Patent ID: 7723638

Claim:
A laser system, comprising: a laser configured to emit radiation greater than about 1 mW; an exterior housing containing the laser, the exterior housing having a section configured to be in a first arrangement in which laser radiation greater than about 1 mW is generally inaccessible to an operator during operation of the laser and a second arrangement in which laser radiation greater than about 500 mW is accessible to an operator during operation of the laser; and a conversion module configured to (a) enable one or more features required for operation of the laser system when the section is in the second arrangement and laser radiation greater than about 500 mW is accessible to the operator during operation of the laser, and (b) disable the features required for operation of the laser system when the section is in the first arrangement and laser radiation greater than about 1 mW is generally inaccessible to the operator during operation of the laser.