Switchable low pulse rate and high pulse rate laser driver
Systems and methods herein provide for a diode laser system that improve cold laser therapy. One cold laser therapy device includes a laser diode operable to propagate laser pulses towards a person's skin, a first driver operable to drive the laser diode to propagate the laser pulses within a first range of laser pulse rates, and a second driver operable to drive the laser diode to propagate the laser pulses within a second/higher range of laser pulse rates. The device also includes a controller operable to process an instruction to tune a laser pulse rate of the laser diode from the first range of the laser pulse rates to the second range of the laser pulse rates, to disable the first driver in response to the instruction, and to enable the second driver in response to the instruction.
1 . A cold laser therapy device, comprising:
a laser diode operable to propagate laser pulses towards a person's skin;
a first driver operable to drive the diode laser to propagate the laser pulses within a first range of laser pulse rates;
a second driver operable to drive the diode laser to propagate the laser pulses within a second range of laser pulse rates, wherein the second range of laser pulse rates is higher than the first range of laser pulse rates; and
a controller operable to process an instruction to tune a laser pulse rate of the diode laser from the first range of the laser pulse rates to the second range of the laser pulse rates, to disable the first driver in response to the instruction, and to enable the second driver in response to the instruction.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is further operable to receive another instruction to tune the laser pulse rate of the diode laser from the second range of the laser pulse rates to the first range of the laser pulse rates, to disable the second driver in response to the instruction, and to enable the first driver in response to the instruction.
3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first driver comprises a feedback circuit that is operable to control optical energy of the laser pulses from the diode laser.
4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein:
the optical energy is less than about 6 milliwatts.
5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first range of laser pulse rates is between zero Hz and 50 MHz.
6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the second range of laser pulse rates is between 50 MHz and 4 GHz.
7 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a phase locked loop controller operable to drive the second driver, and to maintain a constant pulse rate within the second range of laser pulse rates.
8 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wireless communication module operable to:
provide remote control to the device; and
provide an interface for at least one of upgrading firmware to the device and communicating with a caregiver.
9 . A method of operating a cold laser therapy device, the method comprising:
driving a diode laser with a first driver to propagate laser pulses towards a person's skin at a laser pulse rate within a first range of laser pulse rates;
processing an instruction to tune the laser pulse rate of the diode laser from the first range of laser pulse rates to a laser pulse rate within a second range of laser pulse rates, wherein the second range of laser pulse rates is higher than the first range of laser pulse rates;
disabling the first driver in response to the instruction;
enabling a second driver in response to the instruction; and
driving the diode laser with the second driver to propagate the laser pulses towards the person's skin at the laser pulse rate within the second range of laser pulse rates.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving another instruction to tune the laser pulse rate of the diode laser from the second range of the laser pulse rates to the first range of the laser pulse rates;
disabling the second driver in response to the instruction; and
enabling the first driver in response to the instruction.
11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
processing a feedback signal to control optical energy of laser pulses from the diode laser.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the optical energy is less than about 6 milliwatts.
13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the first range of laser pulse rates is between about zero Hz and 50 MHz.
14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the second range of laser pulse rates is between about 50 MHz and 4 GHz.
15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
driving the second driver with a phase locked loop controller to maintain a constant pulse rate within the second range of laser pulse rates.
16 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
providing remote control to the device via a wireless communication module; and
providing for at least one of upgrading firmware to the device and communicating with a caregiver via the wireless communication module.
17 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a controller of a cold laser therapy device, direct the controller to:
drive a diode laser with a first driver to propagate laser pulses towards a person's skin at a laser pulse rate within a first range of laser pulse rates;
process an instruction to tune the laser pulse rate of the diode laser from the first range of laser pulse rates to a laser pulse rate within a second range of laser pulse rates, wherein the second range of laser pulse rates is higher than the first range of laser pulse rates;
disable the first driver in response to the instruction;
enable a second driver in response to the instruction; and
drive the diode laser with the second driver to propagate the laser pulses towards the person's skin at the laser pulse rate within the second range of laser pulse rates.