Patents by Inventor Acle V. Hicks

Acle V. Hicks has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6414980
    Abstract: A method for operating an extracavity frequency-converted solid-state laser for performing a laser processing operation is disclosed. The laser has a laser-resonator including an optically-pumped gain-medium. The resonator is configured to compensate for a predetermined range of thermal lensing in the gain-medium. An optically-nonlinear crystal located outside the resonator converts fundamental laser radiation delivered by the resonator into frequency converted radiation. The laser processing operation is performed by a train of pulses of the frequency-converted radiation having sufficient power to perform the processing operation. The power of frequency-converted radiation is dependent on delivery parameters of the laser radiation from the laser-resonator. The laser is operated in a manner which provides that the resonator delivers effectively the same average power of fundamental laser radiation before and during the laser processing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Coherent, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Xiaoyi Wang, Acle V. Hicks, Edward C. Rea, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5147349
    Abstract: A diode laser device and method of use for achieving transcutaneous laser photocoagulation of the retina is described. A diode laser is used since it is much more efficient than the ion or dye lasers presently used for laser photocoagulation, and therefore will not require forced air of water cooling and can be made for compact. In addition, the diode laser can be used with standard 110 v wall sockets, and does not require the high power, three phase sockets required for the ion lasers. The end result is that compared to the ion laser device, the diode laser device can be brought directly into the operating room, which makes it ideal for transcutaneous delivery.A characteristic of diode lasers is that the emitted light diverges rapidly. In addition, the diode laser beam is emitted from a rectangular edge of a diode, and the light emitted along the longer sides of the rectangular edge will diverge more rapidly than that light emitted along the shorter sides of the rectangular edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1992
    Assignee: Spectra-Physics, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Johnson, Ralph B. Bettman, Acle V. Hicks, Michael Yessik