Illuminated multi-point laser probe and illuminated multi-point laser system

Abstract

The application provides an illuminating multi-point laser probe and an illuminating multi-point laser system, which comprise a collimating lens, a filter, a lens array, a fiber bundle, an adjustable diaphragm and a focusing lens; the collimating lens collimates an illuminating light beam or a laser beam emitted by a light source, and the collimated light beam enters the filter; the filter filters a light beam of a specified wave band, and the filtered light beam enters the lens array; the lens array divides the light beam to form converging light spots which are coupled into the fiber bundle; the fiber bundle transmits and emits the illuminating light beam and the laser beam; the adjustable diaphragm is arranged behind the lens array of the laser beam; the adjustable diaphragm controls the number and position of the emitted multi-point laser; the focusing lens is arranged at the distal end of a laser fiber included in the fiber bundle; and the focusing lens forms multi-point lasers at different distances at different distances of the light outlet. The energy utilization rate can be improved, the number and position of the multi-point laser in the emitted light can be controlled, and illumination, aiming and laser treatment can be simultaneously realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical illumination technology, and in particular to an illumination-type multi-point laser probe and an illumination-type multi-point laser system. Background Technology

[0002] In many ophthalmic procedures, surgeons are required to use various instruments in a patient's eye. For example, during vitreoretinal surgery, surgeons frequently manipulate a primary handpiece to direct an illumination beam onto the retinal surface to view the patient's anatomy, and also manipulate an additional laser probe handpiece to deliver a laser treatment beam to treat the patient's anatomy. Therefore, a multi-input coupled illumination multi-point laser system is needed.

[0003] However, existing multi-input coupled illumination-type multi-point laser systems have the following drawbacks:

[0004] 1. The collimation and focusing method used in the lighting source cannot achieve a small light spot, resulting in low luminous efficiency. The plastic optical fiber has low temperature resistance, and a large amount of heat is generated at the optical fiber inlet, causing the temperature to rise and easily burn out the plastic optical fiber, leading to the failure of the lighting optical fiber.

[0005] 2. The beam combining structure of illumination light, therapeutic laser, and aiming laser is complex, resulting in significant energy loss;

[0006] 3. Using diffractive optical components results in high cost and complex alignment;

[0007] 4. It adopts a multi-core fiber structure with a coarse core diameter nested with a fine core diameter, which is unconventional and has a complex fiber structure. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an illumination-type multi-point laser probe and an illumination-type multi-point laser system to improve energy utilization, control the number and position of multi-point lasers in the emitted light, generate multi-point lasers at different distances from the light outlet, and simultaneously realize illumination, aiming and laser therapy.

[0009] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide an illumination-type multi-point laser probe, comprising: a collimating lens, a filter, a lens array, an optical fiber bundle, an adjustable aperture, and a focusing lens; the collimating lens is used to collimate the illumination beam or laser beam emitted from the light source, and the collimated beam enters the filter; the filter is used to filter the beam of a specified wavelength, and the filtered beam enters the lens array; the lens array is used to split the beam, forming a converging spot that couples into the optical fiber bundle; the optical fiber bundle is used to transmit and emit the illumination beam and the laser beam; the adjustable aperture is disposed after the lens array of the laser beam; the adjustable aperture is used to control the number and position of the emitted multi-point lasers; the focusing lens is disposed at the distal end of the laser optical fiber included in the optical fiber bundle; the focusing lens is used to form multi-point lasers at different distances at different distances from the light outlet.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the lens array is a microlens array or a gradient refractive index lens array.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the focusing lens is a gradient refractive index lens or a fiber optic lens.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the fiber bundle includes: an illumination fiber and a laser fiber; the laser fiber is in the center, and the illumination fibers are distributed around the laser fiber.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the end face of the illumination optical fiber is flush with the exit end face of the consumable, the exit end face of the laser optical fiber is recessed into the end face of the consumable, and a focusing lens is placed at the corresponding position of the laser optical fiber.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the light-inlet end and the light-outlet end of the above-mentioned consumable have the same number of fiber bundles.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the number of lens arrays for the illumination beam is 28 to 60, and the number of lens arrays for the laser beam is 2 to 6; the shape of the lens array is square, rectangular, or polygonal; the core diameter of the illumination fiber is 30 μm, 50 μm, or 70 μm, the spot diameter of the incident surface of the illumination fiber is <100 μm, and the numerical aperture of the lens array for the illumination beam is ≥0.5; the core diameter of the laser fiber is 50 μm to 80 μm, and the numerical aperture of the lens array for the laser beam is ≤0.17.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the adjustable aperture is placed vertically for vertical movement or horizontally for horizontal movement; the adjustable aperture has a sheet-like structure, with a length of 3mm-5mm, a width of 0.5mm-1mm, and a movement range of 1mm-3mm.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the focusing lens is a plano-convex lens or a biconvex lens, and the focal length of the focusing lens is 0.2mm-2mm.

[0018] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention also provide an illumination-type multi-point laser system, which includes the above-described illumination-type multi-point laser probe.

[0019] The embodiments of the present invention bring the following beneficial effects:

[0020] This invention provides an illumination-type multi-point laser probe and an illumination-type multi-point laser system, which can improve energy utilization, control the number and position of multi-point lasers in the emitted light, generate multi-point lasers at different distances from the light outlet, and simultaneously realize illumination, aiming, and laser therapy.

[0021] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will be set forth in the following description, or some features and advantages may be inferred from the description or determined without doubt, or may be learned by practicing the techniques described above.

[0022] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of this disclosure more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an illumination-type multi-point laser probe provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the spot contour of an illumination-type multi-point laser probe provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an adjustable aperture and a lens array for a laser beam provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an optical fiber bundle provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a fiber optic bundle emitting multi-point laser light, provided as an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6A schematic diagram of an optical fiber bundle provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an illumination-type multi-point laser probe with a microlens array provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the geometric center of an aperture group and a multi-point laser provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of an illumination-type multi-point laser system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] Currently, intraocular illuminators typically use xenon lamps or LEDs (light-emitting diodes) as light sources, employing collimation and convergence to form a converging spot at the focal plane of the light source. However, the spot size is relatively large, and the diameter of the incident fiber of the illumination fiber in the intraocular illuminator is less than 1 mm. When coupled into the illumination fiber, a large amount of light cannot enter the illumination fiber, resulting in low luminous efficiency.

[0035] Based on this, embodiments of the present invention provide an illumination-type multi-point laser probe and an illumination-type multi-point laser system, specifically providing a multi-input coupled illumination-type multi-point laser probe, relating to a system and method for creating a multi-point laser beam, multiplexing the illumination light and the multi-point laser beam, and delivering the multiplexed light to a surgical handheld device via a multi-core fiber optic cable.

[0036] In this embodiment, a lens array can be used to split the laser beam and couple it into the optical fiber to improve optical efficiency. Glass optical fiber is used, which is highly temperature resistant and not easily damaged. Achromatic lenses are used to achieve a confocal plane for the 532nm and 635nm beams. The laser beam is split using an achromatic lens array to achieve multiple beam spots. An openable and closable aperture is set after each achromatic lens to control the number of laser points. Fiber filaments are arranged so that the optical fiber for transmitting the laser beam is placed at the target position and the illumination fiber is placed in the middle position. An integrated multi-core optical fiber is used to realize the output of illumination light, therapeutic laser, and aiming laser. A focusing lens is configured at the exit of the laser fiber to form multi-point lasers with different center distances at different distances from the exit port.

[0037] To facilitate understanding of this embodiment, a detailed description of an illumination-type multi-point laser probe disclosed in this embodiment of the invention will be provided first.

[0038] Example 1:

[0039] This invention provides an illumination-type multi-point laser probe, comprising: a collimating lens, a filter, a lens array, an optical fiber bundle, an adjustable aperture, and a focusing lens; the collimating lens is used to collimate the illumination beam or laser beam emitted from the light source, and the collimated beam enters the filter; the filter is used to filter the beam of a specified wavelength, and the filtered beam enters the lens array; the lens array is used to split the beam, forming a converging spot that couples into the optical fiber bundle; the optical fiber bundle is used to transmit and emit the illumination beam and the laser beam; the adjustable aperture is disposed after the lens array of the laser beam; the adjustable aperture is used to control the number and position of the emitted multi-point lasers; the focusing lens is disposed at the distal end of the laser optical fiber included in the optical fiber bundle; the focusing lens is used to form multi-point lasers at different distances at different distances from the light outlet.

[0040] See Figure 1 The diagram shows a schematic of an illumination-type multi-point laser probe. In this embodiment, a lens array can be used to divide the illumination beam and couple it into an optical fiber to improve energy utilization. The lens array can be used to divide the laser beam and couple it into an optical fiber to generate multi-point laser. The illumination fiber bundle and the laser fiber bundle are bundled together, with the laser fiber arranged in the middle and the illumination fiber arranged around the laser fiber, forming a specially distributed illumination and laser output.

[0041] See also Figure 2 The diagram shows the spot profile of an illumination-type multi-point laser probe. Figure 2 The diagram illustrates the collimated illumination spot outline, the lens array focal plane (fiber incident surface) spot outline, the single illumination fiber incident surface spot outline (treatment + aiming), the collimated laser spot outline, the array focal plane (fiber incident surface) spot outline, and the single laser fiber incident surface spot outline. In this embodiment, the spot can be segmented and focused into a small spot, coupled into the optical fiber, with the laser fiber arranged in the middle and the illumination fibers arranged around it, forming a specially distributed illumination and laser output.

[0042] See also Figure 3 The diagram shows an adjustable aperture and a lens array for a laser beam. The adjustable aperture is positioned behind the lens array of the laser beam to control the number of output multi-point laser beams. The adjustable aperture can be placed vertically or horizontally.

[0043] In this embodiment, the collimating lens is used to collimate the beam; the filter is used to filter the ultraviolet band to protect the human eye; the lens array is used to split the beam and converge the light spot; the fiber bundle is used to transmit the illumination beam and the laser beam; the adjustable aperture is used to control the number of multi-point lasers; and the focusing lens is installed at the far end of the laser fiber to form multi-point lasers at different distances at different distances from the light outlet.

[0044] Lens arrays can provide beam splitting, forming smaller converging spots that couple into optical fibers, improving beam utilization efficiency; fiber bundles can provide illumination and laser beam transmission, resulting in high light source efficiency, small footprint, and high temperature resistance; adjustable apertures: control the number and position of multiple laser points in the emitted light as needed; fiber arrangement can use a laser fiber in the center, with illumination fibers distributed around it, simultaneously achieving illumination, aiming, and laser therapy; the end face of the illumination fiber is flush with the output end face of the consumable, the output end face of the laser fiber is recessed into the end face of the consumable, and focusing lenses are placed at corresponding positions on the laser fiber, allowing for the formation of multiple laser points at different distances at different output distances.

[0045] This invention provides an illumination-type multi-point laser probe that can improve energy utilization, control the number and position of multiple laser points in the emitted light, generate multiple laser points at different distances from the light outlet, and simultaneously achieve illumination, aiming, and laser therapy.

[0046] Example 2:

[0047] This invention provides another type of illumination-type multi-point laser probe. In some embodiments, the lens array described above is a microlens array or a gradient refractive index lens array.

[0048] After beam expansion and collimation, the laser source is incident in parallel. The parallel incident laser beam strikes the first microlens array, and after being focused by each sub-unit, it re-forms the focal point of the array arrangement. The incident beam can be approximated as an array of beam clusters corresponding to the lens array. The multiple small beams after refocusing superimpose each other. Based on the symmetry of the array arrangement, that is, the symmetry of the emitted small beams, the non-uniformity of the small beams cancels each other out, ultimately forming a uniform target spot on the receiving screen.

[0049] In this embodiment, the refractive index gradient of the refractive index lens array (Grin lens array) and the focal length of the focusing lens can be selected as needed to generate a uniform beam of arbitrary shape and size, which facilitates subsequent optical path processing or coupling into an optical fiber.

[0050] In some embodiments, the focusing lens is a gradient refractive index lens or a fiber optic lens. In this embodiment, a refractive index lens (Grin lens) or a fiber optic lens can be placed at the corresponding position of the laser fiber to form multi-point laser beams at different distances at different exit points.

[0051] In some embodiments, the fiber bundle includes: an illumination fiber and a laser fiber; the laser fiber is in the center, and the illumination fibers are distributed around the laser fiber.

[0052] See also Figure 4 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of an optical fiber bundle. Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the positions of the illumination fiber, laser fiber, and focusing lens. The end face of the illumination fiber is flush with the output end face of the consumable, while the output end face of the laser fiber is recessed into the consumable's end face. The focusing lens is placed at the corresponding position on the laser fiber, allowing for multi-point laser projection at different distances from the output port. See also... Figure 5 The diagram shows a fiber optic bundle emitting multi-point laser light. Figure 5 The diagram shows a laser emitted from a 3-6mm light outlet.

[0053] In some embodiments, the light-inlet and light-outlet ends of the above-described consumables have the same number of fiber bundles. See also... Figure 6 The diagram shows a fiber optic bundle with the same number and diameter of fibers at both the input and output ends. It is simple to manufacture, has strong temperature resistance, and high transmission efficiency.

[0054] In some embodiments, the number of lens arrays for the illumination beam is 28 to 60, and the number of lens arrays for the laser beam is 2 to 6; the shape of the lens array is square, rectangular, or polygonal; the core diameter of the illumination fiber is 30 μm, 50 μm, or 70 μm, the spot diameter of the fiber incident surface of the illumination fiber is <100 μm, and the numerical aperture of the lens array for the illumination beam is ≥0.5; the core diameter of the laser fiber is 50 μm to 80 μm, and the numerical aperture of the lens array for the laser beam is ≤0.17.

[0055] See also Figure 7The diagram shows a schematic of an illumination-type multi-point laser probe with a microlens array. Based on the collimated spot size, the diameter of the rear optical fiber, and the number of optical fibers that can be arranged, the number of illumination microlenses is selected as 28-60, and the number of laser microlenses is 2-6. The microlens array can be square, rectangular, or polygonal, with a high duty cycle and high beam utilization. The core diameter of the illumination fiber is 30μm, 50μm, or 70μm. To improve the coupling efficiency into the fiber, the spot diameter at the fiber incident surface is <100μm, and the numerical aperture (NA) of the microlens is selected as ≥0.5. The core diameter of the laser fiber is selected as 50μm-80μm, and the NA of the microlens is selected as ≤0.17. The illumination and laser fibers are arranged together at their tails, with the laser fiber in the middle and the illumination fiber around or interspersed within the laser fiber.

[0056] In some embodiments, the adjustable aperture is placed vertically for vertical movement or horizontally for horizontal movement; the adjustable aperture has a sheet-like structure, with a length of 3mm-5mm, a width of 0.5mm-1mm, and a movement range of 1mm-3mm.

[0057] See also Figure 8 The diagram shows a schematic of the geometric center of an aperture group and a multi-point laser. The aperture is placed behind the lens array of the laser beam and can be placed like a hammer and moved vertically, or placed horizontally and moved horizontally. The aperture can be a sheet-like structure, 3-5 mm long, 0.5-1 mm wide, and with a movement range of 1-3 mm.

[0058] In some embodiments, the focusing lens is a plano-convex lens or a biconvex lens, and the focal length of the focusing lens is 0.2mm-2mm.

[0059] In this embodiment, the focusing lens can be either plano-convex or double-planar (Grin lens) to facilitate the creation of a protective window at the tip of the needle. Alternatively, a biconvex lens can be chosen, requiring an additional flat protective glass plate integrated with the needle tip to prevent the lens from detaching. The focal length of the focusing lens can be selected from 0.2 to 2 mm.

[0060] This invention provides an illumination-type multi-point laser probe, which has the following advantages:

[0061] 1. By using a microlens array to split the light beam, forming a smaller light spot, and coupling it into the optical fiber, the energy utilization rate is improved;

[0062] 2. High NA and small diameter optical fiber are used to transmit the illumination beam, while small NA optical fiber is used to transmit the laser beam. By arranging the end faces of the laser fiber and the illumination fiber, the multi-path beam combining of the laser and illumination beams is achieved. This eliminates the need for optical components to achieve beam combining, reducing costs and space requirements.

[0063] 3. The number of laser emission points can be controlled by using an adjustable aperture placed behind the microlens array;

[0064] 4. The end face of the illumination fiber is flush with the output end face of the consumable, the output end face of the laser fiber is recessed into the end face of the consumable, and a focusing lens (Grin lens, fiber lens) is placed at the corresponding position of the laser fiber to form multi-point laser at different distances at different output ports.

[0065] Example 3:

[0066] This invention provides an illumination-type multi-point laser system, see [link / reference]. Figure 9 The diagram shows an illumination-type multi-point laser system, which includes the illumination-type multi-point laser probe provided in the foregoing embodiments.

[0067] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working process of the illumination-type multi-point laser system described above can be referred to the corresponding process in the aforementioned embodiment of the illumination-type multi-point laser probe, and will not be repeated here.

[0068] Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0069] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0070] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely specific implementations of the present invention, used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit it. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art can still modify or easily conceive of changes to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features; and these modifications, changes, or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An illumination-type multi-point laser probe, characterized in that, The illumination-type multi-point laser probe includes: a collimating lens, a filter, a lens array, an optical fiber bundle, an adjustable aperture, and a focusing lens; The collimating lens is used to collimate the illumination beam or laser beam emitted from the light source, and the collimated beam enters the filter. The filter is used to filter the light beam in a specified band, and the filtered light beam enters the lens array; The lens array is used to split the light beam and form a converging spot that couples into the fiber bundle; The fiber bundle is used to transmit and emit the illumination beam and the laser beam; The adjustable aperture is disposed after the lens array of the laser beam; the adjustable aperture is used to control the number and position of the emitted multi-point laser beam; The focusing lens is disposed at the distal end of the laser fiber included in the fiber bundle; the focusing lens is used to form the multi-point laser at different distances at different distances from the light outlet; The fiber bundle includes: an illumination fiber and a laser fiber; the laser fiber is in the center, and the illumination fibers are distributed around the laser fiber; The end face of the illumination fiber is flush with the exit end face of the consumable, the exit end face of the laser fiber is recessed into the end face of the consumable, and the focusing lens is placed at the corresponding position of the laser fiber. Achromatic lenses are used to achieve a common focal plane for 532nm and 635nm laser beams; an array of achromatic lenses is used to divide the laser beam to achieve multiple beam spots; and an openable and closable aperture is set behind each achromatic lens to control the number of laser points.

2. The illumination-type multi-point laser probe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lens array is a microlens array or a gradient refractive index lens array.

3. The illumination-type multi-point laser probe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The focusing lens is a gradient refractive index lens or a fiber optic lens.

4. The illumination-type multi-point laser probe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The consumable has the same number of fiber bundles at both the light-in and light-out ends.

5. The illumination-type multi-point laser probe according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The number of lens arrays in the illumination beam is 28 to 60, and the number of lens arrays in the laser beam is 2 to 6; the shape of the lens array is square, rectangular, or polygonal. The core diameter of the illumination fiber is 30μm, 50μm or 70μm, the spot diameter of the incident surface of the illumination fiber is <100μm, and the numerical aperture of the lens array of the illumination beam is ≥0.

5. The laser fiber has a core diameter of 50μm to 80μm, and the lens array of the laser beam has a numerical aperture of ≤0.

17.

6. The illumination-type multi-point laser probe according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The adjustable aperture is placed vertically for vertical movement or horizontally for horizontal movement. The adjustable aperture has a sheet-like structure, with a length of 3mm-5mm, a width of 0.5mm-1mm, and a movement range of 1mm-3mm.

7. The illumination-type multi-point laser probe according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The focusing lens is a plano-convex lens or a biconvex lens, and the focal length of the focusing lens is 0.2mm-2mm.

8. An illumination-type multi-point laser system, characterized in that, The illumination-type multi-point laser system includes the illumination-type multi-point laser probe as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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