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US 6,122,300 AGranted
High repetition rate mid-infrared laser
AssigneePremier Laser Systems, Inc.
InventorsRobert J. Freiberg, Colette Cozean
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optically pumped mid-infrared solid-state laser with high pulse repetition rate is described for use in laser surgery. The laser produces a wavelength between 1.7 and 4.0 microns, and is optically pumped. The rise and fall times of the pump pulses are sufficiently short to avoid thermal lensing induced instability. The laser provides an increased rate of tissue cutting without necessitating an increase in the pulse energy.
Claims18
A pulsed, optically pumped laser, comprising:
- a source of pump light;
- a resonant cavity comprising a laser material positioned for pumping by said pump light, said laser material comprising a host material doped with Erbium, and emitting light in response to pumping by said pump light, the emission being at a wavelength corresponding substantially to an emission wavelength of Erbium, said emission wavelength being between 1.7 .mu.m and 4 .mu.m;
- and
- a circuit for energizing said source of pump light to produce pulsed optical pump energy at a pulse repetition rate of more than 10 pulses per second, whereby said resonant cavity produces laser pulses at said repetition rate, the intensity of the pump pulses having rise and fall times sufficiently short to avoid significant thermal lensing induced instability of the laser pulses in the resonant cavity at the pulse repetition rate.
1 more element
A pulsed laser, comprising:
- a source of pump light;
- an optical resonator cavity comprising a laser medium and reflectors, said laser medium comprising a host material doped with Erbium, and emitting light in response to pumping by said pump light, the emission being at a wavelength corresponding substantially to an emission wavelength of Erbium, said emission wavelength being between 1.7 .mu.m and 4 .mu.m, one of said reflectors being partially transmitting to produce laser light output and at least one of said reflectors comprising a curved mirror, the curvature of said mirror being selected to at least partially compensate thermal lensing effects in said lasing medium;
- a fluidic system for cooling said lasing medium, said system being configured to provide a substantially laminar flow through a portion of said optical resonator cavity containing said lasing medium in a direction parallel to a surface of said laser medium except at the boundary between the fluid and said surface of said lasing medium;
- and
- an electrical circuit which produces electrical pulses for energizing said pump source, said electrical pulses having a ratio of total energy to peak power less than 500 .mu.s, said electrical circuit supplying interpulse energy to said pump source between said pulses, said interpulse energy energizing said pump source to supply sufficient pump energy to said lasing medium to hold said lasing medium substantially at, but below, the laser threshold of said laser medium.
2 more elements
A pulsed, optically pumped laser, comprising:
- a source of pump light;
- a resonant cavity comprising a laser material positioned for pumping by said pump light, said laser material emitting light in response to pumping by said pump light, the emission being at a wavelength of about 2.9 .mu.m;
- and
- a circuit for energizing said source of pump light to produce pulsed optical pump energy at a pulse repetition rate of more than 10 pulses per second, whereby said resonant cavity produces laser pulses at said repetition rate, the intensity of the pump pulses having rise and fall times sufficiently short to avoid significant thermal lensing induced instability of the laser pulses in the resonant cavity at the pulse repetition rate.
1 more element
A pulsed laser, comprising:
- a source of pump light;
- an optical resonator cavity comprising a laser medium and reflectors, said laser medium emitting light in response to pumping by said pump light, the emission being at a wavelength of about 2.9 .mu.m, one of said reflectors being partially transmitting to produce laser light output and at least one of said reflectors comprising a curved mirror, the curvature of said mirror being selected to at least partially compensate thermal lensing effects in said lasing medium;
- a fluidic system for cooling said lasing medium, said system being configured to provide a substantially laminar flow through a portion of said optical resonator cavity containing said lasing medium in a direction parallel to a surface of said laser medium except at the boundary between the fluid and said surface of said lasing medium;
- and
- an electrical circuit which produces electrical pulses for energizing said pump source, said electrical pulses having a ratio of total energy to peak power less than 500 .mu.s, said electrical circuit supplying interpulse energy to said pump source between said pulses, said interpulse energy energizing said pump source to supply sufficient pump energy to said lasing medium to hold said lasing medium substantially at, but below, the laser threshold of said laser medium.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.