Method and apparatus for effecting photo-coagulation

Claim 2

Photo-coagulation apparatus comprising laser means having a pair of plane, parallel, reflective, opposite end surfaces, said laser means being actuable to emit a collimated beam of relatively intense light from one of said surfaces in a single direction perpendicular to said surface, means for directing said light through the pupil of an eye to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area by refractive media of the eye for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area, and means adapted to direct a beam of collimated light of relatively lower intensity upon said light-emitting surface of the laser means to be reflected therefrom in said single direction perpendicular to said surface, whereby said apparatus can be positioned for directing said reflected beam of light upon an eye to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area prior to actuation of the laser means, and can thereby be positioned for directing light subsequently emitted from the laser means to be concentrated upon the selected fundus area for effecting photocoagulation of said fundus area.

Claim 3

Photo-coagulation apparatus comprising optical maser means having a pair of plane, parallel, reflective, opposite end surfaces, said optical maser means being actuable to emit a collimated beam of intense light from one of said surfaces in a single direction perpendicular to said surface, means for directing said collimated beam of light through the pupil of an eye to be concentrated upon a fundus area by refractive media of the eye, and means projecting other light of lower intensity toward one of said surfaces in a direction perpendicular to said surface for directing at least part of said beam of light of lower intensity in said single direction, whereby said apparatus can be arranged to direct said part of said beam of other light upon an eye to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area prior to actuation of the optical maser means and the optical maser means can be thereafter actuated to direct said collimated beam of intense light upon said eye to be concentrated upon said selected fundus area for effecting photo-coaGulation of said selected fundus area.

Claim 4

Photo-coagulation apparatus comprising optical maser means having a pair of plane, parallel, reflective, opposite end surfaces, said optical maser means being actuable to emit a collimated beam of intense light from one of said surfaces in a single direction perpendicular to said surface, means for directing said collimated beam of light through the pupil of an eye to be concentrated upon a fundus area by refractive media of the eye, and means projecting other light of lower intensity toward one of said surfaces in a direction perpendicular to said surface for directing at least part of said beam of light of lower intensity in said single direction, whereby said apparatus can be arranged to direct said part of said beam of other light upon an eye to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area prior to actuation of the optical maser means and the optical maser means can be thereafter actuated to direct said collimated beam of intense light upon said eye to be concentrated upon said selected fundus area for effecting photo-coaGulation of said selected fundus area.

Claim 5

Photo-coagulation apparatus comprising laser means having a pair of plane, parallel, reflective, opposite end surfaces, said laser means being actuable to emit a collimated beam of relatively intense light from a laser end surface in a single direction perpendicular to said surface, light-directing means adapted to intercept light emitted in said single direction and to direct said light through the pupil of an eye to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area by refractive media of the eye for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area, a secondary source of light of relatively lower intensity and collimating means projecting a collimated beam of relatively low intensity light from said secondary source perpendicularly toward one of said laser end surfaces so that a part of said low intensity light beam can be perpendicularly reflected from said one laser end surface and so that a part of said low intensity light beam can extend in said single direction, said collimating means being adapted to refocus at least a part of said perpendicularly reflected light onto said secondary source for verifying said perpendicular reflection of said light, whereby part of said low intensity light beam extending in said single direction can be directed upon a selected fundus area by said light-directing means prior to actuation of said laser means and said laser means can then be actuated for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area.

Claim 6

Photo-coagulation apparatus comprising laser means having a pair of plane, parallel, reflective, opposite end surfaces, said laser means being actuable to emit a collimated beam of relatively intense light from a laser end surface in a single direction perpendicular to said surface, light-directing means adapted to intercept light emitted in said single direction and to direct said light through the pupil of an eye to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area by refractive media of the eye for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area, a secondary source of light of relatively lower intensity and collimating means projecting a collimated beam of relatively low intensity light from said secondary source perpendicularly toward one of said laser end surfaces so that a part of said low intensity light beam can be perpendicularly reflected from said one laser end surface and so that a part of said low intensity light beam can extend in said single direction, said collimating means being adapted to refocus at least a part of said perpendicularly reflected light onto said secondary source for verifying said perpendicular reflection of said light, whereby part of said low intensity light beam extending in said single direction can be directed upon a selected fundus area by said light-directing means prior to actuation of said laser means and said laser means can then be actuated for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area.

Claim 7

Photo-coagulation apparatus comprising laser means having a pair of plane, parallel, reflective, opposite end surfaces, said laser means being actuable to emit relatively intense substantially collimated light from one of said surfaces in a direction perpendicular to said surface, a partially reflecting mirror which is adapted to be adjusted to intercept light emitted from the laser means and to direct a part of said light through the pupil of an eye to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area by refractive media of the eye for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area, a diaphragm having an aperture therein, a secondary source of light adapted to direct light of relatively lower intensity through said aperture, and lens means for collimating light transmitted through said aperture and for directing said light of lower intensity through said mirror to be incident upon and reflected from said light-emitting surface of the laser means in a direction perpendicular to said surface, whereby a part of said reflected light can be transmitted back through said mirror to be concentrated upon said diaphragm aperture by said lens means for assuring that said reflected light is reflected from said light-emitting laser surface in a perpendicular direction, and whereby said mirror can be adjusted for directing the remaining part of said reflected light to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area of an eye prior to actuation of said laser means and can be thereby adjusted for directing light subsequently emitted from the laser means to be concentrated upon the selected fundus area for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area.

Claim 8

Photo-coagulation apparatus comprising laser means having a pair of plane, parallel, reflective, opposite end surfaces, said laser means being actuable to emit relatively intense substantially collimated light from one of said surfaces in a direction perpendicular to said surface, a partially reflecting mirror which is adapted to be adjusted to intercept light emitted from the laser means and to direct a part of said light through the pupil of an eye to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area by refractive media of the eye for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area, a diaphragm having an aperture therein, a secondary source of light adapted to direct light of relatively lower intensity through said aperture, and lens means for collimating light transmitted through said aperture and for directing said light of lower intensity through said mirror to be incident upon and reflected from said light-emitting surface of the laser means in a direction perpendicular to said surface, whereby a part of said reflected light can be transmitted back through said mirror to be concentrated upon said diaphragm aperture by said lens means for assuring that said reflected light is reflected from said light-emitting laser surface in a perpendicular direction, and whereby said mirror can be adjusted for directing the remaining part of said reflected light to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area of an eye prior to actuation of said laser means and can be thereby adjusted for directing light subsequently emitted from the laser means to be concentrated upon the selected fundus area for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area.

Claim 9

Photo-coagulation apparatus comprising laser means having a pair of plane, parallel, reflective, opposite end surfaces, said laser means being actuable to emit a collimated beam of intense light from one of said surfaces in a direction perpendicular to said surface, a transparent mirror member having a partially reflecting coating on one side and having a relatively small area provided with a reflecting coating on a side opposite said partially-reflecting coating, said mirror member being mounted for adjustment to intercept said collimated beam of light upon said partially-reflecting coating at a selected angle of incidence and to direct part of said light through the pupil of an eye to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area by refractive media of the eye for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area, means for directing light of lower intensity upon said relativEly small area of the mirror member which is provided with a reflecting coating, optical means adapted to collimate and to direct light reflected from said relatively small area through said mirror member so that a part of said light is incident upon and reflected from said light-emitting plane surface of the laser means in a direction perpendicular to said surface and so that a part of the light reflected from said plane surface can be transmitted back through said mirror member to be concentrated upon said relatively small coated area of the mirror member by said optical means for assuring that said light is reflected from said light-emitting plane surface in a perpendicular direction, whereby the mirror member can be adjusted for directing the remaining light reflected from said plane surface to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area prior to actuation of said laser means and can be thereby adjusted for directing light subsequently emitted from said laser means to be concentrated upon said selected fundus area for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area.

Claim 10

Photo-coagulation apparatus comprising laser means having a pair of plane, parallel, reflective, opposite end surfaces, said laser means being actuable to emit a collimated beam of intense light from one of said surfaces in a direction perpendicular to said surface, a transparent mirror member having a partially reflecting coating on one side and having a relatively small area provided with a reflecting coating on a side opposite said partially-reflecting coating, said mirror member being mounted for adjustment to intercept said collimated beam of light upon said partially-reflecting coating at a selected angle of incidence and to direct part of said light through the pupil of an eye to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area by refractive media of the eye for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area, means for directing light of lower intensity upon said relativEly small area of the mirror member which is provided with a reflecting coating, optical means adapted to collimate and to direct light reflected from said relatively small area through said mirror member so that a part of said light is incident upon and reflected from said light-emitting plane surface of the laser means in a direction perpendicular to said surface and so that a part of the light reflected from said plane surface can be transmitted back through said mirror member to be concentrated upon said relatively small coated area of the mirror member by said optical means for assuring that said light is reflected from said light-emitting plane surface in a perpendicular direction, whereby the mirror member can be adjusted for directing the remaining light reflected from said plane surface to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area prior to actuation of said laser means and can be thereby adjusted for directing light subsequently emitted from said laser means to be concentrated upon said selected fundus area for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area.

Claim 11

Photo-coagulation apparatus comprising laser means having a pair of plane, parallel, reflective opposite end surfaces, said laser means being actuable to emit relatively intense, substantially collimated light from one of said surfaces in a single direction perpendicular to said surface, a mirror which is adapted to be adjusted to intercept light emitted from said laser means and to direct said light through the pupil of an eye to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area by refractive media of the eye for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area, and means adapted to direct a beam of collimated light of relatively lower intensity toward the other of said laser end surfaces in a direction perpendicular to said surface so that part of said collimated light of lower intensity is directed past said laser means in said single direction to be intercepted by said mirror, whereby said mirror can be adjusted to direct said part of the light of lower intensity to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area of an eye prior to actuation of the laser means and can thereby be adjusted to direct light subsequently emitted from the laser means to be concentrated upon the selected fundus area for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area.

Claim 12

Photo-coagulation apparatus comprising laser means having a pair of plane, parallel, reflective opposite end surfaces, said laser means being actuable to emit relatively intense, substantially collimated light from one of said surfaces in a single direction perpendicular to said surface, a mirror which is adapted to be adjusted to intercept light emitted from said laser means and to direct said light through the pupil of an eye to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area by refractive media of the eye for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area, and means adapted to direct a beam of collimated light of relatively lower intensity toward the other of said laser end surfaces in a direction perpendicular to said surface so that part of said collimated light of lower intensity is directed past said laser means in said single direction to be intercepted by said mirror, whereby said mirror can be adjusted to direct said part of the light of lower intensity to be concentrated upon a selected fundus area of an eye prior to actuation of the laser means and can thereby be adjusted to direct light subsequently emitted from the laser means to be concentrated upon the selected fundus area for effecting photo-coagulation of said fundus area.