Coherent, Inc.

Sciton, Inc.

Other

Daniel K Negus

James L Hobart

Frank Garcia

Hartmuth Hecht

David Boinagrov

Luis A Spinelli

Timothy J Johnston

Bernard J Couillaud

Jason Pozner

Daniel Paul Joseph

Peter Nigel Allen

William K Bischel

John Lawrence Nightingale

Murray Keith Reed

Matthew Noel Rekow

George Frangineas

Rene Hugues

Richard D Cullins

Ken Gott

Michael Jay Finander

Craig Fortier

Jim Chiu

Sha Tong

Paul A Cornelius

Chris Rasmussen

In one aspect, a method of tightening skin and/or reducing scar tissue is described herein. The method comprises performing a fractional laser ablation in a treatment area of the skin, thereby removing a column of the skin and forming a columnar vacancy in the skin, the columnar vacancy having a perimeter defined by a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side and the second side each comprising an epidermal layer, a dermal layer, and a subcutaneous layer of skin. The first side of the columnar vacancy is contacted to the second side of the columnar vacancy, thereby closing the columnar vacancy.

System and methods for treating skin

In one aspect, devices for light treatment of skin are described herein. A device described herein, in some embodiments, comprises an interior compartment having a proximal end and a distal end, and an optical aperture disposed at the distal end. The device also comprises a laser or BBL source that produces a laser or BBL beam. The laser or BBL beam has a first optical path within the interior compartment, between the proximal end and the distal end. Additionally, the first optical path exits the interior compartment through the optical aperture. The device further comprises a camera that receives light from the aperture. The light received from the aperture has a second optical path within the interior compartment. Further, a selectively reflective optical element is disposed in the first and second optical paths. The selectively reflective optical element generally transmits the laser or BBL beam but generally reflects at least a portion of the light from the aperture toward the camera.

Devices for image-guided light treatment of skin

In one aspect, devices for light treatment of skin are described herein. A device described herein, in some embodiments, comprises an interior compartment having a proximal end and a distal end, and an optical aperture disposed at the distal end. The device also comprises a laser or BBL source that produces a laser or BBL beam. The laser or BBL beam has a first optical path within the interior compartment, between the proximal end and the distal end. Additionally, the first optical path exits the interior compartment through the optical aperture. The device further comprises an imaging system that receives a return signal from the aperture. The return signal received from the aperture has a second path within the interior compartment. Further, a selectively reflective optical element is disposed in the first and second optical paths. The selectively reflective optical element generally transmits the laser or BBL beam.

In one aspect, methods of treating a wound are described herein. A method described herein, in some embodiments, comprises treating a wound, such as a chronic wound, by performing a full field laser ablation in a wound bed of the wound and subsequently performing a fractional laser ablation in the wound bed. Additionally, in some cases, the fractional laser ablation step is carried out at substantially the same time as, or immediately following, the full field laser ablation step. In addition, in some instances, a method described herein further comprises performing debridement in the wound bed prior to performing the full field laser ablation in the wound bed.

Laser treatment of wounds

A system for and method of performing laser assisted surgery is disclosed. Laser radiation is preferably delivered to a target area of tissue using a Er:YAG laser source. The laser radiation is delivered to the target area in bursts of laser radiation comprising sets of laser pulses. The bursts of laser radiation are preferably delivered to the target area at a repetition rate in a range of 10 to 40 Hz and with sufficient pulse fluences to cut and/or dissect. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, interchangeable and flexible endo-probes are configured with shield features. The shield features control the emission of laser radiation from the optical fiber while bending the flexible probes allow surgeons to access a range of approach angles for the laser treatment of biological tissue enclosed or within a cavity of a body. The probes can also be configured with mechanical cutters or other structures which allow for the mechanical manipulation of tissue during laser treatment. The system for and method of performing laser assisted surgery is particularly well suited for treating fibrous and/or fibro-vascular membranes (FVMs) on ophthalmic tissue during vitreoretinal surgery.

Laser system and method for treatment of biological tissues

An applicator is configured with an optical window formed from a first and a second lens section. The applicator is configured for modulating the temperature of a working surface while simultaneously exposing the working surface to a radiation source. The first and the second lens sections form boundaries of a medium cavity for channeling a temperature regulating medium which is preferably a cooled liquid medium. The first lens section has an outer lens and an inner lens which are preferably separated by a distance in the range of 0.1 to 1.0 cm and form boundaries of an insulating region. In a preferred method, a temperature regulating medium is circulated through the medium cavity while exposing a target tissue to laser radiation through the optical window. The insulating region helps reduce fogging of the optical window thereby improving visibility through the window and reducing scattering of the laser radiation. Preferably, the insulating region is under vacuum. Alternatively, the insulating region is configured to channel a second temperature regulating medium. The applicator and system of the instant invention are preferably configured for exposing dermis to a pulsed laser source while simultaneously cooling dermis during procedures to remove hair or treat the cutaneous vascular lesions.

Laser applicator

A selective aperture for a laser delivery system for providing incision, ablation and coagulation. A laser crystal disposed between two reflective surfaces forms a laser beam. An aperture member positioned between the laser crystal and one of the reflective surfaces includes a substantially circular aperture for passing the laser beam. The size of the aperture is selectively adjustable. The aperture member has a plurality of apertures of various different sizes and is rotatable about an axis of rotation. The axis of rotation is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the laser crystal. By appropriately rotating the aperture member, a selected one of the apertures is positioned to pass the laser beam. A stepper motor and flexible shaft are utilized for rotating the aperture member. At least one of the apertures is surrounded by a beveled portion of the rotatable member. Alternatively, two lasers with different size fixed apertures could be utilized and directed to a common surface. According to an aspect of the invention, an articulated arm is provided along with one or more refocussing optics for refocussing the laser beam as it travels through the arm. According to another aspect, a second laser source is provided along with a galvanometer for directing each of two laser beams to a surface to be treated. Such an arrangement provides exceptional versatility and control over the beam emitted. According to an another aspect, the aperture for a single laser source is rapidly changed during the performance of a procedure. By rapidly switching between forming an incision and cauterizing, an incision can be cauterized while being made.

Selective aperture for laser delivery system for providing incision, tissue ablation and coagulation

A composite laser diode enclosure, and a method of making the same, having a first enclosure sealed within a second enclosure. Each enclosure having a thermally conductive base plate, a side wall band attached to the base plate, and a lid attached to the side wall band to hermetically seal each enclosure. The materials forming the side wall band and lids are selected so that high quality metallurgical bonds are formed between the base plates and the side wall bands, and between the side wall bands and the lids. The first enclosure contains a laser diode, coupling optics, and input ends of optical fibers for delivering the laser diode output out of the enclosures. The second enclosure contains the first enclosure, TE coolers, thermistors, and a PC board with an optical detector, E-prom, interlock circuit and voltage protection circuit. Thermistors monitor the temperature of each enclosure. The detector captures stray scattered radiation emanating from the first enclosure to monitor the output power of the laser diode. Sealed electrical and optical connections couple electrical and optical signals into and out of the enclosures while maintaining the hermetic seals of the enclosures.

Composite laser diode enclosure and method for making the same

A system is disclosed for minimizing the depolarization of a laser beam due to thermally induced birefringence in a rod-shaped gain medium over a wide range of excitation levels. After passing through the gain medium, the polarization of the beam is rotated by ninety degrees and either redirected back into the same gain medium or a substantially identical gain medium. By this arrangement, the portion of the beam that was radially polarized during the first pass is tangentially polarized during the second pass so that the original polarization is restored. In order to maximize the compensation, a relay image system is used to generate an image of the beam in the gain medium as it existed during the first pass and project that image into the gain medium during the second pass. The magnification of the relayed image is substantially one to one with respect to the actual image. By using a relayed image with a unity magnification, the size of the beam and the angle and the position of the rays in the beam are preserved at varying thermal loads. In this manner, maximum coincidence of the rays during the two passes is achieved. In the case of asymmetric pumping, performance can be enhanced by inverting the image of the beam prior to the second pass through the gain medium. The subject system is particularly useful for maximizing the fidelity of a phase conjugate reflector used in a solid state amplifier.

System for minimizing the depolarization of a laser beam due to

A circuit is disclosed for controlling the output of a flashlamp used to excite a gain medium. The circuit functions to supply energy to the flashlamp for fixed time intervals to generate repetitive pulses having a uniform duration. The circuit includes a photodetector for generating an output signal which is proportional to the light generated by the flashlamp. During a first phase of the fixed interval, the circuit delivers a first voltage level to the flashlamp. At the end of the first phase, a comparison is made between the output of the flashlamp as measured by the photodetector and a target output level. The circuit also initiates a second, boost phase where the voltage supplied to the flashlamp is increased. The length of the boost phase is selected so that at the end of the fixed interval, the total light output generated by the flashlamp is substantially equal to the desired output level.

Flashlamp energy control circuit

A system is described for automatically maintaining the group velocity dispersion (GVD) of a Gires-Tournois interferometer (GTI) as the wavelength of incident light is varied. In the system, the transmission through the GTI is monitored by a photodiode as the wavelength is varied. The transmission through the GTI provides a measure of its GVD. Thus, the output of the photodiode can be used as a control signal for adjusting the GTI in a manner to maintain its GVD at the desired level. The subject system is illustrated in conjunction with a pulsed, tunable, Ti:sapphire laser which is passively mode locked with the optical Kerr effect. The system allows the wavelength of the laser to be tuned over the bandwidth of the gain medium while maintaining a selected level of GVD from the GTI which in turn maintains the desired duration of the pulses. In addition, the GTI is used to compensate for the dispersion effects created by broad band optics in the resonator.

System for automatically adjusting the GVD of a Gires-Tournois

A birefringent filter ('BRF') unit, for use in the cavity of a tunable pulsed laser generating ultrashort pulses, including means for suppressing satellite pulses resulting from surface reflections. In one preferred embodiment, the inventive BRF has substantially parallel front and back surfaces, and is cut so that its optical axis is not parallel to its front surface. For example, the inventive BRF may be a quartz crystal having a thickness of 3 mm, with its optical axis oriented at an angle substantially equal to 50 degrees from the plane of its front surface. In a second preferred embodiment, the inventive BRF includes a relatively thick, non-birefringent component coupled with index matching material to a relatively thin birefringent component. In a third preferred embodiment, the inventive BRF includes a pair of thick birefringent components designed so that the ordinary ray of the first component becomes the extraordinary ray of the second component. In this third embodiment, the two components preferably have substantially equal birefringence N, and differ in thickness by an amount W chosen so that the overall optical phase shift induced by the inventive BRF is substantially equal to the optical phase shift induced by a conventional single-component BRF having thickness W and birefringence N.

Growing community of inventors

La Honda, CA, United States of America

Daniel K Negus