GB2214084A - Operating head for a laser apparatus - Google Patents
Operating head for a laser apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2214084A GB2214084A GB8828337A GB8828337A GB2214084A GB 2214084 A GB2214084 A GB 2214084A GB 8828337 A GB8828337 A GB 8828337A GB 8828337 A GB8828337 A GB 8828337A GB 2214084 A GB2214084 A GB 2214084A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- operating head
- tip
- operating
- laser
- head according
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B18/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body
- A61B18/18—Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves
- A61B18/20—Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves using laser
- A61B18/22—Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves using laser the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; Couplings or hand-pieces therefor
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
- G02B6/42—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
- G02B6/4296—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements coupling with sources of high radiant energy, e.g. high power lasers, high temperature light sources
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Surgery (AREA)
- Optics & Photonics (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
- Molecular Biology (AREA)
- Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Biomedical Technology (AREA)
- Electromagnetism (AREA)
- Medical Informatics (AREA)
- Otolaryngology (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Laser Surgery Devices (AREA)
- Radiation-Therapy Devices (AREA)
Abstract
An operating head (1) for a laser apparatus is made of an optically transparent, solid material and tapers to a blade-like tip (4). The blade-like tip may have a sharp cutting edge and an ellipsoided or angular cross-section. <IMAGE>
Description
OPERATTNG HEAD FOR A LASER APPERArUS The present invention concerns an operating head for a laser apparatus, said laser apparatus comprising a laser source for conducting a laser beam from the laser source to the operating head, said operating head being made of an optically transparent, solid material and tapering to a apex.
Operating heads of the kind described are being used in conjunction with medical and various therapeutic laser apparatus means to conduct a laser beam to the desired object, the purpose being to avoid diffuse radiation and those side-effects which it causes, and to direct the laser beam exactly on the desired object. Apparatus of this kind is further employed with a view to achieving a reproducible radiation effect so that the operating head can be held in contact with the ob ject to be treated and the distance of the operating head from the object to be treated cannot vary or exert a negative influence on the result of therapy.
An operating head of the kind described above is for instance known through U.S. Patent No.
4,693,244. The operating head disclosed in the reference comprises a rod-shaped and round root part with uniform thickness and, joined to this a conical # cund tip. In the reference the operating head, or more precisely, the tapeinc tip c the operating heat, has a conical axial section and sutstantial'y rounc cross section. A round operating head of this vype is oweer highly Inconvenient In use. Hardly any surgical in- cisions can be made with it, owing to the round shape of the tip.The conical, round tip meets high resistance in the operating wound when it is movea. The conical tip of the operating head can mainly only be used to direct the laser beam to meet the desired object. Any other surgical action has to be one wit a separate scalpel. The use af a separate scalpel Is usually awkward, and it is substantially impossible when simultaneous use of the laer beam together wich the scalpel is desirable or indispensable.
The aim of the present invention is to provide an operating head for a laser apparatus which is suitable to be used simultaneously both for performing surgery and for conducting light to the object of surgery.
Regarding the features which are characteristic of the invention, reference is made to the characteristic features part of claim 1.
The invention is based on the fundamental idea that the tip of the operating head has a flat and blade-like, that is, knife-resembling shape. A flat and blade-like shape of the operating head is understood to mean that the thickness/breadth ratio of the tip of the operating head is less than 4:5, for instance between 4:5 and 1:10, suitably between 1:2 and 1:5.
The tip of the operating head is in this context understood to mean the part constituting a continuation of the root part of the operating head and its apex, its cross section diminishing towards the apex, or the extreme, sharpest and narrowest part of the operating head, rhe radius of curvature of the edge of t flat and blade-like blade of the operating head of invention may be very small, I . e., the blad may very sharp, with the radius or curvature of the bad edge on the order e.g of n#10-3 mm, with n greater than or equal to 1.In that case the tip of the operat- ing head can obviously be used to make even very exacting IncIsions, in other words, it can be used substantially like a conventional scalpel.
In the knife-like tip of the operating head the progress of the beam lacks axial symmetry, which is typical of a tip waving conical shape. Depending on te strength of flattening, the radius tend t be directed to the edges of the knife.
The knife-like tip of the operating head presents better cutting properties than a conical tip, because as the radiation is discharged on the edges of the knife, cutting effect occurs in a wider area. In the case of a conical tip the cutting effect is punctiform, whereas a knife-like tip cuts with its entire edge. Owing to this characteristic, deeper incisions can be made with a knife-like tip.
Since the knife-like tip of the operating head is flat, it moves in the surgical incision with considerably greater ease than a conical tip.
The flat configuration of the tip of the operating head also aids the coagulating properties.
The large area of the knife-like tip coagulates an extensive area at a time.
If desired, the apex of the operating head may also be configured to have a plurality of edges, that is, the tip may form e.g. two, three, four, five or more edges, for different surgical incisions, for example.
In one instance, particularly when it is intended with the aid of the operating head to conduct higher amounts of laser beam light power to the object or cperation, the tip of the operating head may e round-shaped, fr instance suostartiall ellipsoid i shape. n that case there will be no nion enerca-- concentrations on the edge of the blade, and the blade will suffer no damage.
The cross section of the cutting edge of the tip of the operating head may be round in parts.
Depending on the material, the operating head of the invention is suitable to be connected to any kind of laser apparatus intended for use in medicine and medical therapy, known In itself in the art, such as an Nd-YA-G laser apparatus, an Er-YAG laser p- arans, an Ar laser apparatus, a CD laser apparatus, 2 CC2 laser apparatus, an Eximer laser apparatus, a dye laser apparatus, etc. The operating head may further be connected to the laser apparatus over any kind of optical conductor known in itself in the art, such as a mirror arm, an optic fibre, or another equivalent member.The connection of the operating head with the optic conductor is effected in that the laser beam travelling in an optically conductive substance Is guided to enter the operating head in a manner known in itself in the art.
The invention is described in detail in the following, with the aid of embodiment examples and referring to the attached drawing, wherein:
Fig. 1 presents an operating head according to the invention, in elevational view and in schematical presentation,
Fig. 2 shows the section II-II from Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 shows the lateral edge of the operating head of
Figs 1-2, enlarged,
Fig. 4 shows the operating head of Figs 1-3, viewed from the direction of the broad side,
Fig. 5 shows the longitudinal section of the tip of an operating head according to another embodiment of the invention,
Fig 6 shows the cross section of te tip of s operating heac. according to a third embodiment o ne 1nvenZon Fig. 7 shows the cross sects or tne -it of s operating head according to a fourth embodiment of te invention, and
Figs 8-10 present additional embodiments of operating head tip cross sections.
In Fig. 1 is seen an operating head according to the invention for a laser apparatus, said laser apparatus comprising a laser source 2 (schematically depicted in Fig. 1) known in itself in the art optical conductor 3. which has been disposed to conduct the laser beam from the laser source into the operating head 1. The operating head has been made of a solid material transmitting those wavelengths which are employed, and it tapers to a tip 4. In Fig. 1 the operating head 1 has further been provided with a handle 6 and with a special connector means 7, which connects the optic fibre 3 to the operating head 1 and guides the laser beam, arriving through the optic fibre, into the operating head.The operating head 1 comprises a rod-like root part 5, for instance having uniform thickness and round cross section, with which the tip 4 connects, tapering to an apex 8.
The tip 4 of the operating head 1 of the invention has flat and blade-like shape. The flat and blade-like shape of the tip is clearly seen in Figs 24, partial Figures 2 and 3 presenting the tip of the operating head as sectioned along the line II-II, and enlarged (Fig. 3). Furthermore, Fig. 4 shows the operating tip, viewed from the direction of its flat, or broad, side, that is, from above the tip. As shown in the figures, the tip is flat and blade-like; the edge 9 of the tip constitutes a sharp cutting edge.
In Fig. 5 is seen the tip of the operating head accorg to another embodiment of the Invent"o, sectioned in axial direction of the operating head and mainly at right angles against the flat side flat blade.
Examining the passage of laser rays in tne for instance uniformly thick, root part of the ope-at- ing head 1, one observes that the laser ras maintain the same angle a relative to the axis of the operating head which they had immediately after entering the operating head. If the part with uniform thickness of the operating head is long and chin enough, the ra at the very margins of the beam formed by the laser rays may hit the surface of the root part of the operating head.The angle of incidence is then so large tbat total reflection ensues and the ray continues onward at an angle of the same magnitude but with opposite sign.
If we consider the progress in the knife-like tip of the most marginal ray in the radiation beam (forming the steepest angle #t with the axis of the tip) when the angle enclosed by the surface of the tip and the axis is a. The ray strikes the surface of the tip for the first time at point A; at reflection che angles of incidence and reflection are equal. Immediately upon reflection the ray subtends the angle a + #t with the surface of the tip.When meeting the surface the next time, on the opposite side of the tip, the ray has the angle of incidence 900 - (3a + 6t). The path of the ray thus continues, the angle of incidence obtaining the value #i,m = 900 - ((2m - 1) a + 62t , ei,m > 0 (1) at the reflection of order m . When the angle of incidence #i,m turns negative, the ray starts to travel back.
Since the angle of incidence becomes smaller with increasing order of reflection, the total reflec- tion experienced by the ray will cease at a given stage and the ray will pass through the sir face. - reflection at which the angle o incidence is smalls than the limiting angle of total reflection, '- the ray's power passes through the surface, as tne ray is divided Into a reflected part and a transmitted part
If the angle of incidence at ref lection r. is smaller than the limiting angle of total reflectIon, the ray passing through subtends with the axis the angle
where nO is the refractive index of the ambient material (air or tissue) and nk is the refractive index of the optical material of the operating head.
It will be seen from equation (2) that when the ray has a more gentle angle in the part of uniform thickness of the operating head (the angle ranges from -et to #t), i.e., when the angle of incidence ei,= in- creases, the radiation beam directed forward from the tip is converging. The angle et depends on the divergence of the fibre and on the refractive index of the tip. Similarly, when the angle a of the tip becomes smaller, the radiation beam fans out (q2m increases).
Thus in the embodiment of Fig. 5, i.e., in a knife-like tip, the rays tend to become directed to the edges of the knife. This endows the flat and blade-like tip of the operating head with excellent cutting properties because as the radiation discharges on the edges of the knife, the cutting effect will be present in a wider area. The knife-like tip will then cut with its entire edge.
In Fig. 6 is seen a cross section of the tip of an operating head where the ratio of the tip's thickness T and its breadth B is of the order or approximately ll0. The corresponding ratio is about 2:3 in Ig. 7. In Figs 6 and 7, and likewise in i. 2, the tip of the operating head has a substantially oval cross section.The radius of curvature of the cuLtlng edge corresponds at the juncture of roct part and tit substantially to the radius of curvature of the root part: in the region of the apex 8 of the tip and in its vicinity, for instance about 1/10 or even up to 1/2 of the tip length toward the root par., the N radius of curvature of the cutting edge may be even as short as n' 10-3 mm, where n is equal to 1 or larger.
in Fics 8-10 are presentd tip cross sector configurations which differ from those heretofore described, being mainly angular, and which are equally conceivable in the operating head of the invention.
Fig. 8 shows a cross section with rhombic or parallellogram shape. In Fig. 9 is shown a hexagonal, and in
Fig. 10 an octagonal, cross section shape, the tip retaining in every case the inventive, flat and bladelike shape of the tip.
The tip of the operating head may be formed of any material known in itself in the art, such as aluminium oxide, e.g. sapphire, silicon oxide, e.g.
quartz, or of another equivalent material which is optically transparent and tolerates comparatively high temperatures.
The embodiment examples are merely intended to illustrate the invention, and embodiments of the invention may vary within the scope of the claims following below.
Claims (10)
1. An operating head (1) for n laser ap- paratus, said laser apparatus comprising a laser source (2) and an optical conductor (3) for conducting a laser beam from the laser source into the operating head, said operating head being made of an optically transparent, solid material and tapering to a tip (4), c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the tip (4) of the operating head (1) is flat and blade-like in shape.
2. Operating head according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the ratio T:B of the thickness (T) and breadth (B) of the tip (4) of the operating head (1) is 4:5 to 1:10.
3. Operating head according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the sharpness of the tip (4) of the operating head (1), i.e., the radius of curvature (r) of the blades edge, is on the order of n- 10-3 mm, with n equal to 1 or larger.
4. Operating head according to any one of claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the tip (4) of the operating head (1) has a plurality of edges, being e.g. a flat oblique parallelogram or another polygon.
5. Operating head according to any one of claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d In that the t (4) of the operating head (1) is maInly ellipsoidal 0 its cross section.
6. operating head according to an # one o- claims 1-5, c h a r a c t e r i z e a in that tbe tip (4) of the root part (5) of the operating head (5) is substantially round.
7. Operating head according to any one of claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the apex (8) of the operating head (1) is substantially round-shaped.
8. Operating head according to claim ', c h a r a c t e r i z e; in that the cross sect on of the cutting edge of the tip () of the operating re a- (1) is round In parts.
9. Operating head according to any one of claims 1-8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the tip of the operating head is knife-like.
10. -An operating head for a laser apparatus, the head being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in,
Figs. 1 - 4, or any one of Figs. 5 - 10 of the accompanying drawings.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| FI875777A FI82370C (en) | 1987-12-30 | 1987-12-30 | Operation head for a laser device |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8828337D0 GB8828337D0 (en) | 1989-01-05 |
| GB2214084A true GB2214084A (en) | 1989-08-31 |
Family
ID=8525643
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8828337A Withdrawn GB2214084A (en) | 1987-12-30 | 1988-12-05 | Operating head for a laser apparatus |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| FI (1) | FI82370C (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2214084A (en) |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0433464A1 (en) * | 1989-06-30 | 1991-06-26 | S.L.T. Japan Co, Ltd. | Laser guide probe |
| EP0441040A2 (en) * | 1990-01-30 | 1991-08-14 | C.R. Bard, Inc. | Laser catheter having diffraction grating for beam shaping |
| US5836938A (en) * | 1995-12-18 | 1998-11-17 | Slatkine; Michael | Hair removal with a laser system and waveguide for radial transmission of laser energy |
| US5879346A (en) * | 1995-12-18 | 1999-03-09 | Esc Medical Systems, Ltd. | Hair removal by selective photothermolysis with an alexandrite laser |
Citations (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1504496A (en) * | 1976-02-09 | 1978-03-22 | Research Corp | Photocoagulating scalpel apparatus |
| GB1546625A (en) * | 1975-03-14 | 1979-05-23 | Shaw R F | Surgical instrument having self-regulating radiant heating of its cutting edge |
| EP0125897A1 (en) * | 1983-05-14 | 1984-11-21 | MICRA Limited | Surgical knives |
| EP0181199A2 (en) * | 1984-11-09 | 1986-05-14 | William John Hoskin | Laser knives |
| GB2182565A (en) * | 1985-11-08 | 1987-05-20 | Micra Ltd | Surgical knives |
| US4729373A (en) * | 1986-12-18 | 1988-03-08 | Peyman Gholam A | Laser-powered surgical device with a vibrating crystalline tip |
| US4736743A (en) * | 1986-05-12 | 1988-04-12 | Surgical Laser Technology, Inc. | Vaporization contact laser probe |
-
1987
- 1987-12-30 FI FI875777A patent/FI82370C/en not_active IP Right Cessation
-
1988
- 1988-12-05 GB GB8828337A patent/GB2214084A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1546625A (en) * | 1975-03-14 | 1979-05-23 | Shaw R F | Surgical instrument having self-regulating radiant heating of its cutting edge |
| GB1504496A (en) * | 1976-02-09 | 1978-03-22 | Research Corp | Photocoagulating scalpel apparatus |
| EP0125897A1 (en) * | 1983-05-14 | 1984-11-21 | MICRA Limited | Surgical knives |
| EP0181199A2 (en) * | 1984-11-09 | 1986-05-14 | William John Hoskin | Laser knives |
| GB2182565A (en) * | 1985-11-08 | 1987-05-20 | Micra Ltd | Surgical knives |
| US4736743A (en) * | 1986-05-12 | 1988-04-12 | Surgical Laser Technology, Inc. | Vaporization contact laser probe |
| US4729373A (en) * | 1986-12-18 | 1988-03-08 | Peyman Gholam A | Laser-powered surgical device with a vibrating crystalline tip |
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0433464A1 (en) * | 1989-06-30 | 1991-06-26 | S.L.T. Japan Co, Ltd. | Laser guide probe |
| EP0433464A4 (en) * | 1989-06-30 | 1992-05-13 | S.L.T. Japan Co, Ltd. | Laser guide probe |
| EP0441040A2 (en) * | 1990-01-30 | 1991-08-14 | C.R. Bard, Inc. | Laser catheter having diffraction grating for beam shaping |
| EP0441040A3 (en) * | 1990-01-30 | 1991-11-27 | C.R. Bard, Inc. | Laser catheter having diffraction grating for beam shaping |
| US5836938A (en) * | 1995-12-18 | 1998-11-17 | Slatkine; Michael | Hair removal with a laser system and waveguide for radial transmission of laser energy |
| US5879346A (en) * | 1995-12-18 | 1999-03-09 | Esc Medical Systems, Ltd. | Hair removal by selective photothermolysis with an alexandrite laser |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| FI875777A0 (en) | 1987-12-30 |
| GB8828337D0 (en) | 1989-01-05 |
| FI875777A (en) | 1989-07-13 |
| FI82370C (en) | 1991-03-11 |
| FI82370B (en) | 1990-11-30 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US6620154B1 (en) | Laser surgical probe | |
| US5722970A (en) | Laser surgical method using transparent probe | |
| JP3148216B2 (en) | Treatment equipment by laser beam irradiation | |
| ES2634687T3 (en) | Hair cutting device and optical blade | |
| US20200038107A1 (en) | System for tissue abltion using pulsed laser | |
| US6893432B2 (en) | Light-dispersive probe | |
| EP1284672B1 (en) | Dual wavelength medical diode laser system | |
| JP3073994B2 (en) | Variable irradiation angle laser irradiation device | |
| JPH02213804A (en) | Laser light projector | |
| US5320620A (en) | Laser surgical device with blunt flat-sided energy-delivery element | |
| WO1993006888A1 (en) | Device for laser surgery in narrow passages | |
| EP0578756B1 (en) | Laser surgical probe | |
| US20100286672A1 (en) | Laser Scalpel | |
| US6673065B1 (en) | Slender tip laser scalpel | |
| GB2214084A (en) | Operating head for a laser apparatus | |
| JPS61502169A (en) | Medical and surgical laser probes | |
| JPS59120148A (en) | Laser surgical instrument | |
| Lenz et al. | Production of a nasoantral window with an Ar+-laser | |
| US6699236B1 (en) | Cutting blade for surgical instrument | |
| EP0591404A1 (en) | Lights-pumped high power medical system | |
| CN111772787B (en) | Surgical knife | |
| Rol et al. | High-Power Laser Transmission through Optical Fibers Applications to Ophthalmology | |
| CN111772789B (en) | Surgical knife | |
| US20240115319A1 (en) | Laser resection device | |
| Verdaasdonck et al. | Optical characteristics of sapphire laser scalpels analysed by ray-tracing |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |