Claims
- 1. Apparatus for processing a treatment zone of a hard material with optical radiation from a suitable source including:
a tip through which the radiation is applied to a surface in a treatment zone of the material; and a mechanism for cleaning the treatment zone from dirt, including residual product of ablation.
- 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a mechanism for applying a gas to said surface to clean the surface, said tip being slightly spaced from said surface during at least most of the applying of gas to said surface.
- 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 including a mechanism for applying a hydrating fluid to said treatment zone, said tip also being slightly spaced from said surface during at least most of the applying of said fluid to said surface.
- 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said hydrating fluid and said gas are water and air respectively.
- 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the thickness of a water layer formed by said hydrating fluid on said surface is limited to prevent radiation energy loss.
- 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said radiation is applied as a sequence of pulses at a selected repetition rate; and
wherein said mechanism for applying a gas is operated during intervals between at least selected ones of said pulses.
- 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said mechanism for applying a hydrating fluid is also operated at least in part between at least selected ones of said pulses.
- 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said mechanism for applying hydrating fluid is operated followed by said mechanism for applying gas between the same at least selected ones of said pulses.
- 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said mechanism for applying hydrating fluid and said mechanism for applying a gas are operated during different intervals between pulses.
- 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein operation of said mechanism for applying a hydrating fluid overlaps at least selected ones of said pulses.
- 11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said tip is in contact with said surface during application of optical radiation to the surface; and
including a mechanism for selectively raising the tip a slight distance from the surface during the application of hydrating fluid and of gas thereto.
- 12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said mechanism for selectively raising is driven at least one of hydraulically, pneumatically, mechanically, electrically, magnetically and by using energy of ablation.
- 13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said mechanism for applying hydrating fluid applies the fluid under pressure, the fluid pressure being used to raise the tip during operation of the mechanism.
- 14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said mechanism for applying a gas applies the gas under pressure, the gas pressure being used to raise the tip during operation of the mechanism.
- 15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 including a mechanism for scanning said tip in a direction substantially parallel to said surface.
- 16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 including a mechanism for facilitating scanning of said tip in a direction substantially parallel to said surface, said mechanism including a feedback mechanism to facilitate control of said scan for enhanced cleaning.
- 17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said source is a laser diode pumped solid state laser.
- 18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein said source is wholly located within said apparatus.
- 19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein said solid state laser is located in said apparatus and is connected to a diode laser pumping array by at least one optical fiber.
- 20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein each said diode is connected to said solid state laser in a side pumping geometry.
- 21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein said source a has a geometry of a monolithic or flexible fiber laser
- 22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the radiation source is one of a diode laser and a pumped laser cooled by phase change material.
- 23. Apparatus as claimed in claim 22 wherein the residual of the phase change material is used for cooling the treatment zone.
- 24. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein said solid state laser and said pumping diodes are mounted as an array in heat sinking electrodes which are cooled, the array being mounted in said apparatus.
- 25. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a reflector to return particles of ablation and other energy from ablation to said surface.
- 26. Apparatus as claimed in claim wherein said tissue is hard biological tissue.
- 27. Apparatus as claimed in claim 26 wherein said tissue is one of hard dental tissue and bone.
- 28. Apparatus for processing a hard material with optical radiation from a suitable source including:
a tip through which the radiation is applied to a surface in a treatment zone of the material; and a mechanism for applying a gas to said treatment zone to clean said surface, said tip being slightly spaced from said surface during at least a portion of the time gas is being applied.
- 29. Apparatus for processing a hard material with optical radiation from a suitable source including:
a tip through which the radiation is applied to a surface in a treatment zone of the material; and a mechanism for applying a hydrating fluid to said treatment zone, said tip being slightly spaced from said surface during at least a portion of the time said fluid is being applied.
- 30. A method for processing a hard material with optical radiation from a suitable source including:
applying radiation through a tip to a surface in a treatment zone of the material; and cleaning the treatment zone from dirt, including residual product of ablation.
- 31. A method as claimed in claim 30 including the step of applying a gas to said surface to clean the surface, said tip also being slightly spaced from said surface during at least most of the applying of gas to said surface.
- 32. A method as claimed in claim 31 including applying a hydrating fluid to said treatment zone, said tip also being slightly spaced from said surface during at least most of the applying of said fluid to said surface.
- 33. A method as claimed in claim 32 wherein said hydrating fluid and said gas are water and air respectively.
- 34. A method as claimed in claim 32 wherein said radiation is applied as a sequence of pulses at a selected repetition rate; and
wherein said step of applying a gas is performed during intervals between at least selected ones of said pulses.
- 35. A method as claimed in claim 34 wherein said step of applying a hydrating fluid is also performed at least in part between at least selected ones of said pulses.
- 36. A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein said step of applying hydrating fluid is performed followed by said step of applying gas between the same at least selected ones of said pulses.
- 37. A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein said step of applying hydrating fluid and said step of applying a gas are performed during different intervals between pulses.
- 38. A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein performance of said step of applying a hydrating fluid overlaps at least selected ones of said pulses.
- 39. A method as claimed in claim 32 wherein said tip is in contact with said surface during application of optical radiation to the surface; and
including the step of selectively raising the tip a slight distance from the surface during the application of hydrating fluid and of gas thereto.
- 40. A method as claimed in claim 30 including scanning the tip in a direction substantially parallel to said surface.
- 41. A method as claimed in claim 30 including returning particles of ablation and other energy from ablation to said surface.
- 42. A method as claimed in claim 30 wherein said tissue is hard biological tissue.
- 43. A method for processing a hard material with optical radiation from a suitable source including:
applying radiation through a tip to a surface in a treatment zone of the material; and applying a gas to said treatment zone to clean said surface, said tip being slightly spaced from said surface during at least a portion of the time gas is being applied.
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/371,097, filed on Apr. 9, 2002, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60371097 |
Apr 2002 |
US |