Multi-use beam sampler in laser beam delivery path of ophthalmic laser system

Abstract

In a laser beam delivery system for an ophthalmic laser system, a single multi-use beam sampler is employed to form three sampled laser beams, including two for redundant laser energy monitoring and one for laser focal point depth measurement. The beam sampler is a transparent plate with preferably parallel front and back surfaces. The front surface reflects a fraction of the incoming beam to form the first sampled beam toward an energy monitoring detector. The back surface reflects another fraction of the beam to form a second sampled beam exiting backwardly from the front surface toward another energy monitoring detector. An objective lens focuses the transmitted beam onto a target, and collects back reflected or scattered light from the target to form a return beam. The back surface of the beam sampler reflects a fraction of the return beam to form the third sampled beam toward a third detector.