Electrically switchable multi-spot laser probe
View Patent ↗In certain embodiments, a system may include a housing, one or more lenses, and a scanning system. The housing has an interior region. A lens is disposed within the interior region and transmits a light beam. The scanning system is disposed within the interior region and comprises a number of scanning cells, where each scanning cell comprises an electro-optical (EO) material. The scanning system performs the following for a number of iterations to yield a spot pattern: receive one or more voltages and electrically steer the light beam with the EO material from a current direction to a next direction in response to the voltages.
1. A method comprising:
transmitting a light beam through a plurality of lenses disposed within an interior region of a housing;
receiving, by a scanning system disposed within the interior region, voltages, the scanning system comprising a plurality of scanning cells comprising a first scanning cell and a second scanning cell, the first scanning cell orthogonal to the second scanning cell, each scanning cell comprising an electro-optical (EO) material; and
performing, by the scanning system, the following for a number of iterations to yield a laser spot pattern at a plurality of optical fibers:
receiving a plurality of voltages; and
electrically steering the light beam with the EO material from a current direction to a next direction in response to the one or more voltages.
2. The method of claim 1 , each scanning cell comprising:
a first electrode layer;
an EO element comprising the EO material and disposed outwardly from the first electrode layer; and
a second electrode layer disposed outwardly from the EO element and comprising a set of strip electrodes, a first strip electrode configured to apply a different voltage than a voltage applied by a second strip electrode.
3. The method of claim 1 , the EO material comprising a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) material.
4. The method of claim 1 , the receiving the voltages comprising:
receiving the voltages by at least two electrodes of the scanning cell, each electrode comprising an optically transparent electrically conductive (OTEC) material.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying, by a controller, the voltages to yield the spot pattern.
6. The method of claim 1 , the number of iterations equal to a number of spots of the pattern.
7. The method of claim 1 , the performing the following for a number of iterations to yield the laser spot pattern further comprising:
directing the light beam to a current laser spot location of the laser spot pattern for a dwell time; and
steering the light beam to a next laser spot location of the laser spot pattern.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
starting, by a controller, the light beam substantially when the scanning system is starting to direct the light beam to a current laser spot location of the laser spot pattern for a dwell time; and
stopping, by the controller, the light beam substantially when the scanning system is steering the light beam to a next laser spot location of the laser spot pattern.