Laser scanning method, laser irradiation device, and laser treatment system

A laser irradiation device comprising:

• a laser oscillator that supplies a pulsed laser beam to an optical fiber to be emitted from a distal end of the optical fiber in a liquid medium;
• and
• a controller configured to control emission of the pulsed laser beam by the laser oscillator,
• wherein the controller is configured to repeatedly conduct supply of the laser beam and stoppage of the laser beam,
• wherein timing of the supply and the stoppage is set to:
• generate a bubble at the distal end of the optical fiber by emitting the laser beam from the distal end of the optical fiber;
• contract the bubble by stopping the emission of the laser beam from the distal end of the optical fiber;
• and
• cause the optical fiber to vibrate by means of causing a contraction force to act on a space between the optical fiber and an operation member located adjacent to the optical fiber to move the optical fiber close to the operation member and by means of causing the optical fiber to move toward a side opposite from the optical member by a restoring force of the optical fiber when the bubble vanishes and the contraction force dissipates.

A laser treatment system comprising:

• a laser fiber to be positioned in a liquid medium;
• a laser oscillator that supplies a pulsed laser beam to the optical fiber to be emitted from a distal end of the optical fiber;
• and
• a controller configured to control emission of the pulsed laser beam by the laser oscillator,
• wherein the controller is configured to repeatedly conduct supply of the laser beam and stoppage of the laser beam,
• wherein timing of the supply and the stoppage is set to:
• generate a bubble at the distal end of the optical fiber by emitting the laser beam from the distal end of the optical fiber;
• contract the bubble by stopping the emission of the laser beam from the distal end of the optical fiber;
• and
• cause the optical fiber to vibrate by means of causing a contraction force to act on a space between the optical fiber and an operation member located adjacent to the optical fiber to move the optical fiber close to the operation member and by means of causing the optical fiber to move toward a side opposite from the optical member by a restoring force of the optical fiber when the bubble vanishes and the contraction force dissipates.

A laser treatment method comprising:

• disposing a distal end of an optical fiber in a liquid medium
• generating a bubble at the distal end of the optical fiber by means of emission of the laser beam from the distal end of the optical fiber;
• stopping the emission of the laser beam from the distal end of the optical fiber to cause the bubble to contract;
• and
• causing a contraction force to act on a space between the optical fiber and an operation member located adjacent to the optical fiber to move the optical fiber close to the operation member;
• and
• causing the optical fiber to vibrate by causing the optical fiber to move toward a side opposite from the optical member by a restoring force of the optical fiber when the bubble vanishes and the contraction force dissipates.