JPH0527145A - Optical fiber connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily clean the tip of an optical fiber, to surely position the optical fiber and to make the tip of the optical fiber hardly stained. CONSTITUTION:A protective member 42 is provided corresponding to the end face 40 of an optical fiber cord 6 in an optical fiber connector 8 for connecting the optical fiber cord 6 which guides a laser beam L to a main body 10. The protective member 42 is attachably/detachably mounted and the end face 40 of the optical fiber cord 6 is positioned in the protective member 42. This end face 40 is provided with a positioning means (a supporting member 30, the lower end 8b of a main body 8a and a member 38) for positioning the optical fiber at the specified position of a laser device 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber connector for connecting an optical fiber for guiding laser light to a laser device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A laser device, for example, a laser treatment device, connects an optical fiber to the laser device and irradiates the affected part with the laser light of the laser device through the optical fiber to treat the affected part.

[0003]

In the laser device of this type, the tip of the optical fiber is easily soiled in the laser device in which the tip of the optical fiber is not covered or protected at all. When high-level laser irradiation is performed using an optical fiber in a dirty state, the dirty object attracts light to generate heat and melts the tip of the optical fiber.

In another conventional laser device, a coating tube is fixed to the tip side of the optical fiber. The tip of the optical fiber is retracted into this cladding tube. For this reason,
When the optical fiber is attached to the laser device, the tip of the optical fiber cannot be seen from the outside, and it is difficult to obtain the accuracy of positioning the optical fiber with respect to the laser device. Also, if you want to clean the tip of the optical fiber when it gets dirty, it is difficult to clean.

According to the present invention, the tip of the optical fiber can be easily cleaned, the positioning of the optical fiber can be surely performed,
Moreover, it is an object to provide an optical fiber connector in which the tip of the optical fiber does not easily get dirty.

[0006]

The present invention is a laser beam L
In the optical fiber connector 8 for connecting the optical fiber (optical fiber connector 6 in the embodiment) for guiding the light to the laser device (main body 10 in the embodiment), the protection member 42 is provided corresponding to the end face 40 of the optical fiber. The protective member 42 is removably attached, and the end face 40 of the optical fiber is positioned in the protective member 42. The end face 40 is positioned by a positioning means (embodiment 10) of the laser device (main body 10 in the embodiment). Then support member 3
0, the lower end 8b of the main body 8a, and the member 38) for positioning.

[0007]

1 and 2 show a laser device for plastic surgery.

A laser emitting means 12 is built in the main body 10. The laser emitting means 12 is a ruby laser. The laser emitting means 12 has a laser resonator 14 and mirrors 3 and 4. The laser resonator 14 of the laser emitting means 12 has a ruby rod 18 and a flash lamp 20.

The main body 10 has a He-Ne laser 1 for aiming at the treatment site H.

The aiming light of the He-Ne laser 1 is aimed at the treatment site H via the mirrors 2, 3, 4 and the condenser lens 5, the optical fiber cord 6 of the light guide section 4, and the lens 7 of the handpiece 21.

Similarly, the laser light L of the laser emitting means 12
Is reflected by the mirror 4 and focused on the treatment site H via the condenser lens 5, the optical fiber cord 6 and the lens 7.

The light guide section 4 of FIG. 2 has an optical fiber cord 6 and an optical fiber connector section 8. One end of the optical fiber cord 6 is connected to the handpiece 21 side. The other end of the optical fiber cord 6 is connected to the optical fiber connector section 8.

FIG. 3 shows the optical fiber connector section 8 and its periphery. The optical fiber connector portion 8 is for positioning and fixing one end of the optical fiber cord 6 with respect to the support member 30.

The support member 30 is fixed to the main body 10. Two pins 36 are fixed to the support member 30. 2 is provided in the operation portion 32 of the optical fiber connector portion 8.
One groove 34 is formed. The optical fiber connector portion 8 can be detachably fixed to the support member 30 by engaging the pins 36 with the grooves 34 and turning the operation portion 32.

A covering member 77 is arranged on the portion 6a of the optical fiber cord 6. The covering member 77 is also called a ferrule and is fixed to the main body 8a with a screw 40a. The lower end surface 40b of the covering member 77 is flush with the end surface 40 of the optical fiber cord 6 and the lower surface of the support member 30.

A protective member 42 is provided on the lower side of the main body 8a with a screw 7.
It is fixed to the main body 8a by 8. Protective member 4
Reference numeral 2 is a tubular shape, and the lower end surface 40b of the covering member 77
Projects further down than.

When the main body 8a of the optical fiber connector portion 8 is inserted into the support member 30, the lower end 8b of the main body 8a abuts the upper surface of the abutting member 38. By this abutting action, the end face 40 of the optical fiber cord 6 can be positioned in the optical axis direction. The laser beam L is accurately focused on the end surface 40 by making this positioning correct. That is, the support member 30, the lower end 8b of the main body 8a, and the member 38 constitute a positioning means with the end face 40 at a predetermined position of the main body 10 of the laser apparatus.

The condenser lens 5 is a member 3 also called a lens cell.
Supported by 8. The condenser lens 5 is a covering member 40.
It is located below. Further, a mirror 4 is arranged below the condenser lens 5. The laser light L from the laser emitting means 12 is reflected by the mirror 4 and the condenser lens 5
Thus, the light is focused on the end face 40 of the lower end 6b of the optical fiber cord 6.

FIG. 4 shows the laser resonator 14 of the laser emitting means 12 already outlined in FIG.

The laser resonator 14 includes a support block 8
0, mirror adjusting devices 55 and 55 for resonator and base 5
5a.

The resonator mirror adjusting devices 55, 55 have a bilaterally symmetrical shape. Resonator mirror adjusting device 55,
Each 55 has two adjusting grips 50.

These grips 50 are arranged as shown in FIG. The two grips 50 include supports 46 and 48.
It is provided in. By appropriately operating these two grips 50, the positions of the laser resonator mirrors 16 and 16 with respect to the laser optical axis can be correctly adjusted. That is, by operating the two grips 50 of FIG.
The resonator mirrors 16 and 16 can be moved vertically and horizontally with respect to the laser optical axis.

The single grip portion 50 will be described as a representative. The grip portion 50 has a knurled portion 62 as shown in FIG. The knurl portion 62 is a flat knurl and is set on the outer circumference of the micrometer head 45. The micrometer head 54 is rotatable with respect to the support 46.

The micrometer head 54 has a scale 54a.
Are formed.

A mounting member 56 is attached to the shaft 70 by a bolt 74.
It is fixed by. An elastic member 60 is fixed to the mounting member 56 with a screw 58. Elastic member 6
0 has a convex portion 60a.

As shown in FIG. 6, the convex portion 60a is adapted to fit into the groove 62a of the knurled portion 62. The amount of adjustment movement of the micrometer head depending on the pitch of the grooves 62a of the knurled portion 62 depends on the mirror 16 for the laser resonator,
It is set to be smaller than the minimum movement amount required for 16 adjustments.

As shown in FIG. 7, a mounting member 56 is mounted on the shaft 70.

FIG. 8 shows the laser emitting means 12 shown in FIG.
Support block 80 and elliptical mirror 86 for collecting light
Is shown.

The support block 80 has a hollow portion 80a.
have. Elliptical mirrors 86 and 120 are fitted in the hollow portion 80a as shown in FIG. Only the elliptical mirror 86 is shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the elliptical mirror 8
Mirror surfaces 128 and 130 are formed on the inner surfaces of 6 and 120, respectively. When the concave mirror surfaces 128 and 130 are combined, a mirror surface having an elliptical cross section is formed. Between the concave mirror surfaces 128 and 130, the ruby rod 18 and the flash lamp 20 already shown are arranged in parallel at regular intervals.

As shown in FIG. 8, terminals 122 and 123 are connected to the ends of the ruby rod 18, respectively. The flash lamp 20 is connected to terminals 92 and 100. The terminals 92 and 100 are supported by insulating supports 90 and 102, respectively.

A cooling water introduction pipe 82 and a cooling water discharge pipe 84 are fixed to the lower portion of the support block 80.

The cooling water introduction pipe 82 passes through the passage 110 and passes through the space between the elliptical mirrors 86 and 120 to reach the cooling water discharge pipe 84 via the passage 112. At these passages, a sealing material is appropriately provided for sealing.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the elliptical mirror 8 is used.
The screws 6 and 120 are fixed to the support block 80 by screws 132. With the screws 132 removed, the elliptical mirrors 86, 120 can be horizontally or laterally fitted or removed from one and the other of the support blocks 80, as shown by the arrows, as shown in FIG.

[0035]

According to the present invention, the protective member is detachably attached to the optical fiber, and the tip of the optical fiber can be easily cleaned by removing the protective member.

Further, since the end face of the optical fiber is located inside the protective member, the end face of the optical fiber is less likely to get dirty.

Further, the end face of the optical fiber can be correctly positioned at a predetermined position of the laser device. Therefore, the laser light can be accurately focused on the end surface of the optical fiber, and there is no risk of burning the end surface of the optical fiber.

Therefore, treatment and processing can be performed with high reliability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a laser treatment apparatus including an optical fiber connector of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of the laser treatment apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an optical fiber connector of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a laser emitting means in the laser treatment apparatus of FIG. 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the laser emitting means of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a part of a resonator mirror adjusting device of the laser emitting means of the present invention.

7 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 4 of the present invention.

8 is a sectional view showing a support block of the laser emitting means of FIG. 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing the support block of the present invention and an elliptical mirror for condensing light.

FIG. 10 is a side view showing the support block of the present invention and an elliptical mirror for condensing light.

FIG. 11 is a side view showing a state in which an elliptical mirror for collecting light is removed from the support block of the present invention.

[Explanation of Codes] 6 Optical Fiber Code 8 Optical Fiber Connector 10 Main Body 12 Laser Emitting Means 14 Laser Resonator 16 Resonator Mirror 18 Ruby Rod 20 Flash Lamp 42 Protective Member 50 Adjustment Grip 55 Resonator Mirror Adjuster 80 Support Block 82 Cooling Water introduction pipe 84 Cooling water discharge pipe 86 Elliptical mirror 110 Passage 112 Passage 120 Elliptical mirror ◆

Claims (1)

Claim: What is claimed is: 1. An optical fiber connector (8) for connecting an optical fiber (6) for guiding a laser beam L to a laser device (10), an end face (40) of the optical fiber (6). A protective member (42) is provided in correspondence with the protective member (42), the protective member (42) is detachably attached, and the end face (40) of the optical fiber (6) is located in the protective member (42). Reference numeral (40) is a positioning means (8b, 30, 3) for positioning the laser device (10) at a predetermined position.
An optical fiber connector characterized by being positioned by 8).