Other

Directed Energy, Inc.

Domino Printing Sciences Plc

Atlantic Richfield Company

American Telephone and Telegraph, Co.

The Domino Corporation

Leroy V Sutter

Harold A Cameron

Jay E Philippbar

Chadwick F Smith

Jack E Andrews

Celestino Rey

Robert A Wessels, Jr

Michael R Davison

Randy C Horne

Richard Blackburn

Stanley J Parnas

Robert E Mofley

A laser marking apparatus has a number of individual laser devices ( ) mounted at angles to one another. The output ends ( ) of the laser devices are disposed closely adjacent to one another and a number of laser beam redirectors ( ) are disposed to intercept the laser beams ( ) emitted from the laser output ends ( ) so as to extend the length of the laser beam paths and to decrease the angle between said laser beams ( ).

Multiple beam laser marking apparatus

The invention relates to a multi-channel RF-excited gas laser device which has an elongate tubular dielectric housing 1. The housing has a common elongate ground electrode 2 therein and a plurality of laser channels 4 defined within and extending along the ground electrode 2 adjacent to an interior surface 3 of the dielectric housing. A laser gas is provided within the dielectric housing and a plurality of RF electrodes 7 are disposed adjacent to and extending along an external surface 8 of the dielectric housing 1. Each RF electrode 7 is disposed in registration with one of the laser channels 4.

Multi-channel, RF-excited gas discharge laser

A galvanometer optics assembly includes a housing which has a laser beam input which is optically coupled to the laser beam output of the laser marking apparatus, a first laser beam output and a second laser beam output, a stationary mirror which is fixedly coupled to the housing and is optically coupled to the laser beam input of the housing, a galvanometer mirror which is rotatively coupled to the housing and is optically coupled to the stationary mirror, a galvanometer optics motor which has a shaft which is fixedly coupled to the galvanometer mirror so that the galvanometer mirror may be optically coupled to either the first laser beam output or the second laser beam output and a galvanometer controller which is electrically coupled to the galvanometer optics motor. The galvanometer optics assembly is for use with a laser marking apparatus which includes a housing and and a laser beam output which is optically coupled to the lasers. Each of a plurality of individual lasers in the housing is dedicated to write a predetermined character row.

Laser marking apparatus for marking twin-line messages

An asymmetric RF excited gas laser includes an elongated chamber, a first reflector and a second reflector, a first supporting mechanism, a ribbon of a metal conductor and a impedance-matching circuit. The elongated chamber is of cross-sectional dimensions suitable for confining a laser gas discharge and is formed from a dielectric material. A laser gas is disposed in the elongated chamber. The first and second reflector reflect and guide light energy from the laser gas discharge within the elongated chamber so that the light energy is optically independent of the internal walls of the elongated chamber as the light energy travels longitudinally the length of the elongated chamber. The first supporting mechanism supports the elongated chamber and forms negative electrode. The first supporting mechanism has cooling tubes and is electrically coupled to ground. The ribbon of the metal conductor forms a positive electrode which is disposed along the elongated chamber. An RF energy generator applies a voltage of alternating polarity to the positive electrode at a frequency ranging from 10 Mhz to about 3 Ghz in order to establish a laser gas discharge in the laser gas. An impedance-matching circuit matches the impedance of the elongated chamber and the positive electrode to the impedance of the RF energy generator.

Asymmetric rf excited gas laser electrode configuration

A laser marking apparatus provides markings of enhanced readability in an outer jacket of repetitively spaced sections along the length of a moving cable which is delivered from a supply source. The cable is advanced under tension and is wound onto a take-up spool. The outer jacket is of a specified color and has an outer surface. The laser marking apparatus includes a first guide roller, a laser marker, an applicator, a coarse brush roller with a first driving mechanism, a fine brush roller with a second driving mechanism and a second guide roller. The first and second guide rollers are disposed adjacent to the supply source before the laser marker and before the take-up spool after the fine brush roller, respectively, in order to guide the cable along a path of travel so that the outer jacket passes adjacent to the laser marker. The laser marker inscribes in the outer jacket markings opening to the outer surface thereof. The applicator applies a wax, the color of which is different from and contrasts with the specified color of the outer jacket, on the outer surface of the outer jacket and in the markings. Afterwards the coarse brush roller removes most of the wax which is on the outer surface of the outer jacket leaving the wax which is in the markings and the fine brush roller removes the remainder of the wax which is on the outer surface of the outer jacket and polishes the outer surface.

Laser marking apparatus and method for providing markings of enhanced

A transversely RF excited gas laser with an internally folded resonator includes an elongated chamber of cross-sectional dimensions suitable for confining a laser gas discharge, a plurality of reflectors and a laser gas. The reflectors form a stable folded laser resonator cavity of a compact geometry in order to efficiently extract laser power from the laser resonator cavity. There are at least two of the reflectors and at least one of the plurality of reflectors is concave. The laser gas is disposed in the folded resonator cavity which reflect and guide light energy from the laser gas discharge within the elongated chamber. The transversely RF excited gas laser with an internally folded resonator also includes a pair of electrodes and a pair of cooling electrodes. The electrodes are transversely disposed on the elongated chamber and excite the laser gas. The cooling electrodes are transversely disposed on the elongated chamber and electrically coupled to ground. The impedance-matching circuit applies RF power to the electrodes. The impedance-matching circuit includes three inductors with a center-tapped coil being adjusted so that the voltage potential at the center of the laser discharge between the pair of cooling electrodes is a virtual ground thereby preventing RF current from passing through the grounded cooling electrodes in order to efficiently extract laser power from the laser resonator cavity.

RF excited laser with internally folded resonator

The present invention is a gas/saline valve for use in an gas/saline insufflation system which includes a gas insufflator and a saline source. The gas insufflator is fluidly coupled to a gas inlet of an arthroscopic attachment by a first tubing. The saline source is fluidly coupled to a saline inlet of an arthroscope by a second tubing. The gas/saline valve includes a housing with an open end and a gas/saline control knob. The housing has a first bore and a second bore. The housing also has a first slotted chamber and a second slotted chamber both of which are contiguous to the first and second bores, respectively, and within which the first and second tubings, respectively, are disposed. The gas/saline control knob has a solid cylinder which has a first semi-cylindrical notch and a second semi-cylindrical notch so that when the solid cylinder is disposed inside the housing, the first and second semi-cylindrical notches are aligned with the first and second slotted chambers, respectively. When an unnotched portion of the solid cylinder is contiguous to the first or second tubing, it compresses the tubing into the first or second slotted chamber thereby closing off the flow of gas or saline, respectively, therein and when the first or second semi-cylindrical notch becomes contiguous to the first or second tubing, respectively, the tubing is no longer compressed thereby maintaining or turning on the flow of gas or saline, respectively, therethrough.

Gas/saline valve with suction control

A laser thermal testing method and system for use in testing a fire alarm system which has a plurality of heat-sensors which are remotely distributed throughout a protected area. The laser thermal testing system includes a first laser and a second laser. The first laser generates an aiming beam of coherent electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum. The laser thermal testing system also includes a movable reflector which reflects the aiming beam. The movable reflector is optically coupled to the first laser. The movable reflector is first moved in order to align the aiming beam in an aligned position so that the aiming beam is reflected onto one of the heat-sensors. The movable reflector is then fixedly secured in the aligned position. The second laser generates a heating beam of coherent electromagnetic radiation in the infrared spectrum. The second laser is optically coupled to the reflector so that when the movable reflector is fixedly secured in the aligned position the second laser may be turned on in order for the heating beam to be reflected onto the heat-sensor thereby triggering the fire alarm system during a testing sequence.

Laser thermal testing method and system for use with a fire alarm system

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 improved gas laser which includes an elongated cylindrical chamber of cross-sectional dimension which has an internal cylindrical wall and which is suitable for confining a laser gas discharge. The internal cylindrical wall has a plurality of grooves extruded on its internal wall surface. A laser gas is disposed in the elongated cylindrical chamber. A pair of reflectors reflect light energy from the laser gas discharge within the elongated cylindrical chamber so that the light energy travels longitudinally the length of the elongated cylindrical chamber and is optically independent of the internal walls of the elongated cylindrical chamber. The improved gas laser also includes a pair of electrode plates which excite the laser gas and an rf generator which applies a voltage between the pair of electrode plates in order to establish a laser gas discharge in said laser gas. The plurality of grooves provide optical mode control. The pair of reflectors may provide either a stable resonator so that the improved gas laser generates a TEM.sub.00 mode or an unstable (geometric) resonator so that the improved gas laser generates a geometric annular mode.

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Leroy V Sutter