FOCUSED NEAR-INFRARED LASERS FOR NON-INVASIVE VASECTOMY AND OTHER THERMAL COAGULATION OR OCCLUSION PROCEDURES

• US 20140188092A1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Omni Medsci, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omni Medsci, Inc.
• Inventors: Islam, Mohammed N.
• Application Number:
  US14/108,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20140188092A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/3
• 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 2018/00029 open
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00458 Deeper parts of the skin, e.g. treatment of vascular disorders or port wine stains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00589 Coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0624 for eliminating microbes, germs, bacteria on or in the body

Abstract

Focused infrared light at wavelengths selected to target tissue below the skin may be used in a non-invasive procedure for vasectomies, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, or fungal nail infections. Infrared light from various sources selected for a particular application may be focused so that the cone of light has lower intensity on the skin/outer tissue and higher intensity at a desired depth to cause thermal coagulation or occlusion of the target tissue beneath the skin. Surface cooling techniques, such as cryogenic sprays or contact cooling may be used to protect the skin. More generally, the focused infrared light with or without surface cooling may be used in applications for thermally coagulating or occluding relatively shallow vessels while protecting or minimizing damage to outer layers of the tissue or skin.

Claims

1. A therapeutic system comprising:

a light source generating an output optical beam, comprising;

a plurality of semiconductor sources generating an input optical beam;

a multiplexer configured to receive at least a portion of the input optical beam and to form an intermediate optical beam; and

one or more fibers configured to receive at least a portion of the intermediate optical beam and to form the output optical beam, wherein the output optical beam comprises one or more optical wavelengths, and wherein at least a portion of the one of more fibers is a fused silica fiber with a core diameter less than approximately 400 microns;

an interface device configured to receive a received portion of the output optical beam and to deliver a delivered portion of the output optical beam to a sample, wherein the interface device comprises one or more lenses to focus at least a part of the delivered portion of the output optical beam on the sample, and wherein the interface device further comprises a surface cooling apparatus to reduce damage to a top surface of the sample; and

wherein at least the part of the delivered portion of the output optical beam penetrates into the sample a depth of 1.5 millimeters or more, wherein at least some of the part of the delivered portion of the output optical beam is at least partially absorbed in the sample to thermally damage at least a part of the sample, and wherein the output optical beam comprises a fluence less than about 250 Joules per centimeter squared.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the damage to at least the part of the sample is a thermal coagulation or occlusion procedure, and the sample comprises a skin.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the output optical beam comprises a pulse width less than several milliseconds, and wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical wavelengths is near 980 nanometers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more lenses comprise a cylindrical lens, and wherein the one or more lenses focus at least the part of the delivered portion of the output optical beam on the sample so that the focused output optical beam overcomes a Beer'"'"'s law attenuation in the sample.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluence of the part of the delivered portion of the output optical beam is between approximately 30 and about 250 Joules per centimeter squared.

6. A therapeutic system comprising:

a light source generating an output optical beam, comprising;

one or more semiconductor sources generating an input optical beam;

one or more fibers configured to receive at least a portion of the input optical beam and to form an intermediate optical beam; and

a light guide configured to receive at least a portion of the intermediate optical beam and to form the output optical beam, wherein the output optical beam comprises one or more optical wavelengths;

an interface device configured to receive a received portion of the output optical beam and to deliver a delivered portion of the output optical beam to a sample, wherein the interface device comprises one or more lenses to focus at least a part of the delivered portion of the output optical beam on the sample, and wherein the interface device further comprises a surface cooling apparatus to reduce damage to a top surface of the sample, and wherein the interface device is a non-invasive device;

wherein at least some of the part of the delivered portion of the output optical beam penetrates into the sample a depth of 1.5 millimeters or more, and wherein at least some of the part of the delivered portion of the output optical beam is at least partially absorbed in the sample to thermally damage at least a part of the sample.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the light source comprises a plurality of semiconductor sources generating the input optical beam and a multiplexer configured to receive at least a part of the input optical beam and further coupled to the one or more fibers.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the semiconductor sources are selected from the group consisting of semiconductor lasers, super-luminescent diodes, and light emitting diodes.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical wavelengths is near 980 nanometers.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more lenses focus at least the part of the delivered portion of the output optical beam on the sample so that the focused output optical beam overcomes a Beer'"'"'s law attenuation in the sample.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the surface cooling apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a cryo-spray, an air cooling and a liquid cooled surface approximately in contact with the sample.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the damage to at least the part of the sample is a thermal coagulation or occlusion procedure.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the sample comprises a vas deferens and a scrotum skin.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the output optical beam comprises a pulse width less than several milliseconds.

15. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more lenses comprise a cylindrical lens or a lenslet array.

16. The system of claim 6, wherein the output optical beam comprises a fluence less than approximately 250 Joules per centimeter squared.

17. A method of therapy comprising:

generating an output optical beam, comprising;

generating an input optical beam from one or more semiconductor sources;

forming an intermediate optical beam after propagating at least a portion of the input optical beam through one or more fibers; and

guiding at least a portion of the intermediate optical beam and forming the output optical beam, wherein the output optical beam comprises one or more optical wavelengths;

receiving at least a received portion of the output optical beam and delivering a delivered portion of the output optical beam to a sample;

focusing at least a part of the delivered portion of the output optical beam on the sample;

cooling a top surface of the sample;

absorbing at least some of the part of the delivered portion of the output optical beam in the sample; and

damaging thermally at least a part of the sample through a thermal coagulation or occlusion procedure.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the part of the delivered portion of the output optical beam comprises a fluence between approximately 30 and about 250 Joules per centimeter squared, and wherein the sample comprises a skin.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the output optical beam comprises a pulse width less than several milliseconds, and wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical wavelengths is near 980 nanometers.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein at least some of the part of the delivered portion of the output optical beam penetrates into the sample a depth of 1.5 millimeters or more.