Laser systems
AssigneePoint Source Limited
InventorsIan Peter Alcock, David James Pointer, David Anthony Egan
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Abstract
A laser system 1 comprises six solid state diode laser modules 37.1 to 37.6 whose output beams are directly coupled into beam steering devices 38.1 to 38.6 and thereby routed to laser combining dichroic mirrors 39.1 to 39.6, which combine the individual laser beams into a single, co-aligned beam. The combined laser beam is directed into an optical fiber 41.1 for delivery to a target optical instrument such as a microscope. The output beam from delivery optical fiber 41.1 is coupled to the target instrument via fiber output collimating optics 42.1. The output of each of the diode lasers 37.1 to 37.6 is controlled by direct modulation of the lasers' control (drive) currents.
Claims20
A laser source system for providing a laser output beam for delivery to a target in an optical instrument, the system comprising:
- two or more diode lasers;
- a control system in communication with said two or more diode lasers, said control system controls one or more outputs of the two or more diode lasers;
- one or more optical fibres delivering one or more output beams of the two or more diode lasers to a desired target;
- and
- coupling optics connected to said one or more optical fibres, the coupling optics receive the one or more output beams of the two or more diode lasers and direct the one or more output beams into the one or more optical fibres;
- and
- wherein:
- one or more of the diode lasers is arranged to be selectively operable over a range of output intensity that includes the diode laser's lasing threshold point, the range extends above and below the diode laser's lasing threshold point.
A method of operating a laser source, comprising:
- controlling one or more outputs of two or more diode lasers to provide one or more laser beams for delivery to a target;
- coupling the one or more laser beams from the two or more diode lasers into one or more optical fibres;
- and
- providing the one or more laser beams output by the one or more optical fibres to a target in an optical instrument;
- and
- operating one or more of the diode lasers over a range of output intensity that includes the respective diode laser's lasing threshold point, the range extends above and below the diode laser's lasing threshold point.
One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming said one or more processors to perform a method of operating a laser source that comprises two or more diode lasers whose output laser beam or beams are coupled into one or more optical fibres, and in which the beam or beams output by the optical fibre or fibres are provided for delivery to a target in an optical instrument, the method comprising:
- controlling the output of the one or more diode lasers to provide one or more laser beams for delivery to the target;
- and
- operating one or more of the diode lasers over a range of output intensity that includes the respective diode laser's lasing threshold point, the range extends above and below the diode laser's lasing threshold point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.