Pulsed Laser System for Hard Tissue Ablation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laser systems for hard tissue ablation in dentistry face inefficiencies due to overheating and debris cloud interference, which reduce processing speed and precision, especially when using short pulses with high repetition rates.
Innovation Solution
A laser system with a temporal pulse spacing between 50 µs and 300 µs, optimized to allow debris cloud settling while maintaining residual laser energy for subsequent pulses, combining short pulse lengths (10-120 µs) and high repetition rates to minimize heat load and scattering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If short pulses with low energy and high repetition rate are used, then heating of surrounding tissue and debris cloud shielding are reduced, but laser efficiency and processing speed deteriorate due to excessive pumping energy being consumed to overcome the energy threshold
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic pulsed operation with specifically optimized pulse duration (10-120 µs) and pulse repetition rate (100-5000 Hz). This periodic action allows the laser to deliver energy in controlled bursts that achieve ablation while permitting thermal diffusion between pulses, thereby reducing surrounding tissue heating and debris cloud formation while maintaining high processing speed through sustained average power delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes key laser parameters including pulse duration (10-120 µs), pulse repetition rate (100-5000 Hz), and average power (0.5-5 W). By adjusting these parameters within specific ranges, the system achieves a balance where sufficient energy is delivered to maintain inversion population and ensure efficient lasing, while individual pulse energy remains low enough to minimize thermal damage and debris cloud interference, thus resolving the contradiction between efficiency and processing speed.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If individual pulses with pulse length of 25 µs to 150 µs and pulse period of 16 ms are used, then heating of surroundings and shielding are overcome to some degree, but efficiency and treatment speed remain minimal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic pulsed operation with pulse repetition rates of 100-5000 Hz, which corresponds to pulse periods of 0.2-10 ms. This is significantly shorter than the 16 ms pulse period in prior art, allowing more pulses to be delivered per unit time. The periodic action maintains sufficient time between pulses for thermal diffusion and debris clearance while maximizing the number of ablation events, thereby improving treatment speed without sacrificing control over heating and shielding effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves continuous effective ablation by maintaining a high repetition rate of 100-5000 Hz. This ensures that the useful ablation action continues without significant interruption, with each pulse contributing to material removal. The continuous delivery of pulses at optimized intervals maintains high processing speed while the pulse duration and energy are controlled to prevent excessive heating and shielding, thus overcoming the limitations of prior art where treatment speed was minimal.
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
This approach enhances laser efficiency and treatment speed by reducing debris cloud interference and heat load, improving precision and processing speed while maintaining high efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The material removal in hard tissue ablation is based on a pronounced absorption of the laser in water
Implementation Method 2
The laser absorption leads to local heating with sudden water evaporation that, like a micro explosion, causes material removal
Implementation Method 3
A laser rod generates a laser beam only above a certain energy threshold that must be overcome by pumping, for example, by means of a flashlamp
Implementation Method 4
The pumped laser has an inversion population remaining time being the time within which in the absence of pumping the remaining inversion population of the laser energy status is reduced by 90%, i.e. to 10% of the initial value
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a Laser system for hard body tissue ablation, comprising a pumped laser, wherein the laser system is adapted to be operated in pulsed operation with several individual pulses (1) of a temporally limited pulse length (tp) and wherein the individual pulses (1) follow one another with a temporal pulse spacing (Ts). The pumped laser has a inversion population remaining time (tR), the inversion population remaining time (tR) being the time within which in the absence of pumping the remaining inversion population of the laser energy status is reduced by 90%. The pulse spacing (Ts) is in the range of ≥ 50 µs and ≤ to the inversion population remaining time (tR).