Laser system
AssigneeBausch & Lomb Incorporated
InventorMichael Yessik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser system which is compact, requires no cooling means and can produce either substantially continuous output or narrow single pulses of high intensity or pulse bursts comprises a closed spherical pumping cavity having a diffuse reflecting surface and a laser rod and a flashlamp mounted in non-parallel relationship in the cavity. The system is especially useful in ophthalmology.
Claims31
A multimode laser system comprising a laser rod secured in an optical pumping cavity defined by a closed, continuously curved surface, an excitation flashlamp for generating radiation disposed in said pumping cavity in a non-parallel and non-helical relationship with said laser rod, means for providing diffuse reflection of high reflectivity within the interior of said pumping cavity, mirror means axially disposed with respect to said laser rod for defining an unstable laser resonator with said laser rod, control means for actuating said flashlamp with electrical pulses of predetermined voltage, temporal spacing, and number in order to excite said laser rod and thereby to produce laser output pulses, and means for delivering said laser output pulses.
An optical pumping assembly for a laser, including a laser body member, said member having a cavity therein defined by a closed and continuously curved surface, a laser rod extending through said cavity, the axis of said rod defining an optical axis, a flashlamp extending through said cavity in a non-parallel and non-helical relationship with the axis of said laser to minimize direct illumination of said laser rod, and a high efficiency diffusely reflective coating on said surface of said cavity to maximize diffused and uniform illumination of said laser rod from said surface of said cavity.
A laser resonator comprising a laser body member, said member having a cavity therein defined by a closed and continuously curved surface, a laser rod extending through said cavity, the axis of said rod defining an optical axis, a flashlamp extending through said cavity in a non-parallel and non-helical relationship with the axis of said laser rod to minimize direct illumination of said laser rod, a high efficiency diffusely reflective coating on said surface of said cavity to maximize diffused illumination of said laser rod from said surface of said cavity, and mirror means axially disposed with respect to said laser rod for defining an unstable laser resonator with said laser rod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.