CA1217823A

CA1217823A - Laser irradiating apparatus

Info

Publication number: CA1217823A
Application number: CA000440479A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Masahiro Toida; Norihiro Suenaga; Nobuyuki Suenaga
Original assignee: Masahiro Toida; Norihiro Suenaga; Nobuyuki Suenaga; Nippon Infrared Industries Co., Ltd.
Current assignee: Nippon Infrared Industries Co Ltd
Priority date: 1982-11-06
Filing date: 1983-11-04
Publication date: 1987-02-10
Also published as: GB8329645D0; FR2535614A1; DE3340112A1; JPS5985657A; GB2132787A; DE3340112C2; FR2535614B1; GB2132787B

Abstract

S P E C I F I C A T I O N

Title of the Invention:
LASER IRRADIATING APPARATUS

Abstract of the Disclosure:
A laser irradiating apparatus comprising:
a plurality of laser sources for outputting a plurality of laser beams each having a different wave-length;
a guide beam source for outputting a visible guide beam;
mixing means for coaxially mixing one or more of the laser beams with said visible guide beam;
light guide means for guiding said mixed laser beam and visible guide beam to a desired target;
said laser sources, said guide beam source , said light guide means and said mixing means all being fixed on a single support stand having a support plate;
one or more of said laser sources and said guide beam source being fixed to the same surface of the support plate so as to assure that all irradiated beams from the sources are directed in the same direction and their optical axis are kept in the same distance from the support plate and in parallel thereto.

Description

Background of the Invention:
Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to a las*r irradiating apparatus~ and more particularly to a lasor irradiating apparatus wh~ch i~ applicable to m~dical treatmerlt~ und~r a most desirable condition. In other word~ the present ~nv~ntion relates to an optical sy~tem of the laser irrGld~at-ing apparatu~ which irradiates simultaneou~ly and/or o~t.ionally a plural~ty of working laser beams each of which has a different wa~e-l~ngth from others.

Description of the Prior Art:
It i~ known that the interaction between a livin~
organi~m and a laser beam irradiated on the organism Yaries according to the wave~length of the irradiated laser bea~.
Simultaneous irradiation of a plurality of laser beams having different wave-lengths to an affected part of the livin~
organism enables to obtain a far better result than the cas~
in which a singl~ la~er beam is irradiated.
For example, a combined irradiation of a YAG laser beam which has ~fectiveness for haemosta3i~ and coagulation and a CO2 las2r ~eam which i3 excellent for a surgical o~eratlon effectively reduces the blood~ng during the operation. It is known that Ar laser al.~o has an identical effecti~eness of t~e YAG laser.
Apparatu~ for ~imultaneous and/or optional irradia-tion of a plurality of working la~er beam~ having di~ferent wave-length~ have been proposed. For example, the ~apanese Patent ~Z17~X~3 Application Laid-~pell No. 130145/81 discloses an apparatu3 which use~ the C02 ~ser and the YAG laser and includes two light quide~.
In the apparatus of the ~ust a~ove-mentioned prior art, one of the light guide~ i~ an articulated arm light guide which simultaneously and/or selectively leads the -CO2 laser beam and the YAG laser ~eam. The other light guide i~ a fiber light guide which leads only the YAG laser beam. The said light guide i3 used with an endo~cope.
It ls noted that the prior art discloses only outline of such apparatu~ but ~oes no~ ~isclo~se practical and specif~c disposition relating to a plurality of the working laser sources, guide bea~ sources and various optical means which are necessary to form an operative and desirable laser irradiating apparatus.
It ls understood that the laser irradiating apparatus of this type which includes a plurality of working laser sources and irradiates a desired beam together with a visible guide beam, re~uires various type of optical means and, consequently, the construction of the apparatus is complicated. Therefore, it ~s indispensable requisite to provide a reasonable disposition or arrangement vf the optical means to realize an apparatus which ls operative and more effect{ve in practice.

Summary of the Invention:
The present invention has been made to satisfy the requirements mentioned above.

It is an object of -the present invention to provide a laser irradiating apparatus equipped with a plurality of working laser beam sources, one or more guide light sources and one or more light guides, in which the layout of these various optical Means as here after described is ra-tionalized, the optical adjustment is facilitated and the optical stability is excellent.
In accordance with one aspect o~ the invention, there is thus provided a laser irradiating apparatus comprising a plurality of laser sources for outputting a plurality of laser beams each having a different wave length, a guide beam source for outputting a visible guide beam, mixing means for coaxially mixing one or more of the laser beams with the visible guide beam, and light guide means for guiding the mixed laser beam and visible guide beam to a desired target. The laser sources, guide beam source, light guide means and mixing means are all fixed on a single support stand having a support plate. One or more of the laser sources and the guide beam source are fixed to the same surface of the support plate so as to assure that all irradiated beams from the sources are directed in the same direction and their optical axes are kept in the same distance from the support plate and in parallel thereto.
The present invention also provides, in another aspect thereof, a laser irradiating apparatus comprising a first laser source for outputting a first laser beam, a second laser source for outputting a second laser beam, a first mixing means for coaxially mixing the first laser beam with the second laser beam, a first light guide for guiding the first laser beam and/or the second laser beam from the first mixing means to a desired target, and optical path change-over means for changing over the optical path of the second laser beam. Thè apparatus further includes a second light guide for guiding the second laser beam changed over in the optical path by the change-over means to a desired target, and a guide ~2~
-4a-beam source for outputting a laser beam used as a visible guide beam, the second laser beam and the guide beam being coaxially mixed by the second mixing means prior to introduction to the optical path chanye-over S means.
Further features of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following des~
cription of preferred embodiments as illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is an illustrative view of one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is an illustrative view of a support stand 1 which has been shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an illustrative view of the dis-position relation of the beams which are irradiated fromvarious types of sources secured to the support stand 1.
Figure 4 is an illustrative view of a condition in which a fiber light guide 11 and the support stand 1 are connected to each other.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment:
The present invention will be described with reference to the appended drawings.
In Fig. 1, there is shown an apparatus which includes two types of the working laser source, two types 25 ~ Of guide beam source and two light guides.

~ s ~hown in the drawin~s, the ~upport ~tal~ 1 13 in~talled perpendicularly in the hou~ng 12 in such a mann~r that a part of lt protrudes from ~he top plate of the nousing.
Fur~her, there is pravi~d a powcr ~ource 13 ~i-thin the housinq 12 to supply the power to the la~er source~.
On the front suIface of ~ support plat0 lC)l, the first worklnq las~r ~ource 2 ~nd the ~econd working la5er ~ourcc 3 which output in~isible laser beam~, and the f irst guld~ beam source 4 whlch outputs the guide beam, ar~ fixed.
10 0~ the reverse side of the support plate 101, the ~econd guide beam ~ource S which output~ another guide beam is fixed. It i8 to be noted that all the sources æ e directed pex2e~dicu-larly and upwa.rdly 80 that ~he output be~ms ~re directed p~rpendicularly and upwardlyO
A~ the fir~t worklns la~er ~ource 2, such a ~ource which ha~ high ability for incision, for examplet a C02 laser i9 u~ed to output the first laser beam 2O1D A~ the second working laser ~ource 3, such a ~ource which~has a h~gh a~ility for coagulation of blood, for e~ample, a YA~ laser source i~
used to output the ~econd la~er beam 301. Fur~her, a~ a first guide bea~ ~ource 4, a ~a-Ne laser sourc~ i~ used to output the fir~t guide beam 401 which ~ red. As the s~cond guide beam source 5, a ~alogen lamp i8 u~ed to output thQ
guide beam SOl which i~ ~hito.
On the ~ront ~urface of th~ Yupport pla~e lOl, a ~econd ~ixing m~an~ 7 i8 fixed to coaxially ~1~ th~ ~econd laser beam 301 a~d the first g~ide be~m 40l. The mixing means 7 co~sists of a reflecting mirror 701 which reflects 7~3 the ~ix~t guide baam 401, and a dichroic mirror 702 which allows the $econd laser beam 301 to pa~s through bu~ reflects the flxst gulde ~eam 401. Each of the mirror~ 701 and 70X i~
fixedly mount~d through a ~irror holder ~not ~hown) to the support pl~tc 101. In th~ mi~lng m~ans 7, th~ above-ment1On~d two ~a~er bea~s are coaxlally m~ xed to output the bQ~m ~02.
In thi~ particul æ ca~, the L~s~r beam 301 whi~h I ~- 8 input to thc ~econd mixlng means 7 1~ collimat~d by ~
conve~tio~al correction optical means 303~ ThQ raa~on for it is that when the ~econd la3er 80tlrCQ ifi~ the YAG la~r, particularly when it ls a multi-~ode o~cillation YAG la~r, a bb~m divergenc~ bsco~es to 14 - 15 mrad and the diameter of the be~m become~ excessibly large. Con~equently, lt becomes difficult to us~ an articulated arm light guide. In ~lace of the corr~ction optical means 303 an output mixror which ha~ a cur~atur~ may be u3e~ a~ the ~econd workLng laser source 3 to correct th~ beam divergence. ~he corr~ction optical means 303 i8 al80 f~xed to the ~upport plate 101.
In an ident~cal manner, ~ f ir~t ~ixing ~eans 6 is 20 fixed to th~ frol~t surface of th~ ~up~ort plate 101 to co-axially mix the fir~t la~er b~am 201 and tl~e said bea~ 4Q~
Th~ m1xin~ mean~ 6 con~ ts of r~flectlng mirrors 601 and 602 which reflect the fir~t laser beam 201, another reflecting mirror 604 which reflect3 the ~ beam ~02, and a aichroic mirror 603 wnich allows the fir~t laser beam 201 but reflect3 th~ ~aid beaRI 402. Eac~l of th~ mirrors ~01 through 604 is fix~d throu~h a m~rror holder (not show~) to the sup~ort plate 101~ The two bea~s which are coaxially ad~uste~ by ~ne m~xlng mean~ 6, are output a~ a b~am 202 a~ ~hown ln the drawing.

ff~

As clearly sho~n, the first ~ixing means 6 is 50 designed that the beam 402 reflected by the reflectlng mirror 604 and the firs~ laser ~eam 201 reflected by the reflecting mirror6 601 and 602 are coaxially mixed by the dichroic mirror 603. Thu~, the beam 402 is re~lected only twice fo~ the mixing so that the loss o the ~ecvnd lase~ beam 301 during the ~ran~mis3ion can be advantageously ~aved.
The position and an~le of the bea~ 40~ ar~ ad~usted by the re~lecting mlrror 604 and the dichxoic mirror 603, while the position and angle of the first laser beam 201 are ad~u~ted by the reflecting mirrors 601 and 602.
The beam 202 i~ introduced to an articul~ted arm lig~t guide which ig mo~nted in a conventional manner to the top of the support ~tand 1 and, irradiated to a required part.
The l~ght guide 10 is used for surgical operation. An axis of the beam 202 i8 ad~usted to coinci~e with the axi~ of the light guide 10 by ad~usting the mirror~ di3posed within the fir~t mixing means 6.
An optical path change-over mean~ 8 is disposed to the ~upport plate 101. The means ~ change~ over the optical path o~ the beam 40~ ~y displacing the reflection mirror 801 which ~ fixed to a rotary solenoid ~not shown) into the beam 402. The arrangement is such that when the reflection mirror 801 i~ moved to a withdrawn position, the beam 402 ~traightly advance~ into tne first mixl~g means 6. Wnen the reflection mirror 801 i~ in an advanced po~tion, ~he op$ical path of the ~eam 402 i~ changed over. Xn changing over the optical path, irradiation from the first guide beam ~ource 4 is suppressed by suitable mean~ and the aecond laser beam 301 i~ irradiated Lnt~ the third mixing mean~ g which will be described hereinaft~r.

~Z~
On the rever~ side of the ~upport plate 101, a reflection ~irror 901 (refer to Fig. 2) which refl~ct~ the ~econd guide beam 501, i~ fixed. ~n the front ~urfaca of the ~upport plat2 101 t a dichroic mirror 902 which reflect~
the ~ec~nd la~er beam 301 and allow~ the ~econd yuid~ b~am 501, i~ fix~d. The mirrors gOl and 902 are ~lxed to the ~upport plate 101 through the mlrror hold~rs (not ~hvwn~.
) A third mixing means 9 i8 con~i~t~ of the two mirrors 901 and 902.
The second guide beam 501 i8 r~flected by the refl~c-tion mirror 901 and directed ~o that the guide laser bea~ 501 pas~a~ through an openi~g 101a kef~r to Fig. ~) which i~
formed in the ~upport plate 101 and introduced to the dichroic mirror 902. The second la~er beam 301 is al~o introduced to the mirror 902 and coaxially mixed with the seco~d guide beam 501. Both beams ad~usted coaxially ar~ output as a beam 502 as Rhown in the drawing.
The beam 502 ~ directed ~o t~at the ~ea~ 502 i~
introduced to a fiber light guide 11 which i~ connected to the ~upport ~tand 1 by a complying mean~ described hereinafter.
Consequently, the beam 502 can be irradiated through the fiber light gulde. 11 to a required part. The fiber light guide 11 i~ incorporated i~ an endo~cope apparatu~ to apply it to ~urgical op~ration~ under an endoscope ~isual fiald.
It is under~tood that the appaxatus of the embodiment is operated in one of irradia~ion modes which ar~ described here-inbelow.

~2~7~3 ~ the fir3t mode wh~ch is obtained by the operatlon in which the optical path ehange-over means 8 i~ di~placed to a withdrawn po~ltion, and the fir~t workirlg las0r sourc~ ~
and th~ ~econd working la~er ~ource 3 ar~ driven~ Th~ ~r~t la~er beam 201, the second laser beam 301t and the f~r~t guid~
beam 401 are coaxially irradiated through ~he artieulated arm light guide 10.

2) In the second mode whieh i~ obtained by di~placing the optieal path change over means 8 to a withdrawn positio~
and only th~ fir~t working laser ~ouree 2 is dri~en. Th~ firat la~Qr beam ~01 and the first quide beam 401 are coaxially irra~iatad through the artieulAted arm light guide 10.

3) In th~ third mode whieh i~ obtained by di~placiny the optical path ehange-over means 8 to a withdraw po~ition and only the ~cond working la~er souree 3 i~ driven~ The seeond la~er beam 301 and the first guide beam 401 are co-axially irradiated through the artleulated arm light guide 10.

4) In the fourth mode which is obtained by displacing the optical path ch~ng~-over means ~ to an advanced position and only the second woxking la~er source 3 is driven. The seco~d laser beam 301 and the second guide beam 501 are co-axially irradiated through the fiber llght guide 11.
~ urth~r~ in thi~ embodiment, the optie axis align~ent at each incident en~ of th~ articulated arm light yuide 10 and fiber light guide 11 can be performed in the followi~g procedure:

g _ , Fox the optic a~is ali~nment ~or the articulated arm ligllt guide 10, the optical path change-over m~an~
~et to ~he withdrawn ~o~i~ion ~o as to lrradiat~ the fir~t y~ide beam ~01. A~ h~relnb~gore de~cribed, the ~lrst yulde b8alll 401 iS refl~cted and directed to the l~ght guid~ lt).
A~ the f irst gllide be~un 4 01 i8 coaxially ad~u~ted bo th with the flr~t laser beam 201 and the ~econd laser beam ~01, the alignment may be performed in such a manner that, while vi~ually ob~erving the ~ir~t gulde beam 401, the beam i~
ad~usted coincide w~th the center portion (optic axi~ of the articulated arm light guide) of the ~ncident end of the light guide 10.
On the other hand, for the optic axi8 alignment of the fiber light guide 11, the optical path change-over means 8 i~ set to the advance position and the fir~t guide beam ~ource 4 is dri~en~ The fixRt gu~de beam 401 ~utput fro~
the first guide beam source 4 is propagated along the sam~
optical path as the second laser beam 301 and directed to the f~ber light guide 11.
Thu3, t~e alignment may ~e performed in such a ~anner that while visually ob~erving the first guide beam 401, the po~ition of the light guid~ adju~ted as hereinafter de~crib~d ~o a~ to introduce the bea~ into t~e ~nciden~ end of the iber light guiae 11.
However, the ~econd guiae beam 5~1 output from the second guide ~eam 30urc~ 5 i~ not a coherent light, the ~ea~ cannot be ~lnutely diaphragmed D So~ it cannot be a marker for positioning of the ~iber l~ght guide 11.

7~3 In addition, according to th~ present invention, the secorld la~er bea~ 301 and the first ~uide baam 401 are mlxed after both have been once ~utput from th~ir sourc~
3 and 4. Accordingly, there ? ~ 5~0 po~ibillty that th~ ~am di~erg~ce of the fir~t gu~de beam ~s di~turbed by th~
correction optical mean~ 303O Al~o, a~ thi~ ot th~
conv~ntional type in which the f~r~t guide beam ~ induced ) into th~ totally re~lecting mirror side of th~ second working la~er source 3, there is nor possibility that th~ heated lens e~fected of a YAG laser rod causes the first guide beam 401 to wa~e. Therefore, the articulated arm light guide can be used a~ a convenient light guide.
An arrangement relating to the various optical means i5 given xeferring to Figs. 2 thr~ugh 4 hereinafter.
Fig. ~ is an illustrative of the support ~tand whicA
has b~en shown in Fig. 1. The ~upport stand 1 i8 integrally formed by castingO The support plate 101 within the support ~tand 1 is for~ed from a sheet of plate and ha~ a protruded part. As above-mentioned, the protruded part of the support plate 101 protrud~s outwardly from the top plate of the hou~-ing. It is noted that the lower part of the support plate 101 than its ~houlder is housed within the hou~ing. There are prov~ded ~ide plate~ 103~ 104 and 105 to surround the support plate 101. The s~de plates further ~er~es to prevent tw~ting and ben~ ng of the ~upport plate 101. On the sidQ
plate 105~ a cylindr~cal body lU2 i9 dl~posed to surround th~
protruded part of the support plate 101. In the drawing, numeral~ 106 and 107 ~tand for reinforcing plat~ for the support ~tand 1. Two openlng~ are provided in the reinforcing 8~
plate 10~ for the second laser beaM 301 and the first guide laser beam 4 01 to pas~ throu~h.
As a~ove-mentioned, the fir3t working laser source 2, the .~econd working laser source 3, the first gulde be~n source 4 and the sac:vnd guide bea~ ~ource 5 ar~ d~
vertically and upward on the ~upport plate 101 of the ~uppor1, starld 1. It ls important h~rç~ that all the beams irr~diated from these ~ource~s should ba directed in the sa~e directiona As the ~econd guide light ~o~lrce 5 is not dispo~ed on the 10 fro~t gurface of ~:he support plate 101 J it 1~ not always necessary to dispo~e it in the same directi on a~ other beam 80UrCeS . Such a layout cau~;es ~ach beam irradia ted from each source to ~e kept i~ parallel or~e another. Therefor~, the second working ldser beam 301 and thQ first guide beam 4û1 kept in parallel each oth~r are introduced into ~le second mixing means 7~ Into the fir~t mLxing mean~ 6, the ~irst wor~ing la~er beam 201 and beam 4Q2 kept in parallel each-other are introduced.
The f$rst working laser source 2, the second working 20 laser ~ource 3, and the first gu~de beam ~ource 4 are di~po~ed on the support plate 101 ~n ~uch a manner that axis of the irradiated beam~ 201, ~01 and 40~ of the sources 2, 3 and 4 hav~ equal dlstanc~ from the surface of th~ ~upport plate 1~1 and run parallel with lt a~ illustrated in Pig. 3. Accordingly, when the ~econd working laser beam 301 and the first guide beam 401 are lntroduced ~nto th~ second mixlng mean~ 7, the optical axi~ of each beam 1~ kept in parallel ~ith, an~ at the ~ame aistance fro~ the suppor plate 101. A~ the beam 402 ~
coaxial to the ~econd working laser beam 301, when the bea~ 402 -and the fir~t wor~ing laser beam 2~1 are introduced into the first mixing means 6, the optical axis o~ eac~ be~m is ~ept i~ parallel with, and at the same ai~tance fro~ the ~upyoxt platQ 101. Therefore, m~ing op~ration~ of ~aid b~ms are performe~ on a plane which is k~pt in p~rall~ h the ~upport plate 101~ The di~ta~ca from the surface o~ the ~upport plat~
101 to each of the axis of each ~am8 can be ad~us~ed, for example, by means of the ~pacers 203 and 403.
~s illu~trated in Fig. 4, a cylindrical ~ody 108 (not ~hown in Fiy. 2) is ~ounted in a manner to ~urround an opening lOla which i~ provided in the a~ppoxt plate 101. An ad~usting mechanis~ 14 i9 provided at the top end of the cylindrical body 108 and is directed to the other opening 121 which is provided in th~ housing 12. A connector 112 whlch i~ provided at the ba~e end of tne fiber light guide 11 detachably connected to the adiu~ting mechanism 14 through thc op~ning 121. Th~n, the beam 502 which is obtained by mixing of the second working laser beam 301 and the second guide beam 501 is introduced to the flber light guide 11. Numeral 111 in the drawing show3 a condenser to condense the beam 502.
Accordingly, Rummarizing the foregoing, in this invented apparatus, all the optical means ~uch as th~ first and second working la~er -qources 2 and 3I the first and second guide beam sourca~ 4 and S, the first to thlrd mlxing mean~ 6, 7 and 9, the optical path ehange-over m~ans 8 and the first and ~econd light guide~ 10 and 11 are installed on the su~port staIld 1.

The incident end of the flber light guide 10 i~
ad~u~ted wlthin a scope of a plai~ which perpendlcularly extends relative to an axial direction of th~ beam 502~ Th~
ad~usting mechani~m 14 is arranged such that ~ slid~x 142 i&
located within the housing 141, an~ one ~ide of the ~lider 142 is compres~sd by a sprlng 144 a~d the oth~r side i8 contacted with a screw 143. It i9 understood that th~ slider 142 i~ made di~placeable along with an axis X as illustrated in the drawing by loo~ening the screw 143. Further, there are prov~ded another screw ~nd another ~pr~ng in a position right angle to the -~pring 144 and the ~crew 143 (both of them are not shown). ~he ~lider 142 is made displaceable along with the axis Y by loosening the another screw. With the arrangement, the incid~nt end of the fiber light guide 11 can ea~ily be al1gn2d to the axi-~ of the beam 50~.
As described hereinbafore, the second working laser beam 301 and the first guide beam 401 are mixed prior to the mix~ng of the first work~ng laser beam 201 and the second working laser beam 301. Accordingly, visi~le guide beam 401 can be used as a marker for the alignment for thP fiber light guide 11 and the articulated arm light guide 10.
In the abov~ descrlbed embodiment, the second guide beam ~ource 5 can be omitted. In this case, however, the third ~ix~ng mean~ 9 ls also omitted, and the first guide beam 401 iB irradiated i~dependently of the po~ition of the ~aid means 8. In this case, inst~ad of the thlrd mixing means a reflectlng mirror ig required to direct the beam 402 to khe fiber light guide 11. Further, i~ i3 noted that all of the 7~3 b~aIQ source~ and the mixing ~ean~ ar~ not re~u.tred to be dispo~d on the ~upport plate 101. Some of the~ may be d~sposed on the side plate~ ~hich hav~ prevlously b~en descrlbed~ In this case, however, e~ch of axls of the lrradiated beams of the source~ mu3t have e~ual dl~t~nce from the surface of the ~upport plat~ 101. Further in ~he embodime~t9 the fiber light guide 11 can ~e o~itt~d. In thls case how~ver, the optical path change-over mean~ 8, the second guide beam ~ource 5, and the third mixing means 9 are also omitted.
A~ previously de~cribed, the la~er irradiating apparatus of the present invention has such feature~ as mention~d below.
1) All the optical means ~uch as the working l~ser sources, the guide ~eam ~ource~, the mixing mean~, the optical path chang~-over mean&, and the light ~uidas are mounted to the single support stand.
2) The worklng laser ~ources and ~he guida ~eam sources on the front surface of the support plate of the support stand ar~ d~po~ed in such a manner that all the beams irradiated from the source~ are airected in the same direction.
Further, each of the sources is di~posed on tha front ~urface cf the ~upport plate in ~uch a manner that the a~is of th~
~ea~ which has ~een irradlated from each source ha~ an equal dl~tance ~rom the support plate and is kept parallel thereto.
3~ The f~rst guide beam which i~.output from the first guide beam ~vurce (a visible laser ~ourc~) i5 m~ed wi~h the sacond la~er beam before it is introduced into the opt~cal path change-over m2ans.

4 ) The ~econd la~er beam which ia output fro~ the second laser ~ource ls coaxi~lly mlxed with the f irst guide beam which Ls output :Ero)n the :Eirl3t gu:Ld~ beam ~ource af ter thQ~ beams are pro~ected f rom the~ir rQBp0Ct1~E! beam ~ourc~
Th~ lasex irradlating app~ratus z~ccordiIlg t:o th~
present invention i3 arranged such that ~hen it h~s received any vibrati~n c~r impact and the position o~ the E~uppoLt ~tand has been changed, the optical ~3y~tem of 'che apparatus does not present any abnormal~y. Because al~o3t every me~ns includin~ beam generating means, beam transmission mean~ ~
and other optical means are dl~posed on the ~ingle 6upport standO
In case the ~upport stand has had ~30me ~tretches and/or shrinkage due to the heat or age~, the optical ~eans dispo~ed on the single support stand rec~ive almost equal amount of effect. In other words, even when some change~
have taken place in the po~itional relation sf the optical mean3, still the relative displac~ent of each of the ~eans is rat~er small. Therefore, ~he present invention provide an apparatu~ which ha~ high stability ~n optical effect. De~irably, the support stand i~ inte~rally formed (for example, ca~ting etc.). Alternately, the support ~tand i~ disposed w~th~n the hou~ng in a m2nne~ that the support ~tand ~3 suspendad by some da~ping mean~ to decreasa the effect of the vibration and~or impact.
Also, according ~ the pre~ent inv~ntion, all the ~eams irradiated fro~ the bea~ sourc~s installed on the front surfac~ of the ~uppor~ plate Gf the ~upport stan~ are ~irect~d in the ~ame dir~ction and kept in par~llel one anoth~r. I~
addition, the~e b~am3 ars located at the ~ame di~tance from, and kept in parallel wi~h th~ ~upport plate. ~ccordingly, two b~am~ kept in parallel each other with and at ~h~ ~aD~
di~tance from the ~upport plak~ ar~ introduc~d in e~ch ~ix~ng means, Therefore, th~ above-mentioned arrangeme~t facilit~t~
mixinq of each beam. The arrang~ment i.s 5uch that th~ numb~r of mirror~ which ar~ re~uired in mixinq of beams can be decreased.
- Ab~ve-mentioned advantage i~ indispensabla to th~
apparatu~ which includes a plurality of loser sources and the ~ptical system which is complicated in its structure to ~i~plify and sta~ilize the optical system.
Further~ according to the prese~t invention, ~s described in connection with tne third faature, the structure is so designed that the first guide beam and the second working la~er b~am initially mixed together ~o that the fir~t guide beam can be used a6 a ma~ker for the optical axis align~ent of the incident ends of the two li~ht guides~ Therefore, it is po~slble to easlly perform ~he optical axi~ aliqnment of individual light guid~s a~d the labour required for the op~ical ad~ustme~t can be reduced.
Although detailed de~cription i~ omitted, the first w~rking la~er beam and the first gu~de b~am are inltially mlxed togetherO a complicated optical sy~tem ~u~t be incor~o-rated for perfor~ing the optical axi~ alignment of the dividual llght guides mentioned aboveO

Further a3 d~cribed ln connection with the fourth feature of the present invention, the mixing of the aecond ar b~a~ and the fir~t guide beam 1~ per:Eonued a~ter th~y ha~e been pro~ect~d from ~he b~m ~30UrCe~B. Thi3 i~ part~-c:ulaxly advantaqeous where the articulated arm ligh'c guide i~3 used as the llght guide as ment:ioned hereinbefore.
The th~ rd fe~ture produces pecul~ar ~ ct~ lrres-pective of the first and ~econd featur~s, and can be advan-tageou~ly incorpoxated in an apparatus e~uipped with two 10 llght guides.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A laser irradiating apparatus comprising:
a plurality of laser sources for outputting a plurality of laser beams each having a different wave-length;
a guide beam source for outputting a visible guide beam;
mixing means for coaxially mixing one or more of the laser beams with said visible guide beam;
light guide means for guiding said mixed laser beam and visible guide beam to a desired target;
said laser sources, said guide beam source, said light guide means and said mixing means all being fixed on a single support stand having a support plate; and one or more of said laser sources and said guide beam source being fixed to the same surface of the support plate so as to assure that all irradiated beams from the sources are directed in the same direction and their optical axes are kept in the same distance from the support plate and in parallel thereto.

2. A laser irradiating apparatus according to claim 1, which further comprises another light guide means and optical path change-over means for changing over one or more of the laser beams to direct the beam to the other light guide means, said other light guide means and the optical path change-over means being fixed on the support stand.

3. A laser irradiating apparatus according to claim 2, which further comprises another guide beam source on a reverse side of the support plate and another mixing means for coaxially mixing a visible guide beam from the other guide beam source with the laser beam directed by the optical path change-over means to the other light guide means, said other mixing means being fixed on the support stand.

4. A laser irradiating apparatus according to claims 1, 2 or 3, in which the laser source and the guide beam source are supported on the support plate with a spacer inserted therebetween so as to keep the distances from the axis of the irradiated beam of each source to the support plate equal to each other.

5. A laser irradiating apparatus according to claim 2, in which the laser sources comprise a first laser source for outputting a first laser beam effective mainly for incision of an object and a second laser source for outputting a second laser beam effective mainly for coagulation of the object, and the light guide means is a first light guide mainly for surgical operation and the other light guide means is a second light guide mainly for use in an endoscope device.

6. A laser irradiating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said support stand support plate has a protruded portion, and said support stand is perpen-dicularly disposed within a housing so that said working laser sources and said guide beam source are directed up-wardly and vertically.

7. A laser irradiating apparatus according to claim 6, which further comprises side plates attached to ends of the support plate, reinforcing plates which are disposed perpendicularly to the said support plate, and a cylindrical body which is disposed in a manner to surround the said protruded portion, whereby said first light guide is disposed on the top end of the cylindrical body.

8. A laser irradiating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the said support stand is integrally formed by cast-ing.

9. A laser irradiating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the said second light guide is a fiber light guide, which is disposed on a cylindrical body disposed on the support plate.

10. A laser irradiating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the other guide beam source is a halogen lamp.

11. A laser irradiating apparatus comprising:
a first laser source for outputting a first laser beam;
a second laser source for outputting a second laser beam;
a first mixing means for coaxially mixing the first laser beam with the second laser beam;
a first light guide for guiding the first laser beam and/or the second laser beam from the first mixing means to a desired target;
optical path change-over means for changing over the optical path of the second laser beam;
a second light guide for guiding the second laser beam changed over in the optical path by the change-over means to a desired target; and a guide beam source for outputting a laser beam used as a visible guide beam, said second laser beam and the guide beam being coaxially mixed by the second mixing means prior to introduction to the optical path change-over means.

12. A laser irradiating apparatus according to claim 11, in which the first laser source is a CO2 laser, the second laser source is a YAG laser, and the guide beam source is a He-Ne laser.

13. A laser irradiating apparatus according to claim 11, in which the first light guide is an articulated arm light guide, and the guide beam and the second laser beam are coaxially mixed by a dichroic mirror and a reflecting mirror after projection from their sources.

14. A laser irradiating apparatus according to claim 13, which further comprises correction optical means for collimating the second laser beam.

15. A laser irradiating apparatus according to claims 11, 12 or 13, in which the first mixing means comprises two reflecting mirrors for reflecting the first laser beam, another reflecting mirror for reflecting the second laser beam and the guide beam and a dichroic mirror for reflecting the second laser beam and the guide beam but penetrating the first laser beam.