Ultrashort pulse laser processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8995477-B2
Application number	US-201213410343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2012
Priority date	Mar 2, 2011
Publication date	Mar 31, 2015
Grant date	Mar 31, 2015

Abstract

An ultrashort pulse laser processing apparatus for processing a processing target includes: a laser head which includes a seed laser source emitting an ultrashort pulse seed laser, and emits a laser pulse; an optical fiber which guides the laser pulse emitted from the laser head; and an emission end unit which includes a compressor that compresses the laser pulse emitted from the optical fiber to a laser pulse of a predetermined high peak power and emits the laser pulse compressed by the compressor to the target.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrashort pulse laser processing apparatus for processing a tissue of a patient's eye that is a processing target, comprising:
a main body portion;
a laser head configured to emit a laser pulse, the laser head including a seed laser source configured to emit an ultrashort pulse seed laser and a stretcher configured to stretch the seed laser emitted by the seed laser source, the laser head being arranged at the main body portion;
an emission end unit which includes a compressor configured to compress the laser pulse emitted from the laser head to an ultrashort pulse laser beam having a high peak power, the emission end unit being separated from the main body portion and to illuminate the tissue of the patient's eye with the ultrashort pulse laser beam;
an optical fiber configured to guide the laser pulse emitted from the laser head to the emission end; and
an arm configured to movably support the emission end with respect to the main body portion,
wherein:
the optical fiber is detachably connected to the main body portion via a connector and detachably connected to the emission end unit; and
the arm does not guide the laser beam.

2. The ultrashort pulse laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical fiber includes a fiber amplifier for amplifying the laser pulse stretched by the stretcher.

3. The ultrashort pulse laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the emission end unit includes an amplifier configured to amplify the laser pulse guided by optical fiber.

4. The ultrashort pulse laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical fiber includes at least one of:
a fiber stretcher configured as the stretcher; and
a fiber amplifier configured to amplify the laser fiber stretched by the fiber stretcher.

5. The ultrashort pulse laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the emission end unit includes an amplifier configured to amplify the laser pulse, the amplifier being connected to the compressor; and
the optical fiber is detachably connected to the stretcher via a connector and detachably connected to the amplifier via a connecter.

Assignees

• Amano Masanori
• Nidek Kk

Inventors

• Amano Masanori

Classifications

• H01S3/06754

  Fibre amplifiers (H01S3/06708 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01S3/0057

  Temporal shaping, e.g. pulse compression, frequency chirping (soliton generation and propagation G02F1/3513, H01S3/063 and H01S3/108) · CPC title

• A61F9/0084 Primary

  Laser features or special beam parameters therefor · CPC title

• H01S3/005

  Optical devices external to the laser cavity, specially adapted for lasers, e.g. for homogenisation of the beam or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping (shaping laser beam for working metal or other materials B23K26/06; optical elements, systems or apparatus in general G02B) · CPC title

• H01S3/2308

  Amplifier arrangements, e.g. MOPA · CPC title