Broadly tunable, beta-barium-borate-based, pulsed optical parametric oscillators and their potential applications in medicine

Mark S. Sobey; Jim Clark; Bertram C. Johnson

doi:10.1117/12.208413

1 May 1995 Broadly tunable, beta-barium-borate-based, pulsed optical parametric oscillators and their potential applications in medicine

Mark S. Sobey, Jim Clark, Bertram C. Johnson

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 2396, Biomedical Optoelectronic Instrumentation; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.208413
Event: Photonics West '95, 1995, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

With the recent availability of Beta Barium Borate (BBO) crystals in useful sizes at acceptable market prices, the promise of Optical Parametric Oscillators (OPOs) becoming practical tunable systems is finally being realized. Wavelength coverage from such systems extends from 420 nm to over 2400 nm when pumped in the UV. For medical applications their usage will be limited in the near term to low repetition rates (< 50 Hz) nanosecond pulsed systems. The pump lasers of choice will be flashlamp pumped Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers. As higher repetition rate (kHz) Q-switched diode pumped solid state continue to increase in energy and decrease in price, they are likely to also become viable pump sources for lower energy OPO systems. Energy output in excess of 100 mJ from low repetition rate OPO systems may make them suitable for selective absorption applications in medicine such as colored tattoo removal or treating vascular lesions. For such high energy devices peak powers necessitate the use of articulating arms for beam delivery. For high repetition rate systems, energy outputs will be in the range of 100 to 500 (mu) J at kHz frequencies (up to 1 W average power). Peak powers are low enough that fiber optic delivery is possible. These systems may find selective absorption applications in ophthalmology.

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Mark S. Sobey, Jim Clark, and Bertram C. Johnson "Broadly tunable, beta-barium-borate-based, pulsed optical parametric oscillators and their potential applications in medicine", Proc. SPIE 2396, Biomedical Optoelectronic Instrumentation, (1 May 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.208413

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