Abstract: A method for delivering electromagnetic radiation onto tissue to be treated with the radiation includes delivering the radiation onto the tissue in a treatment-spot having a polygonal shape such as a rectangle or a hexagon. The polygonal shape is selected such that a region of the tissue to be treated can be completely covered by a plurality of such shapes essentially without overlapping the shapes. The radiation to be delivered is passed through a lightguide having a cross-section of the polygonal shape. Radiation exiting the lightguide is projected onto the tissue via a plurality of optical elements to provide the treatment-spot.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method may provide laser beams of two or more wavelengths from diode pumped solid-state laser sources (220, 222, 224). The beam paths of these laser beams with different wavelengths, which are generated by the laser sources (220, 222, 224), may be aligned along a common optical axis 280 by an optical configuration, to treat at least one target area. Frequency-doubled laser beams, output from a plurality of diode pumped solid state laser cavities, may be passed through fold mirrors (M2, M5, M8), and combined on a common optical axis 280, using one or more combiner mirrors (M10, M11, M12), to unify the beam paths. Selected laser beams may be delivered to a target using one or more delivery systems.

Abstract: An apparatus and method may provide uniform illumination on the retina using scanned continuous wave laser sources by making use of waveguides with regular shaped cross sections. Some embodiments of the present invention may provide illumination uniformity for selected spots and/or whole target scans, and may provide for constant dwell times every point of the scanned beam. Furthermore, the non-uniformities caused by starting and stopping scans may be eliminated by, for example, clipping-off both the beginning and end of the scan with a hard aperture. A modulator may be provided, enabling uniform irradiation of selected target areas.

Abstract: An arrangement for monitoring the power delivered by a photon channeling element including an integrating chamber to receive an output end of the photon channeling element and an optical surface positioned to reflect a portion of the laser-light exiting the photon channeling element at substantially normal incidence to the beam centerline. The integrating chamber may be adapted to collect substantially all of the laser-light reflected from the optical surface. The arrangement may also include a sensor in optical contact with a portion of the integrating chamber that is out of the path of laser-light reflected from the optical surface.

Abstract: A scanning optical system for delivering electromagnetic radiation onto tissue to be treated is cooperative with a lightguide or optical fiber. Radiation to be delivered is provided by a source thereof via the optical fiber. The optical system includes an optical projection arrangement comprising a plurality of lenses cooperatively arranged with the lightguide. A first of the lenses is arranged to receive radiation emerging from the lightguide. The beam of radiation is passed through the projection arrangement to form a treatment spot the radiation on the tissue. Scanning is effected by causing relative motion between the exit-end of said lightguide and at least the first lens, transverse to the optical axis of the projection arrangement. The treatment spot undergoes a related transverse motion over the tissue. In one example scanning is effected by moving the first lens with the lightguide fixed. The first lens is moved using an arrangement of piezo-electric actuators.

Abstract: A method for delivering electromagnetic radiation onto tissue to be treated with the radiation includes delivering the radiation onto the tissue in a treatment-spot having a polygonal shape such as a rectangle or a hexagon. The polygonal shape is selected such that a region of the tissue to be treated can be completely covered by a plurality of such shapes essentially without overlapping the shapes. The radiation to be delivered is passed through a lightguide having a cross-section of the polygonal shape. Radiation exiting the lightguide is projected onto the tissue via a plurality of optical elements to provide the treatment-spot.

Abstract: Onset of coagulation of blood in a blood vessel irradiated by electromagnetic radiation is detected by directing light at the blood vessel and monitoring the intensity of a portion of the light remitted from the blood vessel. An increase or decrease in the monitored light intensity indicates the onset of coagulation. The increase or decrease results from the formation of methemoglobin in the blood which accompanies the onset of coagulation. The methemoglobin is formed by photo conversion or thermal conversion of normal blood oxyhemoglobin. The wavelength of the monitoring light is selected to be different from that of the electromagnetic radiation and is preferably a wavelength for which the ratio of its absorptivity in hemoglobin and its absorptivity in normal blood is less than about one-half or greater than about two.

Abstract: Laser skin treatment apparatus includes a handpiece for delivering laser-radiation pulses from a laser to an area of skin being treated. The area being treated is larger than an area treatable in a single firing of the laser. The larger area is treated by treating adjoining sub-areas within the larger area by repeated firings of the laser. The laser is fired automatically depending on the position of the handpiece in the larger area. Several arrangements for determining the position of the handpiece are disclosed. These include optical detection by the handpiece of indicia drawn on the skin being treated; optical, magnetic, or mechanical detection of indicia on a separate guide for the handpiece or on a roller attached to the handpiece; and detection by determining time of travel of signals from a transponder in the handpiece to a fixed reference plane.

Abstract: Skin including hypotrophic scars is irradiated with laser radiation having a wavelength between about 525 and 550 nanometers. The irradiation is delivered at a fluence that stimulates wound healing responses without actually inflicting a wound. The wound healing properties promote growth of dermal extracellular matrix. Absorption properties of hemoglobin and melanin in the 525 to 550 nanometer wavelength range provide that wound healing response is concentrated close to upper regions of the skin and accordingly close to the location of the scars. The growth of dermal extracellular matrix “bulks-up” irradiated dermal tissue. This makes the depressions of hypertrophic scars shallower and less apparent. The method has also been observed to cause shrinkage of enlarged pores.

Abstract: An illumination system includes a multimode diode-laser and two optical fibers. Light from the diode-laser is directed into the first optical fiber having a first core diameter. The light exits the first optical fiber and is directed by an optical system into a second optical fiber having a core diameter greater than the first optical fiber and a numerical aperture greater than the numerical aperture of the optical system. A light beam exiting the second optical fiber has an intensity distribution having sharp edges and uniformity better than plus or minus ten percent over a central ninety percent of the beam.

Abstract: A handpiece for projecting laser radiation from a solid-state laser via an articulated arm to biological tissue being treated is disclosed. An optical system in the handpiece provides that the laser radiation is projected in a spot of selectively variable size at a fixed distance from the handpiece. The projected spot can be defined as an image of a characteristic invariant cross-section of the laser beam delivered to the handpiece which has about the same width at a wide range of M2 values of the laser beam. This provides that at any mechanically selected size, the size of the projected spot remains substantially constant over the range of M2 values between about 1 and 15. In one example the handpiece projects 2.94 &mgr;m radiation in a range of spot sizes between about 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. Spot size remains substantially constant over a range of M2 values between about 1 and 15.

Abstract: A medical laser system is disclosed for ablating biological material. The system includes an Erbium:YAG gain medium capable of generating a pulsed output having a wavelength of 2.9 microns. The laser is optimized to generate a pulsed output having a repetition rate of at least 50 hertz and preferably at least 100 hertz. The output is delivered to the target tissue via an optical fiber. Preferably, a suction source is provided to aspirate the tissue as it is being ablated. The erbium laser system provides accurate ablation with minimal damage to surrounding tissue.

Abstract: A slab laser includes a laser-resonator and a plurality of generally-triangular prismatic slabs of a solid-state gain-medium located in the resonator. The prismatic slabs are cooperatively arranged such that laser-light circulating in the laser-resonator follows a convoluted path through the prismatic slabs. Each of the prismatic slabs changes the direction of the convoluted path at least once by about one-hundred-eighty degrees.

Abstract: A package for storing a continuous length of optical fiber is formed from two mating portions. The mating portions are configured such that when joined they form an annular package including separate inside and outside concentric annular chambers. A circumferential slit around inside and outside edges of the annular package allows access to respectively the inside and outside chambers. Two fiber guides are provided, one engaging the inside edge and the other engaging the outside edge of the package. Each fiber guide is configured such that it can slide around the edge that it engages. An aperture in adjacent walls of the inner and outer chambers allows passage of an optical fiber from one to the other and also allows passage of fluids or gases for sterilization.

Abstract: A surgical laser scanner having optics that scans a pulsed laser beam onto a target tissue is disclosed. The laser scanner has a lens and a scanning mirror or mirrors located upstream of the lens at a distance substantially equal to the focal length of the lens. The laser beam hits the scanning mirror and is reflected onto the lens in a pattern defined by sequential positions of the scanning mirror. The laser beam is projected onto the target tissue by the lens in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens. The projected pattern has a constant size regardless of the distance between the laser scanner and the target tissue.

Abstract: A laser includes an asymmetrical laser-resonator formed between a concave maximally-reflecting mirror and a plane output-coupling mirror. The laser-resonator includes a transversely optically-pumped gain-medium rod asymmetrically located in the laser-resonator closer to the output-coupling mirror than to the maximally-reflecting mirror. Components of the laser-resonator are configured, dependent upon the thermal-lensing coefficient of the gain-medium and optical pumping power, such that the laser-resonator operates as a stable resonator generating a multimode circulating laser-beam. The beam has a width at the maximally-reflecting mirror greater than its width at the output-coupling mirror for reducing laser-damage to the maximally-reflecting mirror. The beam symmetrically fills the gain-medium thereby providing optimum laser-energy extraction from the gain-medium.