Dental Laser Focusing Element Extended Depth Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dental laser systems have a limited depth of treatment, which restricts the distance over which dental tissue can be treated and requires large focusing elements, leading to insufficient fluence and inefficient operation at wavelengths not well absorbed by dental tissue.
Innovation Solution
A dental laser treatment system with a longer focal length and adjustable waist diameter, allowing for a deeper treatment depth of at least 5 mm while maintaining sufficient fluence, and incorporating a cooling system to minimize tissue damage and enhance treatment flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a conventional focusing element with short focal length is used, then the beam waist is small and fluence is high at the surface, but the depth of treatment is limited to just a few millimeters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the focal length parameter of the focusing element from conventional short focal length to an extended focal length of at least 50mm. This parameter change allows the beam waist to be positioned deeper in the tissue (at least 5mm depth) while maintaining sufficient fluence for effective treatment, thereby resolving the contradiction between surface fluence and treatment depth.
2Area of moving object
If the laser beam diverges at a large angle from the waist, then the beam can be focused to a small spot, but the depth of treatment is typically just a few millimeters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the beam divergence parameter by using an extended focal length focusing element, which reduces the beam divergence angle compared to conventional short focal length lenses. This allows the beam to maintain a smaller waist diameter at greater depths, enabling both small spot size and deep treatment penetration simultaneously.
3Length of moving object
If a large focusing element is used to increase depth of treatment, then the treatment depth increases, but the system complexity and device size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a detachable handpiece design that allows the focusing element to be replaced or adjusted. This dynamic configuration enables the system to use an extended focal length focusing element for deep treatment when needed, while allowing for easier cleaning and servicing by detaching the handpiece, thereby managing device complexity.
4Ease of operation
If the beam exit is made small for improved ergonomics, then the handpiece is easier to manipulate, but the laser beam path must pass through the center which limits flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a beam delivery system with articulated arms and flexible positioning mechanisms as intermediaries between the laser source and the small beam exit. This allows the handpiece to maintain its small ergonomic size for easy manipulation while the articulated arms provide the flexibility and range of motion needed to access various treatment areas in the oral cavity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves a significantly larger depth of treatment with reduced sensitivity to handpiece movement, enabling interproximal cutting and improved user flexibility, while maintaining effective fluence and minimizing damage to non-target tissues.
Implementation Method 1
The focusing element may serve to concentrate the laser beam into a spot of a smaller diameter than the diameter of the beam incident upon the focusing element
Implementation Method 2
the laser beam diverges from the waist at an angle
Implementation Method 3
incorporating a cooling system to minimize tissue damage
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3
AI summary
A dental laser treatment system (10) may include a laser source (11) providing a laser beam (12), and a focusing device (24) to produce a laser beam having a waist (14). The focal length and waist (14) of the laser beam (12) are selected to achieve a depth of treatment that is at least 5 mm long, and has a power density of at least a minimum power density required to perform a selected treatment on dental tissue. In some instances, the focal length is 25 mm or greater.