Apparatus for ophthalmic treatment using a light beam

An apparatus for optical treatment using a light beam, which includes an apparatus body having a first control operation device for providing an optical treatment light and an optical fiber cable for introducing an optical treatment light from the apparatus body into a delivery unit. The apparatus comprises a light relaying device connected with both of the apparatus body and the delivery unit through the optical fiber cable, second control operation device provided in the light relaying device, optical communication device for transmitting and receiving light signals, the optical communication device being arranged in the apparatus body and the light relaying device respectively, an optical system for introducing the light signals which the optical communication device transmits and receives through the optical fiber cable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to an apparatus for ophthalmic treatment 
using photocoagulation by a light beam. 
2. Description of Related Art 
There is known an apparatus for optical treatment to treat a patient's eye 
by irradiating a laser beam into its affected part, wherein the laser beam 
is introduced from an apparatus body into delivery unit, for example a 
probe or a microscope, through an optical fiber cable. 
However, because the apparatus body is large in size and provided with a 
cooling system, it is impossible to move it easily. 
In case of the use in different places such as a treatment room, an 
operating room, or plural operating rooms, plural apparatuses for 
ophthalmic treatment are generally provided. Additionally, use is made of 
an apparatus having an extended optical fiber cable and a control box 
which is connected to a body of the apparatus by a separate communication 
cable pulled from the body of the apparatus. 
Further, an ophthalmic apparatus is proposed in Japanese patent Application 
No. HEI 2-312006 (Title of the invention: Adaptor for photocoagulation) by 
the present applicants, in which an optical fiber cable is provided with 
an adaptor for photocoagulation using a laser beam to compensate an 
emitting power of a semiconductor laser beam, the adaptor connected with 
the apparatus body through a communication cable. 
During an ophthalmic operation using such apparatus mentioned above, it is 
possible to move easily the control box and the adaptor as needed for the 
operation. However, when the control box and the adaptor are frequently 
moved, the communication cable and line get entangled with each other, 
thereby causing the break down of the cable. 
Additionally, when connected with plural control boxes arranged in 
different places, the communication cable is apt to affected by an 
electromagnetic and electrostatic influence from its surrounding 
environment, thereby causing a malfunction and attenuation of the signal. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and 
has as an object to overcome the above problems and to provide an 
apparatus for optical treatment using a light beam, which apparatus 
reduces physical problems, such as a breaking of apparatus communication 
cables caused by entanglement which occurs during the movement of the 
apparatus control box and adaptor. The communication cable of the 
apparatus connects the adaptor with the apparatus body which is not 
affected by the electromagnetic and electrostatic influence, even if laid 
in different places. 
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in 
part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the 
description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects 
and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of 
the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended 
claims. 
To achieve the objects in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as 
embodied and broadly described herein, an apparatus for optical treatment 
using a light beam, which includes an apparatus body having a first 
control operation means for providing an optical treatment light and an 
optical fiber cable introducing an optical treatment light from the 
apparatus body into a delivery unit, comprises a light relaying device 
connected with both of the apparatus body and the delivery unit through 
the optical fiber cable, second control operation means provided in the 
light relaying device, optical communication means for transmitting and 
receiving light signals, the optical communication means is arranged in 
the apparatus body and the light relaying device respectively, an optical 
system for introducing the light signals which the optical communication 
means transmits and receives through the optical fiber cable. 
According to the apparatus for optical treatment of this invention, it is 
possible to reduce physical problems like the breaking of cables which 
occurs by their entanglement on the movement of the control box or the 
adaptor, and further to remove the electromagnetic and electrostatic 
influence on the communication cable even if laid in different places.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
A detailed description of one preferred embodiment of an apparatus for 
optical treatment embodying the present invention will now be given 
referring to the accompanying drawings. 
In FIG. 1, a block diagram shows an arrangement of an apparatus body 1 and 
a control box 2 in an apparatus for optical treatment. 
Laser photocoagulation apparatus body 
First, in the apparatus body for photocoagulation using a laser beam, its 
optical system comprises an argon laser 3 for emitting a treatment light 
which has the wavelength of 488 nm and 514.5 nm, a safety shutter 4 for 
opening or closing the optical path, an attenuator 5 for attenuating the 
laser beam emitted from the argon treatment laser 3 in order to use it as 
an aiming beam, a dichroic mirror 6 for transmitting the light which has 
the wavelength of 488 nm and 514.5 nm, and for reflecting the light having 
wavelength of 1300 nm, a condenser lens 7 for condensing the laser beam 
into the edge plane of an optical fiber 8, and a beam splitter 9 for 
reflecting a part of the laser beam emitted from the argon treatment laser 
3. 
The reflected light on the beam splitter 9 is incident on a light detecting 
device 11 after being condensed through a condenser lens 10, and its 
detected value is used for monitoring the emission of the laser beam. 
Further, in the apparatus body, there is also provided a communication 
means which comprise; a semiconductor communication laser 12 for emitting 
a laser beam having the wavelength of 1300 nm, which is used as a light 
source for transmitting communication light to the control box 2, a 
collimating lens 13, a half mirror 14 (instead thereof, a polarizer may be 
used), a band pass filter 15 for transmitting communication light which 
has the wavelength of 1300 nm transmitted through the optical fiber 8 from 
the control box 2, a condenser lens 16 for condensing the transmitted 
communication light from the control box 2 into the light detecting device 
17. 
Next, in the control system of the apparatus body, an operation device 20 
is provided with a setting switch for setting a treatment condition, such 
as the laser beam emitting condition, and a safety switch. The signal of 
the operation device 20 is inputted into a microcomputer 21. An output 
signal of the microcomputer 21 is sent to a laser driving device 23 
through a D/A converter 22 to control the argon treatment laser 3. 
The emitting power of the argon treatment laser 3 is monitored at the 
emitting monitor circuit 24 through the light detecting device 11. Then, 
its monitored signal is adjusted by compared with an instructed emitting 
power at the laser driving device 23, while transmitted into a 
microcomputer 21 through A/D converter 25 to monitor for abnormal emission 
of the argon treatment laser 3. If abnormal emission is detected, the 
microcomputer 21 controls the safety shutter 4 through the shutter driving 
device 26 and the attenuator 5 through the filter drive device 27. 
In a communication means, a transmitting laser driving device 28 controls 
the emission of the semiconductor communication laser 12, and a receiving 
circuit 29 reads signals transmitted light communication through the 
optical fiber 8 from the control box 2 by processing the results detected 
at the detecting device 17. 
Control Box 
In the optical system of the control box 2 as a light relaying device, the 
emitted light from the optical fiber 8 is formed into the parallel 
luminous flux through a collimating lens 30. While transmitting the light 
which has the wavelength of 488 nm and 514.5 nm as the treatment light for 
a patient, a dichroic mirror 31 reflects the light of 1300 nm as the 
communication light received from the optical fiber 8. 
A part of the received treatment light is reflected on a beam splitter 32, 
and the amount of the reflected light is detected at a detecting device 34 
through a condenser lens 33, thereby the laser emitting power from the 
optical fiber 8 is detected. As a result, an abnormal emission of the 
optical fiber 8 is detected. 
Further, the treatment light transmitted through the beam splitter 32 is 
condensed into the edge plane of another optical fiber 37 by a condenser 
lens 36 through a filter 35, and the condensed laser beam is introduced 
into a unit 38 through the optical fiber 37 for delivery to a patient. The 
filter 35 cuts any light having the wavelength of 1300 nm so as to prevent 
communication light from being incident to the delivery unit 38. 
Communication means in the control box 2 includes semiconductor 
communication laser 39 that emits a communications transmission laser beam 
for transmission having the wavelength of 1300 nm, a collimating lens 40, 
a half mirror 41, a band pass filter for transmitting communication light 
which has the wavelength of 1300 nm, a condenser lens 43, and a detecting 
device 44 for receiving light. 
The control system of the control box 2 operated as follows. Namely, a 
signal from an operation device 45, having operation switches, is sent to 
a microcomputer 47 directly or through an A/D converter 46. On the other 
hand, the amount of the light detected by the light detecting device 34 is 
inputted to an input monitor circuit 48 and further to the microcomputer 
47 through the A/D converter 46. Therefore, the microcomputer 47 
communicates the output information of the emitting power of the argon 
treatment laser 3 to the apparatus body by commanding the transmitting 
communication laser 39 to emit through a transmitting laser driving device 
50. Further, after receiving the signal from a trigger switch 51, the 
microcomputer 47 transmits a signal into the apparatus body 1 in order to 
insert a filter 52, into the observing optical path to protect the eye of 
an oculist, and to move a attenuator 5 outside of the optical path. 
As mentioned above, in the control box 2, communication light is 
transmitted from the control box 2 through the optical fiber 8 into the 
apparatus body 1 by the emission of the transmitting semiconductor laser 
39 through the laser transmitting drive device 50, and the communication 
light, received from the apparatus body 1 through the optical fiber in the 
control box 2, is detected by the light detecting device 44 for processing 
in the signal processing circuit 53. Since communication light and 
treatment light are commonly carried by the optical fiber 8, control box 
movement is facilitated without cable entanglement problems of the prior 
art. 
FIG. 2 shows a block diagram to show the arrangement of the apparatus body 
and an adaptor in a second embodiment of the present invention. 
Apparatus Body For Photocoagulation 
In the apparatus body, a semiconductor 60 for emitting the treatment light 
having a wavelength of 800 nm consists of two light sources combined with 
optical members (not shown). The light beam emitted from the semiconductor 
60 is formed of a parallel luminous flux through a collimating lens 61. 
Although not shown it is preferable to remove the astigmatism by a 
cylindrical lens. A part of the light beam is reflected on a beam splitter 
62 to input into a light detecting device 64 through a condenser lens 63. 
Numeral 65 is a shutter for opening or closing the optical path of the 
semiconductor laser beam. A dichroic mirror 66 transmits the treatment 
light beam of 800 nm emitted from the semiconductor laser 60 and reflects 
the communication light of 1300 nm. And then, a dichroic mirror 67 
transmits the light beam of a wavelength of more than 800 nm, while 
reflecting that of 630-670 nm. The beam transmitted through the dichroic 
mirror 67 is condensed into an optical fiber 71 through a condensing lens 
70. 
The aiming light beam emitted from an aiming light emitting laser 68, after 
formed into a parallel luminous flux by a collimating lens 69, is coaxial 
with the treatment light by the dichroic mirror 67. 
The reflected light beam on the dichroic mirror 66, transmitted from the 
adaptor through the optical fiber 71, is introduced into a light detecting 
device 77 through a half mirror 74, a band pass filter for transmitting 
the light beam of wavelength of 1300 nm, and a condensing lens 76. 
The transmitting light beam having a wavelength of 1300 nm emitted from a 
semiconductor laser 72 is formed into a parallel luminous flux by a 
collimating lens 73, and after being reflected on a half mirror 74 and the 
dichroic mirror 66, the transmitting light beam is condensed into the 
optical fiber 71 through the dichroic mirror 67 and the condensing lens 
70. 
The control system in the apparatus body is not explained here because it 
is approximately the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the 
aiming light beam is obtained by employing a visible laser instead of an 
attenuator. 
Adaptor 
The emitted light from the optical fiber 71 is formed into a parallel 
luminous flux by a collimating lens 80, and while its wavelength of 
630-670 nm, 800 nm are transmitted through a dichroic mirror 81, its 
wavelength of 1300 nm is reflected thereon. Therefore, the optical path 
for communication light is shared with the optical path for the treatment 
light by including the dichroic mirror 81 respectively. 
The communication optical system in the adaptor comprises a semiconductor 
laser 82 applying a wavelength of 1300 nm, a collimating lens 83, a half 
mirror 84, a band pass filter 85 which transmits the light having a 
wavelength of 1300 nm, a collimating lens 86, and a light detecting device 
87. 
The input monitoring optical system consists of a beam splitter 88 which 
reflects a part of the laser beam, a collimating lens 89, and a light 
detecting device 90. 
A filter 91 cuts the communication light emitted from the semiconductor 
laser 72, which the light has a wavelength of 1300 nm. Further, the 
treatment light beam of 800 nm is emitted from a semiconductor laser 92, 
and formed into a parallel luminous flux by a collimating lens 93. The 
optical path of the treatment light is opened or closed by a shutter 97. 
An optical system to detect the emitting power of the semiconductor laser 
92 consists of a beam splitter 94, a condensing lens 95 and a light 
detecting device 96. 
A mirror 98 has partly different specific characters, that is, its center 
part reflects the laser beam emitted from the apparatus body, and its 
other part transmits the light from the semiconductor laser 92. Therefore, 
although it is not clear in FIG. 2, the optical path of the semiconductor 
laser 92 is not coaxial with the optical path of the laser from the 
apparatus body. After that, both laser beams become coaxial by input into 
a fiber 100 through a condensing lens 99. For details, reference is made 
to Japanese Patent application No. HEI 2-312006. 
Next, the control system in the adaptor operates as follows. Namely, based 
on the control signal of an operation device 101, a microcomputer 102 
controls the semiconductor laser 82 through a transmitting laser driving 
device 103 in order to send the transmitting signal to the apparatus body, 
while commanding a laser driving circuit 105 of a semiconductor laser 92 
through a D/A converter 104 to emit the treatment light. 
Based on the detected signal of the light detecting device 90, an input 
monitor circuit 106 monitors the emitting power of the emitted light from 
the optical fiber 71, and sends the monitored signal into the 
microcomputer 102 through an A/D converter. Therefore, the microcomputer 
102 commands the apparatus body to increase the emitting power if that of 
the optical fiber 71 is not sufficient, further, to close the shutter 65 
and the operation device 101 to display if the abnormal emission of the 
laser beam is detected. The emitting power of the semiconductor laser 92 
is monitored at a monitor circuit 107. 
Further, after receiving a signal from a trigger switch 108, the 
microcomputer 102 controls a filter 110 for protecting the eye of an 
oculist 110, and opens the shutter 65, besides, the shutter 97 through the 
shutter drive circuit 109 if necessary. 
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has 
been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not 
intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form 
disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the 
above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention. The 
embodiment chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the 
invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art 
to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various 
modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is 
intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended 
hereto, and their equivalents.