1980 Volume 22 Issue 7 Pages 980-987
A laser endoscope for the Nd-YAG laser was developed. Nd-YAG laser was guided to the tip of the endoscope (MACHIDA PFS-L 1) by the quartz fiber through the biopsy channel covered with laser window. Our preliminary study with this laser endoscope was done by using canine stomach. Tentatively, the 70 W Nd-YAG laser was able to stop an artificial bleeding within 8-sec on an average and perforation was not observed. The power of laser in this experiment was measured at the laser head. But it is desirable to measure it at the tip of the endoscope, for transmission of laser in the quartz fiber is unstable. Clinical experiences with this laser endoscope pointed out some problems as follows. It was difficult to irradiate the angulus and posterior wall of the corpus, because the endoscope was thick and forward viewing. The laser power fluctuated when voltage of supplied electricity was unstable. Fragility of the quartz fiber and difficulty of observing the guide-spot by He-Ne laser were also to be improved.
