Safety device for detecting trouble in optical transmission fibers
AssigneeAsahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYuzuru Doi, Masato Hara, Hideo Yoshihama
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Abstract
A safety device for detecting troubles in an optical transmission fiber of a medical laser application to prevent accidents characterized by using either a laser light reflector from the exit end surface of the fiber or a secondary light. When trouble is detected, the safety device operates a mechanism for interrupting the coupling of a beam of laser light into the transmission fiber. The safety device includes an electrical circuit which allows appropriate use of the apparatus with the tip of the fiber in water or a physiological salt solution for treatment of a tumor in a urinary bladder. The electrical circuits will include amplifiers, comparators and logic circuits.
Claims10
In a safety device for detecting trouble in an optical transmission fiber of a medical laser apparatus, the laser apparatus comprising a hollow tube having an open end;
- a transmission fiber having an incident end surface and an exit end surface, said fiber extending into the hollow tube with the exit end surface being adjacent the open end;
- a laser light source for emitting a beam of laser light;
- optical means for focusing the beam of laser light onto the incident end surface of the transmission fiber;
- control means for interrupting the beam of laser light;
- and blast means for blowing air in the space between the tube and the fiber, the improvements comprising a safety device having detecting means capable of detecting both the laser light signal reflected from the exit end surface of the fiber and a secondary light signal and actuating means to operate the control means in response to detection of either the secondary light signal or the laser light signal and the signal from an operating blast means.
In a safety device for detecting trouble in an optical transmission fiber of a medical laser apparatus, the laser apparatus comprising a hollow tube having an open end;
- a transmission fiber having an incident end surface and an exit end surface, said fiber extending into the hollow tube with the exit end surface being arranged adjacent the open end;
- a laser light source for emitting a beam of laser light;
- optical means for focusing the beam of laser light onto the incident end of the transmission fiber and control means for interrupting the beam of laser light, the improvement comprising a safety device having first means for detecting a secondary light signal in the transmission fiber and creating a first output, actuation means for receiving the first output and operating the control means to stop the beam of laser light from being received in the transmission fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.