DENTAL LASER FOR THE TREATMENT OF SOFT TISSUE

Abstract

A dental laser comprises a hand piece having a grip region and a treatment tip with an outlet point, arranged at a distal end, for laser light, and further comprises a light source and light conduction means for providing laser light at the outlet point. The laser light has a wavelength of 44520 nm, in particular, 44510 nm and more particularly 4455 nm, and an optical power output is provided at the outlet point in a power range of at least 2 W, advantageously at least 3 W and, in particular, 3.5 W. In another dental laser the laser light has a wavelength of 41010 nm, and an optical power output is provided at the outlet point in a power range of no less than 1 W to no more than 2 W.

Claims

1. A method of cutting dental tissue comprising: providing a hand piece having a grip region and a treatment tip arranged at a distal end, with a light conduction device for providing laser light for cutting the dental tissue; conducting the laser light from a light source arranged inside or outside the handpiece through the light conduction device to an outlet point of the treatment tip; defining a wavelength of the laser light in a non-contact mode to be 44520 nm, and an optical power output provided at the outlet point to be in a power range of 2 W to 5 W, such that the dental laser is guided over the dental tissue in a non-contact manner to cut said dental tissue using the treatment tip; defining the wavelength of the laser light to be 44520 nm and the optical power output provided at the outlet point to be in another power range of 1 W to 2 W, so that the dental laser is guided over the dental tissue in a contact manner to cut said tissue using the treatment tip.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing the laser light to the dental tissue in a free jet without a light guide.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising using an optical device to reduce a divergence of the laser light inside the handpiece in order to extend a working distance of the laser light from the outlet point to the dental tissue.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging a coolant line on or in the hand piece such that there is an outlet opening, from which a coolant exits to cool the dental tissue

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the coolant output rate ranges from 0.1 to 10 ml/min

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein responsive to guiding the laser light over the dental tissue in a non-contact manner, said laser light is substantially absorbed by hemoglobin in the dental tissue rather than by the coolant from a coolant line in order to cut the dental tissue.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the coolant has a disinfecting effect.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the treatment tip has an application fiber diameter from 150 m to 350 m.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The invention is explained in more detail in the drawings. In the drawings:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an inventive dental laser with an outlet point of the laser light from an application fiber;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows the dental laser from FIG. 1 with an outlet point of the laser light in a free jet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary Embodiment

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a dental laser with a handpiece 100 for the treatment of the human or animal body by means of laser beams 102. The laser beams 102 are generated in a laser module 106 by means of one or more laser diodes 103 with laser light of a wavelength 104 of 44520 nm, preferably 44510 nm, in particular, preferably 4455 nm and are transmitted to the handpiece 100 by means of a light guide 108. The handpiece 100 has a housing 101 with a grip region 100a and a treatment tip 101 with an outlet point 101a, disposed at a distal end, for the laser light 102.

[0030] In the housing there is a light conduction means 105 for providing laser light at the outlet point 103, with the laser light coming from a light source, arranged inside or outside the handpiece 100, in the form of one or more laser diodes 103.

[0031] According to a preferred embodiment, three laser diodes, which are arranged in a laser module 106 separate from the handpiece 100 and which have a wavelength of 445 nm20 nm, each having an optical power output of 1.6 W, are coupled to a laser beam 102 and are guided in the handpiece 100 by means of a light guide 108. The net result is a nominal power output of 31.6 W=4.8 W. Owing to the losses inside the laser module 106, caused by the optical components, owing to the coupling losses between the laser module 106 and the transfer fiber 108 to the handpiece 100 as well as owing to the losses in the handpiece 100 itself and during the coupling of the treatment tip 101, the power output that remains available at the distal end of the treatment tip is only about 3.5 W.

[0032] In the treatment tip there may be an application fiber, at the distal end of which the laser light exits. However, it is also possible to direct the laser light to the treatment site in a free jet without a light guide. This arrangement is shown in FIG. 2. Starting from the light conduction means 105, a free laser beam 102 travels inside the handpiece 100 and issues from the handpiece at an outlet point 101a after a beam deflection by means of an optical component 113, like a mirror. Downstream of the light conduction means 105 means 114 may be provided, for example, optical means, such as lenses, which lend themselves to reducing the divergence of the laser radiation. In this way it is possible to extend the necessary working distance from the outlet point 101a to the preparation site 112, so that the distance, at which it is easy to work, extends over an enlarged area.

[0033] If the nominal power output of each of the diodes is 4.8 W, then the electric power output of the laser module is 17.2 W, i.e., 34.8 V1.2 A.

[0034] Moreover, it is possible to cool the preparation site with an externally supplied cooling fluid. Water lends itself well to this task, but a physiological saline solution would be just as suitable and would have the advantage that it is readily available sterile.

[0035] The handpiece 100 may have a coolant line 109, through which a coolant 110 may be fed to an outlet opening 111, where the coolant 110 exits in such a way that it is directed to the preparation site 112.

[0036] The amount of coolant can be preferably between 0.1 and 10 ml/min. The cooling can be carried out preferably by means of water or a physiological saline solution.

[0037] With the use of the new wavelength, 445 nm, blue light, and the increased optical laser power output it is possible to cut in the contactless mode due to the absorption behavior of the soft tissue.

[0038] The blue light is not primarily absorbed by the water, but rather the hemoglobin, which is also in the tissue. At a wavelength of 445 nm, the absorption coefficient for hemoglobin is 105 times higher than the absorption coefficient for water. This absorption behavior makes it possible to cut, even without the thermal transmission of energy from the fiber to the tissue. The tissue is processed by just the energy alone that is generated in the tissue by the radiation.

[0039] The laser light, which is used for cutting, may also be provided due to the fact that the laser diode sits directly in the handpiece and that the application fiber is coupled to the laser diode. The invention is independent of the generation and transmission of the laser light.

[0040] In the case of a laser diode having, for example, a power output of 3.5 W, this laser diode may be used directly in the handpiece. If the laser diode is placed in the handpiece, the transmission losses are very low, since there is only one interface to the application fiber.