Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for applying laser energy having desired pulse characteristics, including a sufficiently short duration and/or a sufficiently high energy for the photomechanical treatment of skin pigmentations and pigmented lesions, both naturally-occurring (e.g., birthmarks), as well as artificial (e.g., tattoos). The laser energy may be generated with an apparatus having a resonator with a sub-nanosecond round trip time.

Methods, systems and apparatus are disclosed for delivery of pulsed treatment radiation by employing a pump radiation source generating picosecond pulses at a first wavelength, and a frequency-shifting resonator having a losing medium and resonant cavity configured to receive the picosecond pulses from the pump source at the first wavelength and to emit radiation at a second wavelength in response thereto, wherein the resonant cavity of the frequency-shifting resonator has a round trip time shorter than the duration of the picosecond pulses generated by the pump radiation source. Methods, systems and apparatus are also disclosed for providing beam uniformity and a sub-harmonic resonator.

Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for applying laser energy having desired pulse characteristics, including a sufficiently short duration and/or a sufficiently high energy for the photomechanical treatment of skin pigmentations and pigmented lesions, both naturally-occurring (e.g., birthmarks), as well as artificial (e.g., tattoos). The laser energy may be generated with an apparatus having a resonator with a sub-nanosecond round trip time.

A laser irradiating device preferably includes: a reflector having a receiving space formed therein; a flash lamp inserted and mounted in the reflector to generate light; a laser rod for resonating light incident from the flash lamp to emit a laser; a capacitor for storing, for a predetermined time interval, voltage to be supplied to the flash lamp; a digital variable resistor unit for outputting different voltages according to configured resistance values; a voltage increasing unit for increasing voltage input from the digital variable resistor unit and supplying the increased voltage to the capacitor; a control unit which stores resistance values corresponding to laser irradiating levels and configures a resistance value corresponding to the configured laser irradiating level; and a trigger circuit unit turned on according to a control of the user to supply a charge voltage of the capacitor to the flash lamp.

A laser irradiating device preferably includes: a reflector having a receiving space formed therein; a flash lamp inserted and mounted in the reflector to generate light; a laser rod for resonating light incident from the flash lamp to emit a laser; a capacitor for storing, for a predetermined time interval, voltage to be supplied to the flash lamp; a digital variable resistor unit for outputting different voltages according to configured resistance values; a voltage increasing unit for increasing voltage input from the digital variable resistor unit and supplying the increased voltage to the capacitor; a control unit which stores resistance values corresponding to laser irradiating levels and configures a resistance value corresponding to the configured laser irradiating level; and a trigger circuit unit turned on according to a control of the user to supply a charge voltage of the capacitor to the flash lamp.

A laser system may include a controller configured to direct a plurality of temporally spaced-apart electrical pulses to a device that optically pumps a lasing medium, and a lasing medium configured to output a quasi-continuous laser pulse in response to the optical pumping. The plurality of temporally spaced-apart electrical pulses may include (a) a first electrical pulse configured to excite the lasing medium to an energy level below a lasing threshold of the lasing medium, and (b) multiple second electrical pulses following the first electrical pulse. The quasi-continuous laser pulse is output in response to the multiple second electrical pulses.

Methods, systems and apparatus are disclosed for delivery of pulsed treatment radiation by employing a pump radiation source generating picosecond pulses at a first wavelength, and a frequency-shifting resonator having a losing medium and resonant cavity configured to receive the picosecond pulses from the pump source at the first wavelength and to emit radiation at a second wavelength in response thereto, wherein the resonant cavity of the frequency-shifting resonator has a round trip time shorter than the duration of the picosecond pulses generated by the pump radiation source. Methods, systems and apparatus are also disclosed for providing beam uniformity and a sub-harmonic resonator.

A laser irradiating device preferably includes: a reflector having a receiving space formed therein; a flash lamp inserted and mounted in the reflector to generate light; a laser rod for resonating light incident from the flash lamp to emit a laser; a capacitor for storing, for a predetermined time interval, voltage to be supplied to the flash lamp; a digital variable resistor unit for outputting different voltages according to configured resistance values; a voltage increasing unit for increasing voltage input from the digital variable resistor unit and supplying the increased voltage to the capacitor; a control unit which stores resistance values corresponding to laser irradiating levels and configures a resistance value corresponding to the configured laser irradiating level; and a trigger circuit unit turned on according to a control of the user to supply a charge voltage of the capacitor to the flash lamp.

A laser irradiating device preferably includes: a reflector having a receiving space formed therein; a flash lamp inserted and mounted in the reflector to generate light; a laser rod for resonating light incident from the flash lamp to emit a laser; a capacitor for storing, for a predetermined time interval, voltage to be supplied to the flash lamp; a digital variable resistor unit for outputting different voltages according to configured resistance values; a voltage increasing unit for increasing voltage input from the digital variable resistor unit and supplying the increased voltage to the capacitor; a control unit which stores resistance values corresponding to laser irradiating levels and configures a resistance value corresponding to the configured laser irradiating level; and a trigger circuit unit turned on according to a control of the user to supply a charge voltage of the capacitor to the flash lamp.

A laser system may include a controller configured to direct a plurality of temporally spaced-apart electrical pulses to a device that optically pumps a lasing medium, and a lasing medium configured to output a quasi-continuous laser pulse in response to the optical pumping. The plurality of temporally spaced-apart electrical pulses may include (a) a first electrical pulse configured to excite the lasing medium to an energy level below a lasing threshold of the lasing medium, and (b) multiple second electrical pulses following the first electrical pulse. The quasi-continuous laser pulse is output in response to the multiple second electrical pulses.