This application claims the benefit of Taiwan Patent Application No. 101123014, filed on Jun. 27, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
1. Field of Invention
The present invention is relative to an optical scanning device, and more particularly, to an optical scanning device that utilises of a rotated mechanism to enlarge the scanning area.
2. Related Art
According to today's large-range laser skin treatment technology, doctors use handheld laser handpiece to apply the laser beam on patient's skin with their bare hands. If the surgery takes longer hours, the doctors may lose concentration and jeopardize the stability of the treatment quality. The instability might be caused either when the laser beam shoots an affected area for a long period of time to induce severe skin burn, or when doctors' shake of hands causes miss-shots of the laser beam and induce unnecessary damages to the normal skin. However, if doctors reduce the output energy density of the laser beam, either the time of treatment will increase, or the treatment will fail.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,967 discloses a laser treatment system named Dermatological Laser Treatment System with Electronic Visualization of The Area Being Treated. This treatment instrument allows doctors to directly position treatment area via a monitor and increase precision of locating treatment area via visual systems. The laser beam can be precisely controlled within the treatment area by means of a deflection manner. The laser treatment system disclosed by this prior art is a handheld laser micro surgical instrument for small-area treatment. It is primarily used to provide doctors with more precision and stableness during the treatment processes. However, a hand-held laser microsurgical instrument disclosed by this prior art cannot be applied to large-area treatments.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,441,899 discloses a device having a Panretinal Laser Fundus Contact Lens, which is helpful to automate the panretinal laser. A plate with a hole is located inside this device, and is used to install high-reflective mirrors or prisms that divert the laser beam. The center of the plate is provided with a mirror moved and driven by a micromotor, which turns the mirror to change the direction of the laser beam. In the bottom of this device is an annular mirror or a prism used to collect the laser beam and divert it to an inner of the eye. The idea of the prior art primarily utilizes a rotary mirror set to construct a treatment area. However, the prior art is primarily used in eye treatment, namely the device that is applied to small-area laser treatment.
In addition, typical large-area laser scan technique is not only used in human skin treatment, but also can be used as an annealing treatment apparatus in industry. TW Patent No. 1271805 discloses a laser annealing method and a laser annealing treatment apparatus, wherein the laser annealing treatment apparatus is acted as an uniformizing apparatus, which is constituted by a diffractive optical element or a combination of a Powell's lens and a cylindrical lens. However, the apparatus disclosed by the prior art requires complicated the combination of optical lens to transfer the laser from spots to a long and narrow beam.
Therefore, an optical scanning device is needed for solving the aforementioned problems.
The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the dilemma that current optical scanning device can be only applied to scanning small areas. The dilemma also takes users tremendous amount of time when scanning large areas.
To achieve the foregoing object, the present invention provides an optical scanning device adapted to output a light beam, and including a base, a transmission mechanism, a rotary power source and a holder. The transmission mechanism is disposed on the base. The rotary power source is adapted to generate a rotation and mechanically connected to the transmission mechanism so as to drive the transmission mechanism to generate the rotation. The holder is disposed to the transmission mechanism and includes a first lateral section, wherein when the transmission mechanism and the holder are synchronously rotated, the first lateral section also rotates the output light beam and thus the output light beam forms a light spot having a scanning area projected on a destination.
The present invention provides the optical scanning device further comprising: an optical disposed above the base and adapted to generate the light beam; and an optical reflector set comprising a first reflector and a second reflector, wherein the first reflector is disposed on the transmission mechanism and located between the first lateral section and the second lateral section, and the second reflector is disposed on the first lateral section, whereby the light source emits the light beam to the first reflector, the first reflector then reflects the light beam onto the second reflector, and the second reflector reflects and further outputs the light beam to the destination.
The present invention provides the optical scanning device further comprising: a light source disposed on the first lateral section and is adapted to generate the light beam.
The light beam of the optical scanning device of the present invention primarily utilises the idea of “a rotated mechanism.” There are two rotating manners in the present invention: the first one is that the optical reflector set is rotated, and the second one is that the light source (such as Laser source) is rotated. These rotating manners both make the range projected from the outputted Laser beam that is larger than the size of the inputted Laser beam; meanwhen, the density of emitting energy will not decrease so there is no need to intentionally raise the Laser input energy. The additional benefit is to save the cost on energy usage and to lower the possibility of purchasing higher Laser energy equipment.
The following sections and figures will illustrate in detail the aforementioned and other purposes, features and benefits of the present invention:
a˜6c are schematic lateral views of the optical scanning device in the first embodiment of the present invention, which respectively show the light beam deviating from, being parallel with, or moving toward a rotation center line of the optical scanning device and further being emitted to a destination;
a˜7c are schematic lateral views of the optical scanning device in the third embodiment of the present invention, which respectively show the light beam deviating from, being parallel with, or moving toward a rotation center line of the optical scanning device and further being emitted to a destination;
a˜8c are schematic top views of the optical scanning device in the present invention, which show a light spot having the first different scanning area emitted from the light beam; and
a˜9c are schematic top views of the optical scanning device in the present invention, which show a light spot having the second different scanning area emitted from the light beam.
In the first embodiment of the present invention, the base 110 includes a ring and a cross holder is installed in the ring. The transmission mechanism 120 is disposed at the center of the cross holder.
The rotary power source 130, which is mechanically connected to the transmission mechanism 120, enables the transmission mechanism 120 to generate rotation. In the first embodiment of the present invention, in order to enable the rotary power source 130 to drive the transmission mechanism 120 and generate the rotation, the rotary power source 130 includes a motor 131 and a gear set 132. The motor 131 is disposed on the cross holder above the base 110, and the gear set 132 is disposed between the motor 131 and the transmission mechanism 120. The gear set 132 can consist of a first gear 132a and a second gear 132b. The first gear 132a of gear set 132 is dispose on the axle of the motor 131. The second gear 132b is disposed on the axle of the transmission mechanism 120 and engages with the first gear 132a. When the motor 131 rotates, the engaged relation between the first gear 132a and the second gear 132b will enable the motor 131 to drive the transmission mechanism 120.
The rotational speed of the transmission mechanism 120 can be controlled according to not only the rotational speed of the motor 131 but also the adjustment of the gear ratio between the first gear 132a and the second gear 132b. In another embodiment, the rotary power source 130 can utilize not only the motor 131 and the gear set 132 but also pneumatic rotation actuator device to generate rotation.
The light source 160, which is disposed above the base 110, is adapted to generate the light beam 190. The light source 160 can be any energy types of lights, such as Laser, Intense Pulsed Light, Light Emitting Diode (LED), or Infrared Ray (including Far Infrared Ray).
The holder 140 includes a first lateral section 141 and a second lateral section 142 opposite to the first lateral section 141. The holder 140 is disposed on the transmission mechanism 120. When the transmission mechanism 120 is driven to be rotated, the first lateral section 141 and second lateral section 142 of the holder 140 can be synchronously rotated; namely, the transmission mechanism 120 and the holder 140 both are rotated around the rotation center line of the optical scanning device 1.
The optical reflector set 170 is used to reflect the light beam 190 emitted by the light source 160 and to further output the light beam 190 to the destination. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the optical reflector set 170 includes a first reflector 171 and a second reflector 172. The first reflector 171 is disposed on the transmission mechanism 120 (i.e. a position between the first lateral section 141 and the second lateral section 142 of the holder 140) and is rotated synchronously with the transmission mechanism 120. In addition, there can be an angle, for example, 45 degree angle, between the first reflector 171 and the emitting direction of the light source 160. Also, the second reflector 172 is disposed on the first lateral section 141 of the holder 140 and can be parallel with the first reflector 171. The light beam 190 of the light source 160 can emit onto the first reflector 171, and the first reflector 171 reflects the light beam 190 onto the second reflector 172. The second reflector 172 then reflects the light beam 190 and further outputs it to the destination. The outputted light beam 190 is parallel with the input light beam 190, and the output light beam 190 is also parallel with the rotation center line of the optical scanning device 1 (as shown in
The poise 150 is disposed on the second lateral section 142 of the holder 140 and is utilized to maintain the stable balance of the holder 140 when the holder 140 is rotated.
An adjustable diameter mechanism 180 is disposed between the first lateral section 141 and the second lateral section 142 of the holder 140, and is used to control the distance between the first lateral section 141 and the second lateral section 142. As shown in
In order to control the angel of the optical reflector 170 and then control the direction of the outputted light beam 190, a first angle adjuster 143 can be disposed between the second reflector 172 and the first lateral section 141 of the holder 140, and a second angel adjuster 144 can be disposed between the transmission mechanism 120 and the first reflector 171. For example, when a user needs a light spot having larger scanning area of the outputted light beam 190, the user can adjust the first adjuster 143 to deviate the light beam 190 from the rotation center line 510 of the optical scanning device 1 and to further emit the light beam 190 to the destination (as shown in
In the third embodiment of the present invention, the base 310 includes a ring, and a cross holder is installed in the ring. The transmission mechanism 320 is disposed at the center of the cross holder.
The rotary power source 330, which is mechanically connected to the transmission mechanism 320, drives the transmission mechanism 320 to generate rotation. In the third embodiment of the present invention, in order to enable the rotary power source 330 to drive the transmission mechanism 320 to be rotated, the rotary power source 330 includes a motor 331 and a gear set 332. The motor 331 is disposed on the cross holder above the base 310, and the gear set 332 is disposed between the motor 331 and transmission mechanism 320. The gear set 332 consists of a first gear 332a and a second gear 332b. The first gear 332a of the gear set 332 is disposed on the axle of the motor 331. The second gear 332b is disposed on the axle of the transmission mechanism 320 and engages with the first gear 332a, whereby the motor 331 drives the transmission mechanism 320 to be rotated.
The rotational speed of the transmission mechanism 320 can be controlled according to not only the rotational speed of the motor 331 but also the adjustment of the gear ratio between the first gear 332a and the second gear 332b. In another embodiment, the rotary power source 330 can utilise not only the motor 331 and the gear set 332 but also pneumatic rotation actuator device to generate rotation.
The holder 340 includes a first lateral section 341 and a second lateral section 342 opposite to the first lateral section 341. The holder 340 is disposed on the transmission mechanism 320. When the transmission mechanism 320 is driven to be rotated, the first lateral section 341 and the second lateral section 342 of the holder 140 can be rotated synchronously; namely, the transmission mechanism 320 and the holder 340 both are rotated around the rotation center line of the optical scanning device 3.
The light source 360, which is disposed on the first lateral section 341 of the holder 340, is used to generate the light beam 390. The light source 360 can be any energy types of lights, such as Laser, Intense Pulsed Light, Light Emitting Diode (LED), or Infrared Ray (including Far Infrared Ray)
The poise 350 is disposed on the second lateral section 342 of the holder 340 and is utilised to maintain the stable balance of the holder 340 when the holder 340 is driven to be rotated.
An adjustable diameter mechanism 380 disposed between the first lateral section 341 and the second lateral section 342 of the holder 340 is used to control the distance between the first lateral section 341 and the second lateral section 342. The structure and function of the An adjustable diameter mechanism 380 is not described repeatedly here. Please refer to the first embodiment and the
A first angle adjuster 343 can be disposed on the first lateral section 341 of the holder 340, and a second angle adjuster 344 can be disposed on the second lateral section 342 of the holder 340. The first angle adjuster 343 is used to control the emitting angle of the light beam 390 generated by the light source 360. When a user needs a light spot having larger scanning area of the outputted light beam 390, the user can adjust the first adjuster 343 to deviate the light beam 390 from the rotation center line 610 of the optical scanning device 3 and to further emit the light beam 390 to the destination (as shown in
a˜6c are the lateral views of the optical scanning device in the first embodiment of the present invention, which respectively show the outputted light beam deviating from, being parallel with, or moving toward a rotation center line of the optical scanning device and further being emitted to a destination. As shown in
a˜7c are the lateral views of the optical scanning device in the third embodiment of the present invention, which respectively show the light beam deviating from, being parallel with, or moving toward a rotation center line of the optical scanning device and further being emitted to a destination. As shown in
a˜8c are the top views of the optical scanning device of the present invention, which show light spots having the first different scanning area of the light beam. Assuming that the optical scanning device is set as the condition shown in the
a˜9c are the top views of the optical scanning device of the present invention, which show light spot having the second different scanning area of the light beam. Assuming that the optical scanning device is set as the condition shown in the
As a result, by rotating the outputted light beam or the reflector, the optical scanning device of the present invention enlarges the light spot having the scanning area of the light beam and further enhances the efficiency for the heating of the light beam on the relevant application (For example: Medical Cosmetology Treatment or Thermal Annealing Treatment).
As applied in the Medical Cosmetology Treatment, the optical scanning device of the present invention, by emitting the light beam (such as Laser) on the skin (if the application can enlarge the scanning area and light beam can be still remained at the same energy density, thus it can further enhance the efficiency of the treatment and reduce the cost of the Laser hardware!), heats the collagen tissue in the dermis without causing any pain due to the heat accumulation at the epidermis. This optical scanning device can facilitate the generation, continuous reorganization and contraction of collagen and further results in firming skin.
As applied in the thermal annealing treatment, the optical scanning device of the present invention emits the light beam (such as Laser) on a material and facilitates the condition of crystalline grains change or structure change of grains, which is a type of intrinsic change in the material. The relative applications in the current market include: changing the intrinsic structure of si-based thin film used in Flat panel display, changing the intrinsic structure of the thin film solar cells and the changing the intrinsic structure of metal materials, etc.
The light beam of the optical scanning device of the present invention primarily utilises the idea of “a rotated mechanism.” There are two rotating manners in the present invention: the first one is that the optical reflector set is rotated, and the second one is that the light source (such as Laser source) is rotated. These rotating manners both make the range projected from the outputted Laser beam that is larger than the size of the inputted Laser beam; meanwhen, the density of emitting energy will not decrease so there is no need to intentionally raise the Laser input energy. The additional benefit is to save the cost on energy usage and to lower the possibility of purchasing higher Laser energy equipment.
In conclusion, the abovementioned demonstrates but does not limit the applications or embodiments of the present invention on the techniques utilised to solve problems. It is to be noted that various changes and modifications possibly relative to the present invention or such changes and modifications as being practiced within the scope of the present invention are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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101123014 | Jun 2012 | TW | national |