Beam delivery systems

M. J. Colles

doi:10.1117/12.2283596

10 January 1989 Beam delivery systems

M. J. Colles

Proceedings Volume 10305, Dosimetry of Laser Radiation in Medicine and Biology; 103050F (1989) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2283596
Event: Institutes for Advanced Optical Technologies, 1988, Berlin, Germany

Abstract

The delivery device attached to any medical laser system is the very important, if somewhat neglec- ted, "Cinderella" of the system. It is the part that the surgeon or operator interarts with and yet de- spite occupying this key position there are few, if any, objective standards to which the delivery de- vices have to conform. There is a requirement, for example, that if the power output from a CO2 laser varies outside the limits set at + 20 % a system should at least indicate a fault. Despite providing some indication of the output power calibrated in such a way as to represent the output power of the end of the articulating arm there is no requirement on continuous monitoring at the end of the arm and therefore, should a mirror fail through being contaminated with smoke that variation would not be recorded nor any action taken unless the drop in power was noted by the surgeon. I am not necessarily argueing in favour of distal power monitoring but simply make the point that failures of the delivery system have not yet been incorporated into formal regulations.

Citation Download Citation

M. J. Colles "Beam delivery systems", Proc. SPIE 10305, Dosimetry of Laser Radiation in Medicine and Biology, 103050F (10 January 1989); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2283596

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