Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
191 words
An apparatus for removing, by ablation, material from an object which includes said material, said apparatus comprising: first laser means (14) for generating laser radiation pulses having a wavelength in a first wavelength range suitable for removing said material from said object by ablation to produce ablated material; second laser means (16) for generating laser radiation having a wavelength in a second wavelength range suitable to induce resonance fluorescence in said ablated material producing resonance fluorescence radiation; radiation analyzer means (22) for analyzing the fluorescence radiation stemming from said ablated material; and optical radiation transmitting means (12,12d) for transmitting radiation, said radiation transmitting means including a first optical path to transmit said radiation pulses from said first laser means (14) to a location on said object from which material is to be removed to produce said ablated material in a volume (21) adjacent said location, a second optical path to transmit said radiation from said second laser means (16) to said volume (21) to induce resonance fluorescence, and a third optical path to transmit said resonance fluorescence radiation from said volume (21) of ablated material to said radiation analyzer means (22).
Claim 2
Independent Claim
191 words
An apparatus for removing, by ablation, material from an object which includes said material, said apparatus comprising: first laser means (14) for generating laser radiation pulses having a wavelength in a first wavelength range suitable for removing said material from said object by ablation to produce ablated material; second laser means (16) for generating laser radiation having a wavelength in a second wavelength range suitable to induce resonance fluorescence in said ablated material producing resonance fluorescence radiation; radiation analyzer means (22) for analyzing the fluorescence radiation stemming from said ablated material; and optical radiation transmitting means (12,12d) for transmitting radiation, said radiation transmitting means including a first optical path to transmit said radiation pulses from said first laser means (14) to a location on said object from which material is to be removed to produce said ablated material in a volume (21) adjacent said location, a second optical path to transmit said radiation from said second laser means (16) to said volume (21) to induce resonance fluorescence, and a third optical path to transmit said resonance fluorescence radiation from said volume (21) of ablated material to said radiation analyzer means (22).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the radiation generated by said second laser means (16) has a longer wavelength than the radiation pulses generated by said first laser means (14).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first laser means (14) generates radiation pulses having a wavelength in the ultraviolet range.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said second laser means (16) further includes a tunable laser.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said second laser means (16) further includes a dye laser.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second laser means (16) generates radiation pulses.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising means (24, 28) for timing the radiation pulses generated by said second laser means (16) with respect to the laser radiation pulses generated by said first laser means (14).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 7 in which said timing means further includes an adjustable delay means for delaying generation of the pulses of said second laser means with respect to the pulses of said first laser means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said radiation analyzer means (22) provides an output signal representative of the fluorescence radiation received from said volume, and wherein said first laser means is responsive to said output signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said optical radiation transmitting means further includes an optical lightguide fibre.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said optical radiation transmitting means further includes an optical lightguide fibre bundle.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said optical radiation transmitting means further includes a mirror joint arm system.