Surgery – Instruments – Light application
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-12
2001-05-01
Shay, David M. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Instruments
Light application
C606S013000, C606S017000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224589
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In modern microsurgery, laser-surgical techniques are increasingly being utilized wherein lasers of different wavelengths are used in combination with a surgical microscope. Usually, these lasers are positioned at a certain distance from the surgical microscope and, depending on the wavelength used, articulated arms or fiber optic light guides are used for delivering the beam to the surgical site. In some surgical applications, lasers providing a medium output power are now adequate. These lasers can then be mounted directly on the surgical microscope in a suitable manner.
The positioning of a compact laser adapter directly on a surgical microscope is known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,057,100 and 4,856,512. The known laser adapter comprises a housing which is mounted below the surgical microscope. The laser itself is accommodated in an oblong and tiltable additional housing next to the housing of the laser adapter. The configuration of this device, in particular the laterally positioned additional housing including the CO
2
laser, is still relatively bulky, however, and can hamper the surgeon during surgery.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a laser adapter which is as simple and compact as possible. It is another object of the invention to provide such a laser which can be mounted on a surgical microscope. In addition, the laser should provide as much operational safety as possible in medical applications.
The laser pulse energy provided by the compactly configured laser in the laser adapter according to the invention is controlled by a pulse energy monitoring device in such a way that the pumping operation is interrupted when a defined, selectable energy per pulse has been reached. This makes it possible to implement the necessary cooling of the laser, for example, in the form of a relatively simple air or water cooling system. The overall result is a simple and compactly designed laser adapter according to the invention which can be mounted without difficulty below the surgical microscope and which, because of its small dimensions, does not hamper the surgeon.
In addition, the measures according to the invention guarantee high operational safety of the laser in medical applications. For example, the pulse energy monitoring device ensures that the pulses emitted by the laser do not exceed defined, selectable energy values.
A shutter is arranged in the therapeutic laser beam path and is coupled to the pulse energy monitoring device. The shutter can be swung into the beam path by an electric motor. This arrangement allows the shutter to be configured as a simple metal plate, that is, no complex wavelength-selective optical filter component is required. The arrangement according to the invention makes it possible to check the desired pulse energy of the laser by triggering one or several “trial shots” when the shutter is closed.
The use of the pulse energy monitoring device integrated in the laser according to the invention is not limited to the Er:YAG laser described in the following. In principle, a pulse energy monitoring device of this type can also be used in a different laser, resulting in the compact design required for the accommodation of the laser in a laser adapter of this type mounted on a surgical microscope.
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patent: 4702245 (1987-10-01), Schröder et al.
patent: 4856512 (1989-08-01), Lombardo et al.
patent: 4950266 (1990-08-01), Sinofsky
patent: 4950268 (1990-08-01), Rink
patent: 5057100 (1991-10-01), Lombardo
patent: 5067951 (1991-11-01), Greve
patent: 5092865 (1992-03-01), Rink
patent: 5153426 (1992-10-01), Konrad et al.
patent: 5219347 (1993-06-01), Negus et al.
patent: 5342351 (1994-08-01), Blaha et al.
patent: WO 91/19539 (1991-12-01), None
Brenner Roland
Heymann Manfred
Lasser Theo
Reimer Peter
Wiechmann Martin
Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung
Ottesen Walter
Shay David M.
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