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EP-4505959-B1 - MICROMANIPULATOR FOR MANIPULATING A LASER BEAM

EP4505959B1EP 4505959 B1EP4505959 B1EP 4505959B1EP-4505959-B1

Inventors

  • SIMON, PHILIPP
  • HEINZ, OLIVER
  • GLOTZ, MANFRED

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240805

Claims (15)

  1. Micromanipulator (1) for manipulating a laser beam (L in , L scan ) of a laser surgery device, with a scanner (10) for generating at least one scan figure (60) and at least one control element for controlling the scanner (10), wherein the control element comprises a rotary element (51), wherein a rotation (D d ) of the rotary element (51) causes a rotation (D s ) of the scan figure (60) which depends on the magnitude and/or speed of the rotation (D d ) of the rotary element (51), characterized in that the rotary element (51) is freely rotatable without limitation of the rotation angle and the scan figure (60) follows this free rotation without restrictions.
  2. Micromanipulator (1) according to claim 1, with a joystick (50) arranged pivotably on a base, via which the position of the scan figure (60) can be set, wherein the rotary element (51) is arranged on the joystick (50).
  3. Micromanipulator (1) according to claim 2, wherein the rotary element (51) is rotatable about a main axis of the joystick (50) and/or wherein the rotary element (51) is arranged in the region of the tip of the joystick (50), which is preferably formed by a rotatable tip of the joystick (50).
  4. Micromanipulator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control element comprises a sensor by means of which an absolute angular position and/or a magnitude and/or speed of a relative change in the angular position of the rotary element (51) is detected, wherein the sensor preferably transmits the detected magnitude as an analog or digital value to a control system of the scanner (10).
  5. Micromanipulator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotary element (51) is rotatable continuously or in steps into a plurality of angular positions.
  6. Micromanipulator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotary element (51) is rotatable in two opposite directions of rotation, wherein the rotation (D d ) at the rotary element (51) causes a rotation (D s ) of the scan figure (60) in the same sense.
  7. Micromanipulator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotation (D d ) of the rotary element (51) causes a rotation (D s ) of the scan figure (60) which depends on the magnitude of the rotation (D d ) of the rotary element (51), wherein the rotation (D d ) preferably causes a rotation (D s ), proportional to the magnitude of the rotation, of the scan figure (60) generated by the scanner (10).
  8. Micromanipulator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, at least in one operating mode, the magnitude of the rotation (D s ) of the scan figure (60) has a fixed ratio to the magnitude of the rotation (D d ) of the rotary element (51).
  9. Micromanipulator (1) according to claim 8, wherein the fixed ratio is adjustable.
  10. Micromanipulator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, at least in one operating mode, the magnitude of the rotation (D s ) of the scan figure (60) has a ratio to the magnitude of the rotation (D d ) of the rotary element (51) which depends on the rotational speed of the rotation (D d ) of the rotary element (51), wherein preferably the magnitude of the rotation (D s ) of the scan figure (60), relative to the magnitude of the rotation (D d ) of the rotary element (51), increases as the rotational speed of the rotation (D d ) of the rotary element (51) increases.
  11. Micromanipulator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control element comprises a push or pull input element (52), in particular as a push or pull button or push or pull switch, wherein the rotary element (51) is preferably configured as such a push or pull input element (52) or has such a push or pull input element (52), wherein by actuating the push or pull input element (52) at least one parameter of the micromanipulator (1) can be changed.
  12. Micromanipulator (1) according to claim 11, wherein a parameter changeable by actuating the push or pull input element is the type and/or size of the scan figure (60) and/or a geometry parameter of the shape of a selected scan figure (60), in particular the curvature of a line-shaped scan figure (60).
  13. Micromanipulator (1) according to claim 11 or 12, wherein a parameter changeable by actuating the push or pull input element is the laser power and/or the scan figure speed.
  14. Micromanipulator (1) according to one of claims 11 to 13, wherein a parameter changeable by actuating the push or pull input element is the operating mode of the rotary element (51) and/or the ratio between the magnitude of the rotation (D s ) of the scan figure (60) and the magnitude of the rotation (D d ) of the rotary element (51).
  15. Laser surgery device with a micromanipulator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the laser surgery device preferably comprises a laser for generating the laser beam (L in , L scan ) and/or a surgical microscope (80) on which the micromanipulator (1) can be detachably fastened.

Description

The present invention relates to a micromanipulator for manipulating a laser beam of a laser surgery device, comprising a scanner for generating at least one scan figure and at least one control element for controlling the scanner. In the medical application of laser devices, laser surgery devices, for example based on CO2 lasers or solid-state and diode lasers, have become established. For microsurgical applications, the operations are observed using operating microscopes in order to be able to perform even very small operations adequately. When using laser light for surgical procedures, it can be reflected into the observation beam path of the operating microscope via a micromanipulator. For this purpose, the micromanipulator is mounted as a separate device below the operating microscope. A large, wavelength-dependent The mirror in the micromanipulator is therefore located directly below the objective lens of the operating microscope. The mirror is transparent to the surgical field illumination and for observation, and highly reflective to the laser light. It is positioned at approximately 45° in front of the objective lens, thus reflecting the laser beam directly into the surgical field. In combination with the micromanipulator, a scanner located at the micromanipulator's optical input is used to move the laser beam in the x and y directions. The scanner includes, in particular, an electronically controlled mirror unit across which the laser beam is moved. This rapid beam movement creates a beam deflection pattern, referred to here as a scan pattern, on the surgical field. If a line is selected as the scan pattern, this line has an orientation within the surgical field. A line is used when the operation, i.e., the application of laser light, is intended to create an incision. Due to the scanner's electronic control, the incision is made very uniformly along the line's length. This advantage over a hand-guided line is used in laser surgery for precise cutting. If the orientation of the line does not match the desired cutting line, the scanned figure must be rotated. Existing micromanipulators with scanners already possess the capability to rotate scanned figures. In known systems, a scanned figure is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise at a fixed speed when a control element for counterclockwise rotation or a control element for clockwise rotation is activated. A combination element with both activation options is also known. With this well-known technique, the rotation speed of the scanned figure cannot be changed; only the direction of rotation. A disadvantage is that the control element must be operated until the scanned figure has reached the desired orientation. This presents the difficulty that the rotation may be too slow, thus increasing the operation time. Alternatively, the rotation may be too fast, and... The rotation goes beyond the intended orientation. This necessitates "rotating back" in the opposite direction. This can trigger an iterative process until the desired orientation of the rotated figure is achieved. Rotating a scan figure can be achieved using function keys on the laser device. This requires the user to switch from the patient to the laser or to instruct a second person to rotate the figure verbally. Controlling the scan from the application unit, particularly the operating microscope, via the positioning handle (joystick) on the micromanipulator, which is used to position the scan figure, is more practical. Current implementations consist of buttons for left and right rotation, either pushbuttons or rotary switches. However, these exert mechanical forces on the joystick, which can easily cause the scan figure to be dispositioned. Furthermore, button presses are limited to increments, and continuous button presses, as described above, are tied to specific progress rates. The WO 2017/139 853 A1 This document describes a control device for a slit lamp arrangement with a laser for generating a treatment spot pattern. The control device comprises a joystick with a lower and an upper part. A rotatable ring is arranged between the upper and lower parts, which is designed to rotate the treatment spot pattern. The rotatable ring can be turned by a few degrees and has two stages, enabling slow and fast rotation of the treatment spot pattern. The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved micromanipulator for manipulating a laser beam of a laser surgery device. This problem is solved by a micromanipulator according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are the subject of the dependent claims. The present invention comprises a micromanipulator for manipulating a laser beam of a laser surgery device, comprising a scanner for generating at least one scan image and at least one control element for controlling the scanner. According to the invention, the control element comprises a rotary element, wherein a rotation of the rotary element cause