Laser system with short pulse characteristics and its methods of use

A method of treatment, comprising:

• providing a diode pumped, frequency doubled solid state laser system with a pulsed output that has a train of pulses with on times of 25 microseconds to 10,000 microseconds, the on times optimized for confinement of thermal effects;
• directing the train of pulses from the laser system to a tissue at a target site;
• monitoring a power of the pulsed output using a photodetector coupled to a controller, the controller including a software control loop that, in response to a signal from the photodetector, alters drive current of the laser system within about a millisecond, and a hardware control loop that, in response to the signal from the photodetector, controls pulse timing to within a microsecond;
• and
• adjusting the pulsed output in response to the power by comparing the signal from the photodetector to a target power such that the power of the train of pulses is less than 10% of the target power and the train of pulses initiates a therapeutic healing response of the tissue at the target site, and such that the train of pulses is insufficient to effect traditional photocoagulation at the target site.

A method of treating biological tissue by laser surgery, comprising:

• energizing a diode pumped, frequency doubled solid state laser system;
• controlling the laser system in response to feedback from a photodetector of the laser system with a controller, the controller including a software control loop that, in response to a signal from the photodetector, alters drive current of the laser system within about a millisecond, and a hardware control loop that, in response to the signal from the photodetector, controls pulse timing to within a microsecond so as to create an output of a train of pulses with on and off times that substantially confine thermal effects, wherein the train of pulses have a pulse width that is less than 10 milliseconds and greater than 25 microseconds;
• and
• directing the pulsed output wherein the controlling of the laser system is performed so that a power of the train of pulses is within less than 10% of a target power and is insufficient to effect traditional photocoagulation at the target site.

A laser treatment system, comprising:

• a diode pump source coupled to a frequency doubled solid state visible laser pumped by the diode pump source, the frequency double solid state visible laser producing an output of a train of pulses with a power of within less than 10% of a desired output power;
• a photodetector optically coupled to the laser;
• and
• a controller responsive to a signal of the photodetector, the controller including a software control loop that, in response to the signal from the photodetector, alters drive current to the diode pump source within about a millisecond, and a hardware control loop that, in response to the signal from the photodetector, controls timing of the train of pulses to within a microsecond so that the controller provides instructions to the visible laser to create a pulsed output of the train of pulses with on and off in a range from about 25 microseconds to 10 milliseconds per pulse so as to substantially confine thermal effects of the train of pulses to be insufficient for traditional photocoagulation, and so as to induce a healing response.