Laser device and laser treatment device

Abstract

To provide a laser device and a laser treatment device capable of stably obtaining a desired output of laser light even when a spread angle of the laser light emitted from a laser light source changes.SOLUTION: A laser device 30 transmits and outputs laser light using a hollow waveguide 40. The laser device 30 includes a laser light source 31 that emits the laser light, and a control unit 32 that controls excitation energy supplied to the laser light source 31. The control unit 32 calculates transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide 40 from correlation between the excitation energy and a spread angle of the emitted laser light to control the excitation energy supplied to the laser light source 31 based on the calculated transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a laser device and a laser treatment device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, in the field of dentistry, laser light has been used for treatments such as caries removal, tartar removal, gum incision, etc. For example, in these treatments, a laser treatment device capable of oscillating an Er:YAG (Erbium / Yttrium Aluminum Garnet) laser with a wavelength of 2.94 μm is used.

[0003] However, most of the laser light used in these laser treatment devices uses infrared wavelengths that are absorbed by water (O-H groups), which are abundant in biological tissue, and therefore silica-based optical fibers cannot be used to transmit these infrared lasers. This is because silica fibers have inherently large infrared absorption due to molecular vibrations in the infrared wavelength range, significantly reducing transmission efficiency. To transmit infrared lasers, it is necessary to use solid fibers made of materials such as fluorides, silver halides, and chalcogenides that are transparent even in the infrared wavelength range, or hollow waveguides, where the laser light propagates through a hollow space.

[0004] However, solid infrared fibers have less stable chemical and physical properties than quartz fibers, and are not widely used except for certain applications such as measurement and analysis. Also, in applications requiring high-power transmission, such as laser processing and medical treatment equipment, laser light is transmitted using hollow waveguides (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 63-210904). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 63-210904 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In a hollow waveguide, it is necessary to optimize the spot size of the incident beam relative to the diameter of the hollow waveguide to improve the transmission efficiency of the laser light. Therefore, in the laser device of Patent Document 1, at least three lenses are placed between the laser light source and the hollow waveguide, and the positions of these lenses are changed to focus the incident beam to a spot size that is optimal for the diameter of the hollow waveguide.

[0007] However, the laser device of Patent Document 1 aims to minimize transmission loss in the hollow waveguide and prevent thermal damage to the waveguide by optically correcting changes in the beam focus spot diameter of the laser light that accompany changes in the output power from the laser light source, but it requires at least two lenses in addition to the focusing lens, and an electric stage is required to change the position of the lens depending on the output power, resulting in a complex structure and high manufacturing costs.In addition, since the transmission loss itself increases with an increase in the divergence angle, there is a problem in that it is not possible to obtain the desired laser light output at the output end.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a laser device and a laser treatment device that can stably obtain a desired laser light output even if the divergence angle of the laser light emitted from the laser light source changes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A laser device according to the present disclosure is a laser device that transmits and outputs laser light using a hollow waveguide, and includes a laser light source that emits laser light, and a control unit that controls excitation energy supplied to the laser light source. The control unit calculates the transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide from the correlation between the excitation energy and the divergence angle of the emitted laser light, and controls the excitation energy supplied to the laser light source based on the calculated transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide.

[0010] A laser treatment device according to the present disclosure is a laser treatment device that treats an affected area using laser light, and includes the above-described laser device that emits laser light. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] In the present disclosure, the transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide is calculated from the correlation between the excitation energy and the divergence angle of the emitted laser light, and the excitation energy supplied to the laser light source is controlled based on the calculated transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide, so that the desired laser light output can be stably obtained even if the divergence angle of the laser light emitted from the laser light source changes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a laser treatment device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a laser treatment device according to an embodiment; [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of a laser device according to an embodiment; [Figure 4] 1 is a graph showing the correlation between excitation energy and the divergence angle of emitted laser light. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the divergence angle of emitted laser light and the angle of incidence of the laser light into a hollow waveguide. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the angle of incidence of laser light into a hollow waveguide and the transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the configuration of a laser device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0014] [Configuration of laser treatment device] The main configuration of a laser treatment device 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The laser treatment device 1 according to the embodiment is used, for example, in dental treatment to treat teeth in a patient's oral cavity. The laser treatment device 1 according to the embodiment can also be applied in fields other than dentistry, such as orthopedics, otolaryngology, surgery, urology, dermatology, and ophthalmology.

[0015] 1 and 2 are diagrams showing the appearance of a laser treatment device 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the laser treatment device 1 includes a housing 10. The housing 10 is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped or approximately rectangular parallelepiped including a top surface 10A, a bottom surface 10B, a front surface 10C, a rear surface 10D, a right side surface 10E, and a left side surface 10F, and houses various components of the laser treatment device 1. In the following, the laser treatment device 1 will be described assuming that, when the laser treatment device 1 is installed on an installation surface, an axis along the horizontal direction of the housing 10 (the direction of the short sides of the front surface 10C and the rear surface 10D) is set as the X-axis, an axis along the vertical direction of the housing 10 (the direction of the short sides of the right side surface 10E and the left side surface 10F) is set as the Y-axis, and an axis along the height direction of the housing 10 (the direction of the long sides of the front surface 10C, the rear surface 10D, the right side surface 10E, and the left side surface 10F) is set as the Z-axis.

[0016] The laser treatment device 1 comprises a connection portion 11 , a waveguide 12 , a handpiece 13 , a holding portion 14 , a connection portion 15 , at least one leg portion 17 , a handle 18 , a display 19 , and a tray 20 .

[0017] The connecting part 11 is provided on the upper surface 10A of the housing 10 and has a pole along which the waveguide 12 is aligned. The connecting part 11 is configured so that the user can move the flexible waveguide 12 to a desired position by aligning the flexible waveguide 12 along the pole, and changes in accordance with the movement of the waveguide 12. The waveguide 12 extends flexibly and transmits laser light transmitted from a laser device (see FIG. 3) provided inside the housing 10 to the handpiece 13. The handpiece 13 emits the laser light transmitted via the waveguide 12 to the outside.

[0018] Holding unit 14 is provided on top surface 10A of housing 10 and is rotatable along the XY plane on top surface 10A. Holding unit 14 holds handpiece 13 at its tip, thereby fixing handpiece 13 to housing 10.

[0019] Connection unit 15 is provided on top surface 10A of housing 10 and is connected to top surface 10A of waveguide 12. Connection unit 15 connects a laser device provided inside housing 10 to waveguide 12, and also connects a water channel (not shown) provided along waveguide 12 to a tube pump (not shown) provided inside housing 10. The water channel supplies cleaning water supplied from the tube pump provided inside housing 10 to handpiece 13. Handpiece 13 emits the cleaning water supplied via the water channel to the outside.

[0020] At least one leg 17 is provided on the bottom surface 10B of the housing 10, creating a gap between the bottom surface 10B and the installation surface on which the housing 10 is placed. Specifically, each of the at least one leg 17 includes at least one wheel 170. The housing 10 is in contact with the installation surface via the at least one wheel 170 provided on the bottom surface 10B, and the at least one wheel 170 creates a gap between the bottom surface 10B and the installation surface.

[0021] In the laser treatment device 1 according to the embodiment, four legs 17A, 17B, 17C, and 17D are provided on the bottom surface 10B of the housing 10. Each of the four legs 17A, 17B, 17C, and 17D includes four wheels 170A, 170B, 170C, and 170D. Hereinafter, the four legs 17A, 17B, 17C, and 17D will be collectively referred to simply as "legs 17." The four wheels 170A, 170B, 170C, and 170D will be collectively referred to simply as "wheels 170." The wheels 170 rotate on the installation surface of the laser treatment device 1, allowing the laser treatment device 1 to move on the installation surface. This allows, for example, a user to move the laser treatment device 1 to a location where a patient is present when using the laser treatment device 1, and to move the laser treatment device 1 to a storage location when not using the laser treatment device 1. The at least one leg 17 may not include the at least one wheel 170, but may simply fix the housing 10 to the installation surface.

[0022] The handle 18 is a part that the user holds when moving the laser treatment device 1. The display 19 displays various information related to the treatment of a patient using the laser treatment device 1. The tray 20 holds treatment instruments and the like that are required when the user treats a patient using the laser treatment device 1.

[0023] Although the mounting position is not shown in Figures 1 and 2, the laser treatment device 1 is equipped with a laser device (see Figure 3) that includes a resonator (oscillator) for generating laser light. The resonator includes a solid-state laser rod and a light source (flash lamp). Note that the laser device is not limited to a solid-state laser that uses a solid-state laser rod in the resonator, but may also be a gas laser such as a CO2 laser or a liquid laser such as a dye laser. The solid-state laser rod is, for example, a YAG crystal doped with Er as an active element. The solid-state laser rod is excited by irradiation with excitation light from the light source, and emits laser light by amplifying the spontaneously emitted light in the resonator.

[0024] The solid-state laser rod included in the oscillator is not limited to an Er:YAG rod, which is a YAG crystal doped with Er as an active element, but may be, for example, a YAG crystal doped with either Er or Ho as an active element. Furthermore, the solid-state laser rod is not limited to a YAG crystal, and may be any solid-state laser medium doped with a lanthanoid rare earth element. The solid-state laser rod may be, for example, an Er;Cr:YSGG crystal, a Ho:YAG crystal, or the like.

[0025] According to the laser treatment device 1 configured as described above, the user can extend the waveguide 12 while holding the handpiece 13, thereby positioning the tip of the handpiece 13 near the affected area of ​​the patient, and directing the laser light and cleansing water emitted from the tip of the handpiece 13 onto the affected area. This allows the user to treat the affected area using the laser light emitted by the laser treatment device 1.

[0026] [Laser device configuration] 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a laser device 30 according to an embodiment. The laser device 30 includes a laser light source 31, a control unit 32, a storage unit 33, and a condenser lens 34. Although not shown, the laser light source 31 includes, for example, a resonator having a columnar solid-state laser rod, and a light source (flash lamp) that excites the solid-state laser rod.

[0027] In the laser treatment device 1 used in the medical field such as dental treatment, the laser light irradiated to the affected area is absorbed by the water in the affected area, enabling treatment such as removal or incision. In particular, in the hard tissue vaporization, it is preferable that the laser light acts locally on the surface of the affected area in order to minimize the thermal effect on the dental pulp tissue. For this reason, the laser device 30 according to this embodiment uses a laser light absorption coefficient of 3000 cm -1 However, the wavelength of the laser light used in the laser device 30 is not limited to the wavelength of the Er:YAG laser, as long as it is an infrared wavelength that can suppress transmission loss by using the hollow waveguide 40.

[0028] In addition, in the laser treatment device 1 used in the medical field such as dental treatment, the laser light emitted by the laser device 30 is preferably a pulsed laser light. Specifically, the laser light emitted by the laser device 30 is preferably a pulsed laser light having a pulse width of 10 μs to 1000 μs.

[0029] Laser light emitted from the laser light source 31 is focused by a focusing lens 34 and irradiated onto the affected area 50 via a hollow waveguide 40. The laser light used in laser treatment devices is an infrared laser with a wavelength of 2 μm or more. Infrared lasers have high power output and are highly absorbed by water, enabling them to perform incision, hemostasis, coagulation, and vaporization on biological tissue. In particular, the oscillation wavelength band of Er:YAG lasers and Er,Cr:YSGG lasers coincides with the peak of the water absorption wavelength band, meaning that most of the laser energy is absorbed in the very surface layer of biological tissue, resulting in a significant vaporization effect on the surface. Furthermore, when an infrared laser is irradiated onto hard tissues such as bones and teeth, the infrared laser is efficiently absorbed by the intercrystalline hydration shells that make up hydroxyapatite, breaking the bonds and physically cutting hard tissues such as bones and teeth without generating heat. In recent years, infrared laser treatment devices have been developed that are suitable not only for the treatment of hard tissues such as teeth and bones, but also for the treatment of periodontal disease in the dental field.

[0030] However, infrared lasers used in laser treatment, such as Er:YAG lasers, cannot use solid silica-based optical fibers as transmission paths. Therefore, to transmit such infrared lasers, it is necessary to use solid fibers made of infrared-transmitting materials instead of quartz, or hollow waveguides. However, as mentioned above, solid infrared fibers are inherently weaker in chemical and physical properties than quartz materials, so it is effective to use hollow waveguides 40, whose propagation region is hollow, for propagating laser light from medical laser devices. Here, we will explain the differences in structure and waveguiding principles between solid fibers and hollow waveguides 40.

[0031] A solid fiber consists of a propagation region called the core and a surrounding reflection region called the cladding. In a solid fiber, the refractive index n1 of the core is greater than the refractive index n2 of the cladding, and based on Snell's law, most of the optical energy can be confined within the core region and propagated through repeated total reflection at the boundary between the core and cladding. Therefore, in a solid fiber, all laser light incident at an angle smaller than the NA (numerical aperture) propagates, satisfying the total reflection condition, and therefore propagating with a constant transmittance regardless of the propagation mode.

[0032] In contrast, the hollow waveguide 40 uses a hollow region made of air with a refractive index of 1 as the propagation region, and therefore does not satisfy the condition for total reflection at the inner wall boundary surface. Therefore, the hollow waveguide 40 has a metal thin film and a dielectric layer on the inner wall, and the thickness of the dielectric layer is set according to the wavelength of the transmitted laser light so as to maximize the reflectivity. Like solid fibers, the hollow waveguide 40 also basically exhibits multimode propagation, i.e., the laser light propagates while repeatedly being incident on the inner wall of the hollow region and reflected at various angles. However, unlike solid fibers, the hollow waveguide 40 exhibits greater loss in higher-order modes.

[0033] If the laser light source 31 is, for example, an Er:YAG laser, it has multimode oscillation, so that many higher-order modes of laser light are mixed and excited in the hollow waveguide 40, and each propagates with its own unique transmission efficiency. Therefore, the transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide 40 varies depending on the propagation mode, and it is difficult to accurately grasp the weight of the higher-order modes of laser light that are mixed and propagating. On the other hand, in a solid fiber, if the incident laser light is in a propagation mode that is incident at an angle smaller than the NA (numerical aperture), all laser light satisfies the total reflection condition, and therefore laser light propagates with a constant transmittance regardless of the propagation mode.

[0034] As described above, the transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide 40 varies depending on the propagation mode of the laser light, and depends on the beam quality and incidence conditions of the laser light. In particular, when the laser light source 31 is a solid-state laser, unlike a gas laser such as a CO2 laser, it oscillates in multiple modes, and the excitation power to the solid-state laser rod generates a thermal lens effect. Therefore, the laser light source 31 experiences a decrease in beam quality, a change in the number of oscillation modes, and a change in the divergence angle of the emitted laser light due to the thermal lens effect, which changes the transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide 40. When the transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide 40 changes, the energy P of the laser light emitted by the laser light source 31 decreases. sys and the energy P of the laser light emitted from the hollow waveguide 40 target The difference between the energy P of the laser light emitted from the hollow waveguide 40 and the energy P target is the energy of the laser light that is set by the user in the laser treatment device 1 and is required to irradiate the affected area 50.

[0035] The laser device 30 applies energy P target In order to irradiate the laser beam, the transmission efficiency T of In consideration of this, the laser light source 31 emits energy P sys That is, the laser device 30 emits laser light with energy P sys The laser beam energy P required by the user target The transmission efficiency T of the hollow waveguide 40 of The value divided by (P sys =P target / T of ) where the transmission efficiency T of If is a constant value as in the case of a solid fiber, the laser light energy P target In contrast, the energy P of the laser light emitted by the laser light source 31 sys can be determined unambiguously.

[0036] However, in the laser light source 31, the divergence angle of the laser light changes due to the thermal lens effect, and therefore the transmission efficiency T ofThe thermal lens effect is caused by the excitation energy P supplied by the excitation light irradiated from the light source to the solid-state laser rod. pump Therefore, the excitation energy P pump There is a correlation between the excitation energy P pump The transmission efficiency T of the hollow waveguide 40 is calculated by focusing on the divergence angle of the laser light, which changes depending on the of is not a constant value, but the excitation energy P pump function (T of =F(P pump )) as the function (T of =F(P pump )) is the objective variable, which is the transmission efficiency T of and the explanatory variable is the excitation energy P pump Let's say.

[0037] In this disclosure, the excitation energy P pump , Energy P sys , Energy P target may be defined as energy [J] or as power [W] (power) differentiated with time from energy [J]. pump is the laser light source 31 with energy P sys In this disclosure, the average excitation energy is simply referred to as the excitation energy P pump Furthermore, when the laser light emitted from the laser light source 31 is a pulsed laser light, the excitation energy P pump [W] is the repetition frequency R [Hz] and the energy of one pulse E pump It is defined as the product of [J / pulse].

[0038] Specifically, Figure 4 shows the excitation energy P pump 4 is a graph showing the correlation between the excitation energy P pump , the divergence angle a is set on the vertical axis, and the excitation energy P pumpThe graph plots the value of the divergence angle a against the change in excitation energy P pump It can be seen that there is a correlation in which the larger the divergence angle a, the larger the divergence angle a.

[0039] 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the divergence angle a of the emitted laser light and the incident angle b of the laser light into the hollow waveguide 40. As shown in Fig. 5, the laser light emitted from the laser light source 31 is collected by the collecting lens 34 and enters the hollow waveguide 40. Therefore, the relationship between the divergence angle a of the emitted laser light and the incident angle b of the laser light into the hollow waveguide 40 is uniquely determined by the optical parameters of the collecting lens 34. In other words, the incident angle b is proportional to the divergence angle a.

[0040] 6 shows the relationship between the incident angle b of the laser light to the hollow waveguide 40 and the transmission efficiency T of 6, the horizontal axis represents the incident angle b, and the vertical axis represents the transmission efficiency T of and the transmission efficiency T of the hollow waveguide 40 with respect to the change in the incident angle b is of The transmission efficiency T of the hollow waveguide 40 is plotted (graph A). of From graph A showing the change in the transmission efficiency T of It can be seen that the transmission efficiency of a solid fiber decreases. For comparison, Fig. 6 also shows graph B, which shows the relationship between the incident angle of the laser light into the solid fiber and the transmission efficiency of the solid fiber. From graph B, which shows the change in the transmission efficiency of the solid fiber, it can be seen that the transmission efficiency of the solid fiber does not change and remains approximately constant even when the incident angle changes.

[0041] The control unit 32 calculates the transmission efficiency T of and excitation energy P pump and function (T of =F(P pump Therefore, the control unit 32 can obtain the function (T of =F(P pump)) is calculated by dividing the energy P of the laser light emitted by the laser light source 31. sys and the laser light energy P required by the user target The relation between P sys =P target / T of ), the transmission efficiency T of In other words, the control unit 32 can correct the excitation energy P pump Considering the correlation between the excitation energy P and the divergence angle a of the emitted laser light, pump The transmission efficiency T of the hollow waveguide 40 of The energy P of the laser light to be irradiated to the affected area 50 required for the treatment is calculated. target The energy P of the emitted laser light is sys The control unit 32 can set the energy P sys By monitoring the energy P of the laser light irradiated to the affected area 50, target To ensure the excitation energy P pump Adjust.

[0042] The control unit 32 includes a processor (not shown). The processor executes various programs stored in the storage unit 33 to calculate the set value (laser beam energy P required by the user) received by the input unit. target ) The energy P of the laser light emitted based on sys Control.

[0043] The processor is configured with a CPU, a GPU, etc., and can read and execute programs (for example, an OS and a control program) stored in the storage unit 33. The processor executes various programs read from the storage unit 33. The storage unit 33 is configured with a non-volatile storage device such as a ROM or a flash memory. The storage unit 33 stores the control program in addition to the OS for realizing basic functions. Furthermore, the storage unit 33 stores the excitation energy P pumpThe transmission efficiency T of the hollow waveguide 40 is calculated from the correlation between the angle of incidence of the laser beam and the divergence angle a of the emitted laser beam. of A function (T of =F(P pump The processor may store the energy P target In order to output the laser beam, the function (T of =F(P pump )) to be supplied to the laser light source 31. pump It should be noted that some or all of the functions provided by executing a program on a processor may be implemented using a dedicated hardware circuit (for example, ASIC or FPGA).

[0044] The input unit is not limited to a specific device, but may be, for example, a touch panel arranged superimposed on the display 19.

[0045] The relationships and functions shown in Figures 4 to 6 (T of =F(P pump )) can be measured and set in the laser device 30, but it is preferable that they are stored in the storage unit 33 before shipping from the factory. of =F(P pump )) may be updated taking into consideration aging deterioration of the hollow waveguide 40. of =F(P pump )) is stored in the storage unit 33 according to the type of hollow waveguide 40, and when the hollow waveguide 40 connected to the laser device 30 is changed, the function (T of =F(P pump )) may be changed.

[0046] (Variation) In the laser device 30, the excitation energy P pump The transmission efficiency T of the hollow waveguide 40 is calculated from the correlation between the angle of incidence of the laser beam and the divergence angle a of the emitted laser beam. of A function (T of =F(P pumpHowever, the laser device 30 calculates the excitation energy P pump The divergence angle a of the emitted laser light is directly measured without obtaining a correlation between the divergence angle a of the emitted laser light and the transmission efficiency T of and the divergence angle a as a function (T of The laser device 30 having such a configuration may be configured to obtain the function (T of =F(a)) is the energy P of the laser light emitted by the laser light source 31 sys and the laser light energy P required by the user target The relation between P sys =P target / T of ), the transmission efficiency T of By performing the correction, the output of the laser light from the laser light source 31 can be controlled.

[0047] Specifically, Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a laser device 30 according to a modified example. The laser device 30 further includes an annular member 35, an internal shutter 36, and a temperature sensor 37 in addition to the configuration shown in Fig. 3. The annular member 35 and the temperature sensor 37 are provided to directly measure the divergence angle a of the emitted laser light. The annular member 35 is disposed between the laser light source 31 and the hollow waveguide 40, and has an opening aligned with the optical axis of the laser light emitted by the laser light source 31. The size of the opening is determined so that the divergence angle a of the passing laser light is equal to or smaller than a set value.

[0048] Therefore, when the divergence angle a of the laser light becomes larger than the set value, the laser light is irradiated onto the annular member 35. Furthermore, the larger the divergence angle a of the laser light, the larger the area of ​​the laser light irradiated onto the annular member 35, and the more the annular member 35 is heated. The temperature sensor 37 is a sensor that measures the temperature of the annular member 35. The larger the divergence angle a of the laser light, the more the annular member 35 is heated and the higher its temperature becomes. Therefore, by using the temperature sensor 37 to measure the temperature of the annular member 35 heated by the laser light irradiated onto it, the control unit 32 can determine the divergence angle a of the laser light.

[0049] The control unit 32 calculates a function (T of =F(a)) to obtain the transmission efficiency T of In the laser device 30 according to the modified example, the transmission efficiency T of the hollow waveguide 40 is calculated from the directly measured divergence angle a of the laser light. of The calculated transmission efficiency T of Based on this, the excitation energy P pump Control.

[0050] The divergence angle a of the laser light is preferably measured in a standby state before the laser light is irradiated onto the affected area 50. For this reason, the laser device 30 has an internal shutter 36 that is disposed between the annular member 35 and the hollow waveguide 40 and that can block the laser light emitted by the laser light source 31. While the laser light emitted by the laser light source 31 is blocked by the internal shutter 36 (standby state), the control unit 32 determines the divergence angle a of the laser light based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 37, and calculates the transmission efficiency T of the hollow waveguide 40 from the determined divergence angle a of the laser light. of Calculate.

[0051] The laser device 30 has a transmission efficiency T of After correcting the above and controlling the output of the laser light from the laser light source 31, the laser device 30 transitions to an irradiation mode state in which the laser light is irradiated onto the affected area 50. When the laser device 30 transitions to the irradiation mode state, it moves the annular member 35 and the internal shutter 36 to positions off the optical axis of the emitted laser light.

[0052] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1 Laser treatment device, 10 Housing, 10A Top, 10B Bottom, 10C Front, 10D Rear, 10E Right side, 10F Left side, 11, 15 Connection part, 12 Waveguide, 13 Handpiece, 14 Holding part, 17, 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D Leg, 18 Handle, 19 Display, 20 Tray, 21, 21A, 21B Air intake, 30 Laser device, 31 Laser light source, 32 Control part, 33 Memory part, 35 Annular member, 36 Internal shutter, 37 Temperature sensor.

Claims

1. A laser device that transmits and outputs laser light using a hollow waveguide, a laser light source that emits laser light; a control unit that controls excitation energy supplied to the laser light source, The control unit calculating a transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide from a correlation between excitation energy and a divergence angle of the emitted laser light; A laser device that controls excitation energy supplied to the laser light source based on the calculated transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide.

2. a storage unit that stores in advance a function for calculating a transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide from a correlation between excitation energy and a divergence angle of the emitted laser light; The control unit 2. The laser device according to claim 1, wherein the excitation energy supplied to the laser light source is controlled using the function stored in the storage unit in order to output laser light of an energy level requested by a user.

3. The function has a transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide as a response variable and an excitation energy as an explanatory variable, The control unit 3. The laser device according to claim 2, wherein excitation energy is controlled so that the energy of the emitted laser light is equal to the value obtained by dividing the laser light energy required by a user by the calculated transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide.

4. an annular member disposed between the laser light source and the hollow waveguide, the annular member having an opening aligned with an optical axis of the laser light emitted by the laser light source; a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the annular member, The control unit measuring a temperature of the annular member generated by the laser light irradiated onto the annular member with the temperature sensor, and determining a divergence angle of the laser light based on the measured temperature; 2. The laser device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide is calculated from the determined divergence angle of the laser light.

5. an internal shutter disposed between the annular member and the hollow waveguide and capable of blocking the laser light emitted by the laser light source; 5. The laser device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit determines a divergence angle of the laser light based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor while the internal shutter is blocking the laser light emitted by the laser light source, and calculates a transmission efficiency of the hollow waveguide from the determined divergence angle of the laser light.

6. The laser light source a resonator including a solid-state laser rod; The laser device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a light source that excites the solid-state laser rod.

7. 7. The laser device according to claim 6, wherein the solid-state laser rod is a YAG crystal or a YSGG crystal doped with at least one of Er, Ho, and Cr as an active element.

8. A laser treatment device for treating an affected area using laser light, The laser device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which emits laser light; and the hollow waveguide that transmits the laser light output by the laser device.

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