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US 4,973,848 AGranted
Laser apparatus for concurrent analysis and treatment
AssigneeJ. McCaughan
InventorsAlexander S. Kolobanov, Rostislav D. Barabash
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AssigneeJ. McCaughan
InventorsAlexander S. Kolobanov, Rostislav D. Barabash
Estimating the term…
The present invention discloses an apparatus in which two laser beams are concurrently scanned across a region of tissue to be treated by laser therapy. A first "analysis" beam is used to excite characteristic light emission or reflection from the surface. This scattered light is detected and analyzed to determine the properties of the small portion of the surface under illumination and at that instant by the analysis beam. A second "treatment" beam is scanned concurrently with the analysis beam. The properties of the surface at each small region (as determined by the analysis beam) are used to adjust the power and other properties of the treatment beam such that each small region of the surface receives optimal exposure. Automatic controlled scanning of both beams allows very rapid treatment of large areas of tissue, while adjusting in real-time the power levels of the lasers to achieve optimal treatment at each point treated.
An apparatus for concurrent laser analysis and laser treatment of a two-dimensional surface comprising:
An apparatus as in claim (1) wherein said intensity regulating means comprises optical filtering means and feedback control circuits automatically controlling the intensity of said second laser beam by means of adjustments to said second modulator.
An apparatus as in claim (1) further comprising:
An apparatus as in claim (1) wherein said first and second lasers comprise semiconductor lasers pumped by electron beams, and wherein said first and second optical scanners comprise electrostatic deflecting means for deflecting said electron beams as an integral part of said lasers.
An apparatus as in claim (3) further comprising:
An apparatus as in claim (1) further comprising a means for joining said first laser beam and said second laser beam into a single beam of partially coherent light having a common direction of travel.
An apparatus as in claim (6) further comprising a single two-dimensional optical scanner positioned so as to scan said single joined beam over said target surface.
An apparatus as in claim (1) further comprising a narrowband optical filter transmitting at the wavelength of said first laser beam and positioned to filter said fluorescence from said first laser beam in reaching said detector thereof, and wherein said detector of said fluorescence from said first laser beam comprises a rectifying detector adjusted to rectify and detect at said modulation frequency of said first laser beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.