A device for determining a contour of a dental treatment area during treatment thereof includes a laser beam guidance system and an imaging system. The laser beam guidance system can guide a laser beam and, optionally, a scanning light to a dental treatment area, and the imaging system, which can include an adjustable focus image sensor, can obtain an image of the dental treatment area based on light rays reflected therefrom. The device also includes a computation system to compute a contour, e.g., a 2D contour, of a surface of the dental treatment area based on the image obtained by the imaging system and, optionally, geometries of one or more components of the laser beam guidance system and/or optical components associated with the imaging system.

An assembly with a handpiece assembly configured to receive electromagnetic energy and fluid, and to selectively deliver the electromagnetic energy and/or the fluid to a target surface. The handpiece assembly includes a handpiece housing and a plurality of fluid lines extending through the handpiece housing. The plurality of fluid lines can transfer fluid from a proximal end of the handpiece assembly to a distal end of the handpiece assembly. A spray mixer can be positioned at the distal end that is coupled to fluid lines of the plurality of fluid lines. An air input port can be positioned at the proximal end that is configured to be coupled to an auxiliary air hose, and an air delivery channel can be coupled to the air input port, and can supply air to a tip of an exchangeable applicator that can be coupled to the distal end of the handpiece housing.

A laser induced thermo-acoustical system has a waveguide for propagating laser radiation to an absorbing layer of a tip. The tip has an absorbing layer serving to absorb the laser radiation propagating through the waveguide. The absorbing layer has such an absorption coefficient that upon absorbing the laser radiation the absorbing layer heats up to boil a quantity of a liquid when the tip is surrounded by the liquid. A laser induced thermo-acoustical method calls for providing a waveguide for propagating laser radiation to the absorbing layer of the tip to be at least partially absorbed by the absorbing layer and to boil a quantity of the liquid surrounding the tip and generating the stream of liquid. The laser induced thermo-acoustical streaming of the liquid is used, in particular, for the treatment of a root canal and periodontal pockets.

A dental laser system for treatment of hard and/or soft tissue includes a main chamber housing optical and primary fluid supply subsystems, for directing a laser beam and fluid to a treatment area. A hand piece affixable to the main chamber, includes mating optical and secondary fluid supply subsystems. The hand piece can be rotatable or re-orientable about an optical axis within the hand piece. A lock can maintain a selectable angular orientation of the hand piece relative to the main chamber. A coupling can maintain a fluidic communication between the primary and secondary fluid supply subsystems even when the hand piece is rotated or re-oriented. A sensor and controller can sense a selected angular orientation of the hand piece and adjust the main optical subsystem according to the sensed angular orientation, to align the two optical subsystems. The laser may be controlled using a variable speed foot pedal.

A system for dental tissue treatment includes a system for directing a laser beam to an area of dental tissue to be treated, and a fluid-delivery system for directing and controlling a flow of a fluid. The fluid is directed to at least a portion of the area to be treated and the fluid flow is controlled to substantially prevent both a change in laser energy absorption by the dental tissue and attenuation of treatment efficiency due to fluid interference with the laser beam. The fluid present in at least a portion of the area to be treated may prevent or reduce the likelihood of melting of enamel in that area.

A dental therapy apparatus which enables a dental therapy more surely and less invasively is provided. A dental therapy apparatus (10A) comprises a laser light source (11) emitting laser light (L) having a wavelength within a wavelength region of 5.7 to 6.6 m; a controller (12) pulse-driving the laser light source and controlling at least one of pulse width and repetition frequency of pulsed laser light emitted from the laser light source; and an irradiation optical system for irradiating a tooth (20) including a carious part (21) with the light emitted from the laser light source. In this dental therapy apparatus, the controller controls at least one of the pulse width and repetition frequency of the pulsed light, so as to selectively cut the carious part (21).

Various types of medical devices incorporating a light therapy system are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the medical device provides an ultrasonic driver and a light therapy driver. The ultrasonic driver provides an ultrasonic vibration signal output port and is configured to discharge an ultrasonic frequency vibration signal therefrom. The light therapy driver provides a laser light output port and is configured to discharge laser light therefrom. A handpiece housing of the medical device provides an input assembly connected to each of the ultrasonic vibration signal output port and laser light output port. The input assembly provides an ultrasonic tip assembly configured to output each of the vibration signal and laser light at an operational end of the tip assembly. Thus, the vibration signal and laser light are capable of being simultaneously or alternatingly delivered via the tip assembly.

Systems and methods are disclosed in which a diagnostic probe is configured for performing diagnostic measurements and/or therapeutic interventions and for measuring the local surface profile of a local surface region an object. Various example embodiments are described in which the surface profile of the local surface region, when compared to the surface profile of an extended surface region, is employed to provide guidance for positioning and/or orienting the probe when performing a diagnostic measurement. The surface profile within the local surface region may be employed to generate feedback for repeating a previous diagnostic measurement, such that the repeat measurement is performed at the previous location on the object. In other embodiments, surface profile detection is employed to control the positional and/or orientational probe alignment during an iterative tissue removal method in which successive tissue layers are removed when the presence of a pathology is confirmed via a diagnostic measurement.

A system and method for dental or surgical treatment of oral tissue, the system including a laser source; a hand piece; and a device for directing radiation emitted by the laser source to a treatment area (e.g., an oral treatment area), the device further including a disposable tube attachable to the hand piece and an optical element (e.g., a substantially cylindrical lens) mounted within the disposable tube and adapted to modify a profile and/or a direction of the radiation emitted from the tube.

Embodiments of the invention provide a laser system including a laser station including at least one laser, at least one processor, and at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in data communication with the at least one processor. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes program instructions executable by the at least one processor, and enabling or operating an exchange of data between the at least one laser station and at least one remote network. The laser system includes at least one GUI display configured and arranged to display operating parameters or functions of the at least one laser and/or any of the data exchanged between the laser station and at least one remote network. The program instructions include instructions that direct the processor to update the at least one GUI display with a plurality of user-selectable graphics arranged around the periphery or circumference of a central display.