JP2550238Y2 - Cooling system - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

This invention relates to a pipe member provided with a pump in the middle thereof, wherein both ends of the pipe member are connected to the main body case so as to be able to communicate with each other, and the pump is driven to circulate cooling water and distribute the cooling water inside the main body case. The present invention relates to a cooling device configured to cool a heat source such as a laser oscillator provided.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a laser treatment machine using a high-power laser such as a ruby laser or an argon laser, a water-cooled cooling device is used as a cooling device for cooling a heat source such as a laser oscillator. ing.

[0003] In this water-cooling type cooling device, generally, both ends of a pipe member provided with a pump in the middle thereof are connected to a main body case so as to be able to communicate with each other. It is configured to cool a heat source such as a laser oscillator provided.

On the other hand, in the water-cooled type cooling device configured as described above, especially when it is used in a cold region or the like,
The water is drained when not in use to prevent the cooling water in the pipe member and the body case from freezing.

[0005]

When using the laser treatment machine constructed as described above, for example, in the winter season, it could not be used without replenishing drained cooling water. .

[0006] The conditions of use in the winter are particularly used for medical laser scalpels and the like that need to be in a state of being used immediately, such as emergency surgery, when used for a long period of time. It was difficult to cope with some water-cooled cooling devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a cooling device which does not require drainage when not in use even in winter when the temperature of the outside air decreases, and can be used immediately. It is intended for.

[0008]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the object, both ends of a pipe member provided with a pump in the middle thereof are connected to a main body case so as to communicate with each other, and cooling water is driven by driving the pump. In a water-cooled cooling device configured to circulate and cool a heat source disposed in the main body case, the pump includes a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of outside air, and the temperature sensor when not in use. A control circuit for automatically turning on the drive of the pump when it is detected that the outside air temperature has dropped, and automatically turning off the drive of the pump when it is detected that the outside air temperature has risen. The gist is that the control is performed by the control device.

[0009]

In such a configuration, when the temperature sensor detects a decrease in the temperature of the outside air when not in use, and the control circuit determines that the cooling water may be frozen based on the detection result, The control circuit drives the pump to circulate the cooling water. When the control circuit determines that the temperature of the outside air has risen, the control circuit stops driving the pump and stops circulation of the cooling water. As a result, the cooling water is automatically circulated when the temperature is low in winter, so that the cooling water is prevented from freezing.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the case where the cooling device of the present invention is applied to a laser scalpel as a laser treatment machine will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a laser treatment machine according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main body case, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of an optical system of a laser knife.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a laser generator of a laser scalpel body (not shown) for medical use, and the laser generator 1 includes a laser medium 2 such as ruby or argon.
(Laser oscillator), an excitation medium 3 such as a flash lamp, and a high-reflection mirror 4a before and after the laser medium 2.
And an output coupling mirror 4b. The laser medium 2 and the excitation medium 3 are housed in a main body case 5. In FIG. 3, 6 is a condenser lens, 7
Denotes a fiber, 8 denotes a hand-held lens, 9 denotes a skin surface (affected part) of a patient, and R denotes a laser beam.

As shown in FIG. 2, the main body case 5 has a structure in which a pair of cases 5a and 5b are combined, and a hollow portion 5c having a circular cross section is formed by the structure in which the cases 5a and 5b are combined. ing. Further, through holes 5d and 5e are formed in the case 5a.

A reflection film (not shown) is provided on the surface of the hollow portion 5c.
Is set so that light emitted from the excitation medium 3 disposed in the hollow chamber 5c is reflected to the laser medium 2 by the reflection film.

As shown in FIG. 1, both ends 11a and 11b of a pipe member 11 provided with a pump 10 in the middle are connected to the through holes 5d and 5e, and the cooling water (FIGS. (See arrows a and b in FIG. 2) to cool the laser medium 2 and the cooling medium 3 disposed in the hollow chamber 5c of the main body case 5.

The pump 10 includes a temperature sensor 12 (for example, a bimetal or a thermistor) for detecting the temperature of the outside air,
The control device 14 includes a control circuit 13 that automatically turns on and off the driving of the pump 10 based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 12.

The cooling water circulating in the pipe 11 is a known one.
For example, after being cooled in an air-cooling type cooling unit 15 having a radiating fan, it is set so as to be fed again into the hollow chamber 5c of the main body case 5.

In the above configuration, when using a laser scalpel, a foot switch (not shown) is operated to output a laser beam R by the laser generator 1 so that the skin surface 9 of the patient and the hand-held lens 8 can be moved. The skin surface 9 is irradiated with laser light while adjusting the distance. At this time, the temperature of the heat source such as the laser medium 2 and the excitation medium 3 disposed in the hollow chamber 5c of the main body case 5 tends to increase, but this heat source is cooled by the circulation of the cooling water.

On the other hand, when the laser scalpel is not used, the temperature sensor 12 detects a temperature drop or a temperature rise of the outside air, and based on the detection result, the cooling water can be frozen by the temperature drop of the outside air. When the control circuit 13 determines that there is a possibility, the pump 10 is driven to circulate the cooling water, so that freezing of the cooling water in winter is prevented. When the control circuit determines that the outside air temperature has risen, the control circuit 13 stops driving the pump, the circulation of the cooling water is stopped, and there is no unnecessary circulation of the cooling water.

[0020]

As described above, in the cooling device of the present invention, even when the cooling device is not in use, the cooling water is automatically circulated at a low temperature in winter, so that the cooling water can be automatically prevented from freezing. . Therefore, it is not necessary to drain the cooling water even when it is not used in winter when the temperature of the outside air decreases.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a laser treatment machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main body case.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an optical system of a laser knife.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 ... Laser medium (laser oscillator) 5 ... Main body case 10 ... Pump 11 ... Pipe members 11a, 11b ... Ends 12 ... Temperature sensor 13 ... Control circuit 14 ... Control device

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] An end portion of a pipe member provided with a pump in the middle thereof is connected to a main body case in a communicable manner, and the pump is driven to circulate cooling water so that a heat source disposed in the main body case is provided. In a water-cooled cooling device configured to cool, the pump includes a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of outside air, and the pump is driven when the temperature sensor detects that the outside air temperature has dropped when not in use. And a control circuit for automatically turning off the pump and automatically turning off the drive of the pump when it is detected that the outside air temperature has risen. .