USA as Represented by Secretary of the Navy

The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of

Other

The United States of America as Represented by the Department of Health

Ronald W Waynant

John F Reintjes

Mark Bashkansky

Lawrence L Tankersley

Rita Mahon

Clad P Christensen, Jr

Michael D Duncan

Morton Fink

Leonard Epp

A blocking device is non-surgically inserted in a duct of a reproductive system of either a male or female subject. The device may be in the form of a stent including an expandable section for sealingly engaging the duct to effect sterilization by preventing passage of gametes therethrough. The stent preferably includes a predetermined portion which is ablatable by application of a known intensity of laser irradiation. When desired, a laser beam may be used to ablate the portion of the blocking device in order to reopen the duct and to re-establish fertility of the subject. One embodiment of the device includes a guiding segment for guiding a fiber optic device to a position adjacent the ablatable portion and for accurate application of the laser beam thereto, thereby reducing potential organic damage from a misdirected laser beam. In another embodiment, the stent includes a collapsible frame structure compressed by a spring, and a central ablatable blocking portion. Upon release of the spring, the frame expands to engage the duct.

Method and device for reversible sterilization

Optical fiber devices for medical purposes and a method of making optical fiber devices. In one embodiment particularly suitable for laser surgery an optical fiber device is provided which includes an capsule which secures a lens element adjacent to an end of an optical fiber. The capsule includes fluid passageways which extend along the length thereof through which a temperature controlled fluid may be caused to flow. In another embodiment particularly suitable for providing a wide area of illumination an optical fiber device is provided which includes a main optical fiber element and a plurality of auxiliary optical fiber elements which are optically coupled thereto. The auxiliary optical fiber elements have terminal ends which project light that is transmitted through the main optical fiber.

Focusing tips for optical fibers

A laser energy excitation and delivery device which includes a coaxial system of tubes having an annular space therebetween. A lasing or pumping gas is provided in the annular space and subjected to radio frequency discharge which results in the generation of laser radiation. The resulting laser radiation is propagated through and delivered from a section of the device which includes an extension of the innermost tube or an extension of each of the tubes. One embodiment of the device includes a central passageway though which various materials, including a guide wire, can pass. The device has particular utility for medical and surgical procedures.

Method of exciting laser action and delivering laser energy for medical

An apparatus for the time-gated optical examination of objects that are p of, embedded in or viewed through dense scattering materials is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises: a light source for producing a first light pulse and a pump light pulse, each of the first and pump light pulses having a preselected pulse width at a preselected pump wavelength; a Raman generator for shifting the wavelength of the first light pulse to a preselected Stokes wavelength to form Stokes light; a first optical train for transmitting the Stokes light through the dense scattering material to obtain Stokes light comprised of a relatively small, image-bearing signal component including unscattered Stokes light or Stokes light with minimal deviation due to scattering, light followed in time by a relatively large amount of light scattered by the dense scattering material; a Raman amplifier; an optical system for transporting the Stokes light from the dense scattering material to the Raman amplifier; a variable delay path disposed between the light source and the Raman amplifier for varying the transit time of the pump pulse to cause the pump pulse to overlap in time with the signal component of Stokes light at the Raman amplifier, the Raman amplifier only amplifying the signal component of Stokes light that is overlapped in time by the pump pulse; and a two-dimensional detector for detecting the amplified signal component of Stokes light.

Time-gated imaging through dense-scattering materials using stimulated

A laser device pumped by RF microwaves at frequencies in the range of 8 to 12 GHz (X-band). An optical cavity containing a lasing medium is located within an RF cavity resonant at a frequency in the X-band. X-band RF energy is supplied from an RF source to a waveguide. A coupling plate, forming a common wall between the waveguide and the RF cavity, couples the RF energy from the waveguide into the cavity to produce a standing wave pattern therein which excites the lasing medium. Various coupling plate designs are disclosed. In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of separate optical cavities containing separate lasing media are located within the RF cavity and are commonly excited by the microwave energy.

Laser pumped by X-band microwaves

A device and method for synchronous generation and amplification of tunable UV laser radiation. The system makes use of flat plate conductors which contain first and second parallel spaced channels therein. In the first channel, a N.sub.2 discharge produces a N.sub.2 laser pulse which excites a dye cell laser that generates a narrow radiation spectrum. Optical grating dispersion elements select two tunable frequencies which produces a colinear two laser beam output. The two beam pulse is directed into a gas or vapor cell with a resonantly enhanced third order susceptibility which mixes the two frequencies and results in a vacuum ultraviolet signal. The signal from the gas or vapor cell is transmitted by a rotatable, movable mirror vacuum optical path, with variable pulse delay, to the second channel where it is injected into the discharge in the second channel at the instant that gain is available. Triggering switches with consecutive delays are fired to produce an electromagnetic wave with a wave front at an angle with the channels with the wave traveling continuously along the length of the plates which pumps the nitrogen in the first channel and then the appropriate gases in the second channel to drive an optical pulse along the length of the second channel.

Method and device for synchronous generation and amplification of

An electrode switch arrangement for producing a fast-rise, long-path-length, uniform electron beam for short wavelength laser pumping.

Growing community of inventors

Laurel, MD, United States of America

Ronald W Waynant