Imra America, Inc.

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Carl Zeiss Meditec Ag

Dalsa Corporation

Honeywell G.m.b.h.

Vanderbilt University

Lockheed Martin Company

Mark P Bendett

James Stocker Webb

Jonathon D Wells

Charles A Lemaire

Donald J Harter

Gyu Cheon Cho

Ingmar Hartl

Salvatore F Nati

Xinhua Gu

Martin E Fermann

Mark Bischoff

Mario Gerlach

Lawrence Shah

Zhenlin Liu

Heather Anne Ralph

Dirk Muehlhoff

James M Owen

Matthew D Keller

Andrew Xing

Otho E Ulrich, Jr

Wayne A Gillis

Matthias P Savage-Leuchs

Charles I Miyake

Stacy R Kamasz

Gyu Choen Cho

Michael G Farrier

Fred S Ma

Dirk Mühlhoff

Charles E Hamilton

Almantas Galvanauskas

Anita Mahadevan-Jansen

Gregg D Sucha

Charles T Sullivan

Peter E Konrad

Bryan Joseph Norton

E Duco Jansen

Shuming Yuan

Robert W Royse

Michelle L Stock

Carl D Leonard

Masahiko Nakamura

Jonathan D Wells

Xinhu Gu

Austin R Duke

Alan Y Aral

Dirk MÜHLHOFF

A method for precise working of material, particularly organic tissue, comprises the step of providing laser pulses with a pulse length between 50 fs and 1 ps and with a pulse frequency from 50 kHz to 1 MHz and with a wavelength between 600 and 2000 nm for acting on the material to be worked. Apparatus, in accordance with the invention, for precise working of material, particularly organic tissue comprising a pulsed laser, wherein the laser has a pulse length between 50 fs and 1 ps and with a pulse frequency of from 50 kHz to 1 MHz is also described.

Method and apparatus for precision working of material

The invention describes classes of robust fiber laser systems usable as pulse sources for Nd: or Yb: based regenerative amplifiers intended for industrial settings. The invention modifies adapts and incorporates several recent advances in FCPA systems to use as the input source for this new class of regenerative amplifier.

Yb: and Nd: mode locked oscillators and fiber systems incorporated in solid-state short pulse laser systems

An electronic circuit for controlling a laser system consisting of a pulse source and high power fiber amplifier is disclosed. The circuit is used to control the gain of the high power fiber amplifier system so that the amplified output pulses have predetermined pulse energy as the pulse width and repetition rate of the oscillator are varied. This includes keeping the pulse energy constant when the pulse train is turned on. The circuitry is also used to control the temperature of the high power fiber amplifier pump diode such that the wavelength of the pump diode is held at the optimum absorption wavelength of the fiber amplifier as the diode current is varied. The circuitry also provides a means of protecting the high power fiber amplifier from damage due to a loss of signal from the pulse source or from a pulse-source signal of insufficient injection energy.

Method and apparatus for controlling and protecting pulsed high power fiber amplifier systems

A pulsed laser comprises an oscillator and amplifier. An attenuator and/or pre-compressor may be disposed between the oscillator and amplifier to improve performance and possibly the quality of pulses output from the laser. Such pre-compression may be implemented with spectral filters and/or dispersive elements between the oscillator and amplifier. The pulsed laser may have a modular design comprising modular devices that may have Telcordia-graded quality and reliability. Fiber pigtails extending from the device modules can be spliced together to form laser system. In one embodiment, a laser system operating at approximately 1050 nm comprises an oscillator having a spectral bandwidth of approximately 19 nm. This oscillator signal can be manipulated to generate a pulse having a width below approximately 90 fs. A modelocked linear fiber laser cavity with enhanced pulse-width control includes concatenated sections of both polarization-maintaining and non-polarization-maintaining fibers. Apodized fiber Bragg gratings and integrated fiber polarizers are included in the cavity to assist in linearly polarizing the output of the cavity. Very short pulses with a large optical bandwidth are obtained by matching the dispersion value of the fiber Bragg grating to the inverse of the dispersion of the intra-cavity fiber.

High power short pulse fiber laser

Yb: and Nd: mode-locked oscillators and fiber systems incorporated in solid-state short pulse laser systems

Method and apparatus for precision working of an eye

A nerve-stimulation device and method using light to provide a source of precise stimulation on one or more nerve fibers. In some embodiments, this simulation is provided through a device and method wherein a laser- or LED-light-generating source is operatively coupled to an optical fiber, which in turn is coupled to a plug in the end of a holder in a sheath. Light is then passed from the light source through the optical fiber to the holder and out a selected optical tip on the sheath to provide an efficacious amount of light to simulate nerves. In some embodiments, the device is constructed from non-magnetic material such as glass, plastic or ceramics. In some embodiments, the light emanating from the optical tip can be controlled manually or automatically. Some embodiments omit the fiber and use light directly from the laser diode.

Method and apparatus for optical stimulation of nerves and other animal tissue

Apparatus and method for making and using devices that generate optical signals, and optionally also electrical signals in combination with one or more such optical signals, to stimulate (i.e., trigger) and/or simulate a sensory-nerve signal in nerve and/or brain tissue of a living animal (e.g., a human), for example to treat nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) or the central nervous system (CNS) and provide sensations to stimulate and/or simulate 'sensory' signals in nerves and/or brain tissue of a living animal (e.g., a human) to treat other sensory deficiencies (e.g., touch, feel, balance, visual, taste, or olfactory) and provide sensations related to those sensory deficiencies, and/or to stimulate (i.e., trigger) and/or simulate a motor-nerve signal in nerve and/or brain tissue of a living animal (e.g., a human), for example to control a muscle or a robotic prosthesis.

Nerve-penetrating apparatus and method for optical and/or electrical nerve stimulation of peripheral nerves

Medical researchers use various optical devices for diagnosis, detection, treatment, and therapy. In some embodiments, they do not have the equipment necessary to determine how much light is emitted by the optical device or how far it penetrates tissue. The present invention provides for a method and apparatus for characterizing light from an optical device by using a tissue phantom. The method includes coupling light from an optical source into a device, transmitting the light through a tissue phantom, detecting a transmitted light, optionally electrically processing the detected output, and displaying the corresponding optical characterization. In some embodiments, the apparatus obtains input light from an optical source, and may include a tissue phantom, an optical detector, an electrical processing unit, and a display for displaying the corresponding optical characterization.

Apparatus and method for characterizing optical sources used with human and animal tissues

Optical bundle apparatus and method for optical and/or electrical nerve stimulation of peripheral nerves

YB: and ND: mode-locked oscilltors and fiber systems incorporated in solid-state short pulse laser systems

Apparatus and method for optical- or optical-and-electrical stimulation of e.g., auditory nerve pathways, for example spiral ganglion in the cochlea or neurons in the cochlear nerve. Several configurations for guiding and directing the optical stimulation are disclosed. Several configurations for guiding and directing the electrical field (used in some embodiments, for sensitization) in and through the destination tissue to which the optical stimulation is directed are disclosed. In some embodiments, and array of IR VCSELs emit stimulation light, in particular to tissue in the cochlea for restoring hearing. In some embodiments, an electrical signal is also applied in a manner that reduces the amount of light in a pulse that is otherwise needed to elicit a NAP. In some embodiments, a heat dissipater is used to spread the heat generated by operation of the lasers and their circuits, to avoid heat damage to the tissue.

Laser-based nerve stimulators for, E.G., hearing restoration in cochlear prostheses and method

A hand-held self-contained nerve-stimulation device and method using light to provide a source of precise stimulation on one or more nerve fibers. In some embodiments, this simulation is provided through a device and method wherein a laser- or LED-light source is mounted to the handpiece. Light is passed from the light source through optical tip to simulate nerves. In some embodiments, the device is constructed from non-magnetic material such as glass, plastic or ceramics. In some embodiments, the light emanating from the optical tip can be controlled manually or automatically. In some embodiments, the handpiece contains a self-contained power source, such as batteries. In some embodiments, the handpiece is at least in part, activated by remote control in order to prevent moving the handpiece during activation. Some embodiments include a unit operable to sense a response of nerve stimulation and to suppress a laser-ablation surgery operation.

Growing community of inventors

Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Mark P Bendett