Multifiber Instrument for Contact Laser Surgery

• US 20080287933A1
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: El.En. S.p.A
• Original Assignee: El.En. S.p.A
• Inventors: Pini, Roberto
• Application Number:
  US12/067,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20080287933A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/10
• 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 2018/207 mixing two wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2211 Plurality of fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0096 Portable laser equipment, e.g. hand-held laser apparatus surgical laser instruments A61B18/20, Dental Lasers A61C1/0046, Hand-held laser dental apparatus for curing resins A61C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0608 in the same heat affected zone [HAZ] B23K26/0613, B23K26/0619 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/262 Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2804 forming multipart couplers without wavelength selective elements, e.g. "T" couplers, star couplers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4296 coupling with sources of high radiant energy, e.g. high power lasers, high temperature light sources

Abstract

The surgical instrument comprises a handpiece (1), associated with which is a tip (5) forming a wave guide and terminating with an operating end, intended to act on the tissues and from which a laser radiation is emitted and which receives said laser radiation from fiber optic means (4). The tip is implemented to collect the laser emission coming from a plurality of optical fibers couplable with said tip at a coupling face and to convey said laser emissions towards said operating end.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument for laser surgery, comprising:

a handpiece, associated with which is a tip forming a waveguide and terminating with an operating end, designed to act on the tissues and from which a laser radiation is emitted and which receives said laser radiation from a fiber optic device wherein said tip is designed to collect the laser emission coming from a plurality of optical fibers couplable with said tip at a coupling face and to convey said laser emissions towards said operating end.

2. Instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein said operating end has a tapered shape.

3. Instrument as claimed in claim 2, wherein said operating end has a truncated-cone shape.

4. Instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tip has an input portion, between said face for coupling with the optical fibers and said operating end, with a substantially constant cross section.

5. Instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tip has a substantially cylindrical input portion.

6. Instrument as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a connector inside which said tip is fixed, said connector having means for coupling with a terminal, inside which first ends of a plurality of optical fibers are inserted, the second ends of which receive laser emission of respective laser radiation sources.

7. Instrument as claimed in claim 6, wherein said coupling means are screw means.

8. Instrument as claimed in claim 7, wherein said connector comprises an at least partly threaded through hole, fixed inside which is said tip, which projects from the connector from the side opposite to the coupling side between said connector and said terminal.

9. Instrument as claimed in claim 8, wherein said terminal constitutes the final part of a tubular element through which said fibers pass and integral with a handgrip of said handpiece.

10. Instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tip is made of a sapphire.

11. Instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein said operating end of the tip is configured to emit a highly divergent laser beam which acts on the tissues by contact of said operating end on said tissues.

15. Instrument as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tip has an input portion, between said face for coupling with the optical fibers and said operating end, with a substantially constant cross section.

16. Instrument as claimed in claim 3, wherein said tip has an input portion, between said face for coupling with the optical fibers and said operating end, with a substantially constant cross section.

17. Instrument as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tip has a substantially cylindrical input portion.

12. A surgical device comprising:

a plurality of laser sources and a surgical instrument comprising a handpiece, associated with which is a tip forming a waveguide and terminating with an operating end, designed to act on the tissues and from which a laser radiation is emitted and which receives said laser radiation from a fiber optic device wherein said tip is designed to collect the laser emission coming from a plurality of optical fibers couplable with said tip at a coupling face and to convey said laser emissions towards said operating end;

a plurality of optical fibers, associated with said laser sources, connecting said laser sources to the tip of said instrument.

13. A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said laser sources emit at least two different wavelengths, the emissions at said different wavelengths being combined in the tip of said instrument.

14. Device as claimed in claim 13, wherein a first wavelength is selected to obtain a cutting effect of the tissues and a second wavelength is selected to obtain a hemostatic effect of the vessels severed by the first wavelength.