JPH05220162A - Laser device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable not only the use of the laser beam of a visible laser beam source as a laser beam for treatment but also the use as a guide beam as well while the constitution is simple. CONSTITUTION:A shutter 2 is freely attachably and detachably provided in the optical path L of a single laser oscillator 1 which outputs the visible laser beam R. The visible laser beam R of a high output for treating the body to be irradiated is outputted in the state that this shutter 2 is held retreated from the optical path L. A part of the laser beam R is emitted as the laser beam R for guiding of the low output not to affect the body to be irradiated in the state where the shutter 2 is held inserted into the optical path L.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laser device capable of selecting a guide light in addition to a treatment laser light.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when an invisible light laser such as an Nd: YAG laser is used, a visible laser light source with a weak output, for example, a He-Ne laser (output 1 mW) is separately incorporated in order to confirm the irradiation site. , Used this as a guide light.

Further, when the visible laser light is used as the treatment work light to perform a surgical operation on an affected area, for example, the visible laser light has too large an output, so that the visible laser light source has a weak output separately from the treatment laser. And the laser light emitted from this visible laser light source is used as the guide light.

[0004]

As described above, the conventional laser device requires a laser light source that emits visible laser light as guide light in addition to the treatment laser light source. For this reason, the entire laser apparatus becomes large and complicated and becomes expensive. The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is not only to use a laser beam of a visible laser light source as a treatment laser beam, but also as a guide beam while having a simple configuration. It is to provide a laser device that can be used.

[0005]

The laser device of the present invention comprises:
A laser light source that outputs a visible laser light, and a high-power visible laser light that is provided to be inserted into and removed from the optical path of the laser light source and that treats an irradiated object in a state of being retracted from the optical path, and is inserted into the optical path. In this state, a shutter for emitting a part of the laser light as a low-power visible laser light for guiding that does not affect the object to be irradiated and a means for switching between insertion and removal of the shutter are provided.

[0006]

In the structure of the laser device described above, by simply switching the shutter, the same laser light source can be used to output a high-power visible laser beam for treating the irradiated object, or for a low-power guide that does not affect the irradiated object. It is also emitted as visible laser light.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a laser oscillator (light source) that emits visible laser light. The laser oscillator 1 is composed of, for example, an argon (Ar) laser, a semiconductor laser, a flash lamp die laser, or one that uses the second harmonic of a YAG laser. On the (emission) optical path L of the laser oscillator 1, a shutter 2 composed of a mirror plate is removably provided. The insertion / removal operation of the shutter 2 with respect to the optical path L is performed by an insertion / removal switching means (not shown).

The shutter 2 has a surface on the side of the laser oscillator 1 as a reflecting surface, and when it is interposed in the optical path L, the optical path L
The visible laser light R from the laser oscillator 1 is reflected and radiated to the heat dissipation member 3 by being positioned at an angle of 45 ° with respect to. A transmission hole 2a is formed in the center of the shutter 2.

Then, as shown in FIG. 1A, when the shutter 2 is in the optical path L, a part of the visible laser light R from the laser oscillator 1 is transmitted through the hole 2a and is passed along the optical path L. It is designed to be emitted. Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, when the shutter 2 is retracted from the optical path L, all of the visible laser light R from the laser oscillator 1 is emitted along the optical path L.

Further, in front of the exit of the optical path L, there is provided a lens 6 which collects the visible laser light R emitted therefrom and makes it enter the incident end of the laser probe 5. The laser probe 5 is designed to be detachably connected by mounting its connector in the socket of the laser device. The connectors and sockets are not shown.

Next, the operation of this laser device will be described. First, when the shutter 2 is inserted in the optical path L as shown in FIG. 1A, only a part of the visible laser light R from the laser oscillator 1 is transmitted through the transmission hole 2 of the shutter 2.
The laser beam can be guided to the laser probe 5 as a low-power guide light that passes through a. When the laser oscillator 1 has an output power of 10 W, it is emitted as an output of 1/1000, for example. That is, it is possible to emit the low-output visible laser light for guide that does not affect the irradiated body.
Then, it is possible to carry out the guide work at the time of performing processing such as processing of the work piece and incision / coagulation / transpiration of living tissue.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1B, when the shutter 2 is opened to retract from the optical path L, all visible laser light R emitted from the laser oscillator 1 with an output of 10 W, for example, is directly output at high output. It can be guided to the laser probe 5 as various treatment light. Then, it is possible to perform processing such as processing of the work piece and incision / coagulation / transpiration of living tissue.

However, according to the structure of this laser device, it is not necessary to provide another laser light source for obtaining the guide light. In addition to the above, the shutter 2 is an optical filter (for example, when the laser oscillator 1 has an output of 10 W, the output is 1 mW with a transmittance of 1/1000).
May be

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. A laser oscillator 11 of this laser apparatus includes a laser medium 14, which is, for example, an Nd: YAG rod, a Q switch 15, a second harmonic generation element (SHG) 16, and a shutter 17, between an emission mirror 12 and a total reflection mirror 13. It is provided. The shutter 17 has a transmission hole 17a formed in the center of a mirror plate similar to that of the first embodiment. The shutter 17 is provided in the optical path L so that it can be inserted into and removed from the optical path L. Other configurations such as the laser probe 5 and the lens 6 are the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

In the laser oscillator 11 of this laser device, however, the wavelength of the infrared laser light is halved by the second harmonic generation element 16, and the visible laser light R oscillates. The Q switch 15 converts the laser light into a visible laser light R with high efficiency by making the laser light into a pulse shape to increase the peak power.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the shutter 17 is inserted into the (oscillation) optical path L and is in a closed state, only a part of the visible laser light R is emitted and becomes a weak guide light. It can be emitted. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, in the open state in which the shutter 17 is retracted from the optical path L, a large output visible laser light R is emitted and can be used as treatment work light.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment described above, and a power monitor 21 is provided in place of the heat dissipation member 3 to measure the emission output of the laser oscillator 1. Then, the control unit 22 controls the emission output of the laser oscillator 1 based on the measurement result to stabilize the laser output.

FIG. 4A shows the structure of the emitting end of the laser probe 5. That is, the light guiding fiber 2
A tip chip 26 that transmits a laser beam is attached to the front of the emission end of No. 5. The tip tip 26 is attached to a holder 29 which is detachably screwed into a holder 28 attached to the tip of a sheath 27 of the laser probe 5. The tip tip 26 can be attached to and detached from the holder 28 together with the holder 29. And tip 2
6 are prepared in various shapes according to the type of treatment work, and various ones adapted to various wavelengths of laser light are prepared so that they can be appropriately exchanged for use. When ultraviolet laser light, for example, an excimer laser is used, the material of the tip chip 26 is Ca.
F ₂ , MgF ₂ , quartz or the like is used.

FIG. 4B shows the laser device in which the abnormality detecting device 32 for the focal length of the handpiece 31 is incorporated. This abnormality detection device 32 is a handpiece 31.
Has a socket 33 for inserting and holding
An aperture 34 is provided coaxially with the socket 33.
The aperture 35 of the aperture 34 is located at the original focus of the handpiece 31. Behind the aperture 34, a power sensor 36 for receiving the laser light R passing through the aperture 35 of the aperture 34 is provided. The output of the power sensor 36 is discriminated by the output detector 37, and the controller 38 closes the shutter 39 provided on the optical path L of the laser oscillator 1 when the output is abnormal.

That is, when the focus position and distance of the handpiece 31 inserted into the socket 33 and positioned are normal, when the laser beam R is emitted, it is centered in the opening 35 of the aperture 34 as shown by the solid line in the figure. Most of the laser light R is focused and received by the power sensor 36, and exhibits a constant output level. In this case, it is determined to be normal and the shutter 39 is not closed. Therefore, it can be used normally.

However, when the focus position or distance of the handpiece 31 is abnormal, when the laser beam R is emitted, as shown by the dotted line in FIG.
The amount of light passing through is reduced. If the output of the power sensor 36 does not reach the specified level, it is determined as an abnormality,
The shutter 39 is closed. Therefore, the emission operation of the laser oscillator 1 is interrupted, and normal use of the handpiece 31 is disabled.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The location where the shutter is installed may be in the emission optical path of the laser light source or in the oscillation optical path. In addition, it is not limited to those that mechanically enter and retract to the optical path,
It may be a so-called diaphragm type insertion / removal switching means that opens and closes in the optical path to switch the passing light amount.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, the same visible laser light source is used, and a high output visible laser light for treating an irradiated object is output from the same laser light source only by switching the shutter. It is also possible to emit a low-power guide visible laser light that does not affect the irradiated body. Therefore, it is possible to inexpensively provide a laser device having a simple structure that can be used not only as the treatment laser light using the laser light of the visible laser light source but also as the guide light.

[Brief description of drawings]

1A and 1B show a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is an explanatory diagram of a schematic configuration with a shutter closed, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram of a schematic configuration with a shutter closed. ..

2A and 2B show a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2A is an explanatory diagram of a schematic configuration with a shutter closed, and FIG. 2B is an explanatory diagram of a schematic configuration with a shutter closed. ..

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of its schematic configuration showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4A is a sectional view of an emission end of a laser probe,
FIG. 3B is a schematic configuration explanatory view of a laser device incorporating an abnormality detection device for a focal length of a handpiece.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Laser oscillator, 2 ... Shutter, 2a ... Transmission hole, 5
... laser probe, 11 ... laser oscillator, 17 ... shutter, L ... optical path, R ... visible laser light.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Seiji Kuramoto 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Inside Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshihiro Kosaka 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tadahiko Ogasawara 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A laser light source for outputting visible laser light,
A part of the laser light that is provided in the optical path of the laser light source and outputs a high-power visible laser light that treats an irradiation target in a state of being retracted from the optical path and being inserted in the optical path A laser device comprising: a shutter that emits as a low-output visible laser light for guide that does not affect the irradiated body, and a unit that switches between insertion and removal of the shutter.