Photocoagulating scalpel system
First Claim
1. A photocoagulating scalpel system comprising a scalpel having a blade with a sharp cutting edge, and laser means for coagulating blood including light transmitting means connected to said scalpel for conveying laser radiation to a location closely adjacent and exterior to said cutting edge such that while said blade forms incisions said laser radiation moves in correspondence with the movement of said blade thereby coagulating blood adjacent said cutting edge.
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Abstract
A Photocoagulating scalpel system including a scalpel having a sharp, transparent blade for forming an incision, and a laser optically coupled to the blade for coagulating blood adjacent the incision. Laser radiation is transported to the blade through a low-loss fiberoptic waveguide. The radiation propagates through the waveguide and blade by means of multimode optical waveguide propagation wherein each mode has a discrete angle of incidence with respect to the blade surface. As the radiation reaches the beveled cutting edge of the blade, the angle of the blade surface changes causing the radiation to be emitted from the blade because the incident angles of individual modes fall below the critical internal reflection angle of the blade. Radiation leakage is further increased by the presence of blood on the blade surface which increases the critical internal reflection angle of the blade. Higher order modes having angles of incidence less than the critical internal reflection angles of the waveguide and blade are restricted so that radiation does not leak from the waveguide or blade before reaching the cutting edge. The laser radiation is preferably from an argon laser since its radiation is at a wavelength which is readily absorbed by red hemoglobin while being reflected by white tissue so that the radiation coagulates blood without causing extensive necrosis of the incised tissue. A power control on the handle of the scalpel allows the surgeon to adjust the intensity of the radiation as required depending upon the quantity of blood to be coagulated.
76 Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A photocoagulating scalpel system comprising a scalpel having a blade with a sharp cutting edge, and laser means for coagulating blood including light transmitting means connected to said scalpel for conveying laser radiation to a location closely adjacent and exterior to said cutting edge such that while said blade forms incisions said laser radiation moves in correspondence with the movement of said blade thereby coagulating blood adjacent said cutting edge.
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20. A photocoagulating scalpel system comprising:
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a continuous-wave laser supplying laser radiation having an intensity controllable by a control signal at a power modulation input; a flexible, low-loss, fiberoptic waveguide having one end optically coupled to said laser such that radiation from said laser propagates through said waveguide by means of multimode optical wave guide propagation; a scalpel having a handle and a transparent blade with a relatively sharp cutting edge, said blade being optically coupled at the other end of said waveguide such that said laser radiation propagates toward said cutting edge by the use of multimode optical waveguide propagation; means for preventing modes from propagating into said blade having an angle of incidence less than the critical internal reflection angles of said waveguide and the portion of said blade away from said cutting edge such that said radiation propagates through said waveguide and blade and is emitted immediately adjacent said edge; and control means positioned on the handle of said scalpel and operatively associated with said laser for adjusting the intensity of radiation generated by said laser to correspond to the quantity of blood to be coagulated.
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Specification