JPH0113378B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] This invention relates to a therapeutic laser device that performs treatment by high-energy laser irradiation, and particularly relates to an improvement in the connector portion of an optical fiber for guiding laser light. .

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

There are many conventional methods known for the treatment of birthmarks, such as cell destruction using dry ice, skin grafting, excision, thin shavings, and baking with electric drying, but none of them are effective due to the size of the invasion. In comparison, the effects are not as good, and the treatment itself causes pain to the patient, requires hospitalization, and requires a long treatment period. It's here. Recently, with the development of lasers, a method of burning the affected area using a laser beam has been proposed, and although the number of such methods is small, it is being put into practice.

However, in treatment with laser light, the operability in the process of guiding the light to the affected area is significantly inferior, and positioning when irradiating the affected area is performed by moving the entire laser device, the patient itself, or both.

In order to solve this difficulty in operability, attempts have been made to use optical fibers in the light guide path.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a main part near a connector portion through which laser light output from a laser oscillator is input into an optical fiber. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an optical fiber, and this optical fiber 1 is inserted into a sleeve 2 and fixed with an adhesive. The insertion end of the optical fiber 1 has the skin on the distal end side peeled off, and the core 3 of the optical fiber 1 that remains after being peeled off is inserted into the hole of a cap nut-shaped core supporter 4 with a hole in the center. Insert and hold.
A core supporter 4 is glued to the sleeve 2;
The inside has a counterbore structure, and the laser beam incident surface side is generally mirror polished to improve processing accuracy. Reference numeral 5 denotes a plug, which is configured so that a lens 6 is connected to a receptacle 7 fixed therein by a cap nut 8.

In such a configuration, the laser light output from the laser oscillator 9 is focused by the lens 6, and the design is such that all of the output light enters the input end face of the core 3. However, if the optical axis shifts, The laser beam may hit the core supporter 4.

The core supporter 4 is generally made of brass or stainless steel, which can be processed at low cost and with high precision.However, since the laser light used for bruise treatment has high energy (for example, 40 joules), when the laser light hits the core supporter 4, The problem was that the irradiated area melted, and the vapor released at that time adhered to the input end face of the fiber and the lens, reducing the transmittance of the laser beam.

Since this deposit is deposited, it cannot be easily removed, and therefore, the light transmittance of the optical system decreases due to this deposit. A decrease in light transmittance means less energy for treatment, which has a significant negative impact on the treatment effect.

[Purpose of the invention]

This invention was made in view of the above circumstances,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a therapeutic laser device equipped with an optical fiber connector that will not be adversely affected even if laser light accidentally hits a core supporter 4 during optical axis adjustment, for example.

[Summary of the invention]

That is, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention condenses laser light from a laser oscillation source with a condensing lens,
In a therapeutic laser device that performs treatment using a laser beam guided into an optical fiber and emitted from the optical fiber, an optical fiber connector portion for connecting the laser oscillation source and the optical fiber is inserted through the core of the optical fiber. By forming the laser beam arrival side surface of the core supporter inserted into the hole into a mirror surface, the incoming laser beam is reflected and no melting or the like occurs.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to sectional views of main parts in FIGS. 2 to 4.

The basic structure of the present invention is the same as that shown in Fig. 1, but the laser beam incident surface of the core supporter 4 is sloped and mirror-polished to reflect the laser beam and support the core. This objective is achieved by reducing the amount of light energy absorbed by the vessel 4. That is, in FIGS. 2 and 3, 41 and 42 are core supports according to the present invention,
The core supporter 41 has its laser light incident surface side bulged outward and mirror-polished, and the core supporter 42 has its laser beam incident surface side slanted inward and mirror-polished.

Since the laser beam incident surface side of the core supporter is sloped and mirror-polished in this way, even if the laser beam hits it, it will be reflected, and there will be no risk of the core supporter melting. Furthermore, since the provision of such an inclination has no direct relation to the insertion hole 13 of the core 3, it does not affect the mechanical precision of supporting the core, and it does not affect the mechanical precision of supporting the core. 5 can be used as is. Furthermore, by making a special jig, it can be manufactured at almost the same price as conventional products.

It should be noted that the laser beams reflected by the core supports 41 and 42 are not parallel beams because they are condensed by the condenser lens 6, so after being reflected they are further diffused and the energy density is reduced. Therefore, the components that receive the reflected light will not be damaged by the laser light energy.

FIG. 4 shows a modification of the present invention, in which the core supporter 4
The laser light incident surface of No. 3 has fine notches to form a diffusing structure. Manufacturing costs are shown in Figures 2 and 3.
It will be more expensive than the one in the picture, but it will accomplish the purpose.
Although not shown in the drawings, it is also conceivable to vapor-deposit or plate the laser beam incident surface of the conventional core supporter 4 with a substance that efficiently reflects the laser beam (for example, gold or silver) to form a mirror surface.

Note that 42a and 43a are holes through which the core 3 is inserted and held.

As explained above, according to the present invention, even if the optical axis is shifted during adjustment of the optical axis or due to some vibration and the laser beam hits the core supporter, the laser beam is reflected, so the core supporter can be easily adjusted. The core supporter is not affected in any way, and the core supporter can be modified simply by forming a reflective surface, so conventional optical connector parts can be used as is, and the mechanical precision of supporting the core is improved. It is possible to provide an optical fiber connector that does not cause any adverse effects at a price comparable to conventional ones.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described in detail above, the present invention focuses a laser beam from an oscillation source that oscillates a laser beam using a condensing lens, and guides the laser beam by making it incident on the end face of an optical fiber core of a light guide path member formed by an optical fiber. In a therapeutic laser device that performs treatment using guided laser light, an optical fiber connector portion for connecting the laser oscillation source and the optical fiber is inserted and held through a core end of the optical fiber through an insertion hole. The surface of the core supporter on the laser beam arrival side is formed into a reflective surface and has a structure that reflects the incoming laser beam, so that when adjusting the optical system or when optical axis misalignment occurs, a portion of the laser beam may be lost to the core support. Even if it enters the vessel, it will be reflected and diffused, so there will be no melting of the core supporter or scattering of melted material, and there is no need to worry about contaminating the lens or the core of the optical fiber. Since only a simple modification is required, it is possible to provide a therapeutic laser device having the feature that conventional components can be used as they are.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional optical fiber connector, FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views of the main part of the female connector according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the present invention. It is. 1... Optical fiber, 2... Sleeve, 3... Core, 4, 41, 42, 43... Core supporter, 5...
...Plug, 6...Lens, 7...Receptacle,
8... Bag nut, 9... Laser oscillator, 41a,
42a, 43a...core insertion holes.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Laser light from an oscillation source that oscillates laser light is focused by a condensing lens, and the laser light is guided by making it enter the end face of an optical fiber core of a light guide path member using an optical fiber. In a therapeutic laser device that performs treatment using laser light, an optical fiber connector portion for connecting the laser oscillation source and the optical fiber is a core supporter that inserts and holds the core end of the optical fiber through an insertion hole. 1. A therapeutic laser device, characterized in that a surface on the laser beam arrival side is formed into a reflective surface, and has a structure to reflect the incoming laser beam. 2. The therapeutic laser device according to claim 1, wherein the reflective surface of the core supporter is a mirror surface forming an inclined surface. 3. The therapeutic laser device according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting surface of the core supporter is formed into a diffusely reflecting surface.