U.S. patent application number 15/954443 was filed with the patent office on 2018-10-18 for optical fiber with smooth tip.
The applicant listed for this patent is LUMENIS LTD.. Invention is credited to Naim Ashraf, Arkady Khachaturov, Georg Kuka.
Application Number | 20180296271 15/954443 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51999467 |
Filed Date | 2018-10-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180296271 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ashraf; Naim ; et
al. |
October 18, 2018 |
OPTICAL FIBER WITH SMOOTH TIP
Abstract
A laser fiber has a distal end having a laser fiber face. A tip
addition is attached to or formed onto the fiber face. The material
of the tip addition one of fragments or melts when laser energy
from a suitable laser device is passed through the laser fiber and
through the tip addition.
Inventors: |
Ashraf; Naim; (Bonn, DE)
; Kuka; Georg; (Berlin, DE) ; Khachaturov;
Arkady; (Haifa, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
LUMENIS LTD. |
Yokneam |
|
IL |
|
|
Family ID: |
51999467 |
Appl. No.: |
15/954443 |
Filed: |
April 16, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14541038 |
Nov 13, 2014 |
9968404 |
|
|
15954443 |
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61904569 |
Nov 15, 2013 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B 2018/2222 20130101;
H01S 3/06708 20130101; A61B 2018/2205 20130101; A61B 18/22
20130101; A61B 18/24 20130101; A61B 2018/2288 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A61B 18/24 20060101
A61B018/24; H01S 3/067 20060101 H01S003/067; A61B 18/22 20060101
A61B018/22 |
Claims
1. A laser fiber, wherein the laser fiber has a distal end having a
laser fiber face; a tip addition attached to the laser fiber face;
the material of the tip addition comprising a material which
absorbs laser energy and one or more of fragments and melts;
wherein, upon impingement of laser energy through the laser to the
laser fiber face and to the tip addition, the tip addition one or
more of fragments and melts; and wherein the tip addition is formed
in a curved shaped surface.
2. The laser fiber of claim 1 wherein the tip addition is of a
diameter of equal to or greater than the diameter of the laser
fiber.
3. The laser fiber of claim 1 wherein the tip addition material is
selected from one or more of: epoxy, acrylate and UV-cured
glues.
4. The laser fiber of claim 3 wherein the tip addition material is
curable with UV energy.
5. The laser fiber of claim 1, wherein the curved shaped surface is
a smooth surface.
6. The laser fiber of claim 1, wherein the curved shaped surface is
formed in one of a spherically shaped surface or a hemispherically
shaped surface.
7. (canceled)
8. The laser fiber of claim 1, wherein the tip addition diameter is
selected to be greater than the diameter of the laser fiber but of
lesser diameter than the interior of an endoscope tube into which
it is inserted.
9. (canceled)
10. The laser fiber of claim 1, wherein the tip addition is formed
of a material which absorbs IR wavelengths of light.
11. The laser fiber of claim 1, wherein the tip addition is formed
of a Vitralit.RTM. glue.
12. The laser fiber of claim 1, wherein the tip addition comprises
a material which is one or transparent, translucent or
non-transparent.
13. The laser fiber of claim 1, wherein the material for the tip
addition is placed on the laser fiber face and laser energy through
the laser fiber cures the material of the tip addition onto the
laser fiber face.
14. A method of treating human tissue with a laser, comprising:
providing a laser fiber; attaching a tip addition to the distal end
of the laser fiber, the tip addition being one of a frangible or
meltable upon the application of laser energy through the laser
fiber and wherein the tip addition is formed in a curved shaped
surface; inserting the laser fiber into an endoscope tube;
extending the laser fiber out of the endoscope tube; applying laser
energy through the laser fiber to impinge on the tip addition and
cause the tip addition to one of fragment and melt; and providing
laser treatment to the human tissue.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 14/541,038, filed Nov. 13, 2014, which is related to U.S.
Provisional Application No. 61/904,569, filed Nov. 15, 2013, to
which priority is claimed and the entire disclosure of which is
herein incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The field of the present invention relates to endoscopes and
to optical fibers contained within such endoscopes which are
utilized in medical and other procedures for light-based, primarily
laser-based, treatment of internal bodily organs.
BACKGROUND
[0003] It is a known technique to introduce an endoscopic
instrument into the internal organs of a human for the purposes of
either observation and/or the treatment of such internal organs. In
a known manner, an endoscope is introduced into the body.
Typically, the endoscope is a hollow tube of a specified dimension
which is able to be introduced into a particular body organ.
Endoscopes are well-known in the medical art and are used to
perform various procedures, such as removal of tissue samples,
observing the bodily organ, and performing laser-based
procedures.
[0004] One procedure which is well-known is the introduction of an
endoscope and an included laser fiber to break up, for example,
kidney stones. Typically, as shown in FIG. 1, the distal end of the
laser fiber is flat and orthogonal to the axis of the laser fiber.
One reason for this is that the operator of the laser device wants
to be able to manipulate the laser fiber within the endoscope so
that it fires, when actuated, in the direction to which the fiber
points. There are, however, a number of problems that exist in the
art with the use of so-called flat face laser fibers.
[0005] One of these problems is that while the endoscope interior
may be smooth, the flat tip possesses an edge all about the
periphery of the flat tip which may get caught or stuck within the
endoscope, particularly when the endoscope must be made to bend to
be able to enter the internal passages of the human body and into,
for example, the human kidney. Also, due to the fiber being of a
very small diameter, for that very reason it presents sharp edges
that may get caught in or perforate the endoscope. The flat tip has
been known in the past to perforate the endoscope tube itself,
which causes a number of problems in the procedure, including the
entry of bodily fluids into the endoscope and damage to the flat
tip edges which may affect the aiming of the laser beam. Even if
the flat tip does not perforate the endoscope tube, the flat tip
has been found to get partially stuck within the tube particularly
around corners, and this causes problems in the operator's handling
of the laser fiber as it is maneuvered within the endoscope and
positioning within the body organ such as a kidney. It is known in
the field of catheters and laser fibers that a skilled operator may
maneuver in position the catheter or laser fiber largely at least
partially by its "feel" and when the flat laser tip engages the
inner walls of the endoscope that feel and feedback may be
compromised.
[0006] Thus, the problem exists that while a flat tip is desirable
if not necessary for a laser-based application requiring firing of
the laser along the axis of the laser fiber, the very use of a flat
tip laser fiber through an endoscope can cause any one a more the
problems discussed above. Therefore, there is a need for a solution
to this problem, so that a flat tip is presented when it exits the
endoscope for treatment purposes yet does not get hung up within
the endoscopic tube.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a prior art flat tip laser
fiber.
[0008] FIG. 2 is an illustration of an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0009] FIG. 3 is an illustration of the apparatus into which an
embodiment of the present invention is associated.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0010] In one aspect, a laser fiber may have a distal end and a
laser fiber face; a tip addition is attached to the laser fiber
face; the material of the tip addition may include a material which
absorbs laser energy and one of fragments and melts; upon sending
laser energy through the laser to the laser fiber face and to the
tip addition, the tip addition one of fragments and melts.
[0011] In another aspect, the tip addition may be of a diameter of
equal to or greater than the diameter of the laser fiber.
[0012] In another aspect, the tip addition material may be selected
from one or more of: epoxy, acrylate and UV-cured glues.
[0013] In another aspect, the tip addition material may be curable
with UV energy.
[0014] In yet another aspect, the tip addition on the laser fiber
face may form a smooth surface. The tip addition may have a
spherical surface.
[0015] In another aspect, the tip addition diameter may be selected
to be greater than the diameter of the laser fiber but of lesser
diameter than the interior of an endoscope tube into which it is
inserted.
[0016] In another aspect, a method of treating human tissue with a
laser includes: providing a laser fiber; attaching a tip addition
to the distal end of the laser fiber; the tip addition may be one
of frangible or meltable upon the application of laser energy
through the laser fiber; inserting the laser fiber into an
endoscope tube; extending the laser fiber out of the endoscope
tube; applying laser energy through the laser fiber to impinge on
the tip addition and cause the tip addition to one of fragment and
melt; and providing laser treatment to the human tissue.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Referring now to the drawing FIG. 1, that figure as noted
above shows a prior art embodiment in which the laser fiber
possesses a flat tip. As can be seen from the drawing, the sharp
edges surrounding the face of the flat tip can get caught on the
inner tube of the endoscope causing difficulty in maneuvering the
laser fiber or, as mentioned above, even perforate the endoscopic
tube, causing a disruption if not an abandonment of the medical
procedure being performed. In addition, depending on the strength
of the laser fiber materials versus the endoscopic material,
collision of the sharp edges of the flat fiber tip with the
interior of the endoscope may cause the fiber tip face to chip or
become scratched due to the collision with the endoscope interior,
and this may cause the laser beam when activated to not fire in a
direction along the axis of the laser beam which may cause
unintended damage to the bodily organ under treatment.
[0018] Thus, what is needed is a device in which the face of the
laser fiber while going through the endoscope is not flat with
sharp edges yet when in operation possesses a flat face for the
purposes of accurately directing the laser beam. It is clear that
given the limited access within an endoscopic tube that a smooth
cap which is somehow mechanically removable is not feasible.
Turning now to FIG. 2, the figure illustrates one aspect of the
present invention. As can be seen, a laser fiber 1 is contained
with a shrinkwrap jacket 2. At the flat face end 3 of the laser
fiber 1, a spherical tip 4 has been attached by suitable means to
the end the laser fiber. Of course, while shown in the drawing as
being spherical, the addition to the tip can be of any suitable
shape, the desire and design being that the tip addition is smooth
and does not have sharp edges which may interfere with the passage
of the laser fiber through the endoscope. The tip addition may be,
as shown on FIG. 2, of a diameter greater than that of the laser
fiber, but may also be of a diameter the same as a lesson that of
the laser fiber, so long as the tip addition engaging the interior
of the endoscope is smooth rather than sharp. FIG. 3 illustrates
the dimensions of the tip with respect to its fiber as well as the
tip used in conjunction with a known optical fiber of the assignee
of the present invention.
[0019] The tip addition may be attached to the flat face of the
laser tip in any number of known ways. It may be, for example,
glued to the flat face of the laser fiber, or even more simply the
tip addition may itself be a dab of glue which is formed into a
spherical or other smooth shape. The dab of glue may be applied to
the flat face end of the laser fiber in a non-cured form which,
when cured, would present a smooth surface due to surface tension
as well as become attached to the flat face of the laser fiber. The
question then remains as to how the tip addition is removed when
the endoscope is in place and the laser fiber extended ready for
the application of a laser beam through the fiber to the target
tissue. The tip addition may be made of a material that will be
either shattered or melted or otherwise destroyed when a suitable
laser beam is applied to the laser fiber. Once the tip addition
removed by either being shattered or otherwise destroyed, the flat
face of the laser beam may then be applied to the target tissue.
One glue which has been found to perform well is Vitralit.RTM.
6108T, available from Panocol of Taunus, Germany, but this is by
way of example only and other glues or other materials may be used
as well. The material chosen for the tip addition preferably is one
which would have a high absorption capacity for the laser beam that
impinges on it from the fiber tip end face. Otherwise, the beam
would pass through the tip addition without destroying the tip
addition which may cause less effective treatment of the target
tissue due to light scattering and partial absorption of the laser
beam energy by the tip addition.
[0020] The tip addition may, as disclosed above, comprise a
glue-like substance, but also may be of any material which, upon
the application of a laser beam to the material, would fracture or
otherwise melt or disintegrate. One suitable glue which may be
selected is one of the Vitralit.RTM. family of glues, including
Vitralit.RTM. 6108T. Other suitable materials may include materials
which absorb IR wavelengths such as: epoxy, acrylate, and UV-cured
glues, or any type of polymeric material in a liquid amorphic phase
that may then be cured. The materials selected for the tip addition
may vary in composition depending upon the particular wavelength
and power of the laser beam applied to the flat end of the laser
fiber. A suitable tip addition material for use with a laser of
2100 nm may selected from epoxy materials, acrylate materials and
UV-cured glues. However, any suitable material may be chosen so
long as that material is shattered, melted or otherwise destroyed
by the laser beam. The material may be transparent to allow for
some visualization by the operator, or the tip addition material
may be comprised of a non-transparent material that would better
absorb the laser beam energy and fracture or otherwise be
destroyed.
[0021] Curing of the tip addition onto the fiber end face may be
performed in any number of ways. For example, one or a plurality of
fibers may be placed in a suitable holding apparatus, an amount of
glue placed at the fiber end face and then suitable energy, for
example, laser energy, used to cure the tip addition. In addition,
a suitable energy source, including a laser source, may be applied
to the distal end of the fiber, travel through the fiber to the
fiber face and impinge on and cure a drop of glue which has been
placed on the fiber end face.
[0022] By way of example only, if the fiber is of a diameter of
230.mu., the tip addition may be of a diameter of 450.mu., although
the tip addition will, of course, need to be small enough to fit
within the interior of the endoscope tube.
EXAMPLE 1
[0023] An endoscope of interior diameter 3.6 FR was chosen. A laser
fiber of outside diameter 400 um was also selected. The distal end
of the laser fiber was finished with a flat face and a dab of glue
comprising Vitralit.RTM. and of diameter 450 um affixed to the flat
face and the dab of glue cured. The laser fiber was then introduced
into the endoscope tube. It was then observed that the laser fiber
moved through the endoscope without causing damage to the endoscope
or getting hung up within the endoscope. The end of the laser fiber
was passed all the way through the endoscope tube until it exited
the end of the tube and could be observed. A laser beam of 2100 nm
and a minimum power of 0.26 J was then passed through the laser
fiber and was observed to shatter the tip addition.
[0024] The above example is but one example of the ways in which
the tip addition may be utilized. Other diameter laser fibers,
other diameter tip additions, other material tip additions and
other lasers may be used within the scope of the present invention.
While the tip addition is shown in FIG. 2 as spherical, the tip
addition may be hemispherical and of the same or greater than or
less than the diameter of the laser fiber.
* * * * *