US 2011/0032958 A1 · ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS FOR ELECTROMAGNETICALLY INDUCED MECHANICAL CUTTING

Abstract

Output optical energy pulses including relatively high energy magnitudes at the beginning of each pulse are disclosed. As a result of the relatively high energy magnitudes which lead each pulse, the leading edge of each pulse includes a relatively large slope. This slope is preferably greater than or equal to 5. Additionally, the full-width half-max value of the output optical energy distributions are between 0.025 and 250 microseconds and, more preferably, are about 70 microseconds. A flashlamp is used to drive the laser system, and a current is used to drive the flashlamp. A flashlamp current generating circuit includes a solid core inductor which has an inductance of 50 microhenries and a capacitor which has a capacitance of 50 microfarads.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An apparatus for imparting forces onto a tissue target surface, comprising:

a first component including a fluid output configured to place fluid into a first vicinity relative to the fluid output;
and
a second component including an excitation source configured to direct electromagnetic energy to a second vicinity for at least partial absorption by the fluid, the first vicinity and the second vicinity intersecting in a volume relative to the fluid output, wherein the excitation source outputs the electromagnetic energy in a form of at least one output pulse which has a plurality of leading micropulses greater in intensity than one or more other micropulses of the output pulse and which is sufficient to impart amounts of energy into at least part of the fluid in the volume, the amounts of energy imparted into the fluid being sufficient to cause the fluid to expand wherein during use disruptive cutting or ablating forces can be directed toward a tissue target surface.

An apparatus for combining components in a volume to effectuate generation of expansive forces within the volume, the apparatus comprising:

an atomizer configured to generate a combination of atomized fluid particles comprising water, and to place the combination of atomized fluid particles into a first vicinity relative to the atomizer;
and
a laser output configured to emit electromagnetic energy having a wavelength in a range from about 1.73 um to about 2.95 um in a direction toward a second vicinity for at least partial absorption by the atomized fluid particles, the first vicinity and the second vicinity intersecting in a volume relative to the fluid output and the laser output in use focusing, or placing a peak concentration of, the electromagnetic energy into the volume, wherein the laser output in use emits the electromagnetic energy in a form of at least one output pulse which has a plurality of leading micropulses greater in magnitude than one or more other micropulses of the output pulse and which is sufficient in use to impart amounts of energy into at least part of the water in the volume, the amounts of energy imparted into the water being sufficient in use to cause the atomized fluid particles to absorb at least part of the electromagnetic energy and expand wherein during such use the expansive forces are capable of being generated to propagate in a direction at least partially away from the apparatus.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electromagnetic energy distributions for electromagnetically induced mechanical cutting

Life of this patent

Electromagnetic energy distributions for electromagnetically induced mechanical cutting

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22