Laser fiber varying lateral position and intensity
AssigneeGyrus ACMI, Inc.
InventorsKurt G. Shelton, Masayasu Chida, Sergey A. Bukesov, Brian M. Talbot, Vladimir Polejaev
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Abstract
A lithotripsy or other medical laser treatment system can include a lateral actuator to laterally displace a distal portion of a laser fiber, such as can be scanned or otherwise controlled to generate a spatial or spatiotemporal sub-targeting pattern without requiring laterally moving an endoscope carrying the laser fiber in a longitudinal passage such as a working channel. A targeted stone can be selectively weakened along the pattern, such as using lower energy pulses, before being fragmented, such as by a higher energy shock pulse.
Claims35
A laser therapy system to permit delivering therapeutic laser energy from different lateral positions, the laser therapy system comprising:
- an endoscope defining a longitudinal passage;
- an optical fiber, including a distal portion that is configured to be inserted into a patient via the longitudinal passage of the endoscope,
- at least one actuator, the at least one actuator configured to controllably actuate the distal portion of the optical fiber to be adjustably positioned, at least laterally, within the longitudinal passage at a selected position of a plurality of laterally displaced positions within the longitudinal passage of the endoscope, wherein the adjustably positioned optical fiber is configured to direct therapeutic laser energy to the patient;
- and
- a stabilizer stage within the longitudinal passage, the stabilizer stage including, at the plurality of laterally displaced positions, a plurality of grooves or recesses each shaped to receive and stabilize the distal portion of the optical fiber after being positioned by the at least one actuator.
A method of delivering therapeutic laser energy via an endoscope to permit at least laterally re-orienting a laser beam with respect to a target region without requiring moving the endoscope, the method comprising:
- providing an optical fiber configured to extend through a longitudinal passage of the endoscope, and to deliver the therapeutic laser energy produced by a laser source;
- issuing or receiving a control signal to actuate, via at least one actuator, positioning of a distal portion of the optical fiber at least laterally within the longitudinal passage of the endoscope at a selected position of a plurality of laterally displaced positions within the longitudinal passage of the endoscope;
- and
- receiving and stabilizing, via a stabilizer stage within the longitudinal passage, the distal portion of the optical fiber into one of a plurality of grooves or recesses of the stabilizer stage located at the plurality of laterally displaced positions after being positioned by the at least one actuator.
A laser therapy system for delivering therapeutic laser energy to permit at least laterally re-orienting a laser beam toward a target, the system comprising:
- an endoscope defining a longitudinal passage;
- an optical fiber configured to extend through the longitudinal passage of the endoscope,
- means for issuing or receiving a control signal to actuate at least one actuator, to adjustably position a distal portion of the optical fiber at a selected position of a plurality of laterally displaced positions within the longitudinal passage of the endoscope;
- and
- means for receiving and stabilizing the distal portion of the optical fiber into one of a plurality of grooves or recesses at the plurality of laterally displaced positions after being positioned by the at least one actuator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.