Suppression of devitrification in surgical fiber optics
AssigneeCyclone Biosciences, LLC
InventorStephen E. Griffin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tubular optically-transparent device structured as a terminating cap for an optical fiber is configured to deliver laser radiation from the optical fiber substantially radially (generally—transversely to the axis of the cap) while at the same time spatially-redistributing the radiant intensity at a point of interaction of laser radiation with a wall of the cap to reduce material damage of the material of the cap thereby reducing tissue adhesion during surgery performed with the use of the device including such optical fiber and cap. A method for operating the same.
Claims21
An article of manufacture comprising:
- an optical fiber termination cap that includes:
- an optically-transparent tube having a tube axis, an open end dimensioned to receive an optical fiber along a tube axis, and a closed end;
- an optical element that has an output optical element surface transverse to the tube axis and that is configured inside the tube
- (i) to receive light along the tube axis from the open end and,
- (ii) upon interaction of said light with the output optical element surface, to form a first beam of light having a first degree of spatial divergence and directed transversely to the tube axis along an output axis through a wall of the tube;
- wherein the wall of the tube contains a surface relief structure intersecting said output axis, the surface relief structure being configured to transmit the first beam of light therethrough while changing the first degree of spatial divergence to a different second degree of spatial divergence.
A method comprising:
- interacting light, propagating axially within an optical termination cap from an open end of an optical termination cap towards a closed end of the optical termination cap, with an optical body that is located inside the optical termination cap and that has an optical body output surface transverse to an optical termination cap axis, wherein said optical termination cap includes an optically-transparent tube having said open end, said closed end, and said optical termination cap axis;
- upon so interacting, forming a first beam of light having a first degree of spatial divergence and directed transversely to the optical termination cap axis and along an output axis through a wall of the tube;
- and
- transforming the first beam of light into a second beam of light having a second degree of spatial divergence by transmitting the first beam of light through a surface relief structure on the wall of the tube, the second degree of spatial divergence being different from the first degree of spatial divergence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.