Lateral delivery device with active cooling

• US 9,662,173 B1
• Filed: 12/17/2016
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyclone Biosciences LLC
• Original Assignee: Cyclone Biosciences LLC
• Inventors: Griffin, Stephen E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rojas, Omar R
• Application Number:
  US15/382,611
• Time in Patent Office: 164 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00029 open
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00172 Connectors and adapters therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00547 Prostate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00625 Vaporization
• 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 6/262 Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements

Abstract

Herein is disclosed an optical device for directing electromagnetic radiation and a means for manufacturing the same. The optical device can include a total-internal-reflection (TIR) element which includes a TIR surface; a TIR protective cap fused about the TIR element, thereby providing a liquid-free volume between the TIR surface and an internal surface of the TIR protective cap; a sleeve element fused to a portion of the TIR protective cap, thereby providing at least one fluidic pathway between the sleeve element and the TIR protective cap, the at least one fluidic pathway adapted to carry a stream of a cooling fluid through the optical device during use; and an optical pathway from the TIR surface to an external surface of the sleeve element; where any of the at least one fluidic pathway does not cross the optical pathway.

Claims

1. A termination for an optical fiber comprising:

a tube portion comprising a fluid emission aperture and an optical emission surface;

an optical element contained within the tube portion that includes an unbroken light path from an input surface to the optical emission surface, the optical element further including a reflecting surface configured to direct electromagnetic radiation from the input surface to the optical emission surface; and

a confined flow passageway for transfer of a fluidic medium through the tube portion to the fluid emission aperture, the confined flow passageway adjacent to the optical element but external to the light path;

wherein the tube portion and the optical element are a one piece construction consisting of fused quartz and/or fused silica.

2. The termination of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of confined flow passageways which do not intersect the light path.

3. The termination of claim 2, wherein the confined flow passageways include helical grooves carried on an external surface of the optical element.

4. The termination of claim 1, wherein the optical element has a one-piece construction consisting of fused quartz and/or fused silica.

5. The termination of claim 4, wherein the optical element includes a guide section and an open-end section, the open-end section and the guide section divided by the input surface, the open-end section including a bore which terminates at the input surface, the open-end section shaped to receive a fiber optic cable, the guide section including at least a portion of the unbroken light path.

6. The termination of claim 4, wherein the optical element is fused to an internal surface of the tube portion.

7. The termination of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the confined flow passageway is defined as a volume between the optical element and the internal surface of the tube portion.

8. The termination of claim 4 further comprising an optical fiber affixed to the optical element, the optical fiber having an out-put surface adjacent to the input surface of the optical element.

9. The termination of claim 1, wherein the reflecting surface is external to the confined flow passageway.

10. A termination for an optical fiber comprising:

a tube portion comprising an optical emission surface;

an optical element contained within the tube portion that includes an unbroken light path from an input surface to the optical emission surface, the optical element further including a reflecting surface configured to laterally redirect electromagnetic radiation from the input surface to the optical emission surface; and

a devitrification inhibitor configured to prevent devitrification of the tube portion and/or the optical element;

wherein the tube portion and the optical element are a one piece construction consisting of fused quartz and/or fused silica.

11. The termination of claim 10, wherein the devitrification inhibitor includes a confined flow passageway for transfer of a cooling medium through the tube portion.

12. The termination of claim 11, wherein the confined flow passageway is configured to exclude the cooling medium from the light path.

13. A termination for an optical fiber comprising:

a tube portion comprising a fluid emission aperture and an optical emission surface;

an optical element contained within the tube portion, the optical element including an optical fiber, the optical fiber carrying a reflecting surface as a beveled termination and having an input surface distal from the beveled termination, the reflecting surface configured to direct electromagnetic radiation from the input surface to the optical emission surface, the optical element further including a quartz or silica capsule, the quartz or silica capsule disposed about the beveled termination; and

a confined flow passageway for transfer of a fluidic medium through the tube portion to the fluid emission aperture, the confined flow passageway adjacent to the optical element but external to the light path;

wherein the tube portion and the capsule are a one piece construction consisting of fused quartz and/or fused silica.

14. The termination of claim 13 further comprising an optical pathway extending within the optical fiber from an optical fiber input to an optical fiber output, from the optical fiber output to the input surface;

wherein the optical pathway is external to the confined flow passageway.

15. The termination of claim 13, wherein the capsule carries a flat or channel along an entire length of the capsule;

wherein the flat or channel is at least one side of the confined flow passageway.