Techniques are provided for controlling an output laser pulse signal of a medical device. A control device defines a time duration of capacitive discharge to a laser device. The time duration corresponds to an intended energy of the output laser pulse signal. The control device generates a plurality of sub-pulse control signals. The sub-pulse control signals define a series of capacitive discharge events of the capacitor bank. The control device modulates one or more of a sub-pulse control signal period or a sub-pulse time duration of the sub-pulse control signals to modify the capacitive discharge of the capacitor bank to the laser device during the time duration.

Techniques are provided for controlling an output laser pulse signal of a medical device. A control device defines a time duration of capacitive discharge to a laser device. The time duration corresponds to an intended energy of the output laser pulse signal. The control device generates a plurality of sub-pulse control signals. The sub-pulse control signals define a series of capacitive discharge events of the capacitor bank. The control device modulates one or more of a sub-pulse control signal period or a sub-pulse time duration of the sub-pulse control signals to modify the capacitive discharge of the capacitor bank to the laser device during the time duration.

A laser system may include a laser resonator configured to emit an input laser beam having an elliptical cross-sectional shape. The laser system also may include first reflective device configured to reflect the input laser beam to produce a first reflected laser beam. The first reflective device may include a spherical surface for reflecting the input laser beam. The laser system also may include a second reflective device configured to reflect the first reflected laser beam to produce a second reflected laser beam. The laser system also may include a coupling device configured to focus the second reflected laser beam to produce an output laser beam. The coupling device may include a spherical surface for receiving the second reflected laser beam. The laser system also may include an optic fiber configured to transmit the output laser beam for emission of the output laser beam onto a target area.

A fingerprint sensor-compatible overlay material which uses anisotropic conductive material to enable accurate imaging of a fingerprint through an overlay is disclosed. The anisotropic conductive material has increased conductivity in a direction orthogonal to the fingerprint sensor, increasing the capacitive coupling of the fingerprint to the sensor surface, allowing the fingerprint sensor to accurately image the fingerprint through the overlay. Methods for forming a fingerprint sensor-compatible overlay are also disclosed.

An apparatus (such as a laser-based system) and method for providing optical pulses in a broad range of pulse widths and pulse energies uses a pulse slicer which is configured to slice a predefined portion having a desired pulse width of each of the one or more output optical pulses from a laser oscillator, in which timings of a rising edge and a falling edge of each sliced optical pulse relative to a time instance of a maximum of the corresponding each of the one or more output optical pulses from the laser oscillator, are chosen at least to maximize amplification efficiency of the optical amplifier, which may be located after the pulse slicer, and to provide the one or more amplified output optical pulses each having the desired pulse energy and pulse width.

An apparatus (such as a laser-based system) and method for providing optical pulses in a broad range of pulse widths and pulse energies uses a pulse slicer which is configured to slice a predefined portion having a desired pulse width of each of the one or more output optical pulses from a laser oscillator, in which timings of a rising edge and a falling edge of each sliced optical pulse relative to a time instance of a maximum of the corresponding each of the one or more output optical pulses from the laser oscillator, are chosen at least to maximize amplification efficiency of the optical amplifier, which may be located after the pulse slicer, and to provide the one or more amplified output optical pulses each having the desired pulse energy and pulse width.

A method for operating a pulsed laser system includes the steps of pumping a laser resonator of the pulsed laser system by means of a pump source in order to generate operating laser pulses at an operating energy level; and coupling the operating laser pulses with a focusing element into an optical fiber. A step of cleaning the optical fiber by means of cleaning laser pulses is performed prior to generating the operating laser pulses. The laser resonator of the pulsed laser system is pumped by means of the pump source in order to generate the cleaning laser pulses at one or more cleaning energy levels between a laser threshold and the operating energy level.

Provided is a solid-state laser device in which a linear resonator including an output mirror and a rear mirror, a laser rod, and optical members are provided on a common base and are contained in a housing having the base as a portion. A holding part is provided to hold an excitation light source that extends parallel to the laser rod on a side of the laser rod opposite to the base. The optical members including a Q-switch are disposed between the laser rod and the rear mirror. An upper end position of the output mirror is at a position lower than a lower end position of the excitation light source held by the holding part, with the base as a reference. The holding part holds the excitation light source so as to be capable of being inserted and extracted with respect to the output mirror side in a longitudinal direction of the excitation light source.

Provided is a solid-state laser device in which a linear resonator including an output mirror and a rear mirror, a laser rod, and optical members are provided on a common base and are contained in a housing having the base as a portion. A holding part is provided to hold an excitation light source that extends parallel to the laser rod on a side of the laser rod opposite to the base. The optical members including a Q-switch are disposed between the laser rod and the rear mirror. An upper end position of the output mirror is at a position lower than a lower end position of the excitation light source held by the holding part, with the base as a reference. The holding part holds the excitation light source so as to be capable of being inserted and extracted with respect to the output mirror side in a longitudinal direction of the excitation light source.

Disclosed are a laser device which uses alexandrite crystal and is capable of suppressing abnormal oscillation even if the size thereof is reduced and suppressing damage to an AR coating on a Q switch or alexandrite crystal, and a photoacoustic measurement device. A laser rod 11 includes alexandrite crystal. A flash lamp 12 irradiates the laser rod 11 with excitation light. A resonator includes a pair of mirrors 14 and 15 with the laser rod 11 sandwiched therebetween. A Q switch 16 is inserted into the optical path of the resonator and controls the Q value of the resonator. A polarizer 17 is inserted into the resonator and is a non-coated Brewster polarizer which selectively transmits light in a predetermined polarization direction among light emitted from the laser rod.