DENTAL LASER FOR THE TREATMENT OF SOFT TISSUE

Abstract

A dental laser comprises a hand piece (100) having a grip region (100a) and a treatment tip (101) with an outlet point (101a), arranged at a distal end, for laser light (102), and further comprises a light source (103) and light conduction means (105) for providing laser light (102) at the outlet point (101a). The laser light (102) has a wavelength (104) 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 (102) has a wavelength (104) of 41010 nm, and an optical power output is provided at the outlet point (101a) in a power range of no less than 1 W to no more than 2 W.

Claims

1. Dental laser, comprising a hand piece having a grip region and having a treatment tip with an outlet point, arranged at a distal end, for laser light; further comprising a light conduction means, arranged in the handpiece, for providing laser light at the outlet point, with said laser light coming from a light source, arranged inside or outside the handpiece, wherein the laser light has a wavelength of 44520 nm, and that an optical power output is provided at the outlet point in a power range of no less than 2 W to no more than 5 W.

2. Dental laser, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical power output at the outlet point can be changed to a different power range, with the different power range running from at least 1 W to less than 2 W.

3. Dental laser, comprising a hand piece having a grip region and having a treatment tip with an outlet point, arranged at a distal end, for laser light; further comprising a light conduction means, arranged in the handpiece, for providing laser light at the outlet point, with said laser light coming from a light source, arranged inside or outside the handpiece, wherein the laser light has a wavelength of 41010 nm; and that 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.

4. Dental laser, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source comprises at least one laser diode.

5. Dental laser, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the treatment tip for providing laser light at the outlet point has application fibers between 150 m and 350 m in diameter.

6. Dental laser, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a coolant line is arranged on or in the handpiece; and that there is an outlet opening, from which coolant exits in a directed manner, wherein the amount of cooling ranges from 0.1 to 10 ml/min.

7. Dental laser, as claimed in claim 6, wherein the coolant has a disinfecting effect.

8. Method for the surgical treatment of the human or animal body with the aid of laser light, using the dental laser of claim 1.

9. Dental laser, as claimed in claim 3, wherein the light source comprises at least one laser diode.

10. Dental laser, as claimed in claim 3, wherein the treatment tip for providing laser light at the outlet point has application fibers between 150 m and 350 m in diameter.

11. Dental laser, as claimed in claim 3, wherein a coolant line is arranged on or in the handpiece; and that there is an outlet opening, from which coolant exits in a directed manner, wherein the amount of cooling ranges from 0.1 to 10 ml/min.

12. Dental laser, as claimed in claim 11, wherein the coolant has a disinfecting effect.

13. Method for the surgical treatment of the human or animal body with the aid of laser light, using the dental laser of claim 3.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The invention is explained in more detail in the drawings. In the drawings:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an inventive dental laser with an outlet point of the laser light from an application fiber;

[0027] FIG. 2 shows the dental laser from FIG. 1 with an outlet point of the laser light in a free jet.

EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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 10.sup.5 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.