KR101340361B1 - Laser apparatus capable of regulating photo-mechanical effect and method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laser apparatus capable of regulating photo-mechanical effects. The laser apparatus generates photo-mechanical effects by outputting pulsed laser beams, and controls the photo-mechanical effects by regulating the energy of the pulsed laser beams in a state where the diameter of the pulsed laser beam is uniformly maintained. [Reference numerals] (110) Laser output unit;(130) Optical filter unit;(150) Lens unit;(170) Control unit;(AA) Laser beam

Description

LASER APPARATUS CAPABLE OF REGULATING PHOTO-MECHANICAL EFFECT AND METHOD USING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a laser device capable of adjusting the photo-mechanical effect and a method using the same, and more particularly to a photo-mechanical effect using a pulsed laser beam, the pulsed laser beam The present invention relates to a laser device capable of adjusting the photo-mechanical effect by adjusting pulse energy while keeping a diameter of a constant.

A laser device refers to a device that emits light using light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.

Such a laser device may emit 'artificial light having a uniform direction, phase, and wavelength', which is different from natural light, and is used in many industrial fields based on these characteristics. Specifically, 1) optical communication using optical properties, 2) medical monitoring such as disease monitoring, low level laser therapy, photodynamic therapy, and 3) nanotechnology to separate chemical bonds. 4) It is used in various industrial fields covering precision machine tools such as diamond processing.

However, conventional laser devices have been utilized only in terms of optical effects, or only in terms of photo-chemical or photo-thermal effects occurring in the range of 80 ° C. or higher.

Therefore, there is no research on the laser device that can cause the photo-mechanical effect.

KR 2013-0009631 A

The present invention is to solve the problem of causing the photo-mechanical effect using a laser device.

In addition, the present invention is to make it possible to present a mechanical stimulus (Mechanical Stimulus) to the human body using a laser device.

The present invention also makes it possible to control the photo-mechanical effects caused by laser devices.

Laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems, by outputting a pulsed laser beam (Pulsed laser beam) to cause a photo-mechanical effect (Photo-mechanical effect), The photo-mechanical effect is controlled by adjusting the energy of the pulsed laser beam while keeping a diameter constant.

In addition, the laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention, while maintaining the pulse width (pulse width) of the pulse laser beam (ms) in milliseconds or less, and the diameter of the pulse laser beam is kept constant, unit It is characterized by adjusting the energy per pulse.

In addition, the laser device according to the embodiment of the present invention may operate in a mode of increasing the photo-mechanical force and a mode of decreasing the photomechanical force, and per unit pulse in the mode of increasing the photo-mechanical force. The energy per unit pulse is reduced in a mode of increasing energy and decreasing the photo-mechanical force.

In addition, the laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first operation for maintaining a constant output diameter of the pulsed laser beam; And a second operation of changing an output diameter of the pulsed laser beam.

In addition, the laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized by maintaining a constant diameter when the laser beam reaches the object.

In addition, the laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the distance to the object changes, by changing the output diameter of the pulsed laser beam to maintain a constant beam diameter when reaching the object It is done.

In addition, the laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention, characterized in that it further comprises a lens unit for changing the output diameter of the pulsed laser beam.

In addition, the laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the distance recognition unit for recognizing the distance to the object further comprises, characterized in that for controlling the lens unit based on the distance information recognized by the distance recognition unit. do.

In addition, the laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the distance recognizing unit measures distance using ultrasonic waves, infrared rays, or lasers.

In addition, the laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it is utilized for the purpose of presenting a mechanical stimulus to the human body.

In addition, the laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the energy per unit pulse is controlled by adjusting the intensity or pulse width of the output light of the laser.

On the other hand, the haptic device according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems, by outputting a pulsed laser beam (Pulsed laser beam) to cause a photo-mechanical effect (Photo-mechanical effect), the pulse laser The photo-mechanical effect can be controlled by adjusting the energy of the pulsed laser beam while maintaining a constant diameter of the beam, and can present a mechanical touch using the photo-mechanical effect. It is characterized by being.

In addition, the haptic device according to an embodiment of the present invention, while maintaining the pulse width (pulse width) of the pulse laser beam (millisecond) or less, and the diameter of the pulse laser beam is kept constant, It is characterized by adjusting the energy per pulse.

On the other hand, a method for inducing a photo-mechanical effect according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems, (a) the laser device to adjust the energy of the pulsed laser beam; (b) the pulse laser beam generated by the laser device reaches an object; And (c) generating a photo-mechanical effect by the pulsed laser beam reaching the object, wherein the laser device maintains the energy of the pulsed laser beam while maintaining a constant diameter of the pulsed laser beam. By adjusting, the photo-mechanical effect can be adjusted.

In addition, in the method of inducing a photo-mechanical effect according to an embodiment of the present invention, the laser device of step (a) maintains the pulse width of the pulse laser beam to ms (millisecond) or less, and The energy per unit pulse is controlled while the diameter of the pulse laser beam is kept constant.

The present invention can produce a photo-mechanical effect using a pulsed laser beam. Specifically, the present invention can produce a photo-mechanical effect using a pulsed laser beam with a pulse width of ms (millisecond) or less.

In addition, the present invention can increase or decrease the photo-mechanical forces to implement. Specifically, the present invention increases or decreases the energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam while the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is ms or less and the diameter of the pulsed laser beam is kept constant. Increase or decrease the energy density) to increase or decrease the photo-mechanical force.

In addition, the present invention can maintain the output diameter of the laser beam in a constant state, it is possible to adjust the energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam in a state in which the output diameter is kept constant. Therefore, the diameter of the laser beam irradiated to the object located at a fixed distance from the laser device can be kept constant, and in this state, the photo-mechanical force caused by adjusting the energy per unit pulse (= adjusting the energy density) can be maintained. Can change.

In addition, the present invention can keep the diameter of the pulsed laser beam irradiated on the object constant even when the distance between the laser device and the object is changed. Specifically, the present invention may be configured in a form of changing the output diameter of the pulsed laser beam in response to a change in distance between the laser device and the object, through which the diameter of the pulsed laser beam irradiated (reached) onto the object. Can be kept constant. Therefore, it is possible to change the photo-mechanical force caused by adjusting the energy per unit pulse (= adjusting the energy density) while the diameter of the pulsed laser beam irradiated to the object is kept constant.

In addition, the present invention can be applied to a haptic device. Specifically, since the present invention can present somethesis to the skin of the human body based on the photo-mechanical effect, it may be applied to the field of haptics. In particular, the present invention can present the somatosensory using photo-mechanical stimulation, not photo-chemical or photo-thermal stimulation of the laser, such as non-contact, etc. It is possible to present somatosensory in a safe state while maintaining the laser's natural characteristics.

In addition, when used in the field of haptics, the present invention can quantitatively control mechanical stimuli unlike conventional haptic devices. Specifically, the conventional haptic devices are difficult to quantitatively control the mechanical stimulus because the mechanical stimulus is presented by using a vibration element, air pressure, pin arrangement, etc., the present invention is to control the energy per unit pulse of the laser Mechanical stimulation can be controlled quantitatively.

In addition, the present invention, when used in the field of haptics, unlike conventional haptic devices, the temporal reliability of the mechanical stimulus (reliability of whether the target time point and the actual stimulation time coincidence) or spatial reliability (the target site and the actual stimulation site of Reliability of coincidence) can be secured. Specifically, the conventional haptic devices have presented a mechanical stimulus using a vibration element, air pressure, pin arrangement, etc., but it is difficult to secure temporal reliability or spatial reliability of the mechanical stimulus. Temporal reliability can be secured using the characteristics of the laser beam, and spatial reliability can also be secured through the fine movement of the laser beam.

1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a photomechanical effect that a laser device may cause.
2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a conceptual diagram showing parameters of a pulsed laser beam.
4 and 5 are exemplary views showing the operation of the lens unit which can be included in the laser device according to the present invention.
6 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an experimental system for confirming that the laser device according to the present invention causes a photo-mechanical effect.
8 is a graph showing an output signal of a piezo sensor.
9 to 11 are graphs showing the results of experiments performed under the condition of changing the energy per unit pulse (= change in energy density) while keeping the diameter of the pulse laser beam constant.

Hereinafter, a laser apparatus and a method using the same according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are provided so that those skilled in the art can easily understand the technical spirit of the present invention, and thus the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the matters described in the attached drawings may be different from those actually implemented by the schematic drawings to easily describe the embodiments of the present invention.

In the meantime, each functional unit expressed below is only an example for implementing the present invention. Therefore, other functional units may be used in other embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, each functional unit may be implemented solely in hardware or software configuration, but may be implemented in combination of various hardware and software configurations performing the same function.

In addition, the expression "comprising" certain components merely refers to the presence of the components as an 'open' expression, and should not be understood as excluding additional components.

Hereinafter, the features of the laser device according to the present invention will be described.

The laser device according to the present invention can cause a photo-mechanical effect through a laser beam. Specifically, by adjusting the parameters of the laser beam that was used only for causing the photo-chemical effect or the photo-thermal effect, the photo-mechanical effect can be induced. Therefore, the laser device according to the present invention can be utilized in various industrial fields requiring mechanical stimulus, and in particular, as a problem (eg, damage to skin tissue) that a photo-chemical effect or a photo-thermal effect can cause. Somesthesis presentation areas (eg, tactile presentation devices, haptic devices, etc.), which have had barriers to entry, can also be utilized as sources of mechanical stimuli.

The laser device according to the present invention generates a laser beam using a pulsed laser rather than a continuous laser (CW laser, continuous wave laser) to generate a photo-mechanical effect, and the generated pulse laser Adjust the energy of the beam.

The photo-chemical effect or the photo-thermal effect may occur when continuously provided with the laser stimulus, and thus, pulsed laser is used to obtain the photo-mechanical effect without excluding these effects.

In addition, the laser device according to the present invention regulates the energy per unit pulse in a pulse width condition of ms (millisecond) or less, and generates the photo-mechanical effect of the laser beam based on this adjustment operation.

Even in the case of using a pulsed laser, when the pulse width is large, sufficient exposure time of the laser stimulus is ensured, and thus photo-chemical or photo-thermal phenomenon may occur. Therefore, it is desirable to prevent this phenomenon by adjusting the energy per unit pulse in a pulse width condition of ms (millisecond) or less.

In addition, the laser device according to the present invention can adjust the energy per unit pulse (= adjust the energy density) while maintaining a constant diameter (diameter) of the pulsed laser beam irradiated to the object, through this operation The degree to which the pulsed laser beam causes the photo-mechanical effect (= magnitude of photo-mechanical force) can be adjusted.

Thus, it can provide the basis of a control operation for quantitatively presenting the photo-mechanical effects of the laser.

Hereinafter, a laser device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

Referring to FIG. 1, the laser device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may cause the photo-mechanical effect as described above. Specifically, it may cause a mechanical effect on an object other than the human body as shown in the upper side of FIG. 1, or may cause a mechanical touch to the human body as shown in the lower side of FIG. 1.

2, the laser device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the laser output unit 110 for generating a pulse laser beam, the intensity of the optical signal constituting the pulse laser beam (Power, J / The optical filter unit 130 for adjusting the s), the lens unit 150 for adjusting the diameter of the pulse laser beam, the control unit 170 for controlling the operation of the laser output unit, the optical filter unit, the lens unit It may include.

In addition, the laser apparatus 100 may further include an input unit for receiving information from a user, an output unit for outputting information related to its operation, a communication unit for transmitting and receiving information with external devices, and the like. These components may also be controlled by the controller 170.

The laser output unit 110 may output a pulsed laser beam and may include a laser driver, a cooling device, and the like. The laser driver is configured to include a laser medium, an optical pumping unit, an optical resonator, and the like, and generates an optical signal constituting the pulsed laser beam. In addition, the cooling device is configured to remove heat that may be generated in the process of generating an optical signal by the laser driver, and serves to protect the laser driver device.

The laser output unit 110 may be formed in various forms capable of generating a pulsed laser beam. For example, the laser output unit 110 may be a ruby laser, neodymium: yag laser (Nd: YAG laser), neodymium: glass laser (Nd: glass laser), laser diode (Ga, Al, As), excimer ( Excimer) can be formed in the form of a laser, a dye laser, and the like, in addition to this kind can be configured in various forms.

In addition, the laser output unit 110 may adjust various parameters of the pulsed laser beam, and in particular, may adjust energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam to generate a photo-mechanical effect. Herein, the adjustment of the energy per unit pulse is achieved through the operation of adjusting the intensity (Power, J / s) of the optical signal constituting the pulse laser beam, or adjusting the pulse width of the pulse laser beam. Can be achieved through operation. In this case, however, the pulse width may be adjusted in a range of ms (millisecond) or less. In the case of adjusting the pulse width, the photo-chemical effect or the photo-thermal effect may be induced as mentioned above. Because there is a possibility.

For reference, referring to FIG. 3, parameters such as optical signal power (Power, J / s), pulse width, pulse repetition rate, and the like of the pulse laser beam may be checked.

On the other hand, as the laser output unit 110 adjusts the energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam, the energy density of the pulsed laser beam irradiated to the object may also be adjusted. Specifically, 1) as the laser output unit 110 increases the energy per unit pulse while the diameter of the pulse laser beam irradiated to the object is kept constant, the energy density of the pulse laser beam irradiated to the object is increased. 2) the energy of the pulsed laser beam irradiated to the object as the laser output unit 110 decreases the energy per unit pulse while the diameter of the pulsed laser beam irradiated to the object is kept constant. Density can be reduced. Therefore, this operation can increase or decrease the intensity of the photo-mechanical force caused by the laser device 100. As will be seen later, while the diameter of the pulsed laser beam remains constant, it increases or decreases the energy density of the pulsed laser beam irradiated to the object, thereby increasing or decreasing the intensity of the induced photo-mechanical force. Can be.)

The optical filter unit 130 is a configuration for adjusting the intensity (Power, J / s) of the optical signal constituting the pulse laser beam, the laser output unit 110 outputs through this intensity control The energy can be adjusted secondly per unit pulse of the beam.

The optical filter unit 130 may include an attenuator for attenuating the intensity of the optical signal, and may reduce the intensity (Power, J / s) of the optical signal using the apparatus. Therefore, the optical filter unit 130 may perform an operation of reducing energy per unit pulse by attenuating the intensity of the optical signal in the same pulse width.

On the other hand, the optical filter unit 130, if the laser output unit 110 itself has the ability to adjust the energy per unit pulse may be selectively mounted on the laser device 100, the unit pulse It can play a secondary role in fine-tuning sugar energy. However, when the laser output unit 110 itself does not have the ability to adjust the energy per unit pulse, it is essentially mounted on the laser device 100, and plays a leading role in controlling the energy per unit pulse. Done.

The lens unit 150 is a configuration for adjusting the diameter (diameter) of the pulse laser beam. The lens unit 150 includes a light focusing unit (for example, a convex lens unit) for focusing the pulsed laser beam and a light diffusing unit (eg, concave lens unit, etc.) for diffusing the pulsed laser beam. can do.

Meanwhile, the lens unit 150 may 1) maintain a constant output diameter of the pulse laser beam (first operation), or 2) change the output diameter of the pulse laser beam (second operation). . (For reference, the output diameter of the pulse laser beam herein means the diameter at the moment when the pulse laser beam leaves the laser device.)

The first operation may be achieved by fixing the configuration and arrangement of the lens unit 150. The first operation may be utilized when a pulse laser beam having a constant diameter is applied to an object having a fixed position (distance). Since the output diameter of the pulsed laser beam is kept constant, the diameter of the pulsed laser beam irradiated (reached) to the object distant by a fixed distance from the laser device can be kept constant. Referring to FIG. 4, an embodiment of the first operation may be confirmed. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the lens unit 150 is formed in a fixed configuration and arrangement, and maintains a constant output diameter of the pulsed laser beam. Therefore, the diameter of the pulse laser beam irradiated to the object separated by the distance 1 can be kept constant at D1, and the diameter of the pulse laser beam irradiated to the object separated by the distance 2 can be kept constant at D2.

The second operation may be achieved by dynamically changing the configuration and arrangement of the lens unit 150. Specifically, the lens unit 150 may be configured by selectively arranging the light converging unit and the light diffusing unit, changing an arrangement position of the light converging unit, and changing an arrangement position of the light diffusing unit. It is possible to increase or decrease the output diameter of the pulsed laser beam. For reference, referring to FIG. 5, an embodiment of changing an output diameter of the pulsed laser beam may be confirmed by changing an arrangement position of the light diffusion unit.

This second operation can be utilized when a pulse laser beam of constant diameter is to be applied to an object whose position can be changed (movable). When the position of the object moves away from the laser device, the output diameter of the pulsed laser beam is increased, and when the position of the object approaches toward the laser device, the output diameter of the pulsed laser beam is reduced, whereby This is because the diameter of the pulsed laser beam irradiated (arrived) on the changing (moving) object can be kept constant. Referring to FIG. 5, an embodiment of the second operation may be confirmed. In the embodiment of Figure 5, the lens unit 150 changes the output diameter of the pulsed laser beam in accordance with the position change of the object, and through this operation to maintain a constant diameter of the beam irradiated to the object. For example, when the object moves from position 1 to position 2, the output diameter of the pulsed laser beam is increased in proportion to the distance away, thereby maintaining the same diameter of the beam irradiated to the object. In addition, when the object moves from position 2 to position 1, the output diameter of the pulsed laser beam is reduced in proportion to the approaching distance, thereby maintaining the same diameter of the beam irradiated to the object.

As a result, the above-described salping lens unit 150 may maintain the diameter of the pulse laser beam irradiated (reached) to an object which is fixed or moved through the first operation or the second operation.

The input unit is a component for receiving information necessary for the operation of the laser apparatus 100. The input unit may receive basic information for adjusting various parameters of the pulsed laser beam, and may transfer the received information to the controller 170.

In addition, the input unit may include a plurality of input keys for receiving a number or a character and setting various functions, and may also include various function keys necessary for the operation of the laser apparatus 100.

The input unit may be formed as various types of input devices such as a pad and a touch screen, and may be formed in various devices in addition to the input device.

The output unit is configured to display an operation state and an operation result of the laser apparatus 100 or provide predetermined information to a user. The output unit may display information input by the user and information provided to the user, including various menus, and may include various types of liquid crystal displays, organic light emitting diodes, and audio output devices. It may be formed in the form of output devices.

The communication unit is configured to allow the laser device 100 to transmit and receive information with external electronic devices. The communication unit may be configured in the form of various wired communication devices or wireless communication devices that satisfy the IEEE standard, and may be implemented in various types of communication devices in addition to the IEEE standard.

Therefore, the laser device 100 may be configured to be controlled by an external electronic device through the communication unit, and may also be configured to operate in conjunction with various electronic devices such as a display device and a mobile terminal. .

The controller 170 may include various types of the laser apparatus 100 including the laser output unit 110, the optical filter unit 130, the lens unit 150, the input unit, the output unit, and the communication unit. This is a configuration for controlling the configurations.

The control unit 170 may include at least one computing means and a storing means, which may be a general purpose central processing unit (CPU), but may be a programmable device element CPLD, FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or microcontroller chip. Also, the storage means may be a volatile memory element, a non-volatile memory or a non-volatile electromagnetic storage element, or a memory within the computing means.

The controller 170 may collectively control the energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam by controlling the operations of the laser output unit 110 and the optical filter unit 130. Specifically, by controlling the operation of the laser output unit 110 and the optical filter unit 130, it is possible to adjust the pulse width (Pulse width) and the intensity (Power, J / s) of the optical signal, The adjustment operation can control the energy per unit pulse.

In addition, the controller 170 may control the operation of the lens unit 150 to maintain a constant diameter of the pulse laser beam irradiated (reached) to the object. Specifically, when the position of the object is fixed, the controller 170 operates the lens unit in the first operating state as viewed from above, and when the position of the object changes, operates the lens unit in the second operating state as described above. The diameter of the pulsed laser beam irradiated (arrived) to the object can be kept constant.

In addition, the controller 170 may operate in a control mode for increasing the photo-mechanical force or in a control mode for reducing the photo-mechanical force. 1) First, when the control unit 170 operates in a control mode for increasing the photo-mechanical force, the controller 170 increases the energy per unit pulse while maintaining a constant diameter of the pulse laser beam irradiated to the object (= To increase the energy density, which can increase the photo-mechanical forces induced by the pulsed laser beam. 2) In addition, when operating in a control mode for reducing the photo-mechanical force, the controller 170 reduces the energy per unit pulse while maintaining a constant diameter of the pulsed laser beam irradiated to the object ( = Control the energy density), which can reduce the photo-mechanical forces induced by the pulsed laser beam.

Hereinafter, a laser apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 6, the laser device according to another embodiment of the present invention, like the embodiment described above, has a laser output unit 110, an optical filter unit 130, a lens unit 150, an input unit, an output unit, The communication unit controller 170 may be included. The distance recognition unit 190 may be further included to recognize the distance between the laser device and the object.

The distance recognition unit 190 is configured to recognize a distance between the laser device 100 and an object (object to which the pulse laser beam is irradiated). The distance recognition unit 190 may generate distance information by measuring the distance between the laser device 100 and the object in real time, and may transmit the generated information to the controller 170.

Therefore, the controller 170 may control the operation of the lens unit based on the distance information received from the distance recognition unit 190. 1) For example, when the distance information transmitted by the distance recognition unit 190 is fixed at a fixed value, the controller may control the lens unit 150 to the first operation state as described above. . 2) In addition, when the distance information transmitted by the distance recognizer 190 is changed in real time, the controller 170 may control the lens unit 150 to the second operation state as described above. In this case, the controller 170 may change the output diameter of the pulse laser beam in real time based on the distance information that is changed in real time, and pulse laser irradiated (reached) to the moving object through this control operation. The diameter of the beam can be kept constant.

The distance recognizer 190 may recognize (measure) the distance in various ways. For example, the distance recognition unit 190 may measure the distance between the laser device 100 and the object by analyzing the time until the laser or the ultrasonic wave is emitted and the change in the period or amplitude of the laser or the ultrasonic wave. Can be. In addition, the distance recognition unit 190 may irradiate an infrared light to an object and detect a light receiving sensitivity of the reflected light to measure the distance, or may measure the distance using a GPS or the like. In addition, the distance recognition unit 190 may measure the distance by simultaneously applying two or more of the ultrasonic method, the infrared method, the laser method, and the GPS method. In this case, the average of the calculated values may be calculated. The distance value can be determined. For reference, when the distance recognizer 190 measures a distance using a laser, the distance recognizer 190 may operate in a state in which the distance recognizer 190 is interlocked with the laser output unit 110. That is, the distance may be measured using a pulsed laser beam output by the laser output unit 110 without mounting a separate distance measuring laser device.

As described above, the laser device 100 according to the present invention may generate a photo-mechanical effect by using a pulsed laser beam, and may control the photo-mechanical effect, and thus may be utilized in various industrial fields requiring mechanical stimulation. .

In particular, the laser device 100 according to the present invention may cause a photo-mechanical effect on skin tissue of the human body, and may be applied to various haptic devices requiring mechanical touch.

Hereinafter, the laser device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described experimentally with reference to FIGS. 7 through 8.

7 is a view showing the configuration of an experimental system for confirming the photo-mechanical effect of the laser device 100.

Such an experimental system may include a configuration of a laser device 100, a collagen film, a piezo sensor, a three-axis position fine adjustment device, a computer, and the like.

The laser device 100 is a laser device 100 according to the present invention as described above.

In this experiment, as an embodiment of the laser device 100, a wavelength of 532 nm, a pulse width of 5 ns, a pulse repetition rate of 10 Hz, and a beam diameter of 0.48 mm (object Laser device having a beam diameter irradiated to it).

The collagen film is a type I collagen film (Neskin®-F, Medira, thickness of 300 μm to 500 μm) used for clinical treatment epidermal healing & substitue, modeling human skin tissue. Configuration. Since more than 90% of the living tissue is composed of type I collagen, the collagen film can be used to indirectly experiment with the effects that will occur in living skin tissue.

However, since the skin thickness (epidermis) of the human body differs according to individual, sex, and race, in this experiment, five collagen films were first conducted, and secondly, collagen films were used. The experiment was conducted. This is because the skin thickness (epidermis) of the human body may vary in the range of 5 to 10 collagen films according to individual, gender, and race. Referring to Table 1, the weight and thickness of five collagen films and ten collagen films can be confirmed.

Number of collagen films Weight [g] Thickness [mm] Chapter 5 0.12 0.15 Chapter ten 0.23 0.31

On the other hand, the collagen film was used in the form attached to the piezo sensor.

The piezo sensor is an element expressing a mechanical stimulus applied from the outside as an electrical output signal. Therefore, in this experiment, the piezoelectric sensor was used to observe the mechanical change caused in the collagen film.

Meanwhile, in this experiment, a piezoelectric sensor (LFT1-028K, Measurement specialties) whose surface is coded was used, in order to minimize the influence that the sensor surface may have when the collagen film is attached.

The three-axis position fine adjustment device is a device for finely controlling the position of the piezo sensor. The computer is a device for receiving a signal output from the piezo sensor, analyzing the received signal, and displaying the analyzed result.

In the above, the following experiment was conducted using a salping test system.

1) An experiment was performed in which a collagen film composed of five sheets was irradiated with a pulse laser beam having an energy of 0.05 mJ per unit pulse.

2) The pulsed laser beam was irradiated at a frequency of 10 Hz. Specifically, the pulsed laser beam was irradiated immediately before 0.05 [s], immediately before 0.15 [s], immediately before 0.25 [s], and immediately before 0.35 [s].

3) The signal of the piezo sensor output during the experiment was analyzed.

8 is a graph showing the results of this experiment. Referring to FIG. 5, it can be seen that the output signal of the piezo sensor is generated at a frequency of 10 Hz corresponding to the pulse repetition rate of the irradiated laser beam. In addition, it is confirmed that the time when the output signal is generated by the piezo sensor coincides with the time when the pulse laser beam is irradiated (just before 0.05 [s], just before 0.15 [s], just before 0.25 [s], 0.35 [s], etc.). Can be.

Therefore, through these experimental results, it can be seen that the laser beam caused the photo-mechanical effect. In addition, by analyzing the magnitude of the output signal of the piezo sensor, it is also possible to calculate the magnitude of the induced photo-mechanical force.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11, the experimental example related to the control of the diameter and energy density of the pulse laser beam.

The following experiments were conducted to study how to control the parameters for controlling the photo-mechanical effects.

1) The pulse laser beam was irradiated to the fingers of the subjects using the laser device 100 according to the present invention, and the response of the subjects was examined.

2) The responses of the subjects were classified into "no feeling", "feeling of mechanical touch (feeling of touch) and" pain ".

3) The experiment was conducted while changing the energy per unit pulse (= energy density change) while maintaining the constant diameter of the pulsed laser beam (diameter of the beam irradiated to the finger).

Table 2 below shows the beam diameter, energy density, and number of subjects used in the experiment. Experiments were performed using 26 combinations of energy densities at six beam diameters.

Beam diameter [ mm ] Energy density [J / cm ² ] Number of subjects [n] 0.43 0.20669 10 0.41338 0.62006 0.82675 1.03344 0.87 0.05049 10 0.10098 0.15147 0.20196 0.25245 4 0.039808917 10 0.063694268 0.095541401 0.127388535 0.159235669 5 0.025477707 10 0.056050955 0.096815287 0.127388535 0.157961783 7 0.05199532 10 0.075393215 0.098791109 8 0.039808917 10 0.069665605 0.099522293

9 to 11 are graphs showing the results of experiments performed under the conditions of Table 2.

9 to 11, the energy per unit pulse (= energy density) is maintained while the diameter of the pulsed laser beam irradiated to the finger is kept constant (0.43mm, 0.87mm, 4mm, 5mm, 7mm or 8mmn). When increasing, it can be seen that the proportion of the subjects who perceived mechanical touch or pain (mechanical touch of strong intensity) also increased. On the contrary, if the energy per unit pulse (= energy density) decreases while the diameter of the pulse laser beam irradiated to the finger is kept constant, the proportion of the subjects who perceived mechanical touch or pain also decreases. You can check it.

This is because, as the energy per unit pulse (= energy density) increases while the diameter of the pulse laser beam remains constant, the induced photo-mechanical force increases in proportion to the energy density and is insensitive to mechanical stimuli. This is because they also recognized the stimulus as the photo-mechanical force increased. In addition, in the opposite case, as the energy per unit pulse (= energy density) decreases while the diameter of the pulse laser beam remains constant, the induced photo-mechanical force decreases in proportion to the energy density, and mechanical Subjects sensitive to the stimulus were not able to recognize the stimulus as the photo-mechanical force decreased.

In conclusion, these experiments can control the photo-mechanical forces induced by a pulsed laser beam by adjusting the energy per unit pulse (= energy density) while the diameter of the pulsed laser beam remains constant. It can be confirmed.

Hereinafter, a method of inducing a photo-mechanical effect according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The method for inducing a photo-mechanical effect according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the step (a) of the laser device adjusting the energy of the pulsed laser beam.

Here, the laser device preferably adjusts the energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam to cause photo-mechanical action.

In addition, the laser device preferably adjusts the energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam in a state in which the diameter of the pulsed laser beam is kept constant. This is because through the adjustment operation, the magnitude of the photo-mechanical force generated by the pulsed laser beam can be adjusted.

In addition, after step a, the pulse laser beam generated by the laser device 100 may include a step (step b) of reaching the object.

In addition, after step b, the pulsed laser beam reaching the object may include a step of generating a photo-mechanical effect (step c).

As described above, the method for inducing the photo-mechanical effect according to the present invention may include substantially the same features as the laser device 100 according to the present invention, although the categories are different. Thus, although not described in detail in order to prevent duplication, the features described above with respect to the laser device 100 may be naturally inferred and applied to the method for inducing a photo-mechanical effect.

The embodiments of the present invention described above are disclosed for the purpose of illustration, and the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

100 laser device 110: laser output unit
130: optical filter unit 150: lens unit
170: control unit 190: distance recognition unit

Claims (15)

A laser output unit generating a laser beam; And
A control unit for controlling the laser output unit and controlling the laser output unit to generate a pulsed laser beam;
Lt; / RTI >
The control unit, in the control process of adjusting the mechanical tactile, the touch device laser device for adjusting the energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam while maintaining a constant diameter (diameter) of the pulsed laser beam.
The method of claim 1,
The pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is maintained below ms (millisecond),
The laser device for tactile presentation according to claim 1, wherein the energy per unit pulse is adjusted while the diameter of the pulse laser beam is kept constant.
3. The method of claim 2,
Can operate in a mode that increases the photo-mechanical force and a mode that reduces the photo-mechanical force,
And increase the energy per unit pulse in the mode of increasing the photo-mechanical force, and reduce the energy per unit pulse in the mode of decreasing the photo-mechanical force.
3. The method of claim 2,
A first operation of keeping the output diameter of the pulsed laser beam constant; And
A second operation of changing an output diameter of the pulsed laser beam;
A laser device for tactile presentation, which can be performed.
5. The method of claim 4,
And a constant diameter when the pulsed laser beam reaches an object.
The method of claim 5, wherein
When the distance from the object changes, the output diameter of the pulsed laser beam is changed to keep the beam diameter when reaching the object constant laser device for tactile presentation, characterized in that.
The method of claim 5, wherein
A lens unit for changing an output diameter of the pulsed laser beam;
Laser device for tactile presentation further comprising a.
The method of claim 7, wherein
A distance recognizing unit for recognizing a distance to an object;
Further comprising:
And a lens unit for controlling the lens unit based on the distance information recognized by the distance recognition unit.
The method of claim 8,
The distance recognizing unit is a laser device for tactile presentation, characterized in that for measuring the distance by using ultrasonic waves, infrared rays or laser.
delete In the second,
Adjusting the intensity or pulse width of the output light of the laser, the touch-sensitive laser device, characterized in that for controlling the energy per unit pulse.
In a haptic device for presenting the tactile feeling,
A laser output unit generating a laser beam; And
A control unit for controlling the laser output unit and controlling the laser output unit to generate a pulsed laser beam;
Lt; / RTI >
The control unit, the haptic device, characterized in that for controlling the mechanical touch, the energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam in the state of maintaining a constant diameter (diameter) of the pulsed laser beam.
13. The method of claim 12,
The pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is maintained below ms (millisecond),
The haptic device, characterized in that for adjusting the energy per unit pulse while maintaining a constant diameter of the pulsed laser beam.
(a) the laser device generating a pulsed laser beam; And
(b) irradiating a pulsed laser beam to an object on which the laser device implements a mechanical feel;
Lt; / RTI >
The laser device may control energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam in a state in which a diameter of the pulsed laser beam is kept constant in a control process of adjusting a mechanical tactile sense. A tactile presentation method using a laser.
15. The method of claim 14,
In the step (a), the laser device, while maintaining the pulse width (pulse width) of the pulse laser beam to ms (millisecond) or less, and the diameter of the pulse laser beam is kept constant, per unit pulse A touch presentation method using a laser, characterized in that to control the energy.

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