Illumination device and related methods

• US 20050256516A1
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biolase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Dmitri Boutoussov
• Inventors: Boutoussov, Dmitri
• Granted Patent: US 7,563,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/22 the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; Couplings or hand-pieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/306 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/30 Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/0046 Dental lasers surgical lasers A61B18/20; working by laser beam in general B23K26/00; lasers per se H01S3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/088 Illuminating devices or attachments for examination of the mouth A61B1/24 and A61B1/06

Abstract

An illumination device for medical and dental procedures is described. The illumination device includes an elongate body configured to contain two or more optical fibers to transmit electromagnetic energy from a power source toward a target surface. The distal end of the illumination device is illustrated as a unitary structure, and the proximal end is illustrated as having multiple proximal end members. The illumination device includes two or more optical fibers for transmitting energy toward the distal end, and at least one optical fiber for transmitting energy from the distal end toward the proximal end of the device.

Claims

1. An illumination device comprising an elongate body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a hollow interior dimensioned to accommodate a plurality of light transmitters, the proximal end of the elongate body including at least two proximal members, each proximal member having a hollow interior to accommodate at least one light transmitter and in communication with the hollow interior of the elongate body so that the at least one light transmitter extends from the proximal end of the elongate body to the distal end of the elongate body.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least two proximal members comprises three optical fibers.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein at the distal end the at least two proximal end members form a hollow interior dimensioned to accommodate at least one optical fiber.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the at least two proximal members comprises a first proximal member, a second proximal member, and a third proximal member;

the first proximal member, the second proximal member and the third proximal member each have an equal inner diameter; and

the proximal end of the elongate body further includes a fourth proximal member having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the first proximal member and the second proximal member.

17. The device as set forth in any of claims 1-16, wherein the device further comprises a fluid output for directing fluid toward a target surface when electromagnetic energy is directed from the hand piece.

18. The device as set forth in claim 17, wherein:

the device generates and outputs a laser beam;

the fluid comprises atomized fluid particles emitted from the fluid output above the target surface so that in use portions of the atomized fluid particles intersect the laser beam above the target surface.

19. The device as set forth in claim 18, wherein the target surface comprises one of bone, teeth, cartilage and soft tissue and the atomized fluid particles comprise water.

20. The device as set forth in claim 18, wherein the laser beam is configured to impart relatively large amounts of energy into the atomized fluid particles in the volume above the target surface to thereby expand the atomized fluid particles and impart disruptive forces onto the target surface.

21. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein:

the fluid output is configured to place water into the volume; and

the device comprises one of an Er;

YAG, an Er;

YSGG, an Er, Cr;

YSGG and a CTE;

YAG laser.

5. An illumination device comprising an elongate body having a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion comprising a unitary distal portion tube having a lumen, and the proximal portion including a plurality of proximal portion tubes, each proximal portion tube having a lumen in communication with the lumen of the distal portion tube of the elongate body.

6. The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the distal portion and proximal portion of the elongate body are integrally formed.

7. The device as set forth in claim 5, and further comprising a first, a second, and a third, and a fourth proximal portion tube.

8. The device as set forth in claim 7, wherein three of the four proximal portion tubes have similar diameters.

9. The device as set forth in claim 7, wherein the first proximal portion tube, second and the third proximal portion tube each contain three optical fibers disposed in the lumen of the respective proximal portion tubes, and the fourth proximal portion tube contains one optical fibers disposed in the lumen of the fourth proximal portion tube.

10. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein each of the first and second proximal portion tubes contains a plurality of optical fibers fused together.

11. The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the elongate body is about 1.5 meters in length and the proximal portion of the elongate body is about 5 centimeters in length.

12. The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the distal portion and the proximal portion are made of a flexible material.

13. The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the distal portion includes a region that is rigid and straight relative to the proximal portion of the elongate body.

14. The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the distal portion includes a light emitting output end, and the device further comprises at least one mirror distally located to the light emitting output end.

15. The device as set forth in claim 14, comprising a first mirror constructed to reflect electromagnetic energy provided by an erbium laser, and a second mirror constructed to reflect visible light.

16. The device as set forth in claim 14, further comprising a hand piece dimensioned to be held by a user'"'"'s hand, the hand piece being coupled to the distal end of the elongate body to direct electromagnetic energy from the hand piece.