FR2577425A1 - Combined laser therapy apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Combined laser therapy apparatus. The apparatus comprises a main unit 106 which incorporates a gas laser generator 10 emitting a visible laser beam 1, 3a and at least one semiconductor laser source 20 emitting an infrared laser beam 3b. A semi-reflecting mirror 32 allows separation of part 3c of the laser beam 1. An infrared laser beam 31 and the separated part 3c of the visible laser beam 1 are guided via optical fibres to a handpiece 109 to allow simultaneous emission of an infrared light laser beam 3d and a marker visible laser beam 3c while the residual visible laser beam 3a may furthermore allow automatic sweeping over a zone 5 to be treated.

Description

 MIXED LASER THERAPY APPARATUS.

 The present invention relates to a mixed laser therapy device comprising a main block for applying at least one main laser beam for therapeutic treatment on an area to be treated and means for supporting and adjusting the position of the main block with respect to to the area to be treated, the main unit comprising at least one gas laser generator for delivering a low-power visible light laser beam, means for deflecting the visible laser beam to produce a visible main laser beam ensuring scanning of the area to be treated, at least a first semiconductor laser source emitting a laser beam of infrared light and means for controlling the semiconductor laser source to produce a main infrared laser beam in at least part of the area to be treated.

 Such mixed laser therapy devices make it possible to carry out different types of therapeutic treatment on a patient and in particular non-surgical irradiation treatments. Thus, such a device allows the choice of the use of a visible low-power laser beam to scan a portion of the body of a patient placed under the main block of the device for the purpose of delocalized treatment, or the use one or more continuous or pulsed infrared laser seals for localized treatment at well-defined points on the patient's body.

 The means for adjusting the position of the main block of the device make it possible to act with precision during a localized treatment. However, the handling of a large block remains relatively delicate when it comes to performing very localized treatments using laser beams of considerable power.

 It has thus already been proposed to use flexible light guides to conduct infrared light from the laser source to an end piece independent of the block containing the laser source, and manipulated by the practitioner.

 In such a case, the practitioner's task remains very delicate because he must precisely position his end piece but cannot directly control the emitted beam which is invisible. It is thus for example difficult to act effectively on acupuncture points for example.

 It has also already been proposed, for certain surgical applications, to associate a laser source of light for guiding and materializing a beam with a laser source of invisible treatment light. However, such a solution permanently monopolizes two different laser sources for a single therapeutic operation.

 The present invention aims to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks and aims to allow, with a mixed laser therapy device, to simultaneously carry out two different types of therapeutic treatment in complete safety, without it being necessary to monopolize for a single treatment two different laser sources.

 These aims are achieved by means of a mixed laser therapy device of the type mentioned at the head of the description, which, according to the invention, further comprises at least a second semiconductor laser source emitting a second laser beam of light. infrared, flexible means for guiding the second laser beam of infrared light to a handpiece which can be moved away from the main block of the means for separating part of the laser beam of visible light at the outlet of the gas laser generator and flexible means for guiding the separated part of the visible light laser beam up to the handpiece to ensure the simultaneous emission, by the handpiece, of a laser beam of infrared light and of a visible laser beam marking.

 Thanks to the existence of means for separating the visible light beam, it is possible for the practitioner to allow the treatment of a portion of the patient's body to continue automatically, by scanning, while acting with the handpiece to treat locally. other parts of the patient's body, this second localized treatment carried out using an invisible laser beam which can be carried out with precision and convenience thanks to the presence of an additional beam of visible light used to mark or materialize the beam visible light without the need for an additional visible laser source.

 Preferably, said separation means ensure the transmission of at least 90% of the incident laser beam of visible light towards said deflection means and the reflection of a few percent of the incident laser beam of visible light towards said flexible guide means from the separate part of the laser beam.

 According to a simple embodiment, the means for separating part of the visible light laser beam comprise a semi-reflecting mirror placed on the path of the visible light laser beam.

 Advantageously, said separation means further comprise a plane mirror placed next to the semi-reflecting mirror, parallel to the latter, and the separation means can be moved to bring the plane mirror to the beam path in a second position. visible light laser and ensuring 100% reflection of the incident laser beam towards said flexible means for guiding the separated part.

 According to a particular embodiment of the invention, said separation means comprise a support plate mounted to pivot in a plane inclined at 45 'relative to the direction of the incident laser beam, and having a first position in which a semi-reflecting mirror mounted in a first opening of the support plate is located on the path of the incident beam and a second position in which a second mirror is located on the path of the incident beam.

 In this case, elastic return and stop means are associated with the pivoting plate to define said first and second positions of stable equilibrium.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows on from a particular embodiment of the invention, given by way of example, with reference to the appended drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the assembly of the apparatus according to the invention,
FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic representations in section and in perspective showing different main elements constituting the apparatus according to the invention, and,
FIG. 4 represents a detail view from a different angle of the separation device incorporated in the diagram of FIG. 3.

 FIG. 1 shows a mixed apparatus for therapeutic laser treatment comprising an elongated main block 106 disposed in a substantially horizontal position and mounted on a base 100 ensuring the support of the block 106 and the adjustment of its position. A window arranged in the lower front face 108 of the block 106 allows the projection of a main laser beam 3 downwards to irradiate an area 5, for example a part of the body of a patient placed in an extended position under the front part 108 of block 106. The main beam 3 of visible light can be of low power and subjected to periodic deviations to carry out a scanning 6 of the area 5 aimed at preventing the appearance of irreversible phenomena in the area to be treated 5.

 The base may include several telescopic tubes 101, 102 which can be positioned using a lever 104 for adjusting the height of the block 106. The block 106, pivotally mounted on the tubular support 101, 102, can be inclined relative to an axis horizontal and locked in an inclined position determined by the locking handle 105. The tubes 101, 102 are engaged on a base 103 mounted on casters so as to allow translations in the horizontal direction and rotations around the axis of the tubular support 101, 102. The position of the block 106 relative to the patient can thus be easily adjusted.

 Figure 1 also shows a dwarf piece 109 placed in the rest position on hooks 110 integral with the block 106 and the rear end of which is connected to the block 106 by a flexible sheath 93 which surrounds optical fibers for guiding the laser light emitted by an infrared laser source incorporated in the block 106. The handpiece 109 is thus usable for locally treating point areas of the patient's body while the laser beam 3 scans another extended area 5 of the patient's body. In FIG. 1, the reference 107 designates the control panel for the parameters relating to scanning by the main beam 3 or to adjusting the power or the frequency of pulsation of the infrared laser beam emitted at the front end of the part to be hand 109.

 Figures 2 and 3 show schematically the different sub-assemblies arranged inside the main block 106. Figure 2 shows the block 106 in axial section while Figure 3 is a perspective view of the block 106 seen on the side opposite to that of figure 2.

 The different sub-assemblies include a laser generator 10 emitting a main beam 1 of low-power visible light, a power supply and electronic control unit 11 from the different laser sources, a semi-reflecting mirror 32 placed in the path of the beam main 1 and subdividing this beam into a first beam 3a and a second beam 3c deflected with respect to the paths of the beams 1 and 3a, towards an optical fiber 2 for connection with the handpiece 109, mirrors 12,13,14 of deflection of the first visible beam 3a, a first semiconductor laser source 20 and a second semiconductor laser source 40.

 The mirrors 12, 13, 14 for deflecting the visible beam 3a serve to return the beam 3a to the area 5 to be irradiated and to allow scanning 6 of this area by rotational movements of the mirrors 13, 14 around two orthogonal axes. The rotational movements can be communicated to the mirrors by small motors 130, 140.

 The semiconductor laser source 20 is itself disposed in the front part of the block 106, above the window 50 formed in the lower front face 108 of the block 106. The laser source 20 thus emits towards the area to be treated 5 one or more beams 3b of infrared light of considerable power, on localized zones 7 for carrying out specific treatments.

 The semiconductor laser source 40 can be identical to the laser source 20 and emits 3d beams of infrared light which are guided by optical fibers towards the handpiece 109 which can thus emit both a beam of light infrared 3d processing and a weak visible light beam marking 3c.

 In FIG. 3, by way of example, laser sources 20.40 have been shown, each comprising four AsGa diodes 21 to 24, 41 to 44 which can each emit a power of 10W peak with a light which may have a length of wave of for example 904 nanometers.

 The diodes 21 to 24 of the laser source 20 are arranged directly at the level of the window 50 to emit beams downwards. The diodes 41 to 44 of the laser source 40 on the other hand emit beams which are guided by optical fibers 45 to 48 united inside the sheath 93 connecting the handpiece 109 to the block 106.

 The circuits 11 for supplying and controlling the diodes 21 to 24 and 41 to 44 are conventional and will therefore not be described.

These circuits make it possible to selectively use a greater or lesser number of diodes and therefore to adjust the power of the resulting beam emitted, and also to create pulsed beams whose frequency can be adjustable over a large range, for example of the order of 64Hz to 8000Hz.

 The laser generator 10 can be of the Helium-Neon type and can have a power of the order of a few milliwatts, for example 10 or 25mw, but could also have a slightly higher power, for example of .80mw. The wavelength of visible beam 1 can be 632 nanometers, for example.

 As shown in FIG. 3, a small part 2 of the main beam 7 is sampled by the separation means 30 and returned to an optical element 91 associated with an optical fiber 92 which is then grouped with the optical fibers 4 to 48 for transmitting infrared light in the sheath 93. ba handpiece 109 incorporates optical lenses making it possible to focus the 3d and 2 light beams at their exit from the front part of the handpiece 109.

 We will now describe in more detail, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the means 30 for dividing the main beam 1 into a first beam 3a, the direction of which remains parallel to that of the incident main beam 1 and into a second beam 2 which -is reflected in goe relative to the direction of the incident beam 1 towards the lens 91.

The separation means 30 include a support plate 33 pivotally mounted about an axis 34 and lying in a plane the normal of which forms an angle of 45- with respect to the direction of the main beam 1. The plate 33 provided with a operating member 35 can be brought by pivoting in the above-mentioned plane from a first position in which the beam 1 arrives on a mirror 31 and is fully reflected towards the lens 91, in a second position in which the beam 1 arrives on a mirror semi-reflective 32 and divides
in a first transmitted beam 3a which crosses the plate without deflection, and in a second reflected beam 3c. This mirror
semi-reflective 32 can also be optionally
consisting of a simple transparent glass slide, insofar as a small fraction of the incident beam 1 (for example
a few percent) can be returned to lens 91 and,
by optical fiber 92, to handpiece 109 (beam 3c),
while most of the incident beam (for example
90) passes through the semi-reflecting mirror 32 without undergoing any
deflection to form the transmitted beam 3a.

 Return elements 38 maintain the plate 33 in one or the other of the chosen stable equilibrium positions. The passage from one position to the other is effected by tilting by acting on the pull tab 35. A light 36 formed in the plate 33 cooperates with a fixed rod 37 engaged in this light to constitute a stop in each of the two positions d 'balanced.

 FIG. 3 shows the plate 33, seen from the rear, in the position where the semi-reflecting mirror 32 is interposed on the path of the beam 1, while FIG. 4 shows the front face of the plate 33.

 Naturally, other means for dividing the main beam 1 comprising a semi-reflecting mirror 32 which can be selectively placed in front of the incident beam can be used. Thus, the plate 33 could be produced so as not to be swivel, but mounted on slides and capable, by translational movements, of either interposing the semi-transparent mirror 32 on the path of the beam I or of retracting that here, or else to place the plane mirror 31 in front of the beam 1.

 However, it will be noted that, in general, the removal of a small fraction of the visible incident beam 1 does not affect the effectiveness of the treatment carried out using the residual beam 3a. On the other hand, for certain specific applications, it is useful for the entire visible laser beam 1 to be reflected by the mirror 31 to allow direct application of this beam using the handpiece 109.

Claims (13)

 1.Mixed laser therapy device comprising a main block (106) for applying at least one main laser beam (3) for therapeutic treatment on an area (5) to be treated and support means (101 to 105) and for adjusting the position of the main block relative to the area to be treated (5), the main block (106) comprising at least one gas laser generator (10) for delivering a laser beam (1) of visible light of low power, means (12, 13, 14) for deflecting the visible laser beam (i) to produce a visible main laser beam (3a) ensuring scanning of the area (5) to be treated, at least a first semi-laser source -conductors (20) emitting a laser beam (3b) of infra-red light, and means (11) for controlling the semiconductor laser source (20) to produce a main infra-red laser beam (3b) in at least part of the area (5) to be treated, characterized in that it further comprises at least one second laser source to semiconductors (20) emitting a second laser beam (3d) of infrared light, flexible means (45 to 48) for guiding the second laser beam (3d) of infrared light to a handpiece ( 109) being able to be separated from the main block (106), means (30) for separating a part (3c) of the laser beam (1) of visible light at the output of the gas laser generator (10) and flexible means (2) for guiding the separate part (3c) of the laser beam (1) of visible light up to the handpiece (109) to ensure the simultaneous emission, by the handpiece (109), of a laser beam ( 3d) of infrared light and a visible laser beam (3c) for marking.  2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the means (30) for separating a part (3c) of the laser beam (1) of visible light comprises a semi-reflecting mirror (32) placed on the path of the beam visible light laser (1).  3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said separation means (30) ensure the transmission of at least 90% of the laser beam (1) incident of visible light towards said deflection means (12 , 13,14) and the reflection of a few percent of the laser beam (i) incident of visible light towards said flexible means (2) for guiding the separate part (3c) of the laser beam (1).  4. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said separation means (30) further comprise a plane mirror (31) disposed next to the semi-reflecting mirror (32), parallel to the latter, and in that the separation means (30) are movable to bring, in a second position, the plane mirror (31) on the path of the laser beam (1) of visible light and ensure 100% reflection of the incident laser beam (1) towards said flexible means (2) for guiding the separate part (3c).  5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said separation means (30) comprise a support plate (33) pivotally mounted in a plane inclined at 45 relative to the direction of the incident laser beam ( 1), and having a first position in which a semi-reflecting mirror (32) mounted in a first opening of the support plate (33) is located on the path of the incident beam (1) and a second position in which a second mirror (31) is located on the path of the incident beam (1).  6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that elastic return means (38) and stop (36,37) are associated with the pivoting plate (33) to define said first and second stable equilibrium positions.  7. Apparatus according to any one of claims I to 6, characterized in that said flexible light guiding means (45 to 48.2) consist of optical fibers.  8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the gas laser generator (10) is of the helium-neon type and delivers a power of the order of 5 to 80 mw.  9. Apparatus according to any one of zevendicatzons 1 to 8, characterized in that said means (12,13,14) for deflecting the visible laser beam (1) comprise a set of rotating mirrors (13,14) arranged downstream said separation means (30).  10. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the first and second semiconductor laser sources (20,40) are both associated with control means ~ 11) for producing beams: '' pulsed laser (3b, 3d) with adjustable repetition frequency.  11. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the first and second semiconductor laser sources (20,40) comprise first and second series of infrared diodes of the AsGa type (21 to 24, 41 to 44) which can each be selectively controlled and each delivering a power of the order of 10W peak.  12. Apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 11, characterized in that it comprises means (110) for fixing the handpiece (109) on the main block (106).  13. Apparatus according to any one of claims t to 12, characterized in that the main block (106) is arranged in a substantially horizontal position to return a visible main beam (3a) and a laser beam (3b} vertically towards the bottom, and in that the position of the main block (106) is adjustable in inclination relative to a horizontal axis, in vertical and horizontal translations and in rotation relative to a vertical axis.