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US5290274A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Laser apparatus for medical and dental treatments

Assignee: LASER MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY Inc A CORP OF DELAWARE
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Filing: 1992-06-16
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Granted: 1994-03-01
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Expires: 2012-06-16
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Abstract

Abstract A method and apparatus for performing a medical or dental treatment by: providing radiation at two different wavelengths and at respective power levels such that the radiation at each wavelength is individually capable of cutting a given organic tissue; simultaneously applying the laser radiation at the two different wavelengths to a single body region which is composed of the given tissue; and directing a cooling fluid at the single body fluid region simultaneously with the step of applying radiation.

Inventors

  • 👤 Guy Levy
  • 👤 Philippe Levy
  • 👤 James H. Tillotson

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 06:55
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/18; A61B18/20; A61B18/22; A61C; A61C1/00; A61C1/0046; A61B18/26; A61B2018/00005; A61B2018/00011; A61B2018/00017; A61B2018/00029; A61B2018/00035; A61B2018/00571; A61B2018/00577; A61B2018/00601; A61B2018/00625; A61B2018/2065; A61B2018/207

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim 173 words
Medical treatment apparatus comprising: laser means comprising first and second laser radiation sources each for producing laser radiation at a respectively different wavelength and power level capable of cutting a given organic tissue, each of said radiation sources comprising a respective laser radiation emitting body having a laser medium which determines the respective laser radiation wavelength, and optical pumping means disposed for supplying pumping energy to said bodies for causing said bodies to produce laser radiation, said optical pumping means comprising a first lamp optically coupled exclusively to one of said bodies, a second lamp optically coupled exclusively to the other of said bodies, and a third lamp optically coupled to both of said bodies; laser radiation applying means for directing laser radiation at body tissue to be treated; radiation conducting means including at least one optical fiber connected for conducting laser radiation from said sources to said applying means; and cooling fluid delivery means for directing a cooling fluid containing water at the body tissue at which the laser radiation is directed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 173 words
Medical treatment apparatus comprising: laser means comprising first and second laser radiation sources each for producing laser radiation at a respectively different wavelength and power level capable of cutting a given organic tissue, each of said radiation sources comprising a respective laser radiation emitting body having a laser medium which determines the respective laser radiation wavelength, and optical pumping means disposed for supplying pumping energy to said bodies for causing said bodies to produce laser radiation, said optical pumping means comprising a first lamp optically coupled exclusively to one of said bodies, a second lamp optically coupled exclusively to the other of said bodies, and a third lamp optically coupled to both of said bodies; laser radiation applying means for directing laser radiation at body tissue to be treated; radiation conducting means including at least one optical fiber connected for conducting laser radiation from said sources to said applying means; and cooling fluid delivery means for directing a cooling fluid containing water at the body tissue at which the laser radiation is directed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 46 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said laser means further comprise laser beam control means for placing the radiation produced by each of said sources in the form of a succession of pulses at a selected pulse repetition rate, each pulse having a selected duration.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 52 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said radiation conducting means comprise: an optical fiber extending between said laser means and said radiation applying means; and radiation combining means disposed between said radiation sources and said fiber for combining radiation from the two sources and introducing the combined radiation into said fiber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 37 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said radiation source produces radiation at a wavelength in the vicinity of 0.7μ to 1μ and said second radiation source produces radiation at a wavelength in the vicinity of 3μ.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 48 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said radiation conducting means comprise two optical fibers each extending between said laser means and said radiation applying means; and radiation directing means disposed between said radiation sources and said fiber for directing radiation from each source into a respective fiber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 38 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said first radiation source produces radiation at a wavelength in the vicinity of 0.7μ to 1μ and said second radiation source produces radiation at a wavelength in the vicinity of 3μ.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 52 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said radiation conducting means comprise: an optical fiber extending between said laser means and said radiation applying means; and radiation combining means disposed between said radiation sources and said fiber for combining radiation from the two sources and introducing the combined radiation into said fiber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 38 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said first radiation source produces radiation at a wavelength in the vicinity of 0.7μ to 1μ and said second radiation source produces radiation at a wavelength in the vicinity of 3μ.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 48 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said radiation conducting means comprise two optical fibers each extending between said laser means and said radiation applying means; and radiation directing means disposed between said radiation sources and said fiber for directing radiation from each source into a respective fiber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 38 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said first radiation source produces radiation at a wavelength in the vicinity of 0.7μ to 1μ and said second radiation source produces radiation at a wavelength in the vicinity of 3μ.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 31 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said cooling fluid delivery means are for directing a mixture of air and water in the form of a spray at the body tissue.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 56 words
A method of performing a medical or dental treatment with the apparatus as defined in claim 1, comprising: applying radiation from both sources to body tissue so that radiation from both sources acts on the same body tissue region; and directing the cooling fluid at the same body tissue region by the cooling fluid delivery means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method as defined in claim 12 further comprising individually adjusting the power level of the radiation from each source.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 22 words
Apparatus as defined claim 12 wherein said step of directing comprises directing a spray composed of a mixture of air and water.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4418689A Cited
US4478217A Cited
US4573465A Cited
US4503854A Cited
US5139494A Cited
WO1990012619A1 Cited
US5172264A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-02-28 1997-08-30 1998-03-01 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
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