Dual Wavelength Surgical Laser System

Abstract

A surgical laser system includes a pump module, a gain medium, a nonlinear crystal (NLC), an output end, and a first path steering component, wherein the pump module is configured to generate pump energy within an operating wavelength, the gain medium is configured to convert the pump energy into a first laser energy, the NLC is configured to convert a portion of the first laser energy into a second laser energy, the second laser energy is a harmonic of the first laser energy, and the first path steering component has a first operating mode and a second operating mode. When the first path steering component is in the first operating mode, the first laser energy is guided along the output path to the output end, and the second laser energy is diverted from the output path and the output end. When the first path steering component is in the second operating mode, the second laser energy is guided along the output path to the output end, and the first laser energy is diverted from the output path and the output end.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Laser energy can be used for various beneficial purposes that are specific to the wavelength. That is, to achieve one goal or perform one type of medical procedure, a laser system that provides an output at a first wavelength is desired. To achieve another goal or perform another type of medical procedure, a laser system that provides an output at a second wavelength is desired.

[0002] One such application of laser systems occurs in the medical context. For example, in some surgical procedures, Nd:YAG lasers are used at an output wavelength of 1064 nm to achieve surgical or therapeutic results. In addition, such laser systems can be frequency doubled to provide 532 nm wavelength output laser energy to achieve other surgical or therapeutic results.

[0003] For example, 532nm light is strongly absorbed by hemoglobin in the blood, making it very effective for cutting and vaporizing vascular tissue. 1064nm light is not strongly absorbed in most tissues, but penetrates deeply into the tissue. With sufficient power (approximately 20 to 80 watts) at 1064nm, this allows sufficient heating of the tissue to cause the blood to coagulate, so 1064nm lasers are effective for performing coagulation to reduce or stop bleeding during surgical operations. These properties of laser-tissue interactions make the combination of 532nm lasers and 1064nm lasers very useful for surgical applications. Summary of the invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a surgical laser system with an optional operating mode, in which laser energy of different wavelengths can be released for performing different laser treatments on a patient. In some embodiments, the surgical laser system includes a pump module, a gain medium, a nonlinear crystal (NLC), an output end, and a first path steering component. The pump module is configured to generate pump energy within an operating wavelength. The gain medium is configured to convert the pump energy into a first laser energy. The NLC is configured to convert a portion of the first laser energy into a second laser energy, which is a harmonic of the first laser energy. The first path steering component has a first operating mode and a second operating mode. When the first path steering component is in the first operating mode, the first laser energy is guided along the output path to the output end, and the second laser energy is diverted from the output path and the output end. When the first path steering component is in the second operating mode, the second laser energy is guided along the output path to the output end, and the first laser energy is diverted from the output path and the output end.

[0005] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description in a simplified form. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all of the disadvantages noted in the background technology. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 and Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary surgical laser system operating in vaporization mode and coagulation mode, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0007] Figure 3 and Figure 4 are schematic diagrams of an exemplary surgical laser system in vaporization mode and coagulation mode, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] Figure 5 and Figure 6 are schematic diagrams of an exemplary surgical system in a vaporization mode and a coagulation mode, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 7 and Figure 8 are schematic diagrams of an exemplary surgical laser system in vaporization mode and coagulation mode, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Elements using the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. However, various embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make this disclosure thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0011] In the following description, specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art understands that the embodiments may be implemented without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, frameworks, supports, connectors, motors, processors, and other components may not be shown or may be shown in block diagram form so as not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail.

[0012] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to be limitations of the present invention. As used herein, the singular "a" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprise" and / or "include" specify the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components when used in this specification, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or their groups.

[0013] It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or intervening elements may exist. In contrast, if an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements.

[0014] It will be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements in this article, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the present invention, the first element may be referred to as the second element.

[0015] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and will not be interpreted from an idealized or overly formal meaning, unless explicitly defined herein.

[0016] Embodiments of the present invention may also be described using flow charts and block diagrams. Although flow charts may describe operations as sequential processing, many of these operations may be performed in parallel or simultaneously. In addition, the order of operations may be rearranged. Processing is terminated when its operations are completed, but may have additional steps not included in the drawings or described herein.

[0017] It is understood that one or more of the blocks (of the flow chart and block diagram) may be implemented by computer program instructions. These program instructions may be provided to a processor circuit or controller, such as a microprocessor, microcontroller or other processor, that executes instructions for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks by a series of operational steps that will be performed by the processor (one or more) and corresponding hardware components.

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a surgical laser system configured to output laser energy of two different wavelengths. In some embodiments, the wavelengths of the laser energy output by the system are harmonics of each other. In some embodiments, the system is configured to output laser energy having a vaporization wavelength (e.g., 532 nm) useful for tissue vaporization, ablation, and resection operations. Thus, a surgeon can use a system formed according to one or more embodiments described herein to perform a vaporization operation on a patient's tissue by configuring the system to release laser energy having a coagulation wavelength, and then perform a coagulation operation on the tissue by configuring the system to release laser energy having a coagulation wavelength. In some embodiments, the vaporization wavelength is in the range of approximately 400-600 nm, and the coagulation wavelength is in the range of 780 nm-3.0 μm. Embodiments of the surgical laser system described herein also include configurations for releasing laser energy of other wavelengths.

[0019] Figure 1-8 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary surgical laser system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments, system 100 includes a gain medium 102, a pump module 104, and a laser resonator 106. In some embodiments, gain medium 102 is configured to absorb pump energy 108 generated by pump module 104 having a wavelength within the operating wavelength (i.e., absorption spectrum) range of gain medium 102. In some embodiments, gain medium 102 is end-pumped by pump energy 108, which is transmitted through fold mirror 110, which is transmissive at the wavelength of pump energy 108. Gain medium 102 absorbs pump energy 108 and outputs laser energy 112 at a primary wavelength. In some embodiments, the primary wavelength is within the desired coagulation wavelength range.

[0020] The gain medium 102 is water cooled along its sides in some exemplary embodiments. In some embodiments, the gain medium 102 includes an undoped end cap 114 bonded to a first end 116 of the gain medium 102 and / or an undoped end cap 118 bonded to a second end 119 of the gain medium 102. In some embodiments, the end 119 is coated so that it is reflective at the pump energy wavelength and transmissive at the resonant mode of the system 100. In this way, pump energy that is not absorbed at the second end 119 is redirected back through the gain medium 102 to be absorbed.

[0021] The pump module 104 generates pump energy 108 within the operating wavelength range of the gain medium 102. The gain medium 102 converts the pump energy 108 into laser energy 112, which in some embodiments is within the coagulation wavelength range. The laser resonator 106 is configured to generate laser energy 120, which is a harmonic of the laser energy 112 output from the gain medium 102. In some embodiments, the laser energy 120 is within the coagulation wavelength range. As a result, the system 100 is capable of operating in a vaporization mode, in which the laser energy 120 (vaporization laser energy) is released, and in a coagulation mode, the laser energy 112 (coagulation laser energy) is released. In some embodiments, when the system 100 is in the vaporization mode, the pump module 104 operates at a high power level (e.g., greater than 80 W), and when the system 100 is in the coagulation mode, the pump module 104 operates at a low power level (e.g., 30 W-80 W).

[0022] It is understood that although the embodiments described herein refer to coagulation laser energy 112 or vaporization laser energy 120, some embodiments include coagulation laser energy 112 outside of the coagulation wavelength range and vaporization laser energy 120 outside of the vaporization wavelength range. These alternative embodiments of laser energy 112 and 120 can be used to perform laser surgical procedures in addition to coagulation procedures and vaporization procedures.

[0023] In some exemplary embodiments, the gain medium 102 includes a yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) rod in which neodymium atoms are dispersed to form a Nd:YAG gain medium 102. The Nd:YAG gain medium 102 converts the pump energy 108 into coagulation laser energy 112 having a primary wavelength of 1064 nm.

[0024] In some exemplary embodiments, the laser resonator 106 includes a nonlinear crystal (NLC) 122, such as a lithium triborate (LBO) crystal or a potassium titanyl phosphate crystal (KTP), for generating vaporization laser energy 120, which is the second harmonic of the laser energy 112 having a wavelength of 532 nm emitted by the gain medium 102.

[0025] In some embodiments, the laser resonator 106 includes a Q switch 124 that operates to convert the laser energy 112 into a series of short pulses with high peak power to improve the conversion efficiency of the second harmonic laser beam. In some embodiments, the laser resonator 106 includes mirrors 126, 128, and 130 (for example, the mirror 130 can be used in a selective mode), a folding mirror 110, and an output coupler 132. The mirrors 110, 126, 128, and 130 and the output coupler 132 are highly reflective at the main wavelength (for example, 1064 nm). The output coupler 132 is highly transmissive at the second harmonic output wavelength (for example, 532 nm). Thus, in the vaporization mode, the primary wavelength laser energy 112 (e.g., 1064 nm) inside the resonator 106 bounces back and forth along the path between the mirrors 128 and 130, through the gain medium 102 and the nonlinear crystal 122 to become a frequency double of the second harmonic output wavelength (e.g., 532 nm) laser energy 120 released through the output coupler 132. As indicated above, this configuration using the Nd:YAG gain medium 102 and the LBO nonlinear crystal 122 produces frequency converted output laser energy 120 having a wavelength of 532 nm.

[0026] System 100 selectively discharges laser energy 112 and 120 along output path 134 to output end 135. In some embodiments, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the output end 135 includes an optical coupler 136 that optically couples the laser energy 112 or 120 to a waveguide, such as an optical or laser fiber 142. In some embodiments, the system 100 includes a laser delivery device 144 that is configured to release the laser energy 112 or 120 to the target tissue. In some embodiments, the device 144 is configured to release the laser energy 112 or 120 either laterally, i.e., side emission (solid arrows), or along the longitudinal axis of the device 144, i.e., end emission (dashed arrows), in accordance with conventional techniques. In some embodiments, the device 144 can be supported within an endoscope or other conventional surgical tool.

[0027] In some embodiments, the surgical laser system 100 includes a controller 145, which represents one or more processors. The controller 145 is configured to execute program instructions and / or process inputs from a user of the system (e.g., a control module, a foot pedal, etc.) to control the components of the system to perform one or more functions described herein, such as switching the system between vaporization mode and coagulation mode, including, for example, activating or controlling a motion stage to move a mirror of the system and adjusting the paths of vaporization laser energy and coagulation laser energy through the system.

[0028] Figure 1and Figure 2 The system 100 in the vaporization mode and the coagulation mode according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated respectively. Figure 1 As shown, the system 100 includes a path diverting assembly 146 having an operating mode or position 148A, in which the vaporization laser energy 120 is directed along the output path 134 to the output end 135 and the coagulation laser energy 112 is diverted from the output end 135, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 Thus, in some embodiments, the operating mode 148A of the path steering assembly 146 facilitates the vaporization laser mode of the system 100 .

[0029] In some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, the path diversion assembly 146 includes an operating mode or position 148B, in which the coagulation laser energy 112 is directed along the output path 134 to the output end 135, and the coagulation laser energy 120 is diverted from the output end, such as Figure 2 Thus, in some embodiments, the operating mode 148B of the pathway steering assembly 146 facilitates the coagulation laser mode of the system 100 .

[0030] In some embodiments, path steering assembly 146 includes mirror 130, mirror 150, and precision motion stage 151. When assembly 146 is in mode 148A ( Figure 1 ), the mirror 130 is moved into the path of the laser energy 112 using the precision motion stage 151. In some embodiments, the mirror 130 includes a surface coating that is highly reflective to the coagulation laser energy 112. As discussed above, because the mirror 130 is highly reflective to the coagulation laser energy 112, the laser energy 112 inside the resonator 106 bounces back and forth along the path between the mirrors 128 and 130, through the gain medium 102 and the nonlinear crystal 122, which causes the laser energy 112 to become a second harmonic output wavelength or a frequency double of the vaporization laser energy 120. In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, when assembly 146 is in mode 148A, vaporization laser energy 120 is transmitted through output coupler 132 and directed to output path 134 and output end 135 for delivery to target tissue of a patient via delivery device 144. Figure 1 As shown, when the assembly 146 is in the mode 148A, the coagulation laser energy 112 is diverted from the output path 134 and is substantially contained within the resonator 106 .

[0031] The path steering component 146 can be placed in mode 148B to place the system 100 in Figure 2134 and output end 135. In some embodiments, the path steering assembly 146 is switched from mode 148A to mode 148B by switching the mirror 130 with the mirror 150 using the motion stage 151. In some embodiments, the mirror 150 includes a coating that is highly transmissive to the coagulation laser energy 112 and highly reflective to the vaporization laser energy 120. Thus, the vaporization laser energy 120 is reflected by the mirror 150 back to the mirror 110 and released from the resonator 106 through the output coupler 132. In some embodiments, as discussed below, the laser energy 120 is diverted away from the output path 134 and the output end 135, such as to the energy dump 160.

[0032] In some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, when the path steering assembly 146 is in mode 148B, the coagulation laser energy 112 transmitted through the mirror 150 is directed to the output path 134 and the output end 135 through the routing mirrors 153 and 154. In some embodiments, the position of the mirror 153 is fixed, and the curvature of the surface 155 of the mirror 153 is preferably optimized to maximize the fiber coupling efficiency. In an exemplary embodiment, the coating parameters for the surface 155 are selected to be highly reflective (e.g., 99.9%) for the coagulation laser energy, for example. The coagulation laser energy 112 is then delivered to the target tissue or object of the patient through the delivery device 144.

[0033] In some embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the system 100 includes a path steering assembly 156 having an operating mode or position 157A, in which the vaporization laser energy 120 is directed to the output end 135 through the output path 134, while the coagulation laser energy is diverted from the output path 134. Thus, in some embodiments, the operating mode 157A of the path steering assembly 156 facilitates the vaporization laser mode of the system 100. In some embodiments, as Figure 2 As shown, component 156 has an operating mode or position 157B, in which the coagulation laser energy is directed to output end 135 via output path 134, while the coagulation laser energy 120 is diverted from the output path. Thus, in some embodiments, the operating mode 157B of the path diverting component 156 facilitates the coagulation laser mode of system 100.

[0034] In some embodiments, the path steering assembly 156 includes an output mirror 154 and a precision motion stage 158. When in operating mode 157A, as Figure 1As shown, the mirror 154 is moved out of the path of the vaporization laser energy 120 using a motion stage 158. This allows the vaporization laser energy 120 to travel along the output path 134 to the output end 135 without interference from the mirror 154.

[0035] In some embodiments, when the path steering assembly 156 is in mode 157B, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the output mirror 154 is moved into the path of the coagulation laser energy 112 and the vaporization laser energy 120. In some embodiments, the coagulation laser energy 112 is directed by the mirror 154 along the output path to the output end 135, and the vaporization laser energy 120 is diverted by the mirror 154 from the output path 134. In some embodiments, the vaporization laser energy 120 is diverted by the mirror 154 to the energy dump 160, which absorbs the vaporization laser energy 120 to contain it within the laser system 100. This can be achieved, for example, by (a) including a coating on a surface 162 of the mirror 154 that is highly reflective of the coagulation laser energy 112, and (b) including a coating on a surface 164 of the mirror 154 that is highly reflective of the vaporization energy 120.

[0036] Therefore, in the vaporization mode ( Figure 1 ), the path steering assembly 146 uses the motion stage 151 to position the mirror 130 into the path of the coagulation energy 112, and the path steering assembly 156 uses the motion stage 158 to move the mirror 154 out of the path of the vaporization energy 120. As a result, the vaporization laser energy 120 is directed along the output path 134 to the output end 135. The laser energy 120 at the output end 135 can be coupled to the delivery device 144 and released as needed to perform surgical laser treatment on the patient. In addition, the coagulation laser energy 112 is reflected back through the gain medium 102 and the resonant cavity 106, which, as described above, causes the primary laser energy 112 to be frequency-doubled at the second harmonic output wavelength, thereby generating the vaporization laser energy 120, which is released from the laser system along the output path 134 and through the output end 135. Therefore, the coagulation laser energy 112 is diverted from the output path 134 and the output end 135.

[0037] In coagulation mode ( Figure 2), the path steering assembly 146 uses the motion stage 151 to move the mirror 150 into the path of the coagulation laser energy 112, and the path steering assembly 156 uses the motion stage 158 to move the mirror 154 into the path of both the coagulation laser energy 112 and the vaporization laser energy 120. As a result, the coagulation laser energy 112 is directed along the output path 134 to the output end 135. The laser energy 112 can be coupled to the delivery device 144 and released as needed to perform surgical laser treatment on the patient. In addition, the vaporization laser energy 120 is diverted from the output path 134 and the output end 135, such as to, for example, the energy dump 160.

[0038] Precision motion stage 151 of path steering assembly 146 and precision motion stage 158 of path steering assembly 156 are used to selectively position mirrors 130 and 150 under modes 148A and 148B and position mirror 154 under modes 157A and 157B. In some embodiments, precision motion stages 151, 158 are motorized and can be in any suitable form. In some embodiments, precision motion stages 151 and / or 158 are in the form of rotation stages, in which the corresponding mirrors 130, 150 and 154 rotate around an axis to place them in their operating modes. In some embodiments, precision motion stages 151 and / or 158 are stepping stages, in which mirrors 130, 150 and 154 move laterally or pivot to place them in their operating modes. As will be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, other suitable motion stages 151, 158 may also be used.

[0039] In some embodiments, the system 100 does not utilize the path steering component 156. Instead, Figure 1 , the mirror 154 has a fixed position that coincides with the delivery path of the vaporization laser energy 120. In this embodiment, the mirror 154 is highly transmissive to the vaporization laser energy 120 and includes a surface 162 that is highly reflective to the coagulation laser energy 112.

[0040] Figure 3 and Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary surgical laser system 200 in vaporization mode and coagulation mode, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The operation of the system 200 is similar to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The system 100, except that the system 200 is from the vaporization mode ( Figure 3 )Switch to coagulation mode( Figure 4 ) other than by way of Figure 1 and Figure 2 The components described are similar in function to those described in the Figure 1 and Figure 2In some embodiments, mirror 130 and each of the other components responsible for outputting vaporization laser energy 120 when system 200 is in vaporization mode have fixed positions. As a result, alignment between components that control the path of vaporization laser energy can be precisely maintained.

[0041] In some embodiments, the system 200 includes a path steering assembly 202 having an operating mode or position 204A corresponding to a vaporization mode of the system 200 ( Figure 3 ) and an operating mode or position 204B corresponding to the coagulation mode of the system 200 ( Figure 4 When the path steering assembly 202 is in mode 204A, the vaporization laser energy 120 is directed to the output path 134 and the output end 135 for use, for example, using a delivery device 144 attached to the laser fiber 142 ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 ) to perform surgical laser treatment. The coagulation laser energy 112 is provided by, for example, Figure 3 Laser energy 112 is retained within laser resonator 106 and diverted from output path 134 using mirrors 128 and 130 as shown.

[0042] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, system 200 includes assembly 206 including mirrors 208 and 210 positioned outside the path of laser energy 112 when path steering assembly 202 is in mode 204A. In some embodiments, mirror 208 includes a coating on surface 212 that is highly transmissive to coagulation laser energy 112 and highly reflective to vaporization laser energy 120. In some embodiments, path steering assembly 202 includes precision motion stage 214 configured to move assembly 206 between modes or positions 204A and 204B. Embodiments of motion stage 214 include those discussed above with respect to motion stages 151 and 158.

[0043] When the pathway diversion component 202 is in the working mode 204B corresponding to the coagulation mode ( Figure 4), component 206 is moved into the path of the laser energy 112 using motion stage 214. At least a portion of the coagulation laser energy 112 is transmitted through mirror 208 and directed to output path 134 and output end 135 using mirror 210. One or more routing mirrors can be used to deliver the coagulation laser energy 112 to output path 134. For example, routing mirror 216 can be used to direct the coagulation laser energy 112 reflected from mirror 210 to mirror 153 and mirror 154 to deliver the coagulation laser energy 112 to output path 134. As with system 100, as discussed above, mirror 154 can have a fixed position, or be moved using a suitable precision motion stage 158. The coagulation laser energy 112 can then be used, for example, using delivery device 144 ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 ) to perform surgical laser treatment. Figure 4 As shown, the coagulation laser energy 120 is reflected by the mirror 210 to deliver the laser energy 120 from the output path 134 and retain the laser energy 120 within the laser resonator 106 .

[0044] Figure 5 and Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary surgical system 300 in vaporization mode and coagulation mode, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system 300 operates similarly to the above-described systems 100 and 200, except that the system 300 is switched from vaporization mode ( Figure 5 )Switch to coagulation mode( Figure 6 ). Being the same or similar components or performing the same as those mentioned above Figure 1-4 Elements which have the same or similar functions are described using the same or similar reference signs.

[0045] In some embodiments, system 300 includes a path steering assembly 302 having an operating mode or position 304A corresponding to a vaporization mode ( Figure 5 ) and the operating mode or position 304B corresponding to the coagulation mode ( Figure 6 ). In some embodiments, the path steering assembly 302 includes a routing mirror 210 and is configured to move the mirror 210 between two positions corresponding to modes 304A and 304B to transition the system 300 between the vaporization mode and the coagulation mode, respectively, while the mirror 208 remains in a fixed position. In some embodiments, the path steering assembly 302 moves the mirror 210 between the positions of the modes 304A and 304B using a precision motion stage 306, which can be formed according to the precision motion stages 151 and 158 described above.

[0046] When the path steering assembly 302 is in mode 304A, the mirror 210 is positioned out of the path of the coagulation laser energy 112. As a result, for example, Figure 5As shown, the coagulation laser energy 112 is diverted from traveling to the output path 134 and is retained within the laser resonator 106 by the mirrors 128 and 130. Figure 5 As shown, according to embodiments described herein, the coagulation laser energy 112 is converted into vaporization laser energy 120 within the laser resonator 106 and directed to an output path 134 and an output end 135. For example, the vaporization laser energy 120 may be coupled to a delivery device 144 ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 ) and is released as needed to perform laser treatment on the patient.

[0047] When the path steering component 302 is in mode 304B, as Figure 6 As shown, mirror 210 is moved into the path of coagulation laser energy 112 by using motion stage 306B. Laser energy 112 is reflected from mirror 210 toward fixed mirror 208. Because mirror 208 is at least partially transmissive to the wavelength of laser energy 112, at least a portion of the laser energy 112 passing through mirror 208 is routed to output path 134 and output end 135. For example, according to the embodiments described herein, coagulation laser energy 112 may be routed to output path 134 and output end 135 by mirrors 216, 153, and 154. As discussed above, as with system 100, mirror 154 may have a fixed position, or may be moved by using a suitable precision motion stage 158. Coagulation laser energy 112 may then be used, for example, to deliver the coagulation laser energy 112 to a patient using delivery device 144 ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 ) to perform surgical laser treatment. The portion of the coagulation laser energy 112 that does not pass through the mirror 208 is reflected back toward the mirror 210 and is retained within the laser resonator 106.

[0048] Figure 7 and Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary surgical laser system 400 in vaporization mode and coagulation mode, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 As shown, system 400 includes a laser cavity 402 configured to release vaporization laser energy 120 when in vaporization mode. In some embodiments, components of laser cavity 402 are fixed, resulting in similar operation to system 200 in vaporization mode.

[0049] In some embodiments, Figure 8As shown, the system 400 includes a coagulation laser source 404, which is configured to release desired coagulation laser energy 412 when the system 400 is in the coagulation mode. In some embodiments, the coagulation laser source 404 includes one or more laser diodes coupled to the laser cavity 402 through a suitable optical fiber 414. The coagulation laser energy 412 can have a lower power relative to the vaporization laser energy 120, such as, for example, a power in the range of 20 W-50 W. A collimating lens 416 can be used to collimate the coagulation laser energy 412.

[0050] In some embodiments, the system 400 is switched from the vaporization mode to the coagulation mode by activating the coagulation laser source 404. For example, the coagulation laser energy 412 is reflected off the mirror 154 to direct the coagulation laser energy 412 to the output path 134 and the output end 135 for delivery by the delivery device 144 ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 ) is released from system 400 to perform laser treatment on a patient.

[0051] In some embodiments, Figure 7 As indicated by the imaginary line frame, the mirror 154 has a fixed position and as shown above with reference to Figure 1 As depicted, it is highly transmissive to vaporization laser energy 120 and highly reflective to coagulation laser energy 412. In some embodiments, system 400 is transitioned from vaporization mode to coagulation mode by deactivating pump module 104 or stopping delivery of pump energy 108 to gain medium 102 and activating coagulation laser source 404.

[0052] In some embodiments, the mirror 154 can be in an operating mode or position 157A corresponding to the vaporization mode by using, for example, a motion stage 158 of a path steering assembly 156. Figure 7 ) and an operating mode or position 157B corresponding to a coagulation mode ( Figure 8 ). When the system 400 is in the vaporization mode, such as Figure 7 As indicated by the solid line frame in FIG. 1 , mirror 154 is moved to position or mode 157A. Figure 8 As shown, the system 400 is switched to the coagulation mode by using the precision motion stage 158 to move the mirror 154 to a position corresponding to the mode 157B and activating the laser source 404.

[0053] In some embodiments, mirror 154 has a surface 164 that is highly reflective of vaporization laser energy 120. In some embodiments, as Figure 8 As shown, when the system 400 is in the coagulation mode, the pump module 104 remains activated and the vaporization laser energy 120 is reflected from the mirror 154 to the beam dump 160 .

[0054] Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods of performing medical laser treatment using systems 100, 200, 300, and 400. In some embodiments, a physician places the system in vaporization mode to release vaporization laser energy 120 and performs ablation, vaporization, ablation, or other laser treatment on a target tissue of a patient using vaporization laser energy 120. After performing the laser treatment, it may be desirable to perform a coagulation procedure on the target tissue. In some embodiments, a physician switches the system from vaporization mode to coagulation mode to release coagulation laser energy (112, 412), and delivers the coagulation laser energy to the target tissue to perform a coagulation procedure.

[0055] In some embodiments, the switching between the vaporization mode and the coagulation mode described herein can be performed by an input device (such as a foot pedal) or other suitable input device. In some embodiments, the controller 145 receives input from the input device and responsively sets the system to the desired mode. In some embodiments, the controller 145 controls one or more motors to drive various motion stages (e.g., 151, 158, 214, and 306) to move components between various modes, start or disable components (e.g., pump module 104, laser source 404), and / or perform other automated functions. In some embodiments, the transition of the system between their vaporization mode and coagulation mode requires an operator to physically move one or more of the motion stages.

[0056] Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A surgical laser system comprising: a pump module configured to generate pump energy to generate the first laser energy; a laser source configured to generate a second laser energy; Output terminal; as well as A path steering component has a first working mode and a second working mode, and the path steering component also includes an output mirror and an energy dump, wherein in the first working mode, the first laser energy is guided to the output path and the output end, and in the second working mode, the first laser energy is reflected from the output mirror to the energy dump, and the second laser energy is guided to the output path and the output end.

2. The surgical laser system according to claim 1, characterized in that A processor is also included, wherein the path steering assembly further includes a motion stage attached to the output mirror, and the processor is configured to control the motion stage so that the output mirror is in a first position in the first operating mode and in a second position in the second operating mode.

3. The surgical laser system of claim 2, wherein: The processor is configured to control the motion stage so that the output mirror is located between an output path of the first laser energy and an output end of the second position.

4. The surgical laser system of claim 1 , further comprising a processor configured to control the pump module to generate only the pump energy in the first operating mode and to control the laser source to generate only the second laser energy in the second operating mode.

5. The surgical laser system of claim 1, wherein: The first laser energy is configured to perform a vaporization operation and the second laser energy is configured to perform a coagulation operation.

6. The surgical laser system of claim 1, wherein: The pump module is configured to generate the pump energy in the first operating mode and the second operating mode, and the laser source is configured to generate the second laser energy only in the second operating mode.

7. The surgical laser system of claim 1, further comprising: Light is coupled to the waveguide at the output end; and A delivery device at the distal end of the waveguide is configured to release the first laser energy or the second laser energy to the target site.

8. The surgical laser system of claim 1, wherein: The first laser energy has a wavelength of 400 nm to 600 nm, and the second laser energy has a wavelength of 780 nm to 3.0 μm.

9. The surgical laser system of claim 1, further comprising a gain medium configured to convert the pump energy into the first laser energy.

10. A controller for a surgical laser system, the controller being coupled to a pump module, a laser source, and a path steering assembly, wherein the controller is configured such that: The pump module generates pump energy to generate the first laser energy; The laser source generates a second laser energy; and Path steering assembly including output mirror and energy dump, wherein the output mirror is configured to direct the first laser energy from the pump module to the output end in the first operating mode, and in, The output mirror is further configured to direct second laser energy from the laser source to the output end and direct first laser energy from the pump module to the energy dump in a second operating mode.

11. The controller according to claim 10, wherein: The surgical laser system further includes a motion stage attached to the output mirror, and wherein the controller is further configured to control the motion stage to position the output mirror in a first position in a first operating mode and in a second position in a second operating mode.

12. The controller according to claim 11, characterized in that: The controller is further configured to control the motion stage to position the output mirror between an output path of the first laser energy and an output end of the second position.

13. The controller according to claim 10, characterized in that: The controller is also configured to control the surgical laser system to emit only the first laser energy from the output end in the first operating mode and to emit only the second laser energy from the output end in the second operating mode.

14. The controller according to claim 10, wherein: The surgical laser system also includes a gain medium, and wherein the controller is further configured to control the gain medium to convert the pump energy into the first laser energy.

15. The controller according to claim 10, wherein: The first laser energy has a wavelength of 400 nm to 600 nm, and the second laser energy has a wavelength of 780 nm to 3.0 μm.

16. A surgical laser system comprising: a first laser source configured to generate first laser energy having a wavelength of 400 nm to 600 nm; a second laser source configured to generate second laser energy having a wavelength of 780 nm to 3.0 μm; Output terminal; Path steering components, including: output mirror, and Energy dump, wherein the path steering assembly has a first operating mode, wherein the output mirror is in a first position, and wherein the path steering assembly further has a second operating mode, wherein the output mirror is located in a second position; and a controller coupled to the first laser source, the second laser source, and the path steering assembly, wherein the controller is configured to control the first laser source to generate the first laser energy in both the first operating mode and the second operating mode, and to control the second laser source to generate the second laser energy only in the second operating mode, and wherein the controller is configured to direct the output mirror between the first position and the second position, Wherein, the output mirror reflects the first laser energy to the energy dump and reflects the second laser energy to the output end in the second operating mode.

17. The surgical laser system of claim 16, wherein: The first laser energy is configured to perform a vaporization operation and the second laser energy is configured to perform a coagulation operation.

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