Light guide

• US 8,114,068 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dornier MedTech Systems GmbH
• Original Assignee: Dornier MedTech Systems GmbH
• Inventors: Rheinwald, Markus, Rückle, Benno
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Audrey Y
• Application Number:
  US11/874,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20080158629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 359/15, 359/34, 359/569, 385/37, 606/11, 606/15, 606/16, 607/89, 604/20
• US Class Current: 606/15
• 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 2018/2277 with refractive surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02052 comprising optical elements other than gratings, e.g. filters comprising gratings G02B6/02057
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02076 Refractive index modulation gratings, e.g. Bragg gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/241 Light guide terminations
• 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: G03H 1/0248 Volume holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0408 Total internal reflection [TIR] holograms, e.g. edge lit or substrate mode holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0268 Inorganic recording material, e.g. photorefractive crystal [PRC]
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2222/15 Ultra Violet [UV]
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2270/20 Shape

Abstract

The invention relates to a light guide with at least one photorefractive area, wherein a volume hologram is formed in the photorefractive area in such a way that light coupled into the light guide can be decoupled by the volume hologram at a predetermined angle and/or with a predetermined focus.

Claims

1. A medical laser applicator, comprising:

a light guide comprising at least one photorefractive area comprising a volume hologram, the volume hologram being configured to decouple infrared light that has been coupled into the light guide, the decoupled infrared light having at least one of a predetermined angle and a predetermined focus,

wherein the at least one photorefractive area is disposed at one end of the light guide and a remainder of the light guide is a non-photorefractive area,

wherein the at least one photorefractive area comprises a material that is different from a material of the remainder of the light guide, and

wherein the medical laser applicator is configured to treat biological tissue with laser radiation emitted from the light guide.

2. The medical laser applicator according to claim 1, wherein the photorefractive area comprises a germanium-doped glass.

3. The medical laser applicator according to claim 1, wherein the photorefractive area comprises a hydrogen-doped glass.

4. The medical laser applicator according to claim 1, wherein the light guide is formed as an optical fiber.

5. The medical laser applicator according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined focus comprises a point focus.

6. The medical laser applicator according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined focus comprises a line focus.

7. The medical laser applicator according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined focus comprises a triangle focus.

8. The medical laser applicator according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined focus comprises at least one of a point, a line, a ring, and a triangle.

9. The medical laser applicator according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined focus comprises a ring focus having an axis of symmetry along an optical axis of the light guide.

10. The medical laser applicator according to claim 1, wherein the light guide is configured to guide infrared laser radiation.

11. A method for treating biological tissue with laser radiation, comprising the steps of:

providing a medical laser applicator comprising

a light guide having a photorefractive area, the photorefractive area comprising a volume hologram configured to decouple infrared light that has been coupled into the light guide, the decoupled infrared light having at least one of a predetermined angle and a predetermined focus,

wherein the at least one photorefractive area is disposed at one end of the light guide and a remainder of the light guide is a non-photorefractive area,

wherein the at least one photorefractive area comprises a material that is different from a material of the remainder of the light guide; and

medically treating biological tissue by applying the decoupled infrared light from the light guide to the biological tissue.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of providing the medical laser applicator comprises the steps of:

providing a light guide element and a second element comprising the photorefractive area;

connecting the second element to the light guide element; and

creating the volume hologram in the photorefractive area,

wherein the step of creating the volume hologram occurs before the connecting step or after the connecting step.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of connecting the second element to the light guide element comprises the step of fusing the second element to the light guide element.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of creating the volume hologram comprises the step of irradiating two partial beams of UV laser light, at least one of the partial beams being modified by at least one of a lens and a mirror based on at least one characteristic of the volume hologram being created.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the photorefractive area comprises a germanium-doped glass or a hydrogen-doped glass.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the light guide is formed as an optical fiber.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined focus comprises a point focus, a line focus, a triangle focus, or a ring focus.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined focus comprises a ring focus having an axis of symmetry along an optical axis of the light guide.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the light guide is configured to guide infrared laser radiation.