Phoenix Laser Systems, Inc.

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Other

International Technical Associates

H. Alfred Sklar

Alan M. Frank

Olga M. Ferrer

Fred Rienecker

Steven Schiffer

Charles F. Mcmillan

Paul Harriss

Stewart A. Brown

Alan M Frank

H Alfred Sklar

Joel H Fink

Charles F McMillan

Olga M Ferrer

Paul A Lovoi

Ronald S Lee

William R Edwards

Stewart A Brown

Charles F Mcmillan

A precision flyer initiator forms a substantially spherical detonation wave in a high explosive (HE) pellet. An explosive driver, such as a detonating cord, a wire bridge circuit or a small explosive, is detonated. A flyer material is sandwiched between the explosive driver and an end of a barrel that contains an inner channel. A projectile or 'flyer' is sheared from the flyer material by the force of the explosive driver and projected through the inner channel. The flyer than strikes the HE pellet, which is supported above a second end of the barrel by a spacer ring. A gap or shock decoupling material delays the shock wave in the barrel from predetonating the HE pellet before the flyer. A spherical detonation wave is formed in the HE pellet. Thus, a shock wave traveling through the barrel fails to reach the HE pellet before the flyer strikes the HE pellet. The precision flyer initiator can be used in mining devices, well-drilling devices and anti-tank devices.

Precision flyer initiator

A diagnostic system for support of laser ocular surgery, for example, solves a problem of competition for light which is often encountered when a series of different detectors are used to receive and detect features of a target reflecting an illuminating light beam. The intensity of an illuminating beam, particularly in eye surgery, is limited to a level above which damage to the eye can occur. In a system wherein a plurality of successive beam splitters are used, each reflecting a portion of the light intensity and transmitting the remaining light intensity, the series of detecting devices compete for adequate light intensity for the particular functions being served. The system of the invention solves this problem and increases the effective quantity of light useful from a given input intensity by dividing the light spectrally after its reflection from the eye, thereby making use of a different spectral range of the light at each of the plurality of different detecting devices.

Spectral division of reflected light in complex optical diagnostic and

A system for effecting precision laser surgery includes an intensified surgical video microscope directed at the tissue to be operated upon and having zoom capability. The surgical microscope presents a microscopic image on a video screen in front of the surgeon. Preferably, the video screen is divided into multiple separate sections, with the microscopic video image in one section and precise cross sectional and plan views indicating location presented in the other sections of the screen. These additional views may be generated using Moire interferometry by projecting a Ronchi ruling on the surface of the tissue, in viewing the projection with a camera to obtain all necessary information for contour tracking of the subject surface. Interior elements and interfaces of, for example, the eye are also sensed by a light beam and precisely located and mapped by a computer forming a part of the device. The imaging system of the invention enables the surgeon to have before him abundant visual information on the video screen with indication of precisely where, in three dimensions, a focused surgical laser beam is directed at any time. The system also includes tracking system for following the movements of the subject tissue, for example an eye during surgery. The tracking system is fast enough to track such movement, preferably at the maximum repetition rate of the laser plus a sufficient margin for safety, but at all times faster than the frame rate for the video displays at which the video screen is retraced.

Method and apparatus for precision laser surgery

An ophthalmic diagnostic instrument determines the shape of the cornea through projection of an image onto the cornea through the optics of the diagnostic instrument. The instrument and the method of the invention involve folding a projected pattern of discrete separated point light sources so that the pattern is projected toward the eye coaxially with return collected light reflected off the cornea. The instrument avoids any need for a pattern light source directly adjacent to the eye, and provides the surgeon or other eye care specialist with a real time image accurately displaying the shape of the cornea. The surgeon is thus able to monitor the corneal shape prior to surgery, to monitor its changes during the course of the surgery, and to further monitor the cornea in post operative stages. In a specific embodiment of the invention, a real image of the pattern of point light sources is formed inside or very closely in front of the objective lens of the system so that the objective lens becomes a field lens and the angle of view of the system is enlarged.

Ophthalmic diagnostic apparatus and method

A method and apparatus for controlling the stripping of paint and the like from a substrate is disclosed. Embodiments for controlling the stripping of paint and the like by pulses of high intensity radiant energy are described. The control is accomplished by illuminating the area of the paint and the like which is to be stripped and subjecting the light reflected therefrom to spatial spectral dispersion. The spatial spectral dispersion is sensed and an electronic signal representative thereof is generated. The generated electronic signal is compared to a pre-recorded electronic signal representative of the spatial spectral dispersion of light reflected from the paint and the like which is to be stripped before each pulse of high intensity radiant energy and the pulse is applied only upon such comparison resulting in a substantial match. Methods and means for normalization of the sensed spatial spectral dispersion and for utilizing mismatch comparisons are disclosed.

Method of and apparatus for the removal of paint and the like from a

A long-lifetime light source with sufficiently low intensity to be used for reading a map or other writing at nighttime, while not obscuring the user's normal night vision. This light source includes a diode electrically connected in series with a small power source and a lens properly positioned to focus at least a portion of the light produced by the diode.

Long lifetime, low intensity light source for use in nighttime viewing

Apparatus for neutralization of a beam of accelerated ions, such as hydrogen negative ions (H.sup.-), using relatively efficient strip diode lasers which emit monochromatically at an appropriate wavelength (.lambda. = 8000 A for H.sup.- ions) to strip the excess electrons by photodetachment. A cavity, formed by two or more reflectors spaced apart, causes the laser beams to undergo multiple reflections within the cavity, thus increasing the efficiency and reducing the illumination required to obtain an acceptable percentage (.about. 85%) of neutralization.

Apparatus for neutralization of accelerated ions

A process for neutralization of accelerated ions employing photo-induced charge detachment. The process involves directing a laser beam across the path of a negative ion beam such as to effect photodetachment of electrons from the beam ions. The frequency of the laser beam employed is selected to provide the maximum cross-section for the photodetachment process.

Growing community of inventors

Livermore, CA, United States of America

Alan M Frank