Laser welding system
AssigneeAbiomed R & D, Inc.
InventorsRobert T. V. Kung, Robert B. Stewart, Meir Rosenberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser welding apparatus and system for surgically bonding tissue together provides a beam of coherent light at a wavelength corresponding to a specific tissue thickness at which full absorption of the laser energy occurs, and adjusts the energy of the laser beam in response to tissue temperature throughout the tissue thickness to prevent the tissue temperature from either exceeding a predetermined limit or varying outside a predetermined range. Preferably, the coherent light beam has a center wavelength of 1.9 .mu.m, and is variable between 1.85 and 1.91 .mu.m.
Claims20
Apparatus for performing laser surgery to weld tissue of predetermined thickness comprising,
- a laser source producing a beam of coherent light at a center wavelength of 1.9 .mu.m impinging on said tissue
- means for varying said laser source wavelength, such that said wavelength is at a value corresponding to substantially full absorption of said light entirely throughout said predetermined thickness of said tissue,
- temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature at the surface of said tissue to determine the temperature for substantially the entire thickness of said tissue when said laser beam is impinging on said tissue,
- means for controlling the energy of said laser beam in response to said sensed temperature for maintaining said sensed temperature below a predetermined tissue temperature.
Apparatus for performing laser surgery to weld tissue of predetermined thickness comprising,
- a laser source producing a beam of coherent light at a center wavelength of 1.9 .mu.m impinging on said tissue
- means for varying said laser source wavelength, such that said wavelength is at a value corresponding to substantially full absorption of said light entirely throughout said predetermined thickness of said tissue,
- temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature at the surface of said tissue to determine the temperature for substantially the entire thickness of said tissue when said laser beam is impinging on said tissue,
- means for controlling the energy of said laser beam in response to said sensed temperature for maintaining said sensed temperature within a specified range of tissue temperature.
Method for performing laser surgery to weld together at least first and second sections of tissue of specific thickness comprising the steps of,
- producing a beam of coherent light controlled to be at a specific wavelength and directing said beam onto said tissue, wherein said specific wavelength is controlled to a value corresponding to substantially full absorption of said light entirely throughout said predetermined the thickness of said tissue,
- sensing the temperature at the surface of sand tissue to determine the temperature for substantially the entire thickness of tissue when said beam is directed onto said tissue, and
- controlling the energy of said beam in response to said sensed temperature to maintain said sensed temperature substantially at a specific value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.