US3710798A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Laser system for microsurgery
Assignee: American Optical Corp
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Filing: 1971-08-30
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Granted: 1973-01-16
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Expires: 1991-08-30
Abstract
Abstract A beam of infrared energy from a CO2 laser operating in its lowest order spatial mode is passed through a converging lens and directed to an operating site by a mirror or beam splitter. In order to locate the invisible focused spot of infrared energy a beam of visible light from a He-Ne laser is introduced coaxially into the path of the CO2 laser beam by a removable mirror. In another embodiment the He-Ne beam is passed through a beam splitter to form two parallel channels focused by microscope objectives on the input ends of respective fiber optic light guides. A rotating chopper disc is positioned in front of the light guides to alternately block and pass light in each channel. The other ends of the light guides are connected to marker projectors located above the beam splitter for the CO2 beam, but just out of the field of view of an overhead operating microscope. A lens and mirror system in each projector focuses the visible light through the beam splitter onto the focal point of the CO2 beam at the operating site. If the intended site is above or below the CO2 beam focal point, spaced red dots alternating at the frequency of the chopper disc will appear to the viewer through the microscope, indicating the need for further adjustment. Perfect adjustment is indicated by a single non-flashing dot.
Inventors
- 👤 H Bredemeier
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 01:27
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/18; A61B18/20; A61B34/00; A61B34/70; A61B34/72; A61B2018/2015; A61B2018/2025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
99 words
A laser system for applying an intense spot of radiant energy to a selected operating site, comprising first laser means for producing an operating beam of coherent colimated light, second laser means separated from said first laser means for producing a marker beam of visible coherent light, an optical means operatively aligned with said first and second laser means for focusing said operating and marker beams to a coincident focal point at the operating site, whereby the focused marker beam provides a visible spot of light to indicate the location of the coincident focal point of said operating beam.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
99 words
A laser system for applying an intense spot of radiant energy to a selected operating site, comprising first laser means for producing an operating beam of coherent colimated light, second laser means separated from said first laser means for producing a marker beam of visible coherent light, an optical means operatively aligned with said first and second laser means for focusing said operating and marker beams to a coincident focal point at the operating site, whereby the focused marker beam provides a visible spot of light to indicate the location of the coincident focal point of said operating beam.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said first laser means produces an operating beam of invisible light.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 2, wherein said first laser means produces said operating beam at an invisible infrared wavelength.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 3, wherein said second laser means is a He-Ne laser.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 3, wherein said first laser means is a CO2 laser.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 5, wherein said CO2 laser operates in the lowest order TEM00 spatial mode and said second laser means is a He-Ne laser.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
76 words
The system of claim 2, wherein said optical means includes converging lens means operatively aligned with said first laser means for focusing said invisible operating beams and removable mirror means disposed obliquely in the path between said first laser means and said lens means, said second laser means being operatively oriented with respect to said mirror means such that said marker beam is reflected co-axially with the path of said operating beam toward said lens means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
The system of claim 7 further comprising power meter means, said mirror having two reflective sides, one of which is arranged to reflect said second laser source toward said lens means while the other side is arranged to reflect said first laser means operating beam toward said power meter means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
50 words
The system of claim 7 further comprising an optical viewing system operatively arranged to afford a magnified view of the operating site at which said marker and operating beams are focused, said optical means further including final mirror means for reflecting said marker and operating beams to the operating site.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 9, wherein said final mirror means is totally reflective and is positioned out of the line of sight of said optical viewing system.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
The system of claim 9, wherein said final mirror means includes a beam splitter for reflecting a co-axial portion of said marker and operating beams respectively toward said operating site, said optical viewing system being arranged to view the operating site through said beam splitter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 9, wherein said optical means further includes an auxiliary lens system operatively located between said removable mirror means and said second laser means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
60 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said optical means includes a first optical system optically aligned with said first laser means for directing and focusing said operating beam at an operating site and a second optical system optically aligned with said second laser means for directing and focusing said marker beam at the operating site independently of the operating beam.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
79 words
The system of claim 13, wherein said second optical system includes means for dividing said marker beam to form a pair of marker beams and marker projector means optically aligned with said dividing means for focusing and directing said pair of marker beams from different directions respectively toward the focal point of said operating beam at the operating site such that the operating beam and pair of marker beams form three non-coaxial beams intersecting at their focal points respectively.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 14, wherein said second optical system further comprises flasher means operatively located in the paths of said pair of marker beams for alternately blocking and passing the marker beams.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
71 words
The system of claim 15, wherein said divider means comprises a beam splitter operatively arranged in the path of said marker beam from said second laser means for reflecting and transmitting equal portions of said marker beam, mirror means arranged to inTercept the reflected portion of said marker beam from said beam splitter for deflecting said reflected portion parallel to the transmitted portion of said marker beam from said beam splitter.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
156 words
The system of claim 15 further comprising a fiber optic light guide system interposed between said dividing means and said marker projector means for conveying said pair of marker beams thereto including a pair of lens means optically aligned respectively with said pair of marker beams for focusing said pair of marker beams to respective focal points, a pair of fiber optic light guides having respective one ends operatively positioned at the focal points of said pair of lens means, said pair of light guides having their opposite ends operatively connected to said marker projector means, said flasher means including a chopper disc mounted for rotation about a central axis and operatively located between the pair of lens means and the one ends of the pair of light guides, portions of said disc being removed such that one focused marker beam is passed to the corresponding light guide end while the other marker beam is blocked.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 17, wherein said marker projector means includes a pair of converging optical systems optically aligned respectively with said opposite ends of said light guides.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
91 words
The system of claim 18, further comprising said first optical system including beam splitter means optically aligned with said operating beam for deflecting a portion thereof toward said operating site, and optical viewing means arranged to afford a magnified view of the operating site through said beam splitter, said pair of marker projector optical systems including reflective means for directing said pair of marker beams through said beam splitter toward said operating site, said marker projector reflective means being located out of the line of site of said optical viewing means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
54 words
The system of claim 19, wherein said optical viewing means is a binocular stereo microscope having angularly separated stereo optical axis, the angular separation of the optical axes of said pair of marker beams at their point of incidence at the operating site being greater than the angular separation of said microscope stereo axes.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
109 words
A laser system for locating the focal point of a laser beam at an operating site, comprising laser means for producing an operating beam, optical means aligned with said laser means for focusing said operating beam to a focal point at an operating site, and means separate from said laser means and said optical means for projecting from different points two focused marker beams of visible light converging at the focal point of said operating beam such that said operating beams and two marker beams form three non-coaxial light beams intersecting in a single point at their respective focal points, and optical viewing means for observing the operating site.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
109 words
A laser system for locating the focal point of a laser beam at an operating site, comprising laser means for producing an operating beam, optical means aligned with said laser means for focusing said operating beam to a focal point at an operating site, and means separate from said laser means and said optical means for projecting from different points two focused marker beams of visible light converging at the focal point of said operating beam such that said operating beams and two marker beams form three non-coaxial light beams intersecting in a single point at their respective focal points, and optical viewing means for observing the operating site.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system of claim 21, wherein said projecting means includes means for alternating said two marker beams, whereby two alternating spots appear through said optical viewing means when said operating site is not positioned at the focal point of said operating beam.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
70 words
A laser system for performing microsurgery on biological tissues, comprising a CO2 laser adapted to operate in the lowest order TEM00 spatial mode for producing a coherent colimated infrared operating beam, a converging optical system optically aligned with said CO2 laser for focusing and directing said operating beam toward an operating site to apply a microscopic spot of intense infrared energy thereto, and means for microscopically viewing the operating site.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
70 words
A laser system for performing microsurgery on biological tissues, comprising a CO2 laser adapted to operate in the lowest order TEM00 spatial mode for producing a coherent colimated infrared operating beam, a converging optical system optically aligned with said CO2 laser for focusing and directing said operating beam toward an operating site to apply a microscopic spot of intense infrared energy thereto, and means for microscopically viewing the operating site.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
54 words
The system of claim 23, wherein said converging optical system includes a beam splitter for directing a portion of said operating beam toward said operating site and a focusing lens system optically aligned between said beam splitter and said CO2 laser, said viewing means positioned to observe the operating site through said bEam splitter.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system of claim 24, wherein said beam splitter is formed of a material for which the portion of incident visible light which is transmitted is greater than the portion of incident infrared light which is reflected.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 23, further comprising laser control means for modulating the output of said laser to produce a predetermined number of discrete energy pulses forming said operating beam.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
63 words
A method for performing microsurgery on biological tissues, comprising the steps of operating a CO2 laser in the lowest order TEM00 spatial mode to produce a microscopically focusable operating beam of infrared energy which is substantially completely absorbed by biological tissues, focusing said operating beam and directing the focal point of the focused operating beam to a target site of the biological tissue.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
63 words
A method for performing microsurgery on biological tissues, comprising the steps of operating a CO2 laser in the lowest order TEM00 spatial mode to produce a microscopically focusable operating beam of infrared energy which is substantially completely absorbed by biological tissues, focusing said operating beam and directing the focal point of the focused operating beam to a target site of the biological tissue.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of visually locating the focal point of the infrared operating beam by generating a visible beam of light and focusing the visible beam to a point coincident with the focal point of the operating beam.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 28 further comprising the step of generating another visible light beam and focusing it to a point coincident with the focal points of said one visible light beam and said operating beam such that the visible light beams at their point of incidence are non-coaxial.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of adjusting the position of the target site until the two spots of light from the visible light beams are coincident to indicate proper location of the focal point of the operating beam.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-16 | 1976-07-17 | 1977-01-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-16 | 1980-07-17 | 1981-01-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-16 | 1984-07-17 | 1985-01-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |