Lens exchanger for a surgical laser system and method therefor
OwnerIoan Cosmescuinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lens exchanger for a laser surgical tool is disclosed. This lens exchanger installs easily between the coupler for the laser source and the surgical tool (such as a laparoscope). The lens exchanger protects the lens on the surgical tool from contamination by water vapor, smoke and debris. The lens exchanger can be configured to provide clear windows so the surgeon can conveniently switch to a clean lens during surgery as needed. The lens exchanger can also be configured with lenses that change the focus of the laser cutting beam, making the cutting spot more or less focused as required by the particular application.
Claims21
A laser surgical system comprising, in combination:
- a laser housing;
- laser cutting means consisting of a single laser cutting beam for cutting tissue during surgery enclosed in said laser housing;
- laser aiming means coupled to said laser cutting means for aiming said laser cutting means and enclosed in said laser housing with said laser cutting means;
- coupler means having a fixed lens assembly located therein and coupled to said laser housing to position and focus said laser cutting means and said laser aiming means;
- lens exchanger apparatus means comprises a single rotatable plate coupled to said coupler means for selectively rotating at least one of at least two lenses in said coupler means, said at least two lenses being removably coupled to said single rotatable plate;
- and
- surgical tool means coupled to said lens exchanger apparatus means.
A laser surgical system comprising, in combination:
- a laser housing;
- laser cutting means for cutting tissue during surgery enclosed in a laser housing;
- laser aiming means coupled to said laser cutting means for aiming said laser cutting means and enclosed in said laser housing with said laser cutting means;
- coupler means coupled to said laser housing to position and focus said laser cutting means and said laser aiming menas;
- lens exchanger apparatus coupled to said coupler menas;
- and
- surgical tool means coupled to said lens exchanger apparats, said lens exchanger apparatus comprises, in combination:
- an upper housing having a laser passage and an adapter coupling assembly;
- a lower housing having a laser passage coincident to said laser passage of said upper housing, said lower housing being fixedly coupled to said upper housing;
- lens plate means located within said lower housing for providing multiple lenses, one of which aligns with said laser passage in said upper housing and with said laser passage in said lower housing in a first lens position;
- lens exchanging means for moving the position of said one of said multiple lenses from said first lens position to a second lens position to align a different lens of said multiple lenses with said laser passage of said upper housing and with said laser passage of said lower housing;
- and
- alignment means for aligning said lens plate menas to said laser passage in said upper housing and to said laser passage in said lower housing,
A method for exchanging lenses in a laser surgical system during surgery comprising the steps of:
- providing a laser housing;
- providing laser cutting means consisting of a single laser cutting beam for cutting tissue during surgery enclosed in a laser housing;
- providing laser aiming menas coupled to said laser cutting means for aiming said laser cutting means and enclosed in said laser housing with said laser cutting means;
- providing coupler menas having a fixed lens assembly located therein and coupled to said laser housing to position and focus said laser cutting means and said laser aiming menas;
- providing lens exchanger apparatus means comprising a single rotatable plate coupled to said coupler means for selectively rotating lenses to permit continued operation of the laser surgical system during surgery, said lenses being removably coupled to said single rotatable plate;
- and
- providing surgical tool means coupled to said lens exchanger means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.