Other

Lasermedics, Inc.

Chadwick F Smith

Leroy V Sutter

Jay E Philippbar

Walter E Johansen, Iii

A method of treating a patient, includes providing a laser source for emitting a laser light, diagnosing an afflicted area of the patient, delivering the laser light to the afflicted area for at least one treatment cycle, the laser source being operable on the afflicted area at a level of 1 Joule/cm.sup.2 per treatment cycle, monitoring the afflicted area after the treatment cycle has been completed, and repeating the steps of diagnosing and delivering the laser light to the afflicted area based on the monitoring step. Each treatment cycle preferably has a duration of 33 seconds and the wavelength of the laser light is preferably between a range of 800-870 nm, and more preferably is substantially 830 nm.

Method of performing laser therapy

The present invention is a gas insufflation apparatus which is used with an arthroscopic attachment having a gas inlet. A cylinder contains gas at a high pressure. A single stage regulator is fluidly coupled to the cylinder in order to regulate the inlet pressure of the gas. The gas insufflation apparatus includes a filter, an inlet relief valve and an inlet pressure gauge. The filter is fluidly coupled to the single stage regulator. The inlet relief valve insures that the inlet pressure of the gas does not exceed a predetermined pressure. The inlet pressure gauge reads the inlet pressure. The gas insufflation apparatus also includes a control valve and a flow meter. The control valve turns the flow of the gas through the gas insufflation apparatus on and off. The flow meter measures the flow of the gas through the gas insufflation apparatus. The gas insufflation apparatus further includes a first regulator and a second regulator. The first regulator insufflates the gas directly into the knee joint at a first preselected pressure in order to distend the knee joint during arthroscopic surgery. The second regulator insufflates the gas directly into the arthroscopic attachment through the gas inlet at a second preselected pressure which is slightly higher than the first preselected pressure in order to distend the knee joint and provide positive gas flow through the arthroscopic attachment during arthroscopic surgery by the laser system.

Gas insufflation apparatus for use with an arthroscopic laser system

The present invention is an electronic controller for use with a laser system which includes a mechanical triggering device and which generates a beam of light energy in the infrared spectrum. The electronic controller includes a laser modulator which turns the laser system on and off at a frequency rate of two hundred cycles per second and a trigger/reset circuit which is electrically coupled to the mechanical triggering circuit. The trigger/reset circuit provides a trigger signal in its triggered state and a reset signal in its untriggered state. The electronic controller also includes a clock circuit which is electrically coupled to the triggering circuit and which provides clock signals in response to the trigger signal and a one-shot monostable, multivibrator circuit having an RC timing circuit which is electrically coupled to the clock circuit and which controls the pulse width of its output signal in a range of 0.005 seconds and 0.1 seconds in response to the clock signals. The electronic controller further includes a counter which is electrically coupled to the one-shot monostable, multivibrator circuit and which counts each of the clock signals and a comparator which is electrically coupled to the counter in order to compare the number of the counted clock signals to a selected number and to the clock circuit and which is electrically coupled to the clock circuit, so that, when the number of the counted clock signal equals said selected number, the comparator provides a clock inhibit signal in order to inhibit the clock circuit from providing any more clock signals.

Growing community of inventors

Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Chadwick F Smith