Surgical laser systems and methods with blue aiming laser beam
Patent Information
- Application Number
- AU2025267027
- Authority / Receiving Office
- AU · AU
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-05-01
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-29
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0038] Before some particular embodiments are disclosed in greater detail, it should be understood that the particular embodiments disclosed herein do not limit the scope of the concepts provided herein. It should also be understood that a particular embodiment disclosed herein can have features that can be readily separated from the particular embodiment and optionally combined with or substituted for features of any of a number of other embodiments disclosed herein.
[0039] Regarding terms used herein, it should also be understood the terms are for the purpose of describing some particular embodiments, and the terms do not limit the scope of the concepts provided herein. Ordinal numbers (e.g., first, second, third, etc.) are generally used to distinguish or identify different features or steps in a group of features or steps, and do not supply a serial or numerical limitation. For example, “first,” “second,” and “third” features or steps need not necessarily appear in that order, and the particular embodiments including such features or steps need not necessarily be limited to the three features or steps. In addition, any of the foregoing features or steps can, in turn, further include one or more features or steps unless indicated otherwise. Labels such as “left,” “right,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” and the like are used for convenience and are not intended to imply, for example, any particular fixed location, orientation, or direction. Instead, such labels are used to reflect, for example, relative location, orientation, or directions. Singular forms of “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0040] “Proximal” is used to indicate a portion, section, piece, element, or the like of a medical device intended to be near or relatively nearer to a clinician when the medical device is used on a patient. For example, a “proximal portion” or “proximal section” of an optical fiber includes a portion or section of the optical fiber intended to be near the clinician when the optical fiber is used on the patient. Likewise, a “proximal length” of the optical fiber includes a length of the optical fiber intended to be near the clinician when the optical fiber is used on the patient. A “proximal end” of the optical fiber is an end of the optical fiber intended to be near the clinician when the optical fiber is used on the patient. The proximal portion, the proximal section, or the proximal length of the optical fiber need not include the proximal end of the optical fiber. Indeed, the proximal portion, the proximal section, or the proximal length of the optical fiber can be short of the proximal end of the optical fiber. However, the proximal portion, the proximal section, or the proximal length of the optical fiber can include the proximal end of the optical fiber. Should context not suggest the proximal portion, the proximal section, or the proximal length of the optical fiber includes the proximal end of the optical fiber, or if it is deemed expedient in the following description, “proximal portion,” “proximal section,” or “proximal length” can be modified to indicate such a portion, section, or length includes an end portion, an end section, or an end length of the optical fiber for a “proximal end portion,” a “proximal end section,” or a “proximal end length” of the optical fiber, respectively.
[0041] “Distal” is used to indicate a portion, section, piece, element, or the like of a medical device intended to be near, relatively nearer, or even in a patient when the medical device is used on the patient. For example, a “distal portion” or “distal section” of the optical fiber includes a portion or section of the optical fiber intended to be near, relatively nearer, or even in the patient when the optical fiber is used on the patient. Likewise, a “distal length” of the optical fiber includes a length of the optical fiber intended to be near, relatively nearer, or even in the patient when the optical fiber is used on the patient. A “distal end” of the optical fiber is an end of the optical fiber intended to be near, relatively nearer, or even in the patient when the optical fiber is used on the patient. The distal portion, the distal section, or the distal length of the optical fiber need not include the distal end of the optical fiber. Indeed, the distal portion, the distal section, or the distal length of the optical fiber can be short of the distal end of the optical fiber. However, the distal portion, the distal section, or the distal length of the optical fiber can include the distal end of the optical fiber. Should context not suggest the distal portion, the distal section, or the distal length of the optical fiber includes the distal end of the optical fiber, or if it is deemed expedient in the following description, “distal portion,” “distal section,” or “distal length” can be modified to indicate such a portion, section, or length includes an end portion, an end section, or an end length of the optical fiber for a “distal end portion,” a “distal end section,” or a “distal end length” of the optical fiber, respectively.
[0042] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.
[0043] As set forth above, red aiming laser beams at 633 nm are commonly chosen due to their lower power range, which is considered safe for the eyes. However, red aiming laser beams do not always provide a clear distinction between targeted tissues or structures and nontargeted tissues. On the other hand, green aiming laser beams at 532 nm, which can also be safe for the eyes when viewed diffusely for shorter periods of time, offer clearer distinction between targeted tissues or structures and non-targeted tissues. However, green light scatters more easily and can oversaturate such tissues and structures, making tracking more challenging. Indeed, even cameras are more sensitive to green light.
[0044] Disclosed herein are surgical laser systems and methods with a blue aiming laser beam that addresses the foregoing. For example, a surgical laser system can include a lasergenerating module and a handpiece configured to optically couple to the laser-generating module. The laser-generating module is optionally disposed in a console for operating the surgical laser system. The laser-generating module includes one or more optical pumps and an aiming laser diode. The optical pump(s) are optically coupled to a lasing medium. The optical pump(s) are configured for optically pumping an excitable species such as an excitable atom or ion in the lasing medium to produce a stimulated emission of photons from an excited population of the excitable species along an optical-resonator length of the lasing medium and, thereby, a surgical laser beam. Indeed, the lasing medium can be a YAG crystal doped with holmium or an ion thereof for a Ho: YAG laser beam as the surgical laser beam; a YAG crystal doped with thulium or an ion thereof for a Tm:YAG laser beam as the surgical laser beam; a thulium-doped optical fiber for a TFL laser beam as the surgical laser beam; or a KTP crystal for a KTP laser beam as the surgical laser beam. The aiming laser diode is optically coupled to a surgical laser-delivery optical fiber to produce a combined laser beam in which a colored aiming laser beam of about 380-500 nm is coaxially aligned with the surgical laser beam. The handpiece includes a treatment optical fiber extending therethrough. The treatment optical fiber is configured to deliver the combined laser beam for surgery when the treatment optical fiber is optically coupled to a combined laser-delivery optical fiber of the laser-generating module.
[0045] These and other features of the surgical laser systems and methods provided herein will become more apparent to those of skill in the art in view of the accompanying drawings and following description, which are primarily directed to surgical laser systems and methods in which a thulium laser beam such as that from a TFL is combined with a blue aiming laser beam. Further, while the following description might by primarily directed to surgical laser systems and methods for endourology, the surgical laser systems and methods can more broadly be utilized in general surgery, urology, gynecology, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, dermatology, etc. Surgical laser systems
[0046] FIG. 1 illustrates a surgical laser system 100 in accordance with some embodiments.
[0047] As shown, the surgical laser system 100 can include a console 102 for operating the surgical laser system 100 and a handling means such as a handpiece 104 for handling the treatment optical fiber 144 when used for surgery. The console 102 and the handpiece 104 are configured to optically couple to each other through complementary optical connectors that optically connect the combined laser-delivery optical fiber 130 of the laser-generating module 112 and the treatment optical fiber 144 of the handpiece 104 for surgery. The surgical laser system 100 can also include a display 106, whether the display 106 is integrally disposed in the console 102, moveably attached to the console 102, or part of an external monitor operatively coupled to the console 102. Notably, such a display 106 includes a display screen 108 and supporting electronics for viewing operational content for operating the surgical laser system 100 as well as images or video from any operably connected medical devices such as ureteroscopes.
[0048] FIG. 2 provides a schematic of optics 110 in the surgical laser system 100 in accordance with some embodiments.
[0049] As shown, the console 102 can include a laser-generating module 112, which, in turn, includes the optics 110 for producing a thulium laser beam 114 and combining it with a blue aiming laser beam 116 for a combined laser beam 118 in which the blue aiming laser beam 116 is coaxially aligned with the thulium laser beam 114. Such optics 110 include various optical fibers, laser diodes, beam combiners, and the complementary optical connectors, as set forth below.
[0050] As to the various optical fibers, the laser-generating module 112 can include a laser-diode optical fiber 120 for each laser diode of the various laser diodes. For example, the laser-generating module 112 can include such a laser-diode optical fiber 120 for each laser diode of the pumping laser diode(s) 132 and the aiming laser diode 134, the laser-diode optical fiber 120 for conveying a laser beam from its corresponding laser diode. The laser-generating module 112 can also include a thulium-doped optical fiber 122, at least a portion of which, such as an optical-resonator length of the thulium-doped optical fiber 122, forms an optical resonator 123 for producing a stimulated emission of photons from an excited population of the thulium therein. Indeed, the thulium-doped optical fiber 122 can include a highly reflective fiber Bragg grating (“FBG”) 124 in an end portion of the optical-resonator length of the thulium-doped optical fiber 122 and a partially reflective FBG 126 in another end portion of the optical-resonator length of the thulium-doped optical fiber 122, thereby forming the optical resonator 123. The thulium-doped optical fiber 122 can also include another portion, namely, a thulium laser-delivery length of the thulium-doped optical fiber 122, opposite the optical-resonator length of the thulium-doped optical fiber 122 with the partially reflective FBG 126 therebetween. Alternatively, the laser-generating module 112 can include a separate thulium laser-delivery optical fiber 128 opposite the thulium-doped optical fiber 122 with the partially reflective FBG 126 therebetween. Regardless, both the thulium laser-delivery length of the thulium-doped optical fiber 122 and the thulium laser-delivery optical fiber 128 are for conveying the thulium laser beam 114 from the optical-resonator length of the thulium-doped optical fiber 122. Lastly, the laser-generating module 112 can also include a combined laser delivery optical fiber 130 for conveying the combined laser beam 118 resulting from coaxial alignment of the blue aiming laser beam 116 with the thulium laser beam 114.
[0051] As to the various laser diodes, the laser-generating module 112 can include one or more pumping laser diodes, which are referred to herein as pumping laser diode(s) 132. The pumping laser diode(s) 132 are optically coupled to the thulium-doped optical fiber 122 for optically pumping thulium along the optical-resonator length of the thulium-doped optical fiber 122 to produce an excited population of thulium and, thereby, a stimulated emission of photons therefrom resulting in the thulium laser beam 114. The laser-generating module 112 can also include an aiming laser diode 134 optically coupled to the thulium laser-delivery length of the thulium-doped optical fiber 122 or the thulium laser-delivery optical fiber 128. The aiming laser diode 134 is for producing the blue aiming laser beam 116, which is combined with the thulium laser beam 114 to produce the combined laser beam 118 in which the blue aiming laser beam 116 and the thulium laser beam 114 are coaxially aligned.
[0052] As to the various beam combiners, the laser-generating module 112 can include one or more pumping-laserbeam combiners (“pumping-laserbeam combiner[s]”) 136. Indeed, the laser-generating module 112 can include such a pumping-laserbeam combiner 136 for each laser diode of the pumping laser diode(s) 132, the pumping-laser beam combiner 136 for combining a pumping laser beam from its corresponding pumping laser diode 132 with that produced in the optical-resonator length of the thulium-doped optical fiber 122.
[0053] FIG. 3 illustrates an aiming-laser beam combiner 138 in accordance with some embodiments.
[0054] As shown, the laser-generating module 112 can also include the aiming-laser beam combiner 138 for combining the blue aiming laser beam 116 from the aiming laser diode 134 with the thulium laser beam 114 emitted from the partially reflective FBG 126 and conveyed along the thulium laser-delivery length of the thulium-doped optical fiber 122 or the thulium laser-delivery optical fiber 128. Indeed, the aiming-laser beam combiner 138 can include a dichroic mirror 140 disposed therein for combining the blue aiming laser beam 116 with the thulium laser beam 114 to produce the combined laser beam 118 in which the blue aiming laser beam 116 and the thulium laser beam 114 are coaxially aligned. Notably, the combined laser-delivery optical fiber 130 extends from the aiming-laser beam combiner 138 to a console-side optical connector 142 of the complementary optical connectors for conveying the combined laser beam 118 from the aiming-laser beam combiner 138 to the console-side optical connector 142.
[0055] The handpiece 104 includes a treatment optical fiber 144 extending therethrough for delivering the combined laser beam 118 to a surgery end portion of the treatment optical fiber 144 for surgery therewith when the treatment optical fiber 144 is optically coupled to the combined laser-delivery optical fiber 130 of the laser-generating module 112. Opposite the surgery end portion of the treatment optical fiber 144, the treatment optical fiber 144 includes a console-connecting end portion for connecting to the console 102. The console-connecting end portion of the treatment optical fiber 144 or, as shown, a protective cable 145 including the treatment optical fiber 144 disposed therein can include a handpieceside optical connector 146 of the complementary optical connectors for connecting to the console-side optical connector 142 of the complementary optical connectors.
[0056] As to the blue aiming laser beam 116, it should be understood that “blue” light can vary in wavelength by authority. For example, Daniel Malacara of Centro de Investigaciones en Optica designates blue light as having a wavelength or range of wavelengths between 430-500 nm, the Inter-Society Color Council-National Bureau of Standards (“ISCC-NBS”) designates blue light as having a wavelength or range of wavelengths between 440-490 nm, and the CRC Handbook designates blue light as having a wavelength or range of wavelengths between 450-500 nm. (See: [1] Malacara, D. (2003). Color vision and colorimetry: theory and applications; [2] Kelly, K. L. (1943). Color designations for lights. JOSA, 33(11), 627-632; and [3] Bruno, T. J., & Svoronos, P. D. (2005). CRC handbook of fundamental spectroscopic correlation charts. CRC Press.) Without being bound by any particular authority, the blue light of the blue aiming laser beam 116 can have a wavelength or range of wavelengths between about 380 nm to about 500 nm, which some authorities including the foregoing authorities might characterize as ranging from violet light through blue light to cyan light. The blue light of the blue aiming laser beam 116 can thusly be at least about 380 nm, 390 nm, 400 nm, 410 nm, 420 nm, 430 nm, 440 nm, 450 nm, 460 nm, 470 nm, 480 nm, 490 nm, or 500 nm inclusive of any intervening wavelengths defined by the so-called ones place. Alternatively, the blue light of the blue aiming laser beam 116 can be no more than about 500 nm, 490 nm, 480 nm, 470 nm, 460 nm, 450 nm, 440 nm, 430 nm, 420 nm, 410 nm, 400 nm, 390 nm, or 380 nm inclusive of any intervening wavelengths defined by the so-called ones place. As such, the blue light of the blue aiming laser beam 116 can be at least about 380 nm to no more than about 500 nm, including at least about 400 nm to no more than about 500 nm, such as at least about 410 nm to no more than about 500 nm, for example, at least about 410 nm to no more than about 490 nm or at least about 430 nm to no more than about 470 nm.
[0057] Although the foregoing ranges of wavelengths for the blue light of the blue aiming laser beam 116 are given in a worded format, the ranges of wavelengths can be more concisely expressed in a symbolic format derived from the worded format, if desired. In an example, the blue light of the blue aiming laser beam 116 can be at least about 380 nm to no more than about 500 nm or 380-500 nm or even 440 nm ± 60 nm, the latter of which is useful for expressing a wavelength tolerance of the aiming laser diode 134 as set forth in more detail below. In another example, the blue light of the blue aiming laser beam 116 can be at least about 400 nm to no more than about 500 nm or 400-500 nm or even 450 nm ± 50 nm. In another example, the blue light of the blue aiming laser beam 116 can be at least about 410 nm to no more than about 490 nm or 410-490 nm or even 450 nm ± 40 nm. In another example, the blue light of the blue aiming laser beam 116 can be at least about 430 nm to no more than about 470 nm or 430-470 nm or even 450 nm ± 20 nm.
[0058] Further to expressing the wavelength tolerance of the aiming laser diode 134, the wavelength tolerance of the aiming laser diode 134 about any wavelength of the foregoing wavelengths for the blue light of the blue aiming laser beam 116 can be about ± 1 nm, ± 5 nm, ± 10 nm, ± 15 nm, ± 20 nm, ± 25 nm, ± 30 nm, ± 35 nm, ± 40 nm, ± 45 nm, ± 50 nm, ± 55 nm, or ± 60 nm inclusive of any intervening wavelength tolerances defined by the so-called ones place. In consideration of the wavelength of the blue light of the blue aiming laser beam 116 being, for example, 450 nm, the wavelength tolerance of the aiming laser diode 134 can be 450 nm ± 1 nm, 450 nm ± 5 nm, 450 nm ± 10 nm, 450 nm ± 15 nm, 450 nm ± 20 nm, 450 nm ± 25 nm, 450 nm ± 30 nm, 450 nm ± 35 nm, 450 nm ± 40 nm, 450 nm ± 45 nm, or 450 nm ± 50 nm.
[0059] The aiming laser diode 134 for producing the blue aiming laser beam 116 can have an adjustable power for producing the blue aiming laser beam 116 with a power of less than about 5 mW. Indeed, the aiming laser diode 134 can be configured for producing the blue aiming laser beam 116 with a power of at least about 0 mW, 1 mW, 2 mW, 3 mW, 4 mW, or 5 mW, not inclusive of 0 mW. Alternatively, the aiming laser diode 134 can be configured for producing the blue aiming laser beam 116 with a power of no more than about 5 mW, 4 mW, 3 mW, 2 mW, 1 mW, or 0 mW, not inclusive of 0 mW. As such, the aiming laser diode 134 can be configured for producing the blue aiming laser beam 116 with a power of at least about 0 mW to no more than about 5 mW, including at least about 1 mW to no more than about 5 mW, such as at least about 2 mW nm to no more than about 5 mW, for example, at least about 3 mW to no more than about 5 mW. Being as an intensity of the blue aiming laser beam 116 is its power over a specific area, the blue aiming laser beam 116 can also have an adjustable intensity.
[0060] Notably, the blue aiming laser beam 116 coaxially aligned with the thulium laser beam illuminates a target tissue for visualization during surgeries without pulsing the blue aiming laser beam 116 or fluorescing the target tissue therewith. Advantageously, the blue aiming laser beam 116 provides better contrast compared to a traditional green aiming laser beam, thereby offering better visualization during the surgeries. In addition, the blue aiming laser beam 116 reduces surrounding light saturation compared to the traditional green aiming laser beam, thereby offering better visualization during surgeries for this reason as well. Indeed, the blue aiming laser beam 116 offers better visualization during endourological surgeries in particular. For example, the blue aiming laser beam 116 enables smaller stones to be visualized during the endourological surgeries. Clinicians often discontinue use of the traditional green laser beam during surgeries due its brightness. But the blue aiming laser beam 116 has a lower brightness compared to the traditional green aiming laser beam, thereby facilitating continued use of the blue aiming laser beam 116 during such surgeries. The continued use of the blue aiming laser beam 116 during the surgeries better avoids contact with tissue not targeted for surgery. Also, due to the blue aiming laser beam 116 having the lower brightness compared to the traditional green aiming laser beam, the blue aiming laser beam 116 does not wash out or saturate images displayed on display screens. Methods
[0061] Methods includes methods of the surgical laser system 100, itself, as well as methods of using the surgical laser system 100.
[0062] In example of a method of the surgical laser system 100, itself, the method can include optically pumping thulium along the optical-resonator length of the thulium-doped optical fiber 122 with the pumping laser diode(s) 132 to produce an excited population of thulium and, thereby, a stimulated emission of photons therefrom resulting in the thulium laser beam 114. The method can also include producing the blue aiming laser beam 116 with the aiming laser diode 134 and combining it with the thulium laser beam 114 in the aiming-laser beam combiner 138, thereby producing the combined laser beam 118 in which the blue aiming laser beam 116 and the thulium laser beam 114 are coaxially aligned.
[0063] In example of a method of using the surgical laser system 100, the method can include holding the handpiece 104 optically coupled to the laser-generating module 112 of the surgical laser system 100 and aiming the treatment optical fiber 144 extending through the handpiece 104 at a targeted tissue to deliver the combined laser beam 118 to the targeted tissue for surgery. The method can also include viewing images displayed on the display screen 108 of the surgical laser system 100. Again, the blue aiming laser beam 116 has a lower brightness compared to the traditional green aiming laser beam that does not wash out or saturate images displayed on the display screen 108.
[0064] While some particular embodiments have been disclosed herein, and while the particular embodiments have been disclosed in some detail, it is not the intention for the particular embodiments to limit the scope of the concepts provided herein. Additional adaptations or modifications can appear to those of ordinary skill in the art, and, in broader aspects, these adaptations or modifications are encompassed as well. Accordingly, departures may be made from the particular embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the concepts provided herein.
Claims
1. A surgical laser system, comprising:a laser-generating module optionally disposed in a console for operating the surgical laser system, the laser-generating module including:one or more optical pumps (“optical pump[s]”) optically coupled to a lasing medium, the optical pumps configured for optically pumping an excitable species in the lasing medium to produce a stimulated emission of photons from an excited population of the excitable species along an optical-resonator length of the lasing medium and, thereby, a surgical laser beam; andan aiming laser diode optically coupled to a surgical laser-delivery optical fiber to produce a combined laser beam in which a colored aiming laser beam of between about 380-500 nm is coaxially aligned with the surgical laser beam; anda handpiece configured to optically couple to the laser-generating module, the handpiece including a treatment optical fiber extending therethrough configured to deliver the combined laser beam for surgery when the treatment optical fiber is optically coupled to a combined laser-delivery optical fiber of the laser-generating module.
2. The surgical laser system of claim 1, wherein the lasing medium is an yttrium aluminum garnet (“YAG”) crystal doped with holmium (“Ho”) or an ion thereof for a Ho: YAG laser beam as the surgical laser beam.
3. The surgical laser system of claim 1, wherein the lasing medium is an yttrium aluminum garnet (“YAG”) crystal doped with thulium (“Tm”) or an ion thereof for a Tm: YAG laser beam as the surgical laser beam.
4. The surgical laser system of claim 1, wherein the lasing medium is a thulium-doped optical fiber for a thulium fiber laser (“TFL”) laser beam as the surgical laser beam.
5. The surgical laser system of claim 1, wherein the lasing medium is a potassium titanyl phosphate (“KTP”) crystal for a KTP laser beam as the surgical laser beam.
6. A surgical laser system, comprising:a laser-generating module optionally disposed in a console for operating the surgical laser system, the laser-generating module including:one or more pumping laser diodes (“pumping laser diode[s]”) optically coupled to a thulium-doped optical fiber, the pumping laser diode(s) configured for optically pumping thulium in the thulium-doped optical fiber to produce a stimulated emission of photons from an excited population of the thulium along an optical-resonator length of the optical fiber and, thereby, a thulium laser beam; andan aiming laser diode optically coupled to a thulium laser-delivery optical fiber to produce a combined laser beam in which a single blue aiming laser beam is coaxially aligned with the thulium laser beam for illuminating a target tissue for visualization during surgeries; anda handpiece configured to optically couple to the laser-generating module, the handpiece including a treatment optical fiber extending therethrough configured to deliver the combined laser beam for surgery when the treatment optical fiber is optically coupled to a combined laser-delivery optical fiber of the laser-generating module.
7. The surgical laser system of claim 6, wherein the blue aiming laser beamproduced by the aiming laser diode illuminates the target tissue for visualization during the surgeries without pulsing.
8. The surgical laser system of either claim 6 or 7, wherein the blue aiming laser beam produced by the aiming laser diode illuminates the target tissue for visualization during the surgeries without fluorescing the target tissue.
9. The surgical laser system of any claim of claims 6-8, wherein the blue aiming laser beam produced by the aiming laser diode illuminates the target tissue for visualization during the surgeries with a wavelength of about 450 nm.
10. The surgical laser system of any claim of claims 6-9, wherein the blue aiming laser beam has a power of less than about 5 mW.
11. The surgical laser system of claim 10, wherein the power of the blue aiming laser beam is adjustable.
12. The surgical laser system of any claim of claims 6-11, wherein the blue aiming laser beam has an adjustable intensity.
13. The surgical laser system of any claim of claims 6-12, wherein the blue aiming laser beam reduces surrounding light saturation compared to a traditional green aiming laser beam, thereby offering better visualization during the surgeries.
14. The surgical laser system of claim 13, wherein the blue aiming laser beam offers better visualization during endourological surgeries.
15. The surgical laser system of claim 14, wherein the blue aiming laser beam enables smaller stones to be visualized during the endourological surgeries.
16. The surgical laser system of any claim of claims 6-12, wherein the blue aiming laser beam has a lower brightness compared to a traditional green aiming laser beam, thereby facilitating continued use of the blue aiming laser beam during surgeries.
17. The surgical laser system of claim 16, wherein the continued use of the blue aiming laser beam during the surgeries better avoids contact with tissue not targeted for surgery.
18. The surgical laser system of any claim of claims 6-12, the surgical laser system further including a display, the blue aiming laser beam having a lower brightness compared to a traditional green aiming laser beam that does not wash out or saturate images displayed on a display screen of the display.
19. A method of a surgical laser system, comprising:holding a handpiece optically coupled to a laser-generating module of the surgical laser system, the laser-generating module including:one or more pumping laser diodes (“pumping laser diode[s]”) optically coupled to a thulium-doped optical fiber, the pumping laser diode(s) configured for optically pumping thulium in the thulium-doped optical fiber to produce a stimulated emission of photons from an excited population of the thulium along an optical-resonator length of the optical fiber and, thereby, a thulium laser beam; andan aiming laser diode optically coupled to a thulium laser-delivery optical fiber to produce a combined laser beam in which a single blue aiming laser beam of about 450 nm is coaxially aligned with the thulium laser beam; andaiming a treatment optical fiber extending through the handpiece at a targeted tissue to deliver the combined laser beam to the targeted tissue for surgery.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the blue aiming laser beam has a power of less than about 5 mW.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the power of the blue aiming laser beam is adjustable.
22. The method of any claim of claims 19-21, wherein the blue aiming laser beam has an adjustable intensity.
23. The method of any claim of claims 19-22, wherein the blue aiming laser beam reduces surrounding light saturation compared to a traditional green aiming laser beam, thereby offering better visualization during surgeries.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the blue aiming laser beam offers better visualization during endourological surgeries.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the blue aiming laser beam enables smaller stones to be visualized during the endourological surgeries.
26. The method of any claim of claims 19-22, wherein the blue aiming laser beam has a lower brightness compared to a traditional green aiming laser beam, thereby facilitating continued use of the blue aiming laser beam during surgeries.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein the continued use of the blue aiming laser beam during the surgeries better avoids contact with tissue not targeted for surgery.
28. The method of any claim of claims 19-22, further comprising viewing images displayed on a display screen of a display of the surgical laser system, the blue aiming laser beam having a lower brightness compared to a traditional green aiming laser beam that does not wash out or saturate images displayed on the display screen.