Method of forming blind holes in surgical needles using a diode pumped Nd-YAG laser

Abstract

A method of laser drilling surgical needles. The method utilizes a diode pulsed laser to produce a laser beam consisting of a train of high energy pulses.

1 . A method of laser drilling surgical needles, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a diode pulsed laser Nd-YAG drilling system;    producing a train of laser pulses having sufficient power to effectively drill a blind hole in a surgical needle;    directing the beam of laser pulsed onto a proximal end of a surgical needle to produce a blind bore hole.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the diode pulsed laser drilling system comprises: 
 a curved rear mirror;  
 a first Nd-YAG rod;  
 a plurality of high power laser diode arrays;  
 a partially transmitting output coupler mirror;  
 a solid state power supply to drive the diode arrays; first and second beam bending flat mirrors;  
 a second Nd-YAG rod;  
 a second plurality of high power laser diode arrays;  
 a beam expander; and,  
 a focusing optics assembly.  
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the beam has a power of about 5 watts to about 100 watts.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the beam has a pulse width of about 5 microseconds to about 1 millisecond.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the frequency of the beam is from about one pulse to about 100 kHz.