Isotopic CO.sub.2 laser and method of use for medical treatment

An improved medical treatment laser system including a gas laser for generating a beam of laser energy, a means for delivering the beam of laser energy to the medical treatment site, and a means for providing a gas for insufflating the patient, with the improvement comprising:

• a gaseous lasing medium in the gas laser defined primarily by an isotope different from the insufflation gas.

In an improved CO.sub.2 laser treatment apparatus including a CO.sub.2 gas laser for generating a laser beam and a system means for delivering the beam to the patient, and wherein CO.sub.2 purge gas is passed through the delivery system means, the improvement comprising:

• a lasing medium in said gas laser defined primarily by an isotope of CO.sub.2 different from the isotope used for the purge gas.

In an improved CO.sub.2 laser treatment apparatus including a CO.sub.2 gas laser for generating a laser beam and a means for delivering the beam to the patient, and a means for providing a gas for insufflating the patient, the improvement comprising:

• a lasing medium in said gas laser defined primarily by an isotope of CO.sub.2 different from the isotope used for the insufflation gas.

In an improved CO.sub.2 gas laser treatment apparatus including a CO.sub.2 gas laser for generating a laser beam and a system means for delivering the beam to the patient, and wherein purge gas defined by .sup.12 C.sup.16 O.sub.2 is passed through the delivery system means, the improvement comprising:

• a lasing medium in said laser defined primarily by .sup.13 C.sup.16 O.sub.2.

In an improved CO.sub.2 gas laser treatment apparatus including a CO.sub.2 gas laser for generating a laser beam and a means for delivering the beam to the patient, a means for providing the .sup.12 C.sup.16 O.sub.2 isotope of CO.sub.2 gas for insufflating the patient, the improvement comprising:

• a lasing medium in said laser defined by primarily .sup.13 C.sup.16 O.sub.2.

A method of performing laser treatment on treatment site comprising;

• generating a laser beam from a CO.sub.2 laser;
• directing the laser beam into a laser delivery system for delivering the beam to the treatment site;
• purging the laser delivery system with a purge gas of .sup.12 C.sup.16 O.sub.2 and wherein said step of generating a laser beam further includes utilizing as the primary lasing medium in the CO.sub.2 laser an isotope of CO.sub.2 different from .sup.12 C.sup.16 O.sub.2.

A method for performing laser treatment on treatment site comprising;

• generating a laser beam from a CO.sub.2 laser;
• directing the laser beam to the treatment site;
• insufflating the treatment site with an insufflation gas of .sup.12 C.sup.16 O.sub.2 and wherein said step of generating a laser beam further includes utilizing as the primary laser medium in the CO.sub.2 laser an isotope of CO.sub.2 different from .sup.12 C.sup.16 O.sub.2.