A long pulsed dye laser device for selective photothermolysis comprises at least two pulsed dye lasers, such as flash lamp excited dye lasers, each generating corresponding pulsed laser beams successively in time. These lasers can be coordinated by a synchronizer that sequentially triggers the lasers. A combining network merges the pulse laser beams into a combined beam and a delivery system conveys the combined pulse laser beam to a patient. An example of a delivery device is a single optical fiber. This invention enables production of the necessary pulse widths, on the order of 2 msec, which can not be achieved by individual dye lasers, generally lower than 0.8 msec. Also disclosed is a selective photothermolysis method. This method comprises irradiating a tissue section of a patient with a pulsed laser beam having a changing color across a time period of the pulse. This pulse color is selected to maximize absorption in a target tissue of a patient in response to heating caused by a preceding portion of the pulse.
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/329,195 filed on Oct. 26, 1994, now abandoned, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
A dye laser for generating laser pulses of long duration comprising an optic resonator which comprises an elongated dye cell, which contains light gain medium that can be excited to population inversion, the outputs of the laser pulses from the dye cell being formed of the end surfaces of the cell. There are mirrors placed in optical connection with the outputs of the laser pulses of the dye cell, at least one of the mirrors being partially transmissive for feeding the laser pulse out. Furthermore, means comprising at least one elongated gas discharge lamp are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the dye cell to feed excitation light into the dye cell so that the excitation light sweeps across the cell in the lateral direction of the cell.
Two or three pulsed laser (3, 4, 20) devices are provided with a system for the automated optimization of the parameters of radiation produced by these lasers as well the types and regimes of processing of each kind of tissue. The outputs of at least one detector (15) of information about the status of tissue (16) that is under processing are connected to the inputs of control unit 1 which output signals are applied to electronic switchers (5, 6, 26) placed in the circuits connecting the power supply (2) with each of lasers (3, 4, 20). The devices also include the controlled system of treatment zone irrigation (17) and a system for laser radiations mixing consisting of reflective (7, 21) and selective (8, 25) mirrors that makes it possible to provide the independent radiation outputs.
Pulsed light source for the removal of biological tissue. The pulsed light source incorporates light means as well as a controller which controls the light means in such a way that the light means generate on the one hand ablation pulses (BA) with an irradiancy sufficient for the ablation of tissue and on the other hand a coagulation radiation (BK) with an irradiance sufficient simply for a heating of tissue, but not for an ablation of tissue. The controller controls the light means in such a way that the light means generate the coagulation radiation (BK) independently in time of the ablation pulses (BA).
A method of percutaneous and subcutaneous laser treatment of the tissue of a patient is provided. The tip of an optical fiber is be passed through the skin, advanced through the tissue subcutaneously to a desired treatment area and withdrawn. Laser energy can be emitted at different levels during any or all of the skin penetration, advancement, tissue treatment and withdrawal phases. The present invention is useful for surgical treatments, and is especially suitable for minimally invasive plastic or cosmetic surgical and dermatological procedures without bleeding and with less edema, erythema and swelling and faster healing than conventional surface laser energy application, abrasion, scalpel surgery or chemical peel procedures.
A laser treatment apparatus which performs a medical or surgical treatment using laser-beam irradiation, The apparatus has a solid-state laser medium for obtaining a laser beam and an excitation light source for exciting the solid-state laser medium. The apparatus further has a first optical system having a Q-switch which emits light oscillated by the solid-state laser medium as a pulse wave laser beam, and a second optical system which emits the light oscillated by the solid-state laser medium as a continuous wave laser beam. An optical path for the light oscillated by the solid-state laser medium is switched to one of optical paths of the first and second optical systems. With this apparatus, plural oscillation modes and wavelengths can be switched over in accordance with the treatment object, and the load on the user is reduced.
