Coherent, Inc.

Reliant Technologies, Inc.

Joseph L Dallarosa

Phillip J Gardner

James L Hobart

J Michael Yarborough

Wayne S Mefferd

Leonard C DeBenedictis

Donald E Smith

A laser assembly includes a laser and an articulated arm having a plurality of couplers arranged to receive a laser-beam from the laser. The assembly is mounted on a support structure, and is rotatable on the support structure in two axes perpendicular to each other. Six degrees of freedom of motion of the end of the articulated arm can be accomplished with one less coupler in the arm than would be necessary without rotation of the assembly on the support structure.

Articulated arm for delivering a laser beam

A method of reducing the level of pain experienced by a patient during a pain-inducing dermatological treatment by using non-pharmacologic means is described. The method employs the use of multiple bursts of a gas to stimulate a touch sensation in or near the tissue to be treated using the dermatological treatment in order to reduce and/or relieve pain. The method can be used alone or can be used in combination with other non-pharmacologic and/or pharmacologic methods of relieving pain in order to make a patient more comfortable during or following the dermatological treatment.

Method for reducing pain of dermatological treatments

A CO.sub.2 slab waveguide laser (10) is disclosed including a pair of spaced apart electrodes (36,38) having opposed light reflecting surfaces. The electrodes are dimensioned in a manner to guide light in a plane perpendicular to the reflecting surfaces. Light parallel to the reflecting surfaces is not constrained other than by the resonator mirrors (30,32). The resonator structure includes a negative branch unstable resonator in the nonwaveguide dimension. A stable resonator is used in the waveguide dimension but the mirror spacing from the end of the guide is based in part on the configuration of the unstable resonator. A unique support structure is disclosed for maintaining the electrodes in a spaced apart orientation without confining the discharge. Further refinements are disclosed for cooling the laser and for accommodating thermal expansion of the parts. An improved adjustable mirror assembly (26, 28) is provided which allows the tilt angle of the mirror to be varied from outside of the housing. The subject laser is capable of generating high energy short duration pulses which can be used to treat tissue with reduced trauma.

Resonator for CO.sub.2 slab waveguide laser

A CO.sub.2 slab laser is disclosed having a pair of spaced apart electrodes defining a rectangular discharge region. RF energy is fed through the electrodes to excite the CO.sub.2 gas. A pair of mirrors are located adjacent the electrodes to define the resonant cavity. A recombinant surface is placed between the ends of the electrodes and the mirrors to quench oxidizing species generated by the discharge before they reach the mirrors. In this manner, the degradation of the mirrors is reduced so that the high power performance of the laser can be maintained. The recombinant surfaces can be defined by forming extension regions at the end of the electrodes between which the discharge is minimized. Alternatively, a mirror shield having a beam transmitting aperture can be used to quench the oxidizing species.

Slab laser with enhanced lifetime

A CO.sub.2 slab waveguide laser (10) is disclosed including a pair of spaced apart electrodes (36,38) having opposed light reflecting surfaces. The electrodes are dimensioned in a manner to guide light in a plane perpendicular to the reflecting surfaces. Light parallel to the reflecting surfaces is not constrained other than by the resonator mirrors (30,32). The resonator structure includes a negative branch unstable resonator in the nonwaveguide dimension. A stable resonator is used in the waveguide dimension but the mirror spacing from the end of the guide is based in part on the configuration of the unstable resonator. A unique support structure is disclosed for maintaining the electrodes in a spaced apart orientation without confining the discharge. Further refinements are disclosed for cooling the laser and for accommodating thermal expansion of the parts. Finally, an improved adjustable mirror assembly (26, 28) is provided which allows the tilt angle of the mirror to be varied from outside of the housing.

RF excited CO.sub.2 slab waveguide laser

A CO.sub.2 slab waveguide laser (10) is disclosed including a pair of spaced apart electrodes (36,38) having opposed light reflecting surfaces. The electrodes are dimensioned in a manner to guide light in a plane perpendicular to the reflecting surfaces. Light parallel to the reflecting surfaces is not constrained other than by the resonator mirrors (30,32). The resonator structure includes a negative branch unstable resonator in the nonwaveguide dimension. A stable resonator is used in the waveguide dimension but the mirror spacing from the end of the guide is based in part on the configuration of the unstable resonator. A unique support structure is disclosed for maintaining the electrodes in a spaced apart orientation without confining the discharge. Further refinements are disclosed for cooling the laser and for accommodating thermal expansion of the parts. An improved adjustable mirror assembly (26, 28) is provided which allows the tilt angle of the mirror to be varied from outside of the housing. Finally, a lamp (110) is provided for preionizing the discharge to faciliate starting.

A CO.sub.2 slab waveguide laser (10) disclosed including a pair of spaced apart electrodes (36,38) having exposed light reflecting surfaces. The electrodes are dimensioned in a manner to guide light in a plane perpendicular to the reflecting surfaces. Light parallel to the reflecting surfaces is not constrained other than by the resonator mirrors (30,32). The resonator structure includes a negative branch unstable resonator in the nonwaveguide dimension. A stable resonator is used in the waveguide dimension but the mirror spacing from the end of the guide is based in part on the configuration of the unstable resonator. A unique support structure is disclosed for maintaining the electrodes in a spaced apart orientation without confining the discharge. Further refinements are disclosed for cooling the laser and for accommodating thermal expansion of the parts. Finally, an improved adjustable mirror assembly (26, 28) is provided which allows the tilt angle of the mirror to be varied from outside of the housing.

RF Excited CO.sub.2 slab waveguide laser

The subject invention is related to a new and improved bore assembly for use with a gaseous ion laser. Each bore assembly is mountable to a heat conducting member located within the tube. The heat conducting member is provided with a central opening and is connected at the periphery thereof to the inner surface of the tube. The bore assembly of the subject invention includes a discharge confining element having a central channel and formed from a sputter-resistant material such as graphite. An outer support member is provided which is disposed about at least a portion of the discharge confining element and is brazed to the heat conducting member in a manner to mechanically constrain the discharge confining element. During assembly, the opening of the channels of the discharge confining elements are coaxially aligned. During operation of the laser, the mechanically constrained discharge confining element will be heated and expand radially into the outer support member until thermal equilibrium is achieved thereby defining a thermally conductive pathway for cooling the laser.

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Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Joseph L Dallarosa