Patent ID: 6556336
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: A61B,A61F,G02B,G02F

Abstract:
A method of limiting the passage of laser light through a solid substantially transparent medium in response to said laser light impinging on said medium comprising the steps of:inserting into a path of a laser light beam said substantially transparent medium, said substantially transparent medium having incorporated therein dopant ions of at least one transition metal; said substantially transparent medium comprising an inorganic crystal selected from the group consisting of Gd3ScxGa5-xO12, where 03GaxAl5-xO12, where 03ScxGa5-xO12, where 0receiving sufficient intensity of said laser light beam onto said medium to cause excited state absorption of said laser light beam by said dopant ions; said dopant ions having ground state absorption characteristics over a first band of light wavelengths and said ions further having excited state absorption characteristics over a second band of light wavelengths, said first and second bands of light wavelengths overlapping; said overlapping bands of said ground state and said excited state absorption both including the wavelength of said laser light to be limited exciting said ions from a ground state to an excited state by absorbing a portion of said laser light beam, and absorbing a further portion of said light of said laser beam by said ions in said excited state to non-linearly absorb said laser light, thereby limiting the transmission of said laser light through said medium.