Surgery – Instruments – Light application
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-20
2001-12-04
Dvorak, Linda C. M. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Instruments
Light application
C606S005000, C606S006000, C606S010000, C607S089000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325793
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser treatment apparatus for treating an affected part by irradiating it with a laser beam for treatment.
2. Description of Related Art
In laser treatment apparatus which is represented by a YAG laser used in the field of ophthalmology, the focal position of a laser beam for treatment is made to shift for an aiming light in an optical axis direction when an operation of incising posterior capsule for after cataract treatment or iris for glaucoma treatment is carried out, in order to reduce the effect by the impact of the treatment laser beam to an intraocular lens and to raise the efficiency of incising. The YAG laser is constructed to concentrate the energy of the laser beam on the focal point, whereby to cut off the tissue irradiated by the laser beam.
FIG. 7
shows the case that the focal position of the treatment laser beam is shifted in the optical axis, in which the focal position of an aiming light is located at the position F
1
. In this case, there are two ways to shift the focal position of the YAG laser beam, namely, one way is to shift the focal position to a back side (an eye fundus side) as indicated by a position F
2
and another is to shift the same to a front side (an operator side) as indicated by a position F
3
.
The way to shift the focal position to the back side up to the position F
2
is performed when an object which requires not to be injured by the YAG laser beam, such as an intraocular lens, exists on the front side. In the after cataract, it is necessary to incise opaque posterior capsule by the treatment YAG laser beam. However, intraocular lens has been inserted on the operator side, and the focal position of the YAG laser beam is shifted to the back side in order to prevent the laser beam from injuring the lens in error.
The way to shift the focal position to the front side up to the position F
3
is performed when an object which requires not to be injured by the YAG laser beam exists on the back side.
In the above laser treatment, the setting of the focal shift position of the treatment laser beam is often changed according to patient eye cases and for each person.
However, in the case that the laser treatment apparatus is used for a patient's eye different from an eye that was treated with the identical apparatus at the last time, in particular, in the case that the identical apparatus is used by plural operators, the confirmation or reset of the focal shift position for the laser beam are often forgotten, and the laser irradiation might be carried out using the focal shift position set at the last time use (when the other operator used, and other cases). Therefore, the purposed treatment effect may not be obtained. There is also the fear that the intraocular lens may be injured in error in the operation of the after cataract, when the focal position of the YAG laser beam is located at the position corresponding to that of the aiming light or on the front side.
To avoid the above problem, under present circumstances, the means such as specification in instruction manuals and attachment of attention labels to the apparatus are taken. However, those are not always reliable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has an object to overcome the above problems and to provide a laser treatment apparatus which can prevent that irradiation of a treatment laser beam is carried out, using the current setting of a focal position, which is different from an intended one.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the purpose of the invention, there is provided a laser treatment apparatus for treating an affected part by irradiating it with a laser beam, the apparatus including a laser source which emits a treatment laser beam, a light delivery optical system for delivering the laser beam emitted from the laser source to the affected part to irradiate it, an adjustment device for shifting a focal position of the laser beam to be applied to the affected part in a direction of an optical axis with respect to a focal position of an aiming light, an input device for inputting a signal for commanding the adjustment device to adjust the focal position of the laser beam or a signal for confirmation of a state of the focal position which has been adjusted by the adjustment device, an instruction device for inputting an instruction signal to enable laser irradiation to the affected part, and a warning device for providing warning to an operator in response to the instruction signal input with the instruction device if neither the adjustment command signal nor the confirmation signal has been input.
In the above apparatus, when an operator operates the instruction device to apply the laser beam to the affected part, the warning device provides the warning to prompt the operator to confirm the focal position for safety if neither the focus adjustment signal nor the focus confirmation signal for the laser beam has been input. In response to the warning, the operator checks the focal position and, if it is different from an intended position, adjusts the focal position with the adjustment device, or, if it agrees with the intended position, inputs a confirmation signal with the input device.
Subsequently, the operator inputs the instruction signal with the instruction device, and the laser irradiation is made ready to start to irradiate the affected part.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a laser treatment apparatus for treating an affected part by irradiating it with a laser beam, the apparatus including, a laser source which emits a treatment laser beam, a light delivery optical system for delivering the laser beam emitted from the laser source to the affected part to irradiate it, an adjustment device for shifting a focal position of the laser beam to be applied to the affected part in a direction of an optical axis with respect to a focal position of an aiming light, an input device for inputting a signal for commanding the adjustment device to adjust the focal position of the laser beam or a signal for confirmation of a state of the focal position which has been adjusted by the adjustment device, an instruction device for inputting an instruction signal to enable laser irradiation to the affected part, and an irradiation restriction device which enables the laser irradiation when the instruction signal is input with the instruction device if at least one of the adjustment command signal and the confirmation signal has been input, and disables the laser irradiation when the instruction signal is input if neither the adjustment command signal nor the confirmation signal has been input.
In the above apparatus, when an operator operates the instruction device to apply the laser beam to the affected part, the irradiation restriction device forbids the laser irradiation in order to ensure safety if neither the focus adjustment signal nor the focus confirmation signal has been input. When the operator checks the focal position and adjusts it with the adjustment device if the focal position is different from the intended one or inputs the confirmation signal if it agrees with the intended one.
Subsequently, the operator inputs the instruction signal with the instruction device and the laser beam is made ready to emit, irradiating the affected part.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5098426 (1992-03-01), Sklar et al.
patent: 5147349 (1992-09-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 5395356 (1995-03-01), King et al.
patent: 5439462 (1995-08-01), Bile et al.
patent: 5445633 (1995-08-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 5800424 (1998-09-01), Sumiya
patent: 5906608 (1999-05-0
Dvorak Linda C. M.
Farah Ahmed
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Nidek Co. Ltd.
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