Single dominant spike output erbium laser
US6449294B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 26, 1999 |
| Grant date | Sep 10, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 26, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S2302/00
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A non Q-switched erbium laser operating on the I11/2→I13/2 transition produces laser output pulses characterized by a single spike containing approximately 90% of the energy, rather than a series of multiple spikes. The laser includes an optical gain medium with erbium being the lasing species, such as an erbium doped YAG rod. The gain medium is pumped with a flashlamp, with the voltage applied to the flashlamp and the duration of the applied voltage being carefully controlled to produce the single spike laser output. Depending upon the operating conditions, the full width half maximum (FWHM) of the spikes can be varied between 0.1 and 10 microseconds. The output of the erbium has fewer than 10 transverse modes. Output from the erbium laser may be directed onto corneal tissue in a preferred corneal sculpting procedure, in which the ablation rate is limited to no more than about 3 microns per laser pulse.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.