JPS5875566A - Treating laser apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 1) Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a therapeutic laser device with improved laser light output control and safety.

2) Conventional laser devices can produce laser beams with high energy density due to their ability to focus light, and this laser beam can perform cutting, welding, etc., making them suitable for processing in various fields. has come to be used for therapeutic purposes in the medical field.

For example, it is used to treat birthmarks (bruises, spots, freckles, etc.) in the field of plastic surgery.

This laser device for nevus treatment irradiates the surface of the affected area of a living body with laser light output from a laser oscillation source, either directly or indirectly through an optical fiber or lens system, thereby draining the energy of the laser light. The nevus is treated by carbonizing and burning it away. Other therapeutic uses include drilling, crushing, and incision.

In this way, therapeutic laser equipment is different from laser equipment for processing metal materials, wood, paper, etc., and is used for surgical purposes such as vaporizing, perforating, crushing, and incising living tissue, so they are the same. Because these surgical techniques are used differently for localized areas, and because the degree of evaporation and incision varies greatly depending on the affected area due to the specificity of living tissue, the surgeon has to select the most suitable surgical technique and the target affected area. It was necessary to select the appropriate laser light output each time before irradiation.

That is, since each state such as evaporation, fragmentation, incision, perforation, and burnout depends on the laser light output, the output must be selected depending on the surgical technique.

However, in the past, this output selection was done by operating an adjustment device installed on the laser oscillation source side, which caused problems in terms of operability when making full use of various surgical techniques depending on the situation of the affected area. .

3) Purpose of the Invention The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances. A treatment that is equipped with a switch and allows manual operation by controlling the laser output using the output of this operation switch, allowing the user to freely change the laser output energy according to the situation of the affected area and make full use of the desired surgical technique. The purpose is to provide laser equipment for

4) Summary of the Invention In order to achieve the above object, the present invention uses an optical fiber as a light guide for guiding laser light from a laser oscillation source, and uses the tip of the light guide to irradiate the affected area with laser light. A pen-shaped operating tool for hand-held operation is provided, and this operating tool is provided with an operating switch for increasing/decreasing the output, and the output of this operating switch controls a device that controls the current of the laser oscillation tube, and the laser oscillation is performed. The idea is to adjust the output energy of the tube through current control.

5) Structure of the Invention Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of the operating tool 1 of this device, and FIG. 2 is a view showing a cross-sectional structure of the main part thereof.

As shown in the figure, the operating tool 1 is pen-shaped so that it can be easily held in the operator's hand, and is used in a state similar to grasping a pen. This operating tool 1 is cylindrical.

For example, a laser oscillation source using a laser oscillation tube is attached to the tip of the light guide 2, that is, the laser light emitting end 21, by an optical fiber having a flexible and good light guiding property. The light guide 2 is inserted into the interior so that the tip of the light guide 2 is near the tip of the operating tool 1. Furthermore, when the operating tool 1 is held in the hand, the light guide 2 can be operated with a finger in that state. An operation button 3.4 for controlling the laser beam output variable is provided at a position.Of these operation buttons 3 and 4, the J-number operation button for controlling the output variable is a hollow one, for example, as shown in FIG. It is made of a synthetic rubber tube, and its end is connected to a pressure sensor 5 provided in the operating tool 1. When the operating button 3 is pressed, the compressive force is transmitted to the pressure sensor 5, where the pressure is increased. The structure is such that it is converted into an electrical signal depending on the number.

Further, the operation button 4 is used for irradiation to control the intermittent emission of the laser light layer, and is configured to be connected to, for example, a mechanical switch to turn it on and off.

In this device, an operating tool 1 is held in the hand as shown in Fig. 1, and a laser beam guided from a laser oscillation source (not shown) through a light guide 2 is emitted from the tip of the operating tool 1 to irradiate the affected area. and perform treatment and surgery. Since the light guide 2 is flexible, the operating tool 1
Since the direction of the tip can be changed arbitrarily, a desired position can be irradiated with laser light.

The intermittent laser beam and the adjustment of the output are performed by operating the operation buttons 3 and 4 with fingers, and the operation output is given to a control circuit described below for control.

In the above configuration, the operation button 3 in the operation switch for variable output control is a hollow rubber tube, and when the button is depressed, the pressure is transmitted to the pressure sensor 6, and the electric signal reduced to pressure is transmitted to the pressure sensor 6. Although this configuration is obtained from the sensor 5, it is also possible to use a configuration using a photoelectric conversion element instead of the configuration using the hollow rubber tube and the pressure sensor 5 as an operation switch for variable output control as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Mourning.

That is, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the operation switch part in a plane perpendicular to the axis when a photoelectric conversion element is used as the output control operation switch in the operation tool 1, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the plane along the axial direction. Reed, 6 is an operation button for output variation, 7 is a light emitting element, 8
is a light receiving element. The operating button 6 is rotatably supported at one end by a shaft 9 and is attached to the operating tool 1 so that the operating end of the operating tool 1 projects outwardly due to the spring 10. It is given such bias.

The operation button 6 has, for example, a circular hole 1.1 in the inner part of the operation tool 1.
This circular hole 111 is equipped with a diaphragm 911 having a diameter of m.
The light-emitting element 7 and the light-receiving element 8 are opposed to each other via the lower end position of the operating tool 1, and are mounted inside the operating tool 1.

Therefore, with such a configuration, when the operating button 6 is pressed, the operating button 6 is rotated inward of the operating tool 1, and the position of the circular hole 111 is also moved. Since the cross-sectional area of the optical path from the light-emitting element 1 to the light-receiving element 8 changes, the electrical signal corresponding to the amount of incident light output from the light-receiving element 8 is also varied according to the manipulated variable. That is, in the initial state, the light path is blocked and the amount of light incident on the light receiving element 8 is zero, but as the amount of operation of the operation button 6 increases, the area of the optical path increases and the amount of light incident on the light receiving element 8 increases. The detection output of the light receiving element 8 also increases. When the finger is released from the operation button 6, the operation button σ returns to its original position 9, and the output of the light receiving element 8 disappears.

A control circuit for controlling the output of the laser beam based on the output from such an output control operation switch system is shown in FIGS. 5 to 8.

FIG. 5 is an example of a circuit when a pressure sensor is used as an output element of an operation switch. In the figure, 5 is the pressure sensor mentioned above, and this pressure sensor 5 is a semiconductor which shows conversion systems opposite to each other with resistors R1 and R2. Using pressure conversion elements P8J and P8j, R
1 and Rj, and P8 J and Psl are respectively located on opposite sides of the bridge, so that they are bridge-connected. The connection point between R1 and Psl is connected to the DC positive power supply +Vce, the connection point between R2 and PBX is connected to the ground, and the connection point between R2 and PBX is connected to the inverting side input terminal of the operational amplifier opi via a resistor Rjm. Furthermore, the connection point between R1 and PBX is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier op via a resistor RJb. Furthermore, a feedback resistor R4m is connected between the inverting side input terminal and the output terminal of the operational amplifier op, and the non-inverting side output terminal is grounded via a resistor R4b to amplify the output signal of the pressure sensor 5. It is configured to work as an amplifier circuit. Note that -vccl is a DC negative polarity power supply, and the operational amplifier OP is operated by the power supplies of +v0 and -vcel.

The output of the operational amplifier OP is provided to the base of a PNI'H type transistor Tr via a resistor R5, and the base of this transistor T1 is opened and closed by the operation button 4 for controlling the intermittent laser beam irradiation. It is grounded via switch sw. In addition, the transistor Tr
The collector side of is connected to the grid of the triode vacuum tube TB provided for current control of the laser oscillator tube and the source and gate of the field effect transistor FET, and the drain side of the field effect transistor FET is connected to the DC negative electrode power source -v.
connected to eo. Further, the emitter side of the r transistor T is grounded via a resistor R7. The triode vacuum tube TB has its narrow pole side connected to a DC positive power supply +Veer, and its anode side connected to a laser oscillator tube number, and the laser oscillator tube is connected to another DC positive power supply +Vee& and the above mentioned voltage supplied through the triode vacuum tube TB. It is configured to be given a potential difference with a DC positive electrode power supply element VeCa and to oscillate laser light with a current controlled by a triode vacuum tube TB.

The circuit having such a configuration generates an output signal in accordance with the pressure applied to the pressure sensor 5 by applying pressure in accordance with the operating force of the operating button 3.

That is, in the pressure sensor 5, the resistors Rf, R1 and the pressure transducing elements P8J, P8j are bridge-connected, and the pressure transducing element P8
For example, pressure-resistance conversion elements are used for J and P8j, which have opposite conversion coefficients (plus and minus), and the bridge is in equilibrium when there is no pressure, for example, by setting the resistance values of resistors R1 and R2 to R2 in R1. If this setting is made, when an operating force is applied, the bridge will be in an unbalanced state corresponding to that pressure, and an unbalanced current will flow through the bridge. This unbalanced current is input to the operational amplifier op,
It is amplified here, but if the positive side of this unbalanced current is now applied to the input terminal of the operational amplifier OP, the operational amplifier OP will invert and amplify the input and output it. This output is applied to the base of transistor T, which transistor ? .

□ control.

The transistor Tr is configured so that its base side can be grounded via the switch SW, and this switch S
W functions as a switch for controlling the intermittent irradiation of laser light.

That is, when this switch 8W is closed, the base potential of the transistor Tr is zero, the emitter of the transistor Tr is grounded, and the collector side is connected to the DC negative power supply -Meet via the FE. , the transistor T whose base potential is zero when the switch SW is closed,
is in a cutoff state due to the bias relationship, so the collector potential of the transistor T is approximately -vcct, and the grid of the triode vacuum tube TB is at this potential of -v60, so the triode vacuum tube TB is also in a cutoff state. The current between the anode and cathode becomes zero. Therefore, the triode vacuum tube T
The laser oscillation tube that receives power supply through B does not oscillate laser light.

When the switch SW is opened, the base potential of the transistor Tr depends on the output of the operational amplifier OP, so the operation corresponds to the output of the operational amplifier OP, that is, the detection output of the pressure sensor 5. As described above, the switch 8W is opened and closed by the operation button 4 for controlling the intermittent laser beam irradiation, so by configuring the switch 8W to be turned on when the operation button 4 is operated, it is possible to open and close the switch 8W. Only laser irradiation is possible.

Now, when the switch SW is opened, the transistor Tr
The operational amplifier OP ratio output is input to the base of the . Since the output of the operational amplifier OP is an inverted amplified output of the output of the pressure sensor 5, it has a negative polarity, and therefore has a PNP
The type transistor T operates in response to the output sound of the pressure sensor 5, and its collector potential rises from the previous -vcct to a potential corresponding to the base input.

At this time, the field effect transistors FF and T perform constant current operation and function equivalent to a high resistance of IMΩ or more.

When the collector potential increases, the voltage between the cathode and the grid of the triode vacuum tube TB decreases, and the cutoff is released, so that a current corresponding to the grid potential flows through the diode vacuum tube TB.

Therefore, the laser oscillation tube oscillates laser light with this current value.

At this time, if you press the operation button further to increase the output of the pressure sensor 5, a current with a corresponding current value will flow through the triode vacuum tube TH, so the laser oscillator tube emits a laser beam with an energy corresponding to that current value. It starts to oscillate. Therefore, it becomes possible to obtain a laser beam with stronger energy.

Figure 6 shows an example of the configuration of a control circuit when the photoelectric conversion element shown in Figures 3 and 4 is used instead of the pressure sensor as the output element of the operation switch, that is, the element for variable output control. , PD in the figure is a photodiode which is a light receiving element.The anode side of this photodiode PD is grounded, the cathode side is connected to the inverting side output terminal of the operational amplifier @OP, and the operational amplifier OP is connected to the non-inverting side input. The terminal is grounded, and a feedback resistor R6 is connected between the output terminal and the inverting input terminal, so that it functions as an inverting amplifier. Since the downstream side of the operational amplifier OP is exactly the same as the circuit shown in FIG. 5, the explanation thereof will be omitted here.

In such a circuit, the switch 8w functions as an on/off switch for laser beam irradiation, as described above.

When this switch SW is in an open state, that is, when it is set to a state where laser light can be irradiated, when there is incident light on the photodiode PD, a current according to the amount of incident light flows through the photodiode PD, and calculation is performed. It flows into the inverting input terminal of the amplifier op. Then, the operational amplifier OP inverts and amplifies this and gives it as a negative output to the base of the transistor T, so the transistor T operates according to the input, that is, the output of the photodiode PD, and as a result,
The collector potential rises and a current corresponding to the photodiode PD output flows through the diode vacuum tube TH.

Therefore, the on/off control of the laser oscillation tube and the increase/decrease control of the output can be performed in the same way as in the case of FIG.

As a result of being able to turn on/off the laser beam and control the output increase/decrease by hand (fingertip operation), the surgeon can use the laser beam with the desired energy depending on the condition of the affected area, and therefore can select the most suitable laser beam for the situation. In addition to allowing full use of surgical techniques, unnecessary laser irradiation can be prevented, increasing safety. In addition, since the laser output can be varied by operating the operation button, the laser output can be known by the sensation of the fingertips when operating the button, which eliminates the difficulty of use due to the non-contact nature of laser light. It can be resolved.

The problem here is that pressing the operation button for variable output control with a fingertip may cause the laser beam to be misaimed at the target position.

However, this problem can be solved by reducing the operating force required to operate the buttons.

6) Modifications of the invention □ In the above embodiment, two operation buttons are provided, one for controlling the on/off of the laser beam, and the other for output control for varying the output of the laser beam from zero to the maximum value. This was the configuration used.

However, in actual use, there is no need to be able to vary the laser output from zero in controlling the laser output, and it is often sufficient to be able to vary the output from a preset value to a predetermined output range during irradiation.

FIG. 7 shows a control circuit for this purpose.

It is shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 shows a configuration in which a pressure sensor 5 is used as an element for output control, and is basically the same as that shown in FIG. 5.

Here, in order to be able to vary the output level of the laser from the set value, one of the resistors 81°R2 of the bridge comprised of the resistors R1 and R2 that constitute the pressure sensor 5 and the semiconductor pressure conversion element P81°PS2 is replaced with a variable resistor. The only difference is the container.

In the figure, the resistor R1 is a variable resistor.

With this configuration, by adjusting the variable resistor R1, an unbalanced current determined by the adjusted resistance value will flow through the bridge when there is no pressure, so if the switch SW is opened, the current determined by the unbalanced current value will flow. As long as it does not flow through the triode vacuum tube TB, a laser beam with an output energy corresponding to the current value of the triode vacuum tube TB is outputted from the laser oscillation tube. Of course, if pressure is applied to the semiconductor pressure transducers P8J and P8Jf by operating the operation button 3, the unbalanced current increases accordingly, so that the laser output also increases.

In this way, by adjusting the variable resistor, the desired output energy level can be set as the minimum output level, and the output of the laser beam can be controlled from this level.

FIG. 8 shows a configuration in which a photoelectric conversion element such as a photodiode PD is used as an output control element. In this case as well, the basic configuration is the same as that of the circuit shown in FIG. DC positive power supply +Vi via resistor R8
The difference is that the configuration is such that the voltage is applied to the inversion side input terminal.

With this configuration, the output of the operational amplifier OP given via the variable resistor R8 is biased to the negative side, so when the switch SW is opened, a negative output corresponding to the bias amount is generated. As a result, a current corresponding to the bias amount flows through the diode vacuum tube TH, and the laser oscillation tube outputs a laser beam with an output energy level corresponding to the current. Of course, if the amount of light incident on the photodiode PD is increased, the output energy level of the laser beam will also increase accordingly.

In this way, it is possible to set the set level of the variable resistor R8 to the moth/low shitemo output level and control the output energy level of the laser beam from this set level.

Incidentally, the present invention is not limited to the above-described aspects. The embodiments are not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings and can be modified as appropriate without changing the gist of the embodiments. For example, although a laser oscillation tube has been described as a laser oscillation source, this is not limited to a solid-state laser element. In addition, in addition to a pressure sensor or a photoelectric conversion element, a detection element such as a Hall element, a variable resistor, etc. may be used as the variable output control element.
It is also possible to use a two-stage operating button for controlling the output so that the first stage turns on and off the laser beam, and the second stage controls the output level.

7) Effects of the Invention As detailed above, the present invention guides laser light from a laser oscillation source through a flexible light guide, and irradiates the affected area with the laser light emitted from the tip of the light guide. In the therapeutic laser device, an operating tool for hand-held operation is provided on the laser beam emitting end side portion of the light guide, and the operating tool has a position where the operating tool can be operated with a fingertip when the operating tool is held in the hand. When the operating unit is provided, an output control signal generating device is provided that generates an output according to the operating amount thereof, and a device is provided that varies the output energy level of the laser oscillation source based on the level of the neutral power control signal, Since the output control signal generator of the operating tool can be operated to generate an output control signal according to the amount of operation, and the output energy level of the laser oscillation source can be adjusted, the operator can The energy level of the output laser beam can be adjusted by operating the operating section of the output control signal generator provided on the operating tool for irradiating the laser beam with a fingertip, so the desired energy level can be adjusted depending on the condition of the affected area. can be irradiated with laser light.

It is possible to provide a therapeutic laser device which has excellent features such as not only the desired surgical technique can be used, but also the laser beam irradiation control 1 can be carried out manually, so the operation is highly safe.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the operating tool part of the device of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the main part, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the main part. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the operating tool and a cross-sectional view of a plane along the axial direction showing another example of the operation switch portion for output control, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are views of the device of the present invention. Figures 7 and 8 are circuit diagrams showing variations of the output control circuit. Mo1...Operation-12...Light guide, 21...Laser light emitting end, 3,4.6...Operation button, 5...Pressure sensor, 1...Light emitting element, 8 ...light receiving element, 9...axis,
1o...Spring, R1, R2, ~R8...Resistance, OP
...Operation amplifier, T, ...Transistor, FIT・
...field effect transistor, TB...triode vacuum tube, s
w-φ switch, PD... photodiode.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a therapeutic laser device that guides laser light from a laser oscillation source through a flexible light guide and irradiates the affected area with the laser light emitted from the tip side of the light guide, the light guide An operating tool for hand-held operation is provided on the side of the laser beam emitting end, and the operating tool is provided with an operating section at a position where it can be operated with a fingertip when in use, and an output corresponding to the amount of operation of the operating section is provided. A device for generating an output control signal and a device for varying the output energy level of the laser oscillation source in accordance with the output of this device are provided so that the output of the laser beam can be controlled manually. Treatment laser equipment. (21) The therapeutic laser device according to claim 1, wherein the operating tool is provided with a switch for controlling on/off the laser oscillation of the laser oscillation source.