Coherent, Inc.

Kowa Company Limited

David R Hennings

Masao Niino

Takaji Nakanishi

Nubar Sahag Manoukian

Disclosed is a laser spot projector for use with a laser coagulation system in which a laser beam is radiated as a focussed spot into a portion selected to be thermally coagulated. A laser source produces a laser beam, and a focussing lens focusses the laser beam on the selected portion in the form of a focussed laser beam spot. A variator lens is displaceably arranged between the laser source and focussing lens for changing the magnification of the laser spot depending upon the displacement of the variator lens. The variator lens is selectably displaceable to two separate positions where the image point is conjugated with the object point with respect to the variator lens. This arrangement makes it possible to selectably provide two focussed laser beam spots each having a different spot diameter.

Laser spot projector

A laser coagulation system adapted for use in an ophthalmological treatment comprises a slit image projector for projecting a slit image into the eyeball of a patient to determine a selected portion of the eyeball to be coagulated, and a laser beam projector for projecting a laser beam onto the selected portion. Both the projectors include a common reflecting means which is divided into two side portions for directing slit light toward the selected portion to be coagulated, and a central portion between the two side portions for directing the laser beam toward the selected portion thereof.

Laser coagulation system

An apparatus is disclosed for attenuating the beam of a laser. The apparatus is particularly suited for situations where a low powered aiming beam is necessary to be coaxially aligned with a full power working beam. The apparatus includes a refractive element having a pair of spaced-apart, parallel faces. A mounting arrangement is provided for selectively moving the refractive element into and out of the path of the full power laser beam. The refractive element is mounted such that when it is moved into the path of the laser beam, the beam will be split into primary and secondary beams. The primary beam will exit the refractive element along a path displaced from the incoming beam. The power of this exiting primary beam can be captured through a beam dump. The secondary beam is a product of at least two internal reflections within the refractive element. The secondary beam is highly attenuated and travels along the same path as the incoming beam. The secondary beam may be used for aiming since the full power beam will travel along the same path as the attenuated beam after the refractive element is moved out of its path.

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Half Moon Bay, CA, United States of America

David R Hennings