Patent ID: 8897331
Filing Date: 2014-11-25
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
1. A lasing device providing laser medium gas continuously or intermittently from outside, comprising: an optical resonator; a gas circulation path connected to the optical resonator; a laser medium gas supply device for supplying laser medium gas to the gas circulation path or the optical resonator via a gas supply valve; a gas release pump for releasing laser medium gas from the gas circulation path of the optical resonator via a gas release valve; a gas pressure detector for detecting gas pressure of the laser medium gas in the gas circulation path or the optical resonator; a gas pressure controller for controlling the gas supply valve and the gas release valve in response to the gas pressure detected by the gas pressure detector; a blower disposed in the gas circulation path; a current detector for detecting blower driving current for the blower; a stop-time counter for counting a stop time of the lasing device; a storage for storing correlated information of the stop time with the blower driving current; and an open-time calculator for calculating an open time of the gas supply valve at a start up of the lasing device in response to the information from the storage, wherein, when the lasing device is turned on after having a stop state, gas retaining in the gas circulation path and the optical resonator is released through the gas release valve opened by the gas pressure controller, and during a time calculated by the open-time calculator in response to an immediately preceding stop time of the lasing device, laser medium gas in the piping between the laser medium gas supply device and the gas supply valve is released, together with the retaining gas, through the gas supply valve opened by the gas pressure controller.