Multiwavelength Surgical Laser

• US 20160184019A1
• Filed: 11/18/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyclone Biosciences LLC
• Original Assignee: InnovaQuartz, LLC
• Inventors: Griffin, Stephen E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,413,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• 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 2018/00547 Prostate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00589 Coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00625 Vaporization
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1807 using light other than laser radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2015 Miscellaneous features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2035 Beam shaping or redirecting; Optical components therefor A61B2018/2255 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2065 Multiwave; Wavelength mixing, e.g. using four or more wavelengths pilot laser A61B2018/2025
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/207 mixing two wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/208 with multiple treatment beams not sharing a common path, e.g. non-axial or parallel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2205 Characteristics of fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2244 Features of optical fibre cables, e.g. claddings

Abstract

A multiwavelength laser-based intense light source is described having applications in incision, excision and ablation of soft tissues with minimal collateral tissue damage. The light source combines the output of a plurality of relatively low power laser sources, emitting radiation in the region of the electromagnetic spectrum bounded by approximately 350 nm to 450 nm, where the combined output may be coupled into a single fiber optic energy delivery device: a standard surgical probe. Spectral and spatial beam combining are used to produce an incoherent light source with relatively low average power at any given wavelength, but with high total power and superior M2 beam quality, targeting multiple chromophores in target tissue and tissue breakdown product chromophores for consistently high and target absorption without indiscriminant char interference throughout a surgical procedure.

Claims

1. A process comprising:

providing a plurality of laser sources, where the laser sources emit light beams having an output wavelength in the range of about 340 nm to about 460 nm, where the plurality of laser sources includes a first plurality of laser sources and a second plurality of laser source that have different output wavelengths in the range of about 340 nm to about 460 nm;

providing a means for combining the beams from the plurality of laser sources;

combining the emitted light beams from the plurality of laser sources into a surgical beam;

providing a means for optically coupling the surgical beam to an interventional or diagnostic-laser-delivery device; and

optically coupling the surgical beam to an interventional or diagnostic-laser-delivery device.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the means for combining the beams from the plurality of laser sources includes a waveguide optically coupled to a first laser source and a second laser source.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the first laser source has an output wavelength which corresponds to an absorption maximum of a tissue endogenous chromophore.

4. The process of claim 2, wherein the first laser source is a continuous wave laser source.

5. The process of claim 2, wherein the second laser source has an output wavelength which corresponds to an absorption maximum of a second endogenous chromophore, a chromophore breakdown product, or a chromophore derivative.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein the second laser source has an output wavelength which corresponds to an absorption maximum of a chromophore breakdown product.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the surgical beam consists of a plurality of narrow-bandwidth light beams having output wavelengths in the range of 340 nm to 460.

8. The process of claim 1, further comprising directing the surgical beam to a surgical target tissue;

and

vaporizing the surgical target tissue without char formation.

9. The process of claim 8, where in the surgical target tissue is hyperplastic prostate tissue.

10. The process of claim 8, where in the surgical target tissue is soft tissue.

11. A surgical or diagnostic process comprising:

contacting a surgical target tissue with a polychromatic light beam consisting of output wavelengths in the range of about 340 nm to about 460 nm;

wherein the polychromatic light beam includes (A) a first light beam that has a first output wavelength which corresponds to a first absorption maximum of a surgical chromophore, and (B) a second light beam that has a second output wavelength which corresponds to a second absorption maximum of a surgical chromophore.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein the polychromatic light beam vaporizes the surgical target tissue without char formation.

13. The process of claim 11, wherein the polychromatic light beam includes third light beam that has a third output wavelength which corresponds to a third absorption maximum of a surgical chromophore.

14. The process of claim 11 further comprising directing the polychromatic light beam to the surgical target tissue with a fiber optic cable.

15. A multiwavelength surgical tool that produces a polychromatic laser, the tool comprising:

a first grouping of light sources, each grouping of light sources including at least two laser sources with different output wavelengths, the light sources selected from (A) a polarization-combined pair of laser diodes each having an output wavelength in the range of about 340 nm to about 460 nm, where the pair of laser diodes have the same output wavelength, the pair of laser diodes optically coupled to a polarization beam combiner which is adapted to combine the light from the pair of laser diodes into a single non-polarized beam; and

(B) an individual laser diode having an output wavelength is in the range of about 340 nm to about 460 nm;

each grouping of light sources optically coupled to a spectral beam combiner,

the spectral beam combiner adapted to accept light from the laser sources and combine the light into a polychromatic beam;

the spectral beam combiner optically coupled to a fiber optic cable which is adapted to accept the polychromatic beam.