Photodynamic therapy apparatus with solid-state laser and therapy method using the same

A photodynamic therapy apparatus using a solid-state laser, which comprising:

• a laser beam generator 10 for generating laser beams of a predetermined wavelength necessary for curing a tumor, which includes a pulse pumping lamp 12 for generating the light of a predetermined vibration energy and a laser stick 11 for generating laser beams of a predetermined wavelength by using the light from the pulse pumping lamp;
• a power supply 18 for providing the laser beam generator with power;
• a cooler 17 for preventing the pulse-pumping lamp from overheating;
• a first optical resonance-reflecting mirror 7 of convex shape for reflecting and amplifying the laser beams of the predetermined wavelength from the laser beam generator;
• a first rotation-reflecting mirror 15 for receiving and reflecting again the laser beams reflected from the first optical resonance;
• a barium nitrate crystal (Ba(NO3)2) 13 for receiving the laser beams reflected from the first rotation reflecting mirror and converting the wavelength of the received laser beams by using Ramman Scattering;
• a Q-switching lithium fluoride (Lif) crystal 9 for converting again the wavelength of the converted laser beams from the barium nitrate crystal through Q-switching;
• a second optical resonance-reflecting mirror 8 for receiving the laser beams from the lithium fluoride crystal and reflecting the laser beams of the non-converted wavelength while outputting the laser beams of the converted wavelength;
• a non-linear KTP (Potassium Tytanil Phosphate;
• KTiOPO4) crystal 6 for outputting the laser beams of the converted wavelength passed from the second optical resonance reflecting mirror at a predetermined wavelength:
• a second and a third rotation reflecting mirror 3, 4 for reflecting only the laser beams of a predetermined wavelength in the laser beams from the non-linear KTP crystal;
• an absorption energy meter 5 for absorbing a portion of the laser beams passed through the third rotation reflecting mirror 3 and measuring the energy of the absorbed laser beams;
• a central processor 16 for receiving the output from the absorption energy meter and controlling the whole operation of the photodynamic therapy apparatus;
• a safety shutter 14 for excluding the laser beams reflected from the fifth rotation reflecting mirror under the controlling of the central processor in case that the laser beams measured by the absorption energy meter deviates from a predetermined limit;
• and
• a focusing lens 2 for condensing the light reflected from the third rotation reflecting mirror and irradiating the light to tumor cells through an optical fiber cable directly or with an endoscope.