JP2008253377A - Laser therapy apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laser therapy apparatus detecting that safety goggles for preventing a risk are rightly worn when using the apparatus and securing the safety of an operator against an accident such as radiation error in the laser therapy apparatus by the laser light radiation. <P>SOLUTION: This laser therapy apparatus is provided with a grip section 6 being gripped by the operator for guiding the laser light to a patient's affected part, a communication circuit 7 attached to the grip section and executing a short-range radio communication, the safety goggles 8 worn by the operator, a communication circuit 9 attached to the frame of the safety goggles for communicating with the communication circuit attached to the grip section, wherein the communication circuits 7 and 9 are adapted to communicate with each other when the safety goggles 8 worn by the operator and the grip section 6 held by the operator's hand for guiding the laser light approach a prescribed distance, so as to recognize that the operator wears the safety goggles and protect the operator from the radiation error and unforeseen reflected laser light. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser treatment apparatus that performs treatment using the effects and effects of laser light such as transpiration, coagulation, hemostasis, and incision on living tissue.

  In recent years, laser light has been widely used for medical treatment in the medical and dental fields in order to perform various operations including incision and transpiration of flexible tissues including gingiva, nerve tissue, and medulla.

  When laser light is irradiated on a living body, it can perform beneficial treatments such as surgery that makes an incision while stopping hemostasis with the thermal energy, but there is a risk of causing fatal injury or accident if used incorrectly. However, there is shown an apparatus (see, for example, Patent Document 1) that stops the oscillation of laser light when it is removed from the affected area of treatment and the amount of reflected light falls below a certain value, thereby improving the safety.

However, in conventional laser treatment devices, for example, in order to prevent accidents such as mis-irradiation of the eyes, when using the device, the user should be reminded to wear protective glasses. However, in reality, whether or not to actually wear protective glasses is left to the operator, that is, the doctor's consciousness.
JP 58-32758 A

  However, as described above, in the conventional laser treatment apparatus, wearing protective glasses depends on the operator's consciousness, and there is a case where the protective glasses are accidentally forgotten and forgotten. Especially in the field of oral surgery, there are many things that reflect laser light, such as dentures and surgical instruments, so when laser irradiation is performed without wearing protective glasses, the laser light is reflected from an unexpected part. The possibility of light entering the eyes cannot be denied.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a conventional problem. In using the laser treatment apparatus, the present invention detects whether the protective glasses are worn correctly and ensures the safety of the operator. It is intended.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the laser treatment apparatus according to the present invention has a first feature that a communication circuit capable of wireless communication is provided in both a gripping part held by an operator and a frame of protective glasses. To do. In a normal medical laser device, treatment is performed by irradiating a narrow area with laser light while visually confirming the affected area of the patient, so the distance between the gripping part and the protective glasses is inevitably within 30 cm, for example. Get closer. Therefore, if the communication circuit is set in advance so that the radio wave communication distance is within 30 cm, it is possible to detect whether the protective glasses are correctly worn near the grip portion. In some cases, the protective glasses are simply left in the vicinity of the gripping part. For example, a microswitch is attached to the ear-hooking part of the protective glasses and the microswitch is activated only when it is worn by the operator. If the communication circuit of the glasses is made to function, it can be detected more accurately that the operator wears the protective glasses.

  In addition, when the protective glasses and the gripping part are not properly communicated, such as when you have forgotten to put on the protective glasses, the laser treatment device will allow the operator to recognize with an alarm or the like to encourage wearing of the protective glasses A second feature is that the main body has a function of issuing an alarm. If more importance is placed on safety, when the wearing of protective glasses cannot be detected, not only an alarm but also a treatment for forcibly stopping laser irradiation may be used.

  With the above configuration, an accident that the operator's eyes are exposed to laser light due to forgetting to wear the protective glasses can be prevented, and a laser treatment apparatus that is safe for the user can be realized.

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

(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a laser treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The main body control unit 1 is built in the laser treatment apparatus and controls the entire apparatus. The laser resonator 2 oscillates and emits laser light, and the power source 3 discharges the laser resonator and supplies power necessary for the operation of the main body control unit 1. The operator sets the apparatus in the operation unit 4, the light guide 5 forms an optical path for guiding the laser light emitted from the laser resonator 2, and the grip 6 is attached to the tip of the light guide 5 for treatment. The grasping part 6 is provided with a communication circuit 7 at a part held by the operator in order to carry out. The communication circuit 7 is connected to the main body control unit 1 through a separate wiring from the portion that guides the laser light in the light guide 5.

  The protective glasses 8 protect the eyes of the operator, and the communication circuit 9 provided in the protective glasses 8 communicates with the communication circuit 7 attached to the grip 6 with radio waves or the like. As a power source for the communication circuit 9, a small coin-type battery may be used, or an electromotive force using a magnetic field as a medium such as an IC chip may be used.

  A micro switch 10 is provided as a sensor for detecting that an operator wears the protective glasses 8 on an ear-hook portion of the protective glasses 8 or the like. It is arranged at the ear-hook portion of the protective glasses 8 and the like, and the switch is operated by a pressing pressure or the like when the operator puts on the protective glasses. The alarm device 11 is connected to the main body control unit 1 in order to inform the outside of an abnormality of the device.

  The operation of the laser treatment apparatus configured as described above will be described. As a usage form of the apparatus, the operator wears protective glasses 8, and after starting the apparatus by turning on the power, operates the operation unit 4 to set the laser irradiation conditions necessary for the treatment. The main body control unit 1 controls the laser resonator 2 based on the laser irradiation conditions set by the operation unit 4. The operator holds the gripping part 6 attached to the tip of the light guide path 5 and changes the laser irradiation condition by operating the operation part 4 or treats the affected part of the patient while emitting / pausing laser light.

  As described above, in a laser treatment apparatus for medical use, laser irradiation is performed on a considerably narrow area such as the oral cavity while always checking the state of the affected part of the patient, so the distance between the operator's eyes and the gripping part that irradiates the laser Is necessarily close, for example, within 30 cm. In the present invention, at least laser irradiation is performed only when communication by wireless radio waves or the like is performed between the communication circuit 7 attached to the grip 6 and the communication circuit 9 attached to the protective glasses. The main body control unit 1 can recognize that the protective glasses 8 are present in the vicinity, and can detect whether the protective glasses are worn correctly.

  This distance may be detected by the distance detection unit as to whether or not the distance is within a predetermined range from the radio wave intensity.

  In some cases, the protective glasses are simply left in the vicinity of the gripping part. For example, a pressure-sensitive microswitch is attached to the ear-hanging part of the protective glasses, and this microswitch is activated by the operator wearing it. If the communication circuit of the protective glasses functions only when it is possible to detect that the operator wears the protective glasses more accurately.

  In other words, with this configuration alone, communication is performed simply by leaving the protective glasses 8 in the vicinity of the laser irradiation portion, and there is a possibility of erroneous recognition that the protective glasses 8 are worn. When the microswitch 10 such as a pressure-sensitive switch for detecting wearing is attached to the hanging portion or the like, and when the protective glasses 8 are correctly worn, the microswitch 10 is operated by the pressing pressure by the skin or the like, and the microswitch 10 is operated. If only the communication circuit 9 is configured to function, the main body control unit 1 can surely recognize that the device is used with the protective glasses 8 properly worn.

  Further, an alarm device 11 is connected to the main body control unit 1. When the operator forgets to wear the protective glasses 8 and tries to operate the laser therapy apparatus, the communication circuit 7 and the communication circuit 9 cannot communicate normally, so that the main body control unit 1 does not wear the protective glasses 8 correctly. The configuration is such that the operator is prompted to wear the protective glasses 8 by driving the alarm device 11 and issuing an alarm by sound, light, display, or the like. Thereby, it is possible to realize a highly safe laser treatment apparatus that can prevent accidents such as eye damage caused by reflected laser light from a denture or a surgical instrument or erroneous irradiation.

  In addition, at least one of the communication circuit 7 and the communication circuit 9 can respond to a change in the distance from the protective glasses 8 by making it possible to transmit a plurality of types of radio waves with radio wave intensity, frequency, continuity, and pulse. In addition, it is possible to control the output or to identify each other even when multiple devices are installed nearby, and detect whether an assistant is also worn near the operator. It is possible to control the output.

  As described above, the laser treatment apparatus according to the present invention has an effect of protecting the operator against erroneous irradiation or unexpected reflected laser light in treatment by laser light irradiation, and is useful as a laser treatment apparatus. is there.

The block diagram of the laser treatment apparatus in embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body control part 2 Laser resonator 3 Power supply 4 Operation part 5 Light guide 6 Grasping part 7 Communication circuit 8 Protective glasses 9 Communication circuit 10 Microswitch 11 Alarm device

Claims (5)

A laser resonator that generates laser light, a light guide that guides laser light emitted from the laser resonator, a grip that is attached to the light guide by an operator, and that is attached to the grip A first communication circuit that communicates by radio waves; protective glasses worn by an operator; and a second communication circuit that is attached to the protective glasses and communicates with the first communication circuit. The laser treatment apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. A distance detection unit that detects that the protective glasses and the gripping unit are close to a predetermined distance is provided, and communication is performed between the first communication circuit and the second communication circuit when it is detected that the predetermined distance is approached. The laser treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the treatment is performed. Even when the operator has a wearing detection circuit that detects that the protective glasses are worn, and the distance detection unit detects that the protective glasses and the gripping unit are close to a predetermined distance, 3. The laser treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the wearing detection circuit indicates non-wearing, emission of laser light is stopped. The laser treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an informing means for informing the operator to wear protective glasses when the wearing detection circuit indicates non-wearing. 5. The laser treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first communication circuit and the second communication circuit can output a plurality of types of radio waves.

Images