Laser therapy apparatus

Claim 2

A therapy apparatus comprising a radiating source adapted to generate directional radiation; control means connected to said radiating sources for controlling the radiation parameters of said radiating source; scanner means including electromechanical drive means coupled to said radiating source for focusing a beam of directional radiation such as a laser beam generated by said radiating source on an object to be irradiated and oriented in three spatial coordinates; processing and storing means for receiving, processing and storing information, which contains preselected instructions concerning the desired dosing and directions and extent of movements of said radiating source relative to the boundaries of the object to be irradiated, on a program of exposing biological objects to radiation; and information readout means connected to said processing and storing means for reading out information received by said processing and storing means and for converting the information into electrical signals suitable for controlling the scanning process of the radiating source, said information readout means having a first output connected to an input of said electromechanical drive means and a second output connected to an input of said control means, whereby the orientation and the radiation parameters of the radiation beam generated by said radiating source can be automatically controlled by preselected and programmed instructions.

Claim 3

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processing and storing means comprises an information input unit an output of which is connected to a first input of a code storage register, an output of said code storage register being connected to a tape puncher for perforating a tape which serves to store information on irradiation procedure, an output of said tape puncher being connected to a second output of said code storage register.

Claim 4

An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said electromechanical drive means comprises three step electromotors, the first and second electromotors being arranged to shift the beam in the horizontal plane in mutually perpendicular directions, and the third electromotor being arranged to shift the beam in the vertical direction, there being an electromotor step counter mounted on each electromotor's shaft.

Claim 5

An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said information readout means includes a punched tape reading device outputs of which are connected to first inputs of a readout means step counter and a register, there being connected to a second input of said counter a first OR circuit the first, second and third inputs of which are respectively connected to said first, second and third step counters of said step electromotors of said electromechanical drive means, a first decoder the input of which is connected to an output of said readout means step counter and the output of which is connected to a second input of said register a first output of which is connected via a second OR circuit and said reading device, there being connected to a third input of said register a third OR circuit a first input of which is connected to a third input of said readout means step counter and a first output of a control board, second inputs of said second and third OR circuits being connected to said control means for controlling said radiating source, a third input of said second OR circuit being connected to a second output of said control board a third output of which is connected to an input of a pulse generator, a second decoder a first input of which is connected to a second output of said register and a second input of which is connected to a fourth output of said control board, a first AND circuit a first input of which is connected to a first output of said second decoder and a second input of which is connected to the output of said pulse generator, the output of said first AND circuit being connected to an input of a first commutator the output of which is connected to an input of a first amplifier, the output of said first amplifier being connected to windings of said first step electromotor of said electromechanical drive means, a second AND circuit a first input of which is connected to a second output of said second decoder, a second input of said second AND circuit being connected to an output of said pulse generator, the output of said second AND circuit being connected to an input of a second commutator the output of which is connected to an input of a second amplifier the output of which is connected to the windings of said second step electromotor of said electromechanical drive means, a third AND circuit a second input of which is connected to said output of said pulse generator and a first input of which is connected to a third output of said second decoder, the output of said third AND ciircuit being connected to an input of a third commutator the output of which is connected to an input of a third amplifier the output of which is connected to windings of said third step electromotor of said electromechanical drive means, and a fourth AND circuit a first input of which is connected to a fourth output of said second decoder and a second input and an output of said fourth AND circuit, as well as a fifth output of said second decoder are connected to said control means for controlling said radiating source.

Claim 6

An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a device for following the position of an object exposed to irradiation, comprising a further pulse generator the output of which is connected to a plurality of position sensors the outputs of which are connected to inputs of a code storage register, a first output and a second output of said code storage register being connected to a third input, respectively, of said fourth AND circuit and a third output of said second decoder of said information readout means, third and fourth outputs of said code storage register being connected to first inputs of first and second AND circuits of said following device, respectively, the second inputs of which are connected to said pulse generator of said information readout means, outputs of first and second AND circuits of said following device being connected to respective inputs of electronic commutators coupled via amplifiers to step electromotors which rotate a holder of position sensors, there being installed in said holder a movable disc with ferrite inserts, which disc is coupled by means of a rack-and-pinion gear and carriages moving in the longitudinal and transverse directions to a telescopic probe one end of which is attached to an object exposed to irradiation.

Claim 7

An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a graph plotter connected to said information readout means and comprising two step electromotors coupled by means of two reduction gears and through two carriages to a movable table above which there is arranged a pen controlled by an electro-magnet from said control board.

Claim 8

An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a unit for simulating operating conditions of said radiating source which includes a time relay a first output of which is connected to a first input of an AND circuit the output of which is connected to an input of a pulse forming circuit, an input of said time relay, first and second inputs of said AND circuit of said simulating unit and a first output of said pulse forming circuit being respectively connected to a fifth output of said second decoder, a second input of said fourth AND circuit, an output of said fourth AND circuit and second inputs of said second and third OR circuits of said information readout means, second outputs of said time relay and said pulse forming circuit being respectively connected to a pumping indicator and an ignition indicator.

Claim 9

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the function of said processing and storing means and said information readout means is performed by a photomask readout device and a photomask control unit the input of which is connected to an output of said photomask readout device, which comprises two step electromotors coupled through reduction gears to carriages which move in two mutually perpendicular directions, a movable table whereupon there is placed a photomask, as well as a luminous flux source, a photosensitive element and four limit switches to limit table movement, said photomask control unit comprising a counter a first input of which is connected to a control board and a first input of a first OR circuit, a second input of said counter being connected to an output of a second OR circuit, a second input of said first OR circuit being connected to said control means for controlling said radiating source, an output of said first OR circuit being connected to one input of a flip-flop the other input of which is connected to an output of a first AND circuit and said control means for controlling said radiating source, the output of said flip-flop being connected to a first input of a decoder a second input of which is connected to an output of the counter, first inputs of said first AND circuit, a second AND circuit and a third AND circuit being connected to an output of a pulse former the input of which is connected to said photosensitive element of said photomask readout device, outputs of said second and third AND circuits being connected to inputs of a second OR circuit, a NOR circuit a first input of which is connected to a second input of said second AND circuit and a first limit switch, a second input of said NOR circuit being connected to a second limit switch and a second input of said first AND circuit, a third input of said NOR circuit being connected to a third limit switch, a fourth input of said NOR circuit being connected to an output of said control board and a fourth limit switch, whereas an output of said NOR circuit is connected to a second input of said first AND circuit the third input of which is connected to control means for controlling said radiating source, said first decoder output being coupled to a first input of a fourth AND circuit, a second output of said first decoder being connected to a first input of a fifth AND circuit, second inputs of said fourth and fifth AND circuits being connected to a first register output of a device for following the irradiation object location and third inputs of said fourth and fifth AND circuits being connected to said pulse generator output, each output of said fourth and said fifth AND circuits being connected to an electronic commutator the output of which is coupled via an amplifier to a step motor of said electromechanical drive means of said scanner means and to a step motor of said photomask readout device.