Ultra long pulsed dye laser device for treatment of ectatic vessels and method therefor
US6391022B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 16, 1998 |
| Grant date | May 21, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 16, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B2018/207
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A long pulsed dye laser device for selective photothermolysis comprises at least two pulsed dye lasers, such as flash lamp excited dye lasers, each generating corresponding pulsed laser beams successively in time. These laser can be coordinated by a synchronizer that sequentially triggers the lasers. A combining network merges the pulse laser beams into a combined beam and a delivery system conveys the combined pulse laser beam to a patient. An example of a delivery device is a single optical fiber. This invention enables production of the necessary pulse widths, on the order of 2 msec, which can not be achieved by individual dye lasers, generally lower than 0.8 msec. Also disclosed is a selective photothermolysis method. This method comprises irradiating a tissue section of a patient with a pulsed laser beam having a changing color across a time period of the pulse. This pulse color is selected to maximize absorption in a target tissue of a patient in response to heating caused by a preceding portion of the pulse.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.