Surgery – Instruments – Light application
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-13
2001-12-04
Dvorak, Linda C. M. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Instruments
Light application
C606S016000, C606S018000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325794
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser handpiece, and more particularly, to a laser handpiece for irradiating the output of a laser generating device onto a predetermined position.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a laser handpiece is for accurately irradiating the output of a laser generating device onto a specific target with the hands. In particular, a laser handpiece as medical devices is used for surgical purposes, such as cutting and coagulating affected parts of a patient by irradiating laser beam thereon.
Laser beams having a wavelength of 1.06 &mgr;m or 1.32 &mgr;m have been used to operate on soft tissue such as the gums or the skin, other than firm parts such as bones or teeth, and usually a laser fiber of silica is inserted into the laser handpiece it for such purpose. In this case, the laser fiber is installed through the entire length of the laser handpiece such that the laser beam generated at one end of the laser fiber is directly irradiated onto the affected part of a patent.
Meanwhile, a laser beam having a wavelength of 2.94 &mgr;m is used to operate firm parts such as teeth or bone, and a laser handpiece for such purpose adopts a laser fiber of sapphire. This is because the general laser fiber of silica cannot normally transmit a laser beam having a wavelength of 2 &mgr;m or longer due to its high loss ratio during the transmission.
FIG. 1
shows a conventional laser handpiece used for surgical operation on the teeth or the bone.
The conventional laser handpiece shown in
FIG. 1
comprises in a main body
10
a laser fiber of sapphire for irradiating a laser beam output from a laser generating device (not shown), a collimating lens
14
for collimating the laser beam irradiated by the laser fiber
12
, a reflective mirror
16
for changing a traveling path of the laser beam output through the collimating lens
14
, and a focus lens
18
for focusing the laser beam reflected by the reflective mirror
18
.
In the conventional laser handpiece, the traveling path of the laser beam irradiated from the laser fiber
12
is changed using the reflective mirror
16
because the laser fiber
12
of sapphire does not bend much due to its poor flexibility. The reason for changing the traveling path of the laser beam is to allow a user to work more easily with the device.
However, the conventional laser handpiece in
FIG. 1
has a straight handle in the main body
10
, so it is inconvenient for the user to use the laser handpiece.
In general, the angle of the handle with respect to the main body of the laser handpiece for the convenience grip is in a range between 12° and 140°, and for such a design the traveling path of the laser beam must be changed two or more times using two or more reflective mirrors. Changing the traveling path of the laser beam using a reflective mirror gives rise to an aberration. As a result, there is a problem in that the laser beam cannot be irradiated onto one point. Also, changing the traveling path of the laser beam using a reflective mirror increases the size of the reflective mirror because the laser beam strikes the reflective mirror at a predetermined angle. Also, it is difficult to accurately tilt the reflective mirror. As a result, the size of the main body of the hand piece increases, so that there is a problem in that griping the hand piece while working with the instrument is difficult.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a laser handpiece in which a traveling path of laser beam can be easily changed in a small space, so that it is easy for a user to grip the same while working with the instrument.
To achieve the object, there is provided a laser handpiece comprising: a laser fiber for irradiating laser beam output from a laser generating device; a first beam path changing portion for changing a traveling path of the laser beam output from the laser fiber; a second beam path changing portion for changing finally the traveling path of the laser beam output from the first beam path changing portion; a focus lens for focusing the laser beam output from the second beam path changing portion onto a point; and a main body for containing the laser fiber, the first beam path changing portion, the second beam path changing portion and the focus lens.
Preferably, the first beam path changing portion comprises: a collimating lens for collimating the laser beam irradiated from the laser fiber; and one or more prisms for changing the traveling path of the laser beam output from the collimating lens.
Preferably, the second beam path changing portion comprises a reflective mirror for finally changing the traveling path of the incident laser beam and outputting the reflected beam to the focus lens.
Preferably, the prism of the first beam path changing portion is a Dove prism having two refractive planes and two parallel reflective planes.
Preferably, the main body is bent at an angle of 90° or over for convenience of use.
Preferably, the laser handpiece further comprises: air and water supply tubes for supplying air and water from the outside to clean and cool an irradiated portion being irradiated by the laser beam; and a light irradiating tip having an injecting portion for injecting the air and water supplied via the air and water supply tubes into the irradiated portion, and an energy transferring portion for transferring the energy of the laser beam condensed by the focus lens to the irradiated portion.
Preferably, the energy transferring portion is an optical fiber.
Preferably, the light irradiating tip further comprises: a connecting portion to be connected to the main body; and a protecting portion for protecting the energy transferring portion from damage by a physical force.
Preferably, an end part of the energy transferring portion and an end part of the protecting portion end at the same end position.
Preferably, an end part of the energy transferring portion is recessed compared to an end part of the protecting portion.
Preferably, an end part of the energy transferring portion is formed to protrude compared to an end part of the protecting portion.
Preferably, the protecting portion further comprises one or more injecting holes at the end part, for injecting the air and water into the irradiated portion.
Preferably, the first beam path changing portion is formed by bending the laser fiber for irradiating the laser beam output from the laser generating device at a predetermined angle such that an end part of the laser fiber irradiating the laser beam is located near the second beam path changing portion, and the second beam path changing portion comprises a concave reflective mirror for changing the traveling path of the laser beam output from the laser fiber toward the focus lens.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4459986 (1984-07-01), Karaki
patent: 4608980 (1986-09-01), Aihara
patent: 4849859 (1989-07-01), Nagasaw
patent: 5388987 (1995-02-01), Badoz et al.
patent: 5388988 (1995-02-01), Goisser et al.
patent: 5397327 (1995-03-01), Koop et al.
patent: 5458594 (1995-10-01), Mueller et al.
patent: 5616141 (1997-04-01), Cipolia
patent: 5833684 (1998-11-01), Franetzki
patent: 5999687 (1999-12-01), Abraham et al.
Hong Tae-min
Ianukovitch Alexander
Kim Hong-sig
Lee Sang-Cheol
Yoon Gil-won
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis
Dvorak Linda C. M.
Gibson Roy
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
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