JPH07275254A - Medical laser device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the accurate recognition of fluorescence from a lesion by providing a filter for intersepting reflected laser beams from the lesion, between a catheter for guiding laser beams to the lesion from a laser beam source and a fluorescence detecting part for detecting fluorescence from the lesion through the catheter. CONSTITUTION:A laser fiber 3 is connected to a laser beam source 19 and formed of an optical fiber or the like for guiding laser beams to a lesion. An image fiber 5 transmitting an observed image and fluorescence is formed of an optical fiber bundle with the tip part provided with an optical system such as an objective lens and with the other end provided with an ocular lens 12. This laser device is provided with an image pickup part formed of an image pickup tube, a solid image pickup element, or the like, for picking up and displaying the observed image transmitted by the image fiber 5, an image display part 17 formed of a cathode-ray tube, a solid display element, or the like. A filter 21 for preventing laser beams from entering an observation system is further provided in front of the observation system.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medical laser device for treating a lesion with laser light.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, as a method for treating the stomach and esophagus, there has been known a therapeutic method in which a lesion is evaporated and removed by using a laser beam.

For example, a lesion is irradiated with laser light from an excitation laser light source and a therapeutic laser light source through a single transmission path, and fluorescence from the lesion excited by the excitation laser is observed to form a lesion. , Then switch the laser light source,
An endoscope for treating a lesion with a therapeutic laser (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-62160)
No. 11440 gazette) was known.

[0004]

However, the above-mentioned conventional technique has the following two problems.

First problem: Fluorescence cannot be discriminated by the laser light for excitation reflected from the lesion, and the lesion cannot be confirmed accurately.

Second problem: The treatment laser light source and the excitation laser light source must be separately provided, which makes the device large and expensive.

As a solution to the first problem, in order to more clearly confirm the fluorescence emitted from the lesion by the excitation laser light, an argon ion laser is used as the excitation laser and the frequencies of the fluorescence and the reflected laser light are changed. There is known a laser diagnostic endoscope (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57-89844) provided with a filter that increases the difference and transmits fluorescence.
In order to solve the second problem, the inventor of the present invention has considered making the therapeutic laser light source and the excitation laser light source the same light source.

The present inventor has considered to solve the above two problems at the same time. However, when the therapeutic laser light source and the excitation laser light source are the same light source, the wavelength of the excitation laser light is It becomes the same as the therapeutic laser light, and it is not possible to freely select it so as to increase the difference between the fluorescence frequency and the wavelengths of the laser light and the fluorescence are very close or the same, and only the fluorescence is transmitted. No filter could be installed.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and to provide a medical laser device capable of surely confirming fluorescence from a lesion.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a medical laser device of the present invention comprises a catheter for guiding a laser beam from a laser light source to a lesion, and fluorescence from the lesion detected via the catheter. And a filter for blocking the reflected laser light from the lesion is provided between the fluorescence detecting section and the catheter and the fluorescence detecting section.

[0011]

With the above structure, the fluorescence and the reflected laser light from the lesion portion pass through the filter, and the reflected laser light is blocked. At the same time, the fluorescence of the same frequency as the reflected laser light is also blocked, but since the fluorescence generally has a wider frequency band than the reflected laser light, the fluorescence having a different reflection number from the reflected laser light is not blocked and the fluorescence detection is performed. It will reach the department.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a medical laser device according to the present invention. A laser light source 19 that supplies a laser beam for treatment and a laser beam for fluorescence diagnosis, a laser fiber 3 including an optical fiber or the like that is coupled to the laser light source 19 and guides the laser beam to a lesion, and an illumination that illuminates an observation visual field in the body. Light source 9,
A light guide 6 coupled to an illumination light source 9 for guiding illumination light to an observation section, an optical system such as an objective lens (not shown) at the tip portion for transmitting an observation image and fluorescence, and an eyepiece lens 12 at the other end. Image fiber 5 formed of an optical fiber bundle, an image pickup unit 14 including an image pickup tube or an individual image pickup element for picking up and displaying an observation image transmitted by the image fiber 5, and a cathode ray tube or an individual display element. And a movable mirror 13 that guides the fluorescence to the detection unit 15 in the fluorescence diagnosis mode.
A fluorescent display unit 16 which processes a signal from the fluorescent detection unit 15 and outputs it to a cathode ray tube or the like, and a control unit 18 which controls each unit.
And a branch portion 2 and a catheter 1.

Further, a filter 21 for preventing the laser light from entering the observation system is provided in front of the observation system.

The catheter 1 to be inserted into the body is shown in FIG. 2 which is a detailed cross-sectional view of the catheter 1. The catheter 1 is provided in a tubular member 20 formed of a flexible inert plastic such as Teflon, silicone rubber or polyethylene. A laser fiber 3, a light guide 6 and an image fiber 5 are internally provided via the branching portion 2.

In the above structure, when used in the endoscope mode, the movable mirror 13 is set to the position shown by the dotted line in FIG.
A visible region image of the observation visual field in the body using the light guide 6 and the image fiber 5 is displayed on the video display unit 17 for observation.

When used in the fluorescence diagnostic mode, the output of the laser light source 19 is weakened by the control unit 18, the movable mirror 13 is set to the position shown by the solid line in FIG.
The reflected light is guided to the fluorescence detection unit 15 through the filter 21. As a result of this, the laser light emitted from the laser light source 19 and having a weak output is radiated from the tip of the catheter 1 to the lesion area via the laser fiber 3. This irradiation laser beam excites the living tissue without damaging it, and emits fluorescence peculiar to normal tissue and diseased tissue (see FIG. 3).

Further, as a means for enhancing the fluorescence intensity and facilitating diagnosis, a photosensitizing substance that easily accumulates in tumor and emits fluorescence by excitation light, such as hematoporphyrin derivative, is incorporated into a living body. There is a method of irradiating a laser beam of 630 nm which is its excitation light at the stage of being accumulated only in a tumor to obtain strong fluorescence distributed in 630 to 690 nm.

The fluorescence from the living tissue or the photosensitizer thus obtained is transmitted by the image fiber 5 and guided to the filter 21 by the movable mirror 13. The filter 21 has a characteristic of cutting off strong excitation light that interferes with fluorescence observation, and also blocks fluorescence of the same wavelength as the excitation light, but the fluorescence generally has a wider wavelength region than the excitation light. Therefore, fluorescence having a wavelength different from the wavelength of the excitation light passes through the filter 21 and enables fluorescence observation. During the period of the fluorescence diagnosis mode, the illumination light from the illumination light source unit interferes with the fluorescence observation, so that it is electrically or mechanically shut off by the signal from the control unit 18.

When the lesion is evaporated and removed by laser light, the laser fiber 3 is aimed at the lesion and the laser light source 19 is driven in the treatment mode. During operation, the movable mirror 13 is set to the fluorescence diagnostic mode to observe the fluorescence from the lesion by the therapeutic laser light, or the endoscopic diagnostic mode can be performed while observing the lesion, so that there is no risk of damaging the normal site. Can be safely operated.

As described above, this apparatus can be integrated into a single laser light source 19 by providing the control section 18 for controlling the output of the therapeutic laser light source and the excitation laser light source, which is small, lightweight and inexpensive. It has become possible to provide various medical laser devices. Furthermore, by providing the filter 21 that blocks the reflected laser light in front of the observation system, the lesion image at the time of treatment is not disturbed by the reflected light of the treatment laser light, and at the time of fluorescence diagnosis, the excitation laser light Highly accurate treatment and diagnosis can be performed without the weak fluorescence of reflected light being extinguished.

[0022]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the present invention provides a small-sized, lightweight and inexpensive medical laser device that can perform treatment and diagnosis with one laser light source. Furthermore, by installing a filter that shuts off the laser in front of the observation system for the lesion image and the fluorescence image, clear image information can be obtained without being disturbed by the reflected light of the irradiation laser light, and safe and accurate treatment is possible. Is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a first embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a fluorescence spectrum.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Catheter 2 Bifurcation 3 Laser Fiber 5 Image Fiber 6 Light Guide 9 Illumination Light Source 12 Eyepiece 13 Movable Mirror 14 Imager 15 Fluorescence Detector 16 Fluorescence Display 17 Video Display 18 Control 19 Laser Source 20 Tubular 21 Filter

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A catheter that guides laser light from a laser light source to a lesion, a fluorescence detection unit that detects fluorescence from the lesion via the catheter, and a lesion between the catheter and the fluorescence detection unit. Medical laser device provided with a filter for blocking the reflected laser light of.