SOLID STATE UV LASER

• Main Authors: PELOUCH, WAYNE, SHELDON, VAN SAARLOOS, PAUL, PHILLIP
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 09.07.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; DENTISTRY; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION; DIAGNOSIS; ELECTRICITY; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PHYSICS; PROSTHESES; SURGERY; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS

The present invention provides a method and apparatus (10) for ablating material, the method including (a) directing a laser beam (14) through a frequency doubling compound (16); (b) then directing the beam through plurality of frequency converting compounds (20, 24); (c) then directing the beam through a beam separating system (30); and (d) directing the beam or a portion of the beam onto an area of the material to ablate the material, wherein the frequency converting compounds include a CLBO crystal. The apparatus includes a laser source (12) for providing a laser beam (14) of infra-red light, first frequency doubling means (20) for doubling the frequency of the infra-red beam, beam conversion means (24) for converting the infra-red beam into an ultra-violet beam (including a second frequency doubling means for redoubling the frequency to produce a twice doubled frequency beam and a fifth harmonic frequency mixing means for mixing the twice frequency doubled beam with the infra-red beam to produce an ultra-violet fifth harmonic of the infra-red beam to produce an ultra-violet fifth harmonic of the infra-red beam), a beam separating system (30) for separating the ultra-violet harmonic, and a laser delivery system (32) for delivering the ultra-violet harmonic to the material, wherein the apparatus is arranged to direct the infra-red beam (14) through the first frequency doubling means (20) and the beam conversion means (24), and to direct light from the beam conversion means (24) to the beam separating system (30) and then to laser delivery system (32) and the fifth harmonic frequency mixing means or the second frequency doubling means (24) includes a CLBO crystal.