Method and apparatus for processing hard material

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for processing a hard material, for example a hard biological material such as dental enamel or bone, with optical radiation. A treatment zone of the material is selectively cleaned of ablation products and other dirt to enhance processing efficiency, and a tip through which the optical radiation is applied to the treatment zone of the hard material is spaced slightly from the treatment zone during at least a portion of the time that hydrating fluid is being applied to the zone and/or while air or another gas is applied to the zone to clean the surface thereof.

1 . A dental laser ablation hand piece comprising a diode laser pumped solid state laser with no more than 10 diode laser bars, a wavelength ranging between 2600 nm and 3200 nm, energy per pulse ranging from 1 mJ to 1000 mJ, a repetition rate ranging from 1 Hz to 1000 Hz, a pulse width ranging from 1 ns to 10 ms.  
   
   
       2 . A dental laser ablation hand piece comprising a diode laser with a wavelength ranging from 2.6 to 3 microns.  
   
   
       3 . An apparatus for dental laser ablation comprising: 
 a hand piece comprising a diode laser pumped solid state laser; and    a diode laser bar for pumping optical radiation via an optical system to a hand piece, the diode laser bar being located outside of the hand piece.