JP2009064994A - Laser device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a laser device to perform a laser output control efficiently, inexpensively and highly precisely in accordance with the structure of a distal chip, the difference of transmissivity or the like. <P>SOLUTION: The laser device includes: a laser oscillator 1; a control unit 2 controlling output of laser light by the laser oscillator 1; a cable 5 guiding the laser light output from the laser oscillator 1; the distal chip 6 fitted atop of the cable 5 in a replaceable state and guiding the laser light output from the cable 5 to an irradiated surface; and an IC tag 15 provided to the distal chip 6. The control unit 2 controls the output of the laser light by the laser oscillator 1 based upon information read out of the IC tag 15. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a laser apparatus that irradiates an affected area with laser light and uses it for incision, coagulation, transpiration, etc. of a living body affected area.

  In recent years, laser devices have been utilized and developed in various fields, and in particular, in the medical field, they are being applied every day and are showing their true value. As an example of a conventional medical laser device, for example, in Patent Document 1, a plurality of types of tip tips that guide laser light output from a laser light guide to a living body surface are detachably attached to the tip of the laser light guide. Laser device technology is shown.

  On the other hand, an IC tag using an IC chip capable of reading and writing various information has attracted a great deal of attention from the IT industry.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-197316

  In the conventional laser apparatus, the difference in the laser light intensity output from the tip chip or the temperature rise of the tip chip itself due to the structural difference between the tip chips or the difference in the laser light transmittance of the tip chip itself. Output control in consideration of prevention is roughly divided into the following two. As a first technique, an operator operates an operation display unit provided in the laser device main body to change the laser output condition. As a second method, the main body device is provided with an optical power meter for detecting the laser light output output from the tip chip, and the tip chip mounted on the laser light guide by measuring the laser light output in advance. Is automatically recognized and the laser output control value is automatically set. However, in the former case, the operation is inefficient and the setting of the laser output or the like may be wrong. Moreover, the latter requires an optical power meter for measuring the laser output of the tip chip, a guide unit for irradiating the tip chip to the sensor unit, etc. in the main unit, which is expensive and causes failure or deterioration of the tip chip. There has been a problem that misrecognition occurs due to a decrease in the transmittance due to.

  In view of such a conventional problem, an object of the present invention is to realize laser output control in a laser device that is efficient, inexpensive, and highly accurate in accordance with the structure of the tip and the difference in transmittance.

  In order to solve the above problems, a laser apparatus according to the present invention includes a laser oscillator, a control unit that controls output of laser light from the laser oscillator, and a laser light guide that guides laser light output from the laser transmitter. And a tip chip that is replaceably attached to the tip of the laser light guide and guides the laser light output from the laser light guide to the irradiation surface, and an IC tag provided on the tip chip. Specifically, the IC tag stores information related to the tip chip (for example, the type and transmittance of the tip chip) in a readable manner, and the control unit is configured to read the laser based on the information read from the IC tag. Controls the output of laser light from the oscillator. Thus, the control unit recognizes characteristics such as the type of the tip used and the transmittance, and controls the output of the laser light from the laser oscillator based on the recognized characteristics.

  As described above, in the laser apparatus of the present invention, the tip chip is provided with an IC tag having information on characteristics of the tip chip type and transmittance, and the control unit reads out this information. When connected to the light guide path, the laser device can automatically recognize the tip connected to itself, and can control the laser output according to the characteristics of the tip, the transmittance, etc. Optimal output control can be executed with high accuracy and without errors.

  Further, when the tip chip is connected to the laser light guide, the control unit automatically recognizes the tip chip based on information read from the IC tag, so that prior laser light output measurement or the like is unnecessary and efficient.

  Furthermore, it is inexpensive because an optical power meter or the like for tip recognition is not necessary.

  Furthermore, for the tip added as an application to a new lesion part, by reading the stored characteristic value, it becomes possible to control the output of the optimum laser light without changing the main unit, It is possible to easily expand the application range of equipment.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 shows an overall view of an embodiment of a laser apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a block diagram. The laser device according to the present embodiment includes a laser oscillator 1, a control unit 2, a main body unit 3 incorporating the laser oscillator 1 and the control unit 2, an operation display unit 4, a cable 5 incorporating an optical fiber 11 and a signal line 16, and A tip 6 is provided.

  An example in which the laser device in this embodiment is placed in a dental clinic or the like is shown. Since it is necessary to place various equipment in the dental clinic, it is necessary to minimize the occupied area. Therefore, in the laser apparatus according to the present embodiment, the main body 3 is formed into a body length with a small planar projection area in order to reduce the occupied area, and the operation display unit 4 including the display 4a is in a position where the operator can easily operate. Thus, it is provided so that the upper part of the trunk-shaped main-body part 3 may be covered. A caster 8 is provided between the bottom 7 supporting the main body 3 and the floor so that the floor can be easily moved. In addition, the operation display unit 4 is provided with a handle 10 used during movement. Further, the laser device of the present embodiment includes a foot switch 9 as a laser irradiation switch. For product safety, the laser is output only when the foot switch 9 is depressed by the operator.

  The control unit 2 controls the output of laser light from the laser oscillator 1 based on signals input from the operation display unit 4 and the foot switch 9 and information read from an IC tag 15 described later. The optical fiber 11 is controlled by the control unit 2 and guides the laser light output from the laser oscillator 1 to the affected part of the patient. The distal tip 6 is attached to the distal end of the cable 5 (optical fiber 11), and finally guides the laser light guided by the optical fiber 11 to the surface of the patient affected area. Different types of tip tips 6 are provided depending on the site of the affected part of the patient, the state of the affected part, the purpose of treatment, etc., and the structure is replaceable or replaceable.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the cable 5 and the tip tip 6 of the laser device according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 3, the same components as those shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the signal line 16 is not shown.

  The condensing lens 12 shown only in FIG. 3 condenses the laser beam 13 output from the optical fiber 11 constituting the laser light guide and makes it incident on the tip chip 6a or the tip chip 6b.

  The tip tips 6a and 6b are tapered or needle-shaped metal pipe laser light guides whose inner surface is formed of a thin film that reflects the laser light 13, and guide the laser light to the living body surface 14 by internal reflection. . The tip tips 6a and 6b are two examples of the tip tips 6 having various types, and the area (irradiation diameter) irradiated to the living body surface 14 is different, and the shape of the pipe for guiding light is different. For example, the tip 6b is optimal for being inserted into a thin pocket-shaped gingiva or the like and irradiating the laser beam 13, and the tip 6a is used for irradiating the laser beam 13 to a relatively wide lesion on the gingival surface. Is suitable. As described above, there are many types of the tip 6 so that the irradiation conditions are optimal for various forms and pathologies of the living body surface 14.

  The tip tips 6a and 6b in the present embodiment have different optical and thermal characteristics. Specifically, the tip 6b has a higher number of reflections of the laser beam 13 therein and a lower transmittance than the tip 6a. Further, the tip tip 6b has a higher temperature rise value than the tip tip 6a corresponding to the reduced energy amount due to non-permeation. Therefore, for example, even if the irradiation area changes and the irradiation power density is the same, laser light with a very high average output can be guided if the temperature rise value of the tip is high as in the tip 6b. The usage conditions differ between the two tip tips 6a and 6b.

  Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, an IC tag 15 is attached to the tip chips 6a and 6b. In this embodiment, the IC tag 15 is disposed on the surface of the tip chips 6a and 6b. However, the IC tag 15 may be built in the tip chips 6a and 6b. In the memory 17 inside the IC tag 15, information regarding characteristics such as the type of each tip chip 6a, 6b, laser light transmittance, and the like is recorded. One end of the signal line 16 in the cable 5 is electrically connected to the control unit 2. Further, connectors 18 and 19 are provided on the other end of the signal line 15 and the tip tips 6a and 6b, respectively, as schematically shown only in FIG.

  When the tip chip 6 a or the tip chip 6 b is connected to the cable 5, the IC tag 15 is connected to the control unit 2 on the main body 3 side via the connectors 18 and 19 and the signal line 14, and is stored in the IC tag 15. Information is read out as an electrical signal by the control unit 1. The control unit 1 displays the characteristic information such as the tip type and the transmittance read from the IC tag 15 on the display 4 a of the operation display unit 4. Further, the control unit 1 controls the laser output from the laser oscillator 1 by incorporating the irradiation power density, the average output limit value, and the like into the control conditions based on the characteristic parameters read from the IC tags 15 of the tip chips 6a and 6b.

  In the present embodiment, the tip tips 6a and 6b have different irradiation areas on the living body surface 14, but are set to have the same power density at the same output set value. In addition, when the tip 6b is used, the temperature rise value is higher than when the tip 6a is used, so that the upper limit of the output set value is limited to be low.

  In the laser device of the present embodiment, the tip chips 6a and 6b are provided with the IC tag 15 having information on characteristics such as the types of the tip chips 6a and 6b and the transmittance, and the control unit 2 reads out this information. When the tip chips 6a and 6b are connected to the cable 5, the laser device can automatically recognize the tip chips 6a and 6b connected to the laser device, and characteristics such as the type of the tip chips 6a and 6b and transmittance. The laser output control can be performed according to the condition, and the optimum output control for treatment can be executed with high accuracy and without error.

  In addition, when the tip chips 6a and 6b are connected to the cable 5, the control unit automatically recognizes the tip chips 6a and 6b based on the information read from the IC tag. Efficient.

  Furthermore, the laser device of the present embodiment is inexpensive in that an optical power meter or the like for tip recognition is not necessary.

  Furthermore, even for the tip 6 added as an application to a new lesion part, by reading the stored characteristic value, it becomes possible to perform optimal laser light output control without changing the main body device. It is possible to easily expand the application range of equipment.

  Although the wired IC tag is employed in the embodiment, a wireless IC tag may be employed. Although the present invention has been described by taking a medical laser apparatus as an example, the present invention can also be applied to laser apparatuses for other uses.

  The laser device of the present invention can control the laser output appropriately and reliably by providing the tip chip with an IC tag in which characteristic information such as tip tip type and transmittance is stored in advance. A tip having a new characteristic can be used without changing the apparatus, and is particularly useful for a medical or dental laser apparatus.

1 is an overall view of an embodiment of a laser device according to the present invention. The block diagram in embodiment by the laser apparatus of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the laser light guide 5 and the front-end | tip tip 6 in embodiment by the laser apparatus of this invention. The figure which shows the structure of the laser light guide 5 and the front-end | tip chip 6 (especially IC tag 15) in Embodiment 1 by the laser apparatus of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Laser oscillator 2 Control part 3 Main-body part 4 Operation display part 5 Cable 6 Tip 6a Tip
6b Tip
7 Bottom portion 8 Casters 9 Foot switch 10 Handle 11 Optical fiber 12 Condensing lens 13 Laser light 14 Biological surface 15 IC tag 16 Signal line

Claims (4)

A laser oscillator;
A control unit for controlling the output of laser light by the laser oscillator;
A cable incorporating a laser light guide for guiding the laser light output from the laser transmitter;
A tip that is replaceably attached to the tip of the cable and guides the laser beam output from the laser light guide to the irradiation surface;
A laser device comprising: an IC tag provided on the tip chip. The IC tag stores information related to the tip chip in a readable manner,
The laser device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls output of laser light from the laser oscillator based on information read from the IC tag.   The laser apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation display unit that notifies information read from the IC tag.   4. The laser device according to claim 1, wherein the cable includes a signal line for electrically connecting the IC tag and the control unit. 5.

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