JPH05345039A - Laser probe - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize a laser probe which enables the irradiation of a laser light with a fixed irradiation intensity necessary for a lesion to be treated. CONSTITUTION:An adaptor 17 for collimation provided includes an optical fiber which makes laser lights to be outputted separately from a plurality of semiconductor laser elements 1a and 1b incident into an opening 7 of a laser probe 8 with which a treatment is made by irradiating laser lights to be outputted from the plurality of semiconductor laser elements 1a and 1b to produce one optical fiber output by mixing thereof and an optical system to collimate the optical fiber output.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laser probe of a medical laser treatment apparatus for irradiating a living body with a laser beam emitted from a laser generating section, for use in relieving pain, promoting wound healing and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various laser treatment devices have been developed for relieving chronic pain such as muscle joints and accelerating wound healing by irradiating a living body with low power laser light of about 10 to 100 mW. It has also become popular in clinical practice. (For example, Japanese Patent Application No. 3-328938) FIGS. 2 and 3 show cross-sections of the essential parts of the optical system of the laser probe of the conventional laser treatment apparatus. 2 illustrates a basic model of the laser probe, and FIG. 3 illustrates a case where an optical fiber adapter described later is attached to the basic model.

In FIG. 2, a laser probe 8 has a plurality of semiconductor laser elements 1a and 1b built therein. Semiconductor laser device 1 inside the laser probe 8
A and 1b are driven by receiving a signal from the probe cord 9. The probe cord 9 has a built-in electric signal line for control or the like and is connected to the laser treatment apparatus main body (not shown). The semiconductor laser devices 1a and 1b have a wavelength of 830 n.
The laser beams 3a and 3b with m and an output of 30 mw are output. In addition, the semiconductor laser devices 1a and 1b have their laser beams 3a and 3b.
The support 4 is arranged so that b passes through the condenser lenses 2a and 2b and crosses at the opening 7 of the probe 8, and its optical axes 5a and 5b are axially symmetric with respect to the circular central axis 6 of the opening 7. Is supported by.

In the case of irradiating a living body with a laser beam for pain relief, generally, a method of concentrating and irradiating a laser beam on a relatively limited area on the surface of the affected part of the living body is widely used. In the treatment, the surface 15 of the affected part of the living body is brought into contact with the opening 7, and a portion having a high energy density where the laser beams 3a and 3b are condensed is used.

It is to be noted that, as shown in the figure, it is mainly one that the laser beams 3a and 3b emitted from the plurality of semiconductor laser elements 1a and 1b are condensed to be equivalently high energy treatment beam. This is because the output of the semiconductor laser element is technically not enough to output the energy required for treatment, or it is advantageous to use a plurality of semiconductor laser elements having lower output in terms of cost.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a structure in which an optical fiber adapter is attached to the laser probe described with reference to FIG. 2 that are the same as those in FIG. 2 indicate components having the same or the same function, and a description thereof will be omitted.

The optical fiber adapter 10 is a stainless pipe
The optical fiber 12 is embedded in the through hole 11 and is detachably press-fitted into the opening 7 of the laser probe 8. The incident end 13 is made to coincide with the position where the laser beams 3a and 3b cross, and the laser beams 3a and 3b incident on the optical fiber adapter 10 are mixed while propagating in the optical fiber 12 and emitted from the emitting end 14. To be done. At this time, the laser beams 3a and 3b become a single laser beam, and irradiation that includes a relatively wide range of the living body surface 15 at once can be performed.

As described above, in the laser probe 8 shown in FIG. 3, the optical fiber adapter 10 is detachably attached to the opening 7 to convert a plurality of beams of laser light into one beam of laser light. Since the beam irradiation range is widened, the present invention is applicable to diseases such as wound healing promotion which requires a relatively large irradiation area to be uniformly irradiated.

[0009]

However, in order to irradiate a relatively wide range of affected area in order to promote wound healing in the above-mentioned conventional example, the optical fiber adapter 10 is attached to the laser probe 8 in FIG. When the affected area is to be irradiated, the irradiation range and the irradiation power density differ depending on the distance between the laser probe 8 and the living body surface 15 due to the configuration, and there is selectivity of the irradiation range. When it is necessary to keep the strength constant, it is difficult to hold the distance because it is necessary to keep the distance constant. Further, even when using a holder for some kind of laser probe, particularly when it is necessary to sequentially move the laser probe to irradiate a wide range of affected areas, there is a problem that adjustment of the distance is troublesome and treatment efficiency is poor. ..

In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention has an object to provide a laser probe capable of treatment regardless of the distance between the laser probe and the affected area on the surface of the living body.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a laser probe for a medical laser treatment apparatus which uses laser light output from a plurality of laser generators for treatment. A configuration is provided in which a collimating adapter having an optical fiber that focuses the laser light and an optical system that collimates the laser light output from the optical fiber is provided.

[0012]

In the above construction, the collimating adapter radiates the laser light emitted from the optical fiber as a substantially parallel beam in the collimating optical system, and keeps the irradiation laser light intensity constant regardless of the distance.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an optical system of a main part of a laser probe of a laser treatment apparatus, and the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 2 and 3 indicate components having the same or the same function, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Reference numeral 17 in the figure denotes a collimating adapter which is a feature of this embodiment, and includes an optical fiber 12 and an output end thereof.
The holder 19 is made of aluminum and contains and holds the plano-convex lens 18 disposed on the 14 side. The plano-convex lens 18 has a diameter of 12 mm and a focal length of 20 mm, and its front focus position coincides with the emitting end 14 of the optical fiber 12, and the laser beam output from the optical fiber 12 is converted into a substantially parallel beam. 20
And In the present embodiment, a diameter φ12 mm, a plano-convex lens having a focal length of 20 mm was used as the collimating lens included in the collimating adapter 17, but a different diameter, a plano-convex lens having a different focal length in view of the irradiation laser light intensity necessary for treatment. May be used, or another collimating lens system may be used.

The wavelength, output, number of laser generators,
Of course, the configuration of the condensing optical system and the type of the lens are not limited.

[0016]

As is apparent from the above description of the embodiments, the laser probe of the laser treatment apparatus of the present invention has a collimating adapter detachably attached to the opening of the laser probe for condensing a plurality of semiconductor laser beams. By mounting it, it is possible to convert multiple semiconductor laser light into one laser light and radiate it as an almost parallel beam. The irradiation laser light intensity is kept constant to promote wound healing. For diseases that need to be treated, it is possible to treat regardless of the distance between the laser probe and the affected part on the living body surface, there is an effect that the operation of adjusting the distance is unnecessary, the treatment operation is facilitated, and the treatment efficiency is improved. ..

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a laser probe in a laser treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a basic model of a conventional laser probe.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a laser probe equipped with a conventional optical fiber adapter.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a, 1b Semiconductor laser device 3a, 3b Laser light 7 Aperture 8 Laser probe 12 Optical fiber 13 Incident end 14 Emitting end 17 Collimator adapter 18 Plano-convex lens

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A laser probe of a medical laser treatment apparatus for irradiating and treating with laser light output from a plurality of laser generators, wherein the plurality of laser light are emitted from an opening of the laser probe. A laser probe provided with a collimating adapter including an optical fiber that allows a plurality of laser beams emitted from a laser generation unit to enter and mix, and a collimating lens that collimates the laser beams emitted from the optical fiber.