Precise Light Surgical, Inc.

Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

Ams Research Corporation

Lightwave Electronics Corporation

Lumenis Inc.

Laserscope, Inc.

Gerald Mitchell

Kenneth J Arnold

Yihlih Peng

Mark W Byer

Derek J Richard

George Conway

Michael W Sasnett

Edward D Reed, Jr

Michael Ray Hodel

Michael Hmelar

Douglas G Stinson

Greg J Spooner

David S Jebens

A laser can produce pulses of light energy for tissue-type selective ejection of a volume of the target tissue, and the energy can be delivered to a treatment site through a waveguide, such as a fiber optic waveguide. The incident laser energy can be absorbed within a volume of the target tissue with a tissue penetration depth and pulse direction such that the propagation of the energy from the tissue volume is inhibited and such that the target tissue within the volume reaches the spinodal threshold of decomposition and ejects the volume, for example without substantial damage to tissue adjacent the ejected volume. The pulses are set to be tissue selective.

Soft tissue selective ablation surgical systems

A medical laser system and related methods of utilizing cooling within and around an optical fiber tip to prevent premature failure of the optical fiber. The optical fiber is surrounded by protective jacket assembly including a body tube assembly and a tip cap assembly. The body tube assembly includes an internal fiber jacket and an external body tube with a body tube channel defined therebetween. The tip cap assembly includes an inner cap member and an outer cap member defining a cap irrigation channel therebetween. Together, the cap irrigation channel and body tube channel cooperatively define an internal irrigation channel. The optical fiber can be delivered to a treatment location through a cystoscope. Saline is directed through an external irrigation channel between the cystoscope and the protective jacket assembly as well as the internal irrigation channel to cool the fiber tip and prevent overheating and failure of the optical fiber.

Side-firing fiber delivery device with active cooling cap

A laser can produce pulses of light energy to eject a volume of the tissue, and the energy can be delivered to a treatment site through a waveguide, such as a fiber optic waveguide. The incident laser energy can be absorbed within a volume of the target tissue with a tissue penetration depth and pulse direction such that the propagation of the energy from the tissue volume is inhibited and such that the target tissue within the volume reaches the spinodal threshold of decomposition and ejects the volume, for example without substantial damage to tissue adjacent the ejected volume.

Flash vaporization surgical systems

An optical fiber includes an internal fiber, an end surface, a first cap member and a second cap member. The internal fiber terminates at a fiber tip. The end surface transmits laser energy delivered through the internal fiber. The first cap member extends over the end surface and includes a first end on a first side of the end surface and a second end on a second side of the end surface. The second cap member extends over the first cap member and includes a first end on the first side of the end surface and a second end on the second side of the end surface, the second end of the second cap member is attached to the second end of the first cap member.

Flash vaporization surgical systems and method

A medical laser system and related methods of utilizing cooling within and around an optical fiber tip to prevent premature failure of the optical fiber. The optical fiber is surrounded by a protective jacket assembly including a body tube assembly, and a tip cap assembly. The body tube assembly includes an internal fiber jacket, and an external body tube with a body tube channel defined therebetween. The tip cap assembly includes an inner cap member and an outer cap member defining a cap irrigation channel therebetween. Together, the cap irrigation channel and body tube channel cooperatively define an internal irrigation channel. The optical fiber can be delivered to a treatment location through a cystoscope. Saline is directed through an external irrigation channel between the cystoscope and the protective jacket assembly, as well as the internal irrigation channel to cool the fiber tip and prevent overheating and failure of the optical fiber.

A laser configuration producing up to 100's of Watts of output is provided, based on a solid-state gain medium, a source of pump energy which is detuned from the maximum absorption wavelength for the gain medium, and optics arranged to deliver the pump energy through an end of the gain medium to propagate along the length of the gain medium. The length of the gain medium and the doping concentration in the gain medium are sufficient the absorption length is on the order of 10's of millimeters, and more than &#x2153; of the length, and that 90 percent or more of the pump energy is absorbed within two or fewer passes of the gain medium. A pump energy source that supplies 100 Watts to 1000 Watts or more.

High power, end pumped laser with off-peak pumping

A medical laser system and related methods of monitoring optical fibers to determine if an optical fiber cap on the optical fiber is in imminent danger of failure. The laser system includes a photodetector for converting returned light from the optical fiber cap to an electronic signal for comparison to a trigger threshold value known to be indicative imminent fiber cap failure. The returned light can be the main laser treatment wavelength, an auxiliary wavelength such as an aiming beam or infrared wavelengths generated by a temperature of the optical fiber cap. In the event the electronic signal reaches the trigger threshold value, the laser system can be temporarily shut-off or the power output can be reduced.

Fiber damage detection and protection device

A medical laser system is disclosed for ablating biological material. The system includes an Erbium:YAG gain medium capable of generating a pulsed output having a wavelength of 2.9 microns. The laser is optimized to generate a pulsed output having a repetition rate of at least 50 hertz and preferably at least 100 hertz. The output is delivered to the target tissue via an optical fiber. Preferably, a suction source is provided to aspirate the tissue as it is being ablated. The erbium laser system provides accurate ablation with minimal damage to surrounding tissue.

High repetition rate erbium: YAG laser for tissue ablation

A precision positioning mount for UV-cured adhesives that provides adhesive junctions between modular assembly mounts and structural elements. Contact edges are placed on a first fixating area of an adhesive junction. The contact edges are pronounced edges of faces that slide along a second fixating area during the adjustment process. Thus, the assembly modules and structural elements are precisely referenced before, during and after their positioning and orientating. First and second fixating areas form a cavity that provides a volume for the adhesive. The mounts and structural elements are preferably made of sapphire for increased thermal conductivity. The elements of the assembly mounts are modular and interchangeable and provide various positioning modes.

Adhesive precision positioning mount

Optical, opto-mechanical and electro-optical elements (OE) of a Laser resonance assembly (LRA) are positioned and fixated in close proximity on an assembly plate by clamping the OE in a vacuum chuck that holds the OE on a clamping portion on the very top of it. The OE is brought into the predetermined position while a lateral attaching surface of the OE is kept in a predetermined angle relative to the assembly plate. A side mount is placed between the mirror and the assembly plate after an UV-curing adhesive has been applied. The attaching surface s and the adhesive have a specific relation between areal extension, surface roughness, uncured viscosity and uncured cohesive force.

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Gerald Mitchell