etc., and by intermittently switching the solenoid valves to communicate alternately. It is also possible to air-cool the tip of the probe without causing swelling in the body cavity (and thus without forcing thoughts into pain). This supply/exhaust means has the advantage that it can be realized at low cost by providing an adapter with the above-mentioned solenoid valve etc. on the hand side compared to the conventional one.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, in a laser probe that emits a laser beam from a light guiding portion on the tip side of a laser kit that transmits a laser beam that has been passed through the mantle tube,
A ceramic chip member 11 that prevents the tip of the laser probe around the light guide from being heated by the laser light emitted from the light guide, a pumping/exhausting means, a means for reducing leakage light, etc. Since the heating prevention means is formed, it is possible to prevent damage caused by an increase in the temperature around the light guide caused by laser light, or a decrease in the lifespan due to deterioration due to heat. Moreover, since the risk of damage during use can be prevented, safety can be improved.

Moreover, it can be realized at low cost.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1 to 5 relate to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The figure is a perspective view showing the appearance of a medical laser device equipped with the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the tip side of the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along line A-A in FIG. 2. Figure 4 is B-Bli! of Figure 2! 5 is a cross-sectional view showing how the laser beam is emitted by further enlarging FIG. 2, FIGS. 6 and 7 show a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 6, FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the tip side of the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. A sectional view showing the tip side of the fourth embodiment of the invention,
FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing the front end side of the fifth embodiment of the present invention;
11 and 12 show a sixth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing the tip side of the sixth embodiment, FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line A-Afv in FIG. Ward is the seventh aspect of the present invention.
It is a sectional view showing the tip side of an example. 1...Medical laser device 2...Laser probe attachment part 3.21.31. ' 41.51.61.71... Laser probe 7... Mantle tube 8... Laser guide 9...
Light guide member 10...Jacket 11...Chip member 22...Metal chip 23.42...Pipe 32.5'2...Coating film

Claims (10)

[Claims] (1) In a laser probe that transmits laser light by a laser guide pushed through the jacket tube and enables laser light irradiation from the light guide section on the tip side, at least the portion of the laser probe around the light guide section. 1. A laser probe, characterized in that a heating prevention means is formed to prevent the laser beam from heating or emitting heat. (2) The laser probe according to claim 1, wherein the heating prevention means covers the outer periphery of the light guide portion with a member having low thermal conductivity. (3) The laser probe according to claim 1, wherein the heating prevention means is formed using a pumping/exhausting means inserted through the mantle duplex. (4) The heating prevention means is formed by providing a tip tip having a refractive index smaller than that of the light guide at the front end of the light guide to prevent light leaking from the side circumference of the light guide. A laser probe according to claim 1. (5) The laser probe according to claim 2, wherein the member with low thermal conductivity is a ceramic member such as zirconia or potassium titanate. (6) The laser probe according to claim 2, wherein the member with low thermal conductivity is a member with high heat resistance. (7) The laser probe according to claim M3, wherein the air supply/exhaust means is formed by providing an air supply passage and an exhaust passage within the mantle tube. (8) The above-mentioned supply and exhaust means is characterized in that it is formed by using an air supply passage or an exhaust passage provided in the mantle tube and alternately supplying and exhausting air intermittently through the air passage. A laser probe according to claim M3. (9) The laser probe according to claim 1, wherein the laser probe can be inserted into an endoscope. (10) The laser probe according to claim 1, wherein the laser probe is formed to have flexibility.゛