Laterally reflecting tip for laser transmitting fiber

• US 5,370,649 A
• Filed: 01/13/1994
• Issued: 12/06/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Myriadlase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Myriadlase Incorporated
• Inventors: Gardetto, William W., Judy, Millard M., Matthews, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): ASCHENBRENNER, PETER
• Application Number:
  US08/180,652
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 606/17, 606/18, 606/13, 606/14, 606/15, 606/16, 606/7, 606/6
• US Class Current: 606/17
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00005 Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00011 with fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2272 with reflective or refractive surfaces for deflecting the beam A61B2018/2261, A61B2018/2266 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/241 Light guide terminations
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3624 Fibre head, e.g. fibre probe termination optical details of light guide terminations G02B6/241; reshaping of light guides G02B6/2552; optical details of coupling light into or out of fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3858 Clamping, i.e. with only elastic deformation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3888 Protection from over-extension or over-compression

Abstract

An operating assembly for use in a liquid operating environment includes a flexible elongated light transmitting fiber having a light reflecting tip mounted thereon for reflecting the light beam laterally. The tip includes a number of features which minimize undesired heating of the tip. The tip is preferably made of solid gold and has a reflecting mirror surface coined on the gold tip. A lateral flushing passageway is disposed through the tip and allows surrounding ambient liquid to flow across the surface of the mirror to aid in cooling the tip and to aid in keeping the mirror clean. The tip is preferably mounted on the fiber by crimping. The tip includes a sufficient volume of material having a sufficient thermal conductivity located between the reflecting mirror and the crimped connection so as to dissipate heat energy which may be generated in the tip and to avoid sufficient heat energy reaching the crimped connection to cause a thermally induced failure of the mechanical attachment of the tip to the fiber at the crimp.

Claims

1. An operating assembly for use in a liquid operating environment, comprising:

a flexible elongated light transmitting fiber having a distal end portion with a distal fiber end defined thereon, said fiber including a core, a cladding surrounding said core, and an outer protective jacket surrounding said cladding; and

a light reflecting tip including;

a body;

a reduced diameter hollow crimping cylinder extending proximally from said body;

said body and said crimping cylinder having a body bore defined therein, said distal end portion of said fiber being received in said body bore;

at least one crimp in said crimping cylinder, said crimp mechanically attaching said light reflecting tip to said outer protective jacket of said fiber;

a reflecting mirror surface means defined on said body for laterally reflecting light from said fiber; and

said body having a lateral flushing passageway means defined laterally through said body and intersecting said body bore, for permitting surrounding liquid to flow through said lateral flushing passageway means across said reflecting mirror surface means thereby aiding in cooling said tip.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:

said body, said crimping cylinder, said reflecting mirror surface means and said lateral flushing passageway means comprise a means for preventing thermal degradation of said outer protective jacket at said crimp and for thereby preventing failure of the mechanical attachment between said crimping cylinder and said outer protective jacket during normal operation of said assembly.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:

said body includes material of thermal conductivity of at least 150 W per meter degree K between said reflecting mirror surface means and said crimp to dissipate to said liquid operating environment the heat generated at said reflecting mirror surface means so that the temperature at said crimp remains below 150°

C. so that there is no failure of the mechanical attachment of said tip to said outer protective jacket of said fiber during continuous lasing at 80 W input power in a saline solution for a period of at least fifteen minutes.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:

said body and said crimping cylinder are integrally constructed from a single piece of gold.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:

said tip is attached to said fiber solely by a plurality of said crimps in said crimping cylinder mechanically attaching said tip to said outer protective jacket of said fiber.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said body is solid gold.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein said body is solid gold in excess of 99.9 percent purity.

8. The assembly of claim 6, wherein said reflecting mirror surface means is formed on said solid gold body by coining.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said lateral flushing passageway means is free from communication with any source of flushing fluid other than surrounding liquid from said liquid operating environment.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said crimping cylinder is formed of gold.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said reflecting mirror surface means is constructed to reflect substantially all light falling thereon.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein said reflecting mirror surface means and said lateral flushing passageway means comprise a means for preventing any clinically significant heating of said tip.

13. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:

said lateral flushing passageway means extends laterally through said tip and has laterally opposite first and second flushing passageway end openings, so that said liquid passing through said lateral flushing passageway means flows in one of said first and second flushing passageway end openings and out the other of said flushing passageway end openings.

14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein:

said tip is generally cylindrical in shape; and

said lateral flushing passageway means extends diametrically through said tip.

15. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

said tip is free from attachment to any structure other than said outer protective jacket of said fiber.

16. A light reflecting tip apparatus for mounting upon a distal end portion of a flexible elongated light transmitting fiber, comprising:

an elongated cylindrical body having a fiber receiving longitudinal opening means defined therein for receiving said distal end portion of said fiber, and having a lateral passageway defined diametrically therethrough and intersecting said longitudinal opening, said lateral passageway having diametrically opposite first and second end openings;

a reflecting mirror surface means defined on said body for reflecting light from said fiber laterally outward through said lateral passageway; and

wherein said lateral passageway provides a flushing means for permitting surrounding fluid to flow in one of said first and second end openings, then across said reflecting mirror surface means, then out the other of said first and second end openings to reduce collection of contaminants on said reflecting mirror surface means, said flushing means being free from communication with any source of flushing fluid other than said surrounding fluid surrounding said cylindrical body.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

said fiber receiving longitudinal opening means of said cylindrical body is coaxial with said cylindrical body.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

said reflecting mirror surface means is a means for reflecting substantially all light energy incident thereon from said fiber.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

said reflecting mirror surface means is made of gold.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

said body is solid gold.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

said gold reflecting mirror surface means is coined.

22. An operating assembly for use in a liquid operating environment, comprising:

a flexible elongated light transmitting fiber having a distal end portion with a distal fiber end defined thereon; and

a light reflecting tip attached to said distal end portion of said fiber, said tip including a reflecting mirror surface spaced from said distal fiber end and so arranged and constructed as to laterally reflect light exiting said distal fiber end, said tip having a flushing passageway defined therein between said distal fiber end and said reflecting mirror surface so that surrounding liquid from said liquid operating environment may pass through said flushing passageway to carry away from said tip liquid heated by light passing from said distal fiber end to said reflecting mirror surface, said flushing passageway being free from communication with any source of flushing fluid other than said surrounding liquid from said liquid operating environment.

23. The assembly of claim 22, wherein said reflecting mirror surface is constructed to reflect substantially all light falling thereon.

24. The assembly of claim 23, wherein said reflecting mirror surface and said flushing passageway comprise a means for preventing any clinically significant heating of said tip.

25. The assembly of claim 22, wherein:

said flushing passageway extends laterally through said tip and has laterally opposite first and second flushing passageway end openings, so that said liquid passing through said flushing passageway flows in one of said first and second flushing passageway end openings and out the other of said flushing passageway end openings.

26. The assembly of claim 25, wherein:

said tip is generally cylindrical in shape; and

said flushing passageway extends diametrically through said tip.

27. The assembly of claim 22, wherein:

said tip is free from attachment to any structure other than said fiber.

28. A light reflecting tip apparatus for mounting upon a distal end portion of a flexible elongated laser light transmitting fiber, comprising:

a metal body having a reflecting mirror surface defined on said body and positioned to laterally reflect light from said fiber; and

means, operably associated with said metal. body, for preventing clinically significant heating of said metal body, said means including a flushing passageway defined laterally through said metal body and passing across said reflecting mirror surface, said flushing passageway having first and second laterally opposite flushing passageway ends so that liquid surrounding said tip may pass in one of said first and second flushing passageway ends, then through said flushing passageway, then out the other of said first and second flushing passageway ends, said flushing passageway being free from communication with any source of flushing fluid other than said liquid surrounding said tip.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said reflecting mirror surface is constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of gold and platinum.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein:

said metal body is entirely constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of gold and platinum.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, in combination with said fiber, wherein:

said metal body is attached to said fiber and is free from attachment to any structure other than said fiber.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein:

said reflecting mirror surface is constructed to reflect substantially all laser light incident thereon.

33. A method of applying laser energy to a site within a patient'"'"'s body to alter, remove or destroy tissue at said site, comprising:

(a) providing an operating assembly including;

a flexible elongated light transmitting fiber having a distal end portion with a distal fiber end defined thereon; and

a light reflecting tip attached to said distal end portion of said fiber, said tip including a reflecting mirror surface spaced from said distal fiber end, said tip having a flushing passageway defined therein between said distal fiber end and said reflecting mirror surface;

(b) inserting said operating assembly into a liquid operating environment within said patient'"'"'s body;

(c) positioning said tip adjacent said site within said patient'"'"'s body;

(d) transmitting laser light along said fiber, out said distal fiber end, and across said flushing passageway;

(e) then reflecting said laser light off said mirror surface and transmitting said reflected light through a portion of said flushing passageway out of said tip and onto said site within said patient'"'"'s body; and

(f) flowing surrounding liquid solely from said liquid operating environment through said flushing passageway and across said reflecting mirror surface without providing any flushing liquid from any source other than said liquid operating environment, and thereby carrying away from said tip liquid heated by light passing from said distal fiber end across said flushing passageway to said reflecting mirror surface.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein:

step (e) includes reflecting substantially all laser light falling on said mirror surface.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein:

steps (e) and (f) prevent any clinically significant heating of said tip.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

preventing any clinically significant heating of said tip.

37. The method of claim 33 wherein:

in step (a), said flushing passageway extends laterally through said tip and has laterally opposite first and second flushing passageway end openings; and

step (f) includes flowing said surrounding liquid from said liquid operating environment in one of said first and second flushing passageway end openings and out the other of said flushing passageway end openings.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein:

step (f) includes reducing collection of contaminants on said reflecting mirror surface by flushing said reflecting mirror surface with said liquid flowing through said flushing passageway.