High-efficiency, side-pumped diode laser system

Abstract

An apparatus for cutting or ablating hard tissue, includes an optical cavity; a gain medium disposed within the optical cavity; a diode light pump disposed within the optical cavity and optically aligned to light pump the gain medium to generate laser light. The generated laser light has a wavelength and power density suitable for cutting and ablating hard tissue.

1 . A method of cutting or ablating hard tissue, comprising the following steps: 
 activating a diode array to side pump a gain medium and generate at least one pulse of electromagnetic energy having a full-width half-max range closer to a beginning than an end of the pulse;    placing fluid into a volume in close proximity to the hard tissue; and    directing pulses of the electromagnetic energy into the volume in close proximity to the hard tissue to effectuate the cutting or ablating of the hard tissue.    
     
     
         2 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the gain medium comprises a laser rod;    the electromagnetic energy comprises laser light; and    the laser light has a wavelength, pulse format, and power density suitable for cutting and ablating hard tissue and further has a wavelength which is highly absorbed by water.    
     
     
         3 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the gain medium comprises an Erbium-based laser rod.  
     
     
         4 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic energy is generated in the TEMoo mode to attenuate thermal effects.  
     
     
         5 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the hard tissue comprises tooth tissue.  
     
     
         6 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the hard tissue comprises bone.  
     
     
         7 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein temporal pulse control is used to attain a uniform temporal pulse pattern.  
     
     
         8 . The method as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein gain switching or Q-switching is used in attaining the uniform temporal pulse pattern.  
     
     
         9 . A method of cutting or ablating hard tissue, comprising the following steps: 
 activating a diode light pump to light pump a gain medium and generate at least one pulse of electromagnetic energy having a full-width half-max value in a range from about 0.025 to about 250 microseconds;    placing fluid into a volume in close proximity to the hard tissue; and    directing pulses of the electromagnetic energy into the volume in close proximity to the hard tissue to generate the cutting or ablating of the hard tissue.    
     
     
         10 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein: 
 the gain medium comprises a laser rod;    the electromagnetic energy comprises laser light; and    the laser light has a pulse format and a wavelength which are suitable for cutting and ablating hard tissue and which are highly absorbed by water.    
     
     
         11 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the gain medium comprises an Erbium-based laser rod.  
     
     
         12 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the electromagnetic energy is generated in the TEMoo mode to attenuate thermal effects.  
     
     
         13 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the hard tissue comprises tooth tissue.  
     
     
         14 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the hard tissue comprises bone.  
     
     
         15 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein temporal pulse control is used to attain a uniform temporal pulse pattern.  
     
     
         16 . The method as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein gain switching or Q-switching is used in attaining the uniform temporal pulse pattern.  
     
     
         17 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the diode light pump comprises a diode array.  
     
     
         18 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the diode light pump comprises a diode array, which is placed within an optical cavity so that the diode array is optically aligned to side pump the gain medium.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for cutting or ablating hard tissue comprising a diode light pump disposed within an optical cavity and optically aligned to light pump a gain medium within the optical cavity to generate at least one pulse of electromagnetic energy having a full-width half-max range closer to a beginning than an end of the pulse the apparatus being configured to direct the electromagnetic energy into a volume in close proximity to the hard tissue so that the hard tissue is cut or ablated, wherein the electromagnetic energy is generated in the TEMoo mode to attenuate thermal effects.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein: 
 the gain medium comprises a laser rod;    the electromagnetic energy comprises laser light;    the laser light has a wavelength, pulse, and power density suitable for cutting and ablating hard tissue and further has a wavelength that is highly absorbed by water; and    the apparatus further comprises a fluid output configured to place fluid into a volume in close proximity to the hard tissue, whereby the laser light is highly absorbed by fluid in the volume.    
     
     
         21 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein: 
 the gain medium comprises an Erbium-based laser rod;    the electromagnetic energy comprises laser light having a wavelength, pulse, and power density suitable for cutting and ablating hard tissue; and    the apparatus further comprises a fluid output configured to place fluid into a volume in close proximity to the hard tissue, whereby the laser light is highly absorbed by fluid in the volume.    
     
     
         22 . An apparatus for cutting or ablating hard tissue, comprising: 
 a diode light pump disposed within an optical cavity and optically aligned to light pump a gain medium within the optical cavity to generate at least one pulse of electromagnetic energy having a full-width half-max range closer to a beginning than an end of the pulse the apparatus being configured to direct the electromagnetic energy into a volume in close proximity to the hard tissue so that the hard tissue is cut or ablated, wherein the generated laser light has a wavelength, pulse, and power density suitable for cutting and ablating tooth tissue.    
     
     
         23 . An apparatus for cutting or ablating hard tissue comprising: 
 a diode light pump disposed within an optical cavity and optically aligned to light pump a gain medium within the optical cavity to generate at least one pulse of electromagnetic energy having a full-width half-max range closer to a beginning than an end of the pulse the apparatus being configured to direct the electromagnetic energy into a volume in close proximity to the hard tissue so that the hard tissue is cut or ablated, wherein the generated laser light has a wavelength, pulse, and power density suitable for cutting and ablating bone.    
     
     
         24 . An apparatus for cutting or ablating hard tissue comprising: 
 a diode light pump disposed within an optical cavity and optically aligned to light pump a gain medium within the optical cavity to generate at least one pulse of electromagnetic energy having a full-width half-max range closer to a beginning than an end of the pulse, the apparatus being configured to direct the electromagnetic energy into a volume in close proximity to the hard tissue so that the hard tissue is cut or ablated, wherein temporal pulse control is used to attain a uniform temporal pulse pattern.    
     
     
         25 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 24 , wherein gain switching or Q-switching is used in attaining the uniform temporal pulse pattern.  
     
     
         26 . An apparatus for cutting or ablating hard tissue, comprising: 
 a diode light pump disposed within an optical cavity and optically aligned to light pump a gain medium within the optical cavity to generate at least one pulse of electromagnetic energy having a full-width half-max range closer to a beginning than an end of the pulse, the apparatus being configured to direct the electromagnetic energy into a volume in close proximity to the hard tissue so that the hard tissue is cut or ablated, wherein the diode light pump comprises a diode array.    
     
     
         27 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 26 , wherein the diode light pump is optically aligned to side pump the gain medium.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 27 , wherein the gain medium comprises a laser rod.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 28 , wherein the gain medium comprises an Erbium-based laser rod.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 27 , wherein the gain medium comprises an Erbium-based crystalline laser rod for generating laser light in a range between 1.73 and 2.94 microns.  
     
     
         31 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 27 , wherein the electromagnetic energy is generated in the TEMoo mode to attenuate thermal effects.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 27 , wherein the generated electromagnetic energy has a wavelength, pulse, and power density suitable for cutting and ablating tooth tissue.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 27 , wherein the generated electromagnetic energy has a wavelength, pulse, and power density suitable for cutting and ablating bone.  
     
     
         34 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 27 , wherein temporal pulse control is used to attain a uniform temporal pulse pattern.  
     
     
         35 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 34 , wherein gain switching or Q-switching is used in attaining the uniform temporal pulse pattern.  
     
     
         36 . The method as set forth in  claim 26 , wherein the electromagnetic energy has a wavelength in a range from about 2.69 um to about 2.95 um.