Medical laser apparatus for delivering high power infrared light
US5349590A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 11, 1993 |
| Grant date | Sep 20, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 11, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B6/4296
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A medical laser apparatus which comprises a medical laser and a waveguide is used to deliver infrared energy to a treatment site. The medical laser preferably delivers electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength of about 3.0 microns such as an Er:YAG laser (wavelength of 2.94 microns). The waveguide comprises a fluoride-based guiding structure surrounding an outer protective structure, and is capable of transmitting invisible infrared light at a wavelength of about 3 microns at a power density of at least about 4 kilowatts per square centimeter. The guiding structure has a core and at least one cladding. The protective structure comprises a jacket of material, preferably polyimide, which is substantially impermeable to moisture and has a moisture resistance significantly higher than that of the guiding structure. The protective structure surrounds the guiding structure and juxtaposed therewith such that the protective structure receives a portion of the infrared light which is in the form of leaky modes and has a sufficiently high transmittance to the infrared light, such that the energy of the light in the leaky modes is dissipated from the protective structure without damaging the …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.