Multiple input coupled illumination multi-point laser probe

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a multi-input-coupled illuminated multi-point laser probe. Systems and methods for creating a multi-point laser beam, multiplexing an illumination light and the multi-point laser beam, delivering the multiplexed light through a multi-core optical fiber cable to a surgical handpiece, and delivering the multiplexed light to a patient anatomy are disclosed.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on December 12, 2018, with application number 201880080457.4 and invention title "Multi-input Coupled Illumination Multi-point Laser Probe".

[0002] Priority Statement

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 630,865, filed February 15, 2018, with inventors Gerald Bacher, Alireza Mirsepassi, Mark Harrison Farley, and Ronald T. Smith, entitled “Multi-input-coupled illinuminated multi-spot laser probe,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference as if fully and completely set forth herein. background Technical Field

[0005] This disclosure relates to a multi-input coupled illumination multi-point laser system, and more specifically, to systems and methods for creating a multi-point laser beam, multiplexing the illumination light and the multi-point laser beam, and delivering the multiplexed light to a surgical handpiece via a multi-core fiber optic cable. Background Technology

[0007] In many ophthalmological procedures, surgeons are required to use various instruments in a patient's eye. For example, during vitreoretinal surgery, surgeons often manipulate a primary handpiece to direct an illumination beam onto the retinal surface to view the patient's anatomy, and also manipulate an additional laser probe handpiece to deliver a laser treatment beam to treat the patient's anatomy. However, a multi-input coupled illumination multi-point laser system is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The disclosed embodiments of the present technology relate to a multi-input coupled illumination multi-point laser probe, a system for multiplexing illumination light and multi-point laser light, and a method for multiplexing illumination light and multi-point laser light and for delivering the multiplexed light to a patient's anatomical structure.

[0009] Some embodiments of the disclosed technology relate to a laser system having a therapeutic laser source, a targeting laser source, a diffractive optical element (DOE) for generating a multi-point pattern of the laser beam, an illumination system, and a multiplexing assembly for multiplexing the multi-point pattern of the laser beam with light from the illumination system. The disclosed technology also relates to a condenser lens for focusing the multiplexed light onto an interface with a multi-core fiber optic cable, selecting the material used in the multi-core fiber optic cable, designing the condenser lens to ensure that the illumination beam and the laser targeting / treatment beam propagate along the entire length of the multi-core fiber optic cable, and providing the ability for a surgical probe to simultaneously deliver the illumination light and the multi-point pattern of the laser beam to the patient's anatomy.

[0010] The laser system may include a therapeutic laser source that generates a therapeutic laser beam with a wavelength substantially equal to 532 nm and guides the therapeutic laser beam to the DOE. The laser system may also include a targeting laser source that generates a laser targeting beam with a wavelength substantially equal to 635 nm and guides the laser targeting beam to a beam splitter to guide the laser targeting beam to the DOE. The laser system may further include a shield disposed between the therapeutic laser source and the DOE, the shield alternately blocking and transmitting the therapeutic laser beam to the DOE. When the shield transmits the therapeutic laser beam, the DOE creates a multi-point laser pattern by the targeting laser beam and the therapeutic laser beam.

[0011] The laser system may further include an illumination system that emits a fundamental white light and a collimating lens that collimates the fundamental white light received from the illumination system into an illumination beam. The laser system may also include a multiplexing beamsplitter arranged to receive the illumination beam and the multi-point laser pattern from the DOE, reflect the multi-point laser pattern toward a condenser lens, and transmit the illumination beam from the collimating lens toward the condenser lens, thereby multiplexing the multi-point laser pattern and the illumination beam. The condenser lens focuses the multiplexed beam of the illumination beam and the multi-point pattern onto the interface with the port.

[0012] In some cases, the laser system includes a beam compressor disposed between the therapeutic laser source and the DOE, the beam compressor collimating the therapeutic beam to a diameter selected based on the properties of the DOE and the desired multi-point pattern. Additionally, the laser system may include optical elements configured to convert a horizontally polarized therapeutic beam from the therapeutic laser source into a vertically polarized therapeutic beam. The optical elements may be a half-wave plate, a quartz crystal polarization rotator, or a metamaterial polarization rotator.

[0013] The laser system may further include a laser probe assembly with a multi-core fiber optic cable having multiple inner cores contained within an outer core. The multiple inner cores contained within the outer core can match a multi-point pattern created by the DOE.

[0014] In some cases, the multi-core fiber optic cable has a proximal end that, when connected to the port, substantially abuts against the interface in the port, such that a focused, multiplexed multi-point pattern and illumination beam are focused onto the proximal end of the multi-core fiber optic cable. The condenser lens and the material used for the multi-core fiber optic cable can be selected to ensure that the illumination beam and the laser aiming / treatment beam propagate along the entire length of the multi-core fiber optic cable. Some cases involve an outer core surrounded by an outer core cladding and a plurality of inner cores contained within the outer core, each of the plurality of inner cores being surrounded by an inner core cladding. In these cases, the refractive index of the outer core is greater than that of the outer core cladding, the refractive index of each of the plurality of inner cores is greater than that of the inner core cladding, and the refractive index of each or all of the plurality of inner cores is greater than that of the outer core cladding.

[0015] The laser probe assembly may also include a surgical handpiece at the distal end of the multi-core fiber optic cable. The surgical handpiece may have a probe tip with a lens that translates the geometry of the multiplexed multi-point laser pattern and illumination beam from the distal end of the multi-core fiber optic cable onto the target surface.

[0016] Some embodiments of this technology relate to a method for multiplexing a multi-point pattern of a laser beam and an illumination beam. The method may include guiding a laser beam to an optical element for collimating the laser beam, and guiding the collimated laser beam to a diffractive optical element (DOE) to create a multi-point laser pattern of the laser beam. Similarly, the method may include guiding the multi-point pattern of the laser beam and the illumination beam to a beam splitter. Next, the method may include: the beam splitter reflecting the multi-point pattern of the laser beam toward a condenser lens, and transmitting the illumination beam through the condenser lens, thereby multiplexing the multi-point pattern of the laser beam and the transmitted illumination beam. The method may further include: the condenser lens focusing the multiplexed multi-point pattern of the laser beam and the transmitted illumination beam onto an interface with a multi-core fiber optic cable. Additionally, the method may include guiding the multiplexed multi-point pattern of the laser beam and the transmitted illumination beam through the multi-core fiber optic cable and to a lens in a probe tip. The method may further include: the lens translating the geometry of the multiplexed laser beam multi-point laser pattern and the illumination beam from the distal end of the multi-core fiber optic cable onto the target surface.

[0017] The disclosed technology may also include creating an image of a laser beam multi-point pattern and a multiplexed beam of illumination light on the patient's anatomical structure. This is achieved by selecting materials for the multi-core fiber optic cable to ensure that the beam is confined within individual core regions as it propagates along the length of the fiber optic cable. The method may include determining the numerical aperture of the laser beam from the laser source and the numerical aperture of the illumination beam from the illumination source, and selecting a focusing lens to focus the multiplexed laser beam multi-point pattern and illumination beam onto the interface plane of the multi-core fiber optic cable to ensure that the beam is confined within individual core regions as it propagates along the length of the fiber optic cable.

[0018] The disclosed technology may also include a dual-port laser system having a second port for providing a laser treatment beam and aiming the laser beam at a laser probe, and a first port for providing a multiplexed beam of illumination light and a multi-point pattern of the laser beam to a multi-core fiber optic cable coupled to the illumination multi-point laser probe. The dual-port laser system may include a port selector for selectively directing the treatment laser beam to a first beam splitter and an additional beam splitter. The dual-port laser system may also include one or more aiming laser sources for directing the aiming laser beam to the first beam splitter and / or the second beam splitter. In some cases, the first beam splitter directs the treatment laser beam and the aiming laser beam to the second port, and the additional beam splitter directs a portion of the treatment laser beam and the aiming laser beam to a diffractive optical element (DOE). The DOE can create a multi-point laser pattern from the treatment laser beam and the aiming laser beam.

[0019] In some cases, the dual-port laser system further includes a multiplexing beamsplitter arranged to receive an illumination beam from an illumination source and a multi-point laser pattern from the DOE. The multiplexing beamsplitter can reflect the multi-point laser pattern toward a condenser lens and transmit the illumination beam from a collimating lens toward the condenser lens, thereby multiplexing the multi-point laser pattern and the illumination beam. Additionally, the condenser lens can focus the multiplexed beam of the illumination beam and the multi-point pattern onto the interface in the first port.

[0020] The dual-port laser system may include one or more beam detectors, power monitors, beam collectors, etc. Furthermore, the dual-port laser system may include optical elements for converting a horizontally polarized therapeutic beam from the therapeutic laser source into a vertically polarized therapeutic beam. The optical elements may be a half-wave plate, a quartz crystal polarization rotator, or a metamaterial polarization rotator. The dual-port laser system may also include a shield that selectively blocks and transmits the therapeutic laser beam to the port selector. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To gain a more thorough understanding of this technology, its features, and its advantages, please refer to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1A A two-port laser system according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 1B A surgical laser system for providing illumination light as well as a laser aiming beam and a treatment beam with a multi-point pattern of multiplexed beams, according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure, is shown. Figure 2 A method for multiplexing a multi-point pattern of a laser beam and an illumination beam according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 3A A top view of the near end of a multi-core fiber optic cable according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 3B A side view of the interface on the terminal of a plurality of optical cones to a multi-core fiber optic cable according to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 3C A cross-sectional view of a multi-core fiber optic cable according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 3D The proximal interface end of a multi-core fiber optic cable according to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, wherein the red laser aiming beam point and the green laser treatment beam point are aligned with the inner core and the illumination beam point is aligned with the outer core; Figure 3E The distal end of a multi-core fiber optic cable according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown, wherein all three bundles are spread out to completely fill their respective cores in space; Figure 3F The proximal interface end of a multi-core fiber optic cable according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown, wherein the red laser aiming beam point and the green laser treatment beam point are aligned with the inner core; Figure 3G Two light cones are shown representing a multi-point pattern of laser light propagating along the length of a multi-core fiber optic cable according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 3H A laser beam, which is spread out and completely fills the core in space, is shown according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 3I The distal end of a multi-core fiber optic cable according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown, wherein a laser beam is spread out to completely fill the inner core in space; Figure 3J A near-side interface end of a multi-core fiber optic cable according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown, wherein the illumination spot is aligned with the outer core; Figure 3K A light cone of illumination light according to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, wherein the light cone includes a narrow half-angle portion and a wide half-angle portion; Figure 3L A beam of illumination that is spread out and completely fills the outer core in space is shown according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 3M The distal end of a multi-core fiber optic cable according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown, wherein an illumination beam is distributed on the outer and inner cores; Figure 3N A cross-sectional view of another multi-core fiber optic cable according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 4 A method for creating an image of a laser beam multipoint pattern and a multiplexed beam of illumination light according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 5A An open side view of the tip of a surgical handheld probe according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 5B An open side view of another tip of a surgical handheld probe according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 6 A laser multiplexing assembly according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown, which has a dual-lens beam compressor for achieving the correct collimated laser beam diameter for diffractive optical elements; and Figures 7A-7G An example of a ray trajectory model of a multiplexing component according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Lasers are used in a wide variety of medical procedures to assist in the process and treat a patient's anatomical structures. For example, vitreoretinal surgery typically involves photocoagulation of retinal tissue using a laser treatment beam. Vitreoretinal procedures generally involve a laser probe capable of alternately firing a targeting laser beam to select target points on the retinal tissue and firing a treatment laser beam to perform photocoagulation at the target points. Typically, the laser probe uses light from the red band of the electromagnetic spectrum for the targeting beam and light from the green band of the electromagnetic spectrum for the treatment beam. Furthermore, during panretinal laser photocoagulation procedures, surgeons select thousands of points on the retinal tissue to apply treatment laser beams, making the procedure very lengthy and tedious. Therefore, a laser probe capable of producing a multi-point pattern of laser light is desirable.

[0023] Vitreoretinal procedures also benefit from directing illumination light onto the eye and retinal tissue. Vitreoretinal surgeons typically use a laser probe handpiece to deliver the laser aiming beam and the laser treatment beam, and also use an additional handpiece to direct the illumination beam onto the retinal surface to visualize the patient's anatomy.

[0024] Vitreoretinal surgery and other medical laser procedures will benefit from the multiplexing of illumination light and multi-point lasers. Therefore, the techniques described herein relate to illumination-type multi-point laser probes with multiplexed input coupling, adapters and other systems for multiplexing illumination light and multi-point lasers, and methods for multiplexing illumination light and multi-point lasers and delivering the multiplexed light to patient anatomical structures.

[0025] Figure 1A A dual-port laser system 100 according to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, which provides a laser aiming beam and a treatment beam through a second port 105 and an illumination beam and a multiplexed beam of a multi-point pattern of the laser aiming beam and the treatment beam through a first port 110.

[0026] The dual-port surgical laser system 100 includes a therapeutic laser source 115 for generating a laser therapeutic beam used during ophthalmic procedures. For example, the therapeutic laser source 115 can generate a surgical therapeutic beam with a wavelength of approximately 532 nanometers (nm). The dual-port surgical laser system 100 also includes two targeting laser sources 120, 125 for generating a targeting laser beam.

[0027] The dual-port surgical laser system 100 also includes a port selector 130 that selectively directs the treatment laser beam to the first beam splitter 135 and the second beam splitter 140. Additionally, the two aiming laser sources 120, 125 respectively direct the aiming laser beam to the first beam splitter 135 and the second beam splitter 140.

[0028] The dual-port surgical laser system 100 also includes a shield 145 disposed between the therapeutic laser source 115 and the port selector 130. The shield 145 alternately blocks and transmits the therapeutic laser beam to the port selector 130. A surgeon or surgical staff member can control the shield 145 (e.g., via a foot switch, voice command, etc.) to fire a laser aiming beam and emit a therapeutic laser beam (i.e., open the shield 145) to treat patient anatomical structures, such as photocoagulation. In each case, the first beam splitter 135 and the second beam splitter 140 direct the laser beam to the second port 105 and the first port 110, respectively.

[0029] When the port selector 130 is in the first position, the first beam splitter 135 reflects a portion of the treatment laser beam and transmits a portion of the laser aiming beam toward the second port 105. The reflected portion of the laser aiming beam and the transmitted portion of the treatment laser beam can be directed toward the beam detector 150, beam collector, power monitor, etc. Furthermore, a focusing lens 155 can be arranged between the first beam splitter 135 and the second port 105. The focusing lens 155 receives the treatment laser beam and the aiming laser beam from the first beam splitter 135 and focuses them onto the interface between the treatment laser beam and the optical fiber 107 of the laser probe assembly 109 in the second port 105.

[0030] When port selector 130 is in the second position, second beam splitter 140 reflects a portion of the laser aiming beam from aiming laser source 125 toward diffractive optical element (DOE) 165. Second beam splitter 140 also transmits substantially all of the treatment laser beam to DOE 165. In some embodiments, when the laser aiming beam and treatment laser beam are incident on DOE 165, these beams are collimated or substantially collimated.

[0031] The DOE 165 receives the laser aiming beam and the therapeutic laser beam, and creates a multi-point laser pattern for the laser beams. The DOE 165 can be selected to diffract the incident laser into a multi-point pattern aligned with the geometry of the desired target. For example, the DOE 165 can be selected to create a 2x2 array pattern of the laser beam that substantially matches the 2x2 array of the inner core of a multi-core fiber optic cable that delivers multiplexed light to a surgical probe, as explained in more detail below.

[0032] In some cases, the DOE 165 is a movable DOE 165 with multiple different diffraction regions selected to create and transmit various multi-point patterns of laser light. For example, the DOE 165 can be a movable linear stage with three diffraction regions for creating a multi-point pattern of one, two, or four beams and transmitting these patterns to a multi-core fiber optic cable.

[0033] Before reaching the first port 110, the multi-point laser pattern of the laser beam travels from DOE 165 toward the multiplexing assembly 160. The multiplexing assembly 160 of the dual-port surgical laser system 100 multiplexes the multi-point pattern of the laser beam with illumination light from the illumination source 170. In some cases, the illumination source 170 may include one or more of a xenon illuminator, an RGB light-emitting diode (LED) illuminator, a white LED illuminator, a laser-pumped phosphor illuminator, a supercontinuum white laser illuminator, etc.

[0034] The multiplexing assembly 160 includes a collimating lens 175 for collimating or substantially collimating the illumination light from the illumination source 170. Additionally, the multiplexing assembly 160 includes a beam splitter 180 that reflects a portion of the spectrum and transmits the remainder. More specifically, the beam splitter 180 can perform both: a) reflecting a multi-point pattern of the laser aiming beam and the treatment laser beam from the DOE 165 toward the first port 110, and b) transmitting the illumination light from the illumination source 170 (minus the narrow spectral band corresponding to the laser aiming beam and the treatment laser beam) toward the first port 110. The beam splitter 180 reflects the narrow spectral band corresponding to the laser aiming beam and the treatment laser beam from the illumination source 170 toward the beam detector 185, the beam collector, the power monitor, etc.

[0035] As explained above, vitreoretinal procedures often use light in the red band of the electromagnetic spectrum for the laser aiming beam and light in the green band of the electromagnetic spectrum for the laser treatment beam. Therefore, beam splitter 180 can be configured for light in the highly reflective red and green spectral narrow bands and for transmitting the remaining electromagnetic spectrum. In some embodiments, beam splitter 180 reflects light in a first narrow band at approximately 532 nanometers (nm) and a second narrow band at approximately 635 nm, and transmits the remaining spectrum. Beam splitter 180 can be a dichroic beam splitter cube, beam splitter plate, etc.

[0036] The multiplexing assembly 160 also includes a condenser lens 190 disposed between the beamsplitter 180 and the first port 110. Multiplexed light comprising illumination light transmitted through the beamsplitter 180 and laser light reflected by the beamsplitter 180 in a multi-point pattern is incident on the condenser lens 190 before reaching the first port 110. Furthermore, the condenser lens 190 is selected to precisely focus the multiplexed light onto the interface with the proximal end of the multi-fiber cable 112 (explained below), which is coupled to the illumination multi-point laser probe 114. As described below, the selection of the material used in the multi-fiber cable and the careful focusing of the multiplexed light using the condenser lens 190 ensure that the illumination beam and the laser aiming / treatment beam propagate along the entire length of the multi-fiber cable, thereby providing the surgical probe with the ability to simultaneously deliver the illumination light and laser beam multi-point pattern to the patient's anatomy.

[0037] The dual-port surgical laser system 100 may also include an optical element 195 for converting the polarization of the laser emitted by the therapeutic laser source 115. Orienting the linearly polarized therapeutic laser beam and the linearly polarized targeting laser beam vertically may be advantageous, as this ensures that the beam splitter can be designed to most effectively reflect the multi-point pattern of the laser beam while minimizing discoloration of the transmitted white light and maximizing its throughput. In some cases, the targeting laser sources 120, 125 originate from cylindrical laser diodes that can be axially rotated to achieve vertical polarization. In some cases, the therapeutic laser source 115 may be a diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) laser. In some cases, the therapeutic laser source 115 may be a semiconductor laser that naturally emits horizontally polarized light in a conventional mounting configuration. Therefore, to convert a horizontally polarized beam to a vertically polarized beam, the optical element 195 can rotate the polarization of the therapeutic laser beam. For example, the optical element 195 may be a half-wave plate, a quartz crystal polarization rotator, or a metamaterial polarization rotator.

[0038] In some cases, the dual-port surgical laser system 100 may also include a reflector 197 for directing a small portion of the therapeutic laser beam from the therapeutic laser source 115 to the power monitor 199.

[0039] Figure 1B Another surgical laser system 100' is illustrated according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure for providing a multiplexed beam with a multi-point pattern for illumination light and a laser aiming beam and a treatment beam. The surgical laser system 100' includes a treatment laser source 115' for generating a laser treatment beam used during ophthalmic procedures and an aiming laser source 125' for generating an aiming laser beam. Both the treatment laser source 115' and the aiming laser source 125' can direct their emitted beams to a beam splitter 140' that reflects the laser aiming beam toward a diffractive optical element (DOE) 165' and transmits the laser treatment beam.

[0040] DOE 165' receives the laser aiming beam and the treatment laser beam, and creates a multi-point laser pattern for the laser beams. For example, DOE 165' can be selected to create a 2x2 array pattern of the laser beams that substantially matches the 2x2 array of the inner core of a multi-core fiber optic cable that delivers the multiplexed light to the surgical probe, as explained in more detail below. The multi-point laser pattern of the laser beams travels from DOE 165' toward multiplexing assembly 160' before reaching port 110'.

[0041] The surgical laser system 100' includes a multiplexing assembly 160' that multiplexes a multi-point pattern of the laser beam with illumination light from an illumination source 170'. The multiplexing assembly 160' includes a collimating lens 175' for collimating or substantially collimating the illumination light from the illumination source 170'. Furthermore, the multiplexing assembly 160' includes a beam splitter 180' that performs both: a) reflecting the multi-point pattern of the laser aiming beam and the treatment laser beam from the DOE 165' toward a port 110', and b) transmitting the illumination light from the illumination source 170' (minus the narrow spectral band corresponding to the laser aiming beam and the treatment laser beam) toward the port 110'. The beam splitter 180' reflects the narrow spectral band corresponding to the laser aiming beam and the treatment laser beam from the illumination source 170' toward a beam detector 185', a beam collector, a power monitor, etc.

[0042] The multiplexing assembly 160' further includes a focusing lens 190' disposed between the beam splitter 180' and the port 110'. The focusing lens 190' can be selected to precisely focus the multiplexed light onto the interface with the proximal end of the multi-core fiber optic cable 112' (as explained below), which is connected to the illumination multi-point laser probe 114'.

[0043] The surgical laser system 100' may also include one or more of the following: a shield 145' disposed between the treatment laser source 115' and the DOE 165', an optical element 195' for converting the polarization of the laser emitted by the treatment laser source 115', and a reflector 197' for guiding a portion of the treatment laser beam from the treatment laser source 115' to the power monitor 199'.

[0044] Figure 2 A method 200 for multiplexing a laser beam multi-point pattern and illumination light according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated. Method 200 includes creating a laser beam multi-point pattern in step 205 by guiding a collimated laser beam onto a diffractive optical element (DOE), and guiding the laser beam multi-point pattern to a beam splitter in step 210.

[0045] Method 200 further includes collimating the illumination beam using a collimating lens in step 215, and guiding the collimated illumination beam to a beam splitter in step 220. Next, method 200 includes using a beam splitter in step 225 to multiplex the multi-spot pattern of the laser with the collimated illumination beam. More specifically, in some cases, multiplexing the multi-spot pattern of the laser with the collimated illumination beam may include: the beam splitter reflecting the laser aiming and treatment beam from the surgical laser system toward a condenser lens and transmitting the illumination light from the illumination source toward the condenser lens.

[0046] Method 200 further includes, in step 230, using a condenser lens to focus the multi-point pattern of the laser beam and the multiplexed beam of illumination light onto the interface with the multi-core fiber optic cable of the surgical handpiece, and subsequently, in step 235, guiding the multi-point pattern of the laser beam and the multiplexed beam of illumination light through a lens in the surgical handpiece, as described in more detail below.

[0047] In some cases, the intensity of the white illumination beam and the laser aiming beam can be adjusted (e.g., at the illumination source and the surgical laser system, respectively) to provide an appropriate amount of laser aiming beam contrast relative to white, while providing sufficient white illumination for easy viewing of the retina.

[0048] As mentioned above, a condenser lens can be selected to precisely focus the multiplexed light onto the interface at the end of the multi-core fiber optic cable, allowing the illumination beam and laser aiming / treatment beam to propagate along the entire length of the multi-core fiber optic cable and enter the surgical handheld probe. More precisely, a condenser lens can be selected such that the resulting light cones from the illumination beam and laser aiming / treatment beam have an acceptance angle and numerical aperture (NA) to interface with the various fiber cores and cladding materials used in the multi-core fiber optic cable, allowing the illumination beam and laser aiming / treatment beam to propagate along the appropriate core fiber along the entire length of the multi-core fiber optic cable.

[0049] Figure 3A A top view of the proximal end of a multi-core fiber optic cable 330 according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. The multi-core fiber optic cable 330 may include four inner core fibers 305 having a relatively small diameter and a relatively small NA, inside an outer core fiber 310 having a relatively large diameter and a relatively large NA. The outer core fiber 310 may be contained within a fiber having a refractive index (n...) 包层1 The outer core cladding 315 is contained within the inner core fiber 305, and the inner core fiber 305 may be contained within a fiber having a refractive index (n). 包层2 The inner core cladding 320 is located within the outer core 310. Additionally, the outer core 310 has a core diameter (d). 芯2 ), and the inner core 305 can have a core diameter (d 芯1 ).

[0050] Figure 3B A side view is shown of the interface on the terminal of a plurality of optical cones 335, 340, 345 to a multi-core fiber optic cable 330 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3B The multi-core fiber optic cable 330 shown in the image illustrates the outer core fiber 310 and two of its inner core fibers 305. For clarity, the image is shown in... Figure 3BThe outer core cladding 315 and inner core cladding 320 are not depicted. The wide-angle portion of the illumination cone 335, the narrow-angle portion of the illumination cone 340, and the laser cone 345 are also shown. The selection of the condenser lens is related to the half-angle of each cone. Therefore, the selection of the condenser lens can include selecting the condenser lens based on the light's NA, the cone's acceptance angle, and the refractive indices of the materials of the outer core fiber 310, outer core cladding 315, inner core fiber 305, and inner core cladding 320.

[0051] The focusing lens is designed to focus the laser onto the interface of a multi-core fiber with the desired bundle NA. The refractive indices of the inner core fiber 305 and the inner cladding-core cladding 320 are selected based on NA calculations (shown below) such that the NA of the inner core is equal to or greater than the bundle NA, thereby ensuring that the bundle is confined within the inner core region as these bundles propagate along the length of the inner core fiber 305.

[0052] Refer again Figure 3A The refractive index (n) of the outer core fiber 310 芯2 The refractive index (n) is greater than that of the outer core cladding 315. 包层2 Additionally, the refractive index (n) of each inner core fiber 305 is... 芯1 The refractive index (n) is greater than that of the inner core cladding 320. 包层1 Furthermore, the refractive index (n) of each or inner core fiber 305 芯1 The refractive index (n) is greater than that of the outer core cladding 315. 包层1 ).

[0053] The numerical aperture (NA2) of the outer core fiber 310 and the outer core cladding 315 can be calculated as follows:

[0054] Similarly, the numerical aperture (NA1) of the core fiber 305 and the core cladding 320 can be calculated as follows:

[0055] In some embodiments of this technology, the materials used for the outer core fiber 310, outer core cladding 315, inner core fiber 305, and inner core cladding 320 are selected such that NA2 is much larger than NA1. In a particular embodiment, the outer core may be undoped fused silica with a refractive index substantially 1.46.

[0056] Additionally, in some embodiments, the numerical aperture (NA) of the red aiming laser beam is approximately 0.044, and the NA of the green therapeutic laser beam is approximately 0.0657. Therefore, as long as the numerical aperture (NA1) of the inner core fiber 305 is greater than 0.0657, the red and green laser beams are confined within the inner core 305 as they propagate along the probe. Thus, the silica fiber with an NA of 0.22 used for the outer core 310 can confine the laser beams.

[0057] Additionally, the NA of the illumination light can be approximately 0.63, and the core diameter can be configured to be either unfilled or matched. 芯2 The numerical aperture (NA2) of the outer core fiber 310 and the outer core cladding 315 can be designed to have an optical fiber NA of ≥ 0.63, for example, in a borosilicate fiber structure.

[0058] When the light-gathering efficiency of the illumination beam is greater than that of the outer core 310, the coupling efficiency into the outer core 310 will be less than 100%, regardless of the focal length of the condenser lens. However, if the light-gathering efficiency of the illumination beam (which is the product of the illumination beam angular width and the dot width) is less than that of the outer core 310, a coupling efficiency of 100% (ignoring Fresnel reflection losses) may be possible if the focal length of the condenser lens is correctly designed. If the focal length of the condenser lens is too short, the focusing NA may be greater than the NA of the core 310, and the coupling efficiency may decrease. If the focal length of the condenser lens is too long, the diameter of the focused beam may be greater than the diameter of 310, and the coupling efficiency may decrease. However, if the focal length of the condenser lens is adjusted so that the beam NA is less than or equal to the fiber NA, and the beam diameter is less than or equal to the fiber core diameter, a coupling efficiency of 100% or close to 100% can be achieved.

[0059] Therefore, the illumination beam may not fill the outer core 310 spatially or angularly, which allows for spatial and angular misalignment without sacrificing coupling efficiency. Furthermore, since the illumination beam NA >> NA1, off-axis rays can frequently enter and exit the inner core 305 and inner core cladding 320 as they propagate along the length of the multi-core fiber optic cable 330.

[0060] Figure 3C A cross-sectional view of a multi-core fiber optic cable 350 according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. The multi-core fiber optic cable 350 includes four fused silica inner core fibers 305 within an undoped fused silica outer core fiber 310, the inner core fibers having a diameter of 75 micrometers and a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.22, and the outer core fiber having a diameter of 300 micrometers and an NA of 0.47. The outer core fiber 310 may be contained within a low-refractive-index polymer cladding 315 having a thickness of 25 micrometers, and the inner core fibers 305 may be contained within a fluorine-doped fused silica inner core cladding 320 having a thickness of 15 micrometers. The multi-core fiber optic cable 350 may be further contained within an ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) coating 375.

[0061] The refractive index of the four fused silica core optical fibers 305 at 532 nm is 1.46. The refractive index of the undoped fused silica outer core optical fiber 310 at 532 nm is 1.46. The refractive index of the fluorine-doped fused silica core cladding 320 at 532 nm can be 1.4433. The refractive index of the low-refractive-index polymer cladding 315 at 532 nm can be 1.38228.

[0062] Figure 3D The near-side interface of a multi-core fiber optic cable is shown, in which the red laser aiming beam point and the green laser treatment beam point are aligned with the inner core 305 and the illumination beam point is aligned with the outer core 310. Figure 3E The far end of a multi-core fiber optic cable is shown, where all three bundles are spread out to completely fill their respective cores in space. Figures 3F to 3L This illustrates the propagation of multiplexed light through a multi-core fiber optic cable.

[0063] Figure 3F The near-side interface end of the multi-core fiber optic cable is shown, where the red laser aiming beam point and the green laser treatment beam point are aligned with the inner core 305. Figure 3G Two light cones are shown, representing a multi-point pattern of laser light propagating along the length of a multi-core fiber optic cable (where multiplexed illumination light is emitted for image clarity). Figure 3H The image shows a laser beam that spreads out and completely fills the inner core 305 in space. Similarly, Figure 3I The far end of a multi-core fiber optic cable is shown, in which a laser beam is spread out to completely fill the inner core 305 in space.

[0064] Figure 3J The near-side interface of a multi-core fiber optic cable is shown, with the illumination spot aligned with the outer core 310. Figure 3K The illumination cone is shown (in which a multiplexed laser beam multi-point pattern is emitted for image clarity), wherein the cone includes a narrow half-angle portion and a wide half-angle portion. The narrow half-angle portion of the cone propagates the length of the outer core 310 but is not within the inner core 305. The wide half-angle portion of the illumination cone fills the length of both the outer core 310 and the inner core 305.

[0065] Figure 3L The illumination beam is shown to spread out and completely fill the outer core 310 in space. Similarly, Figure 3M The far end of a multi-core fiber optic cable is shown, with an illumination beam distributed across the outer core 310 and the inner core 305.

[0066] Figure 3NA cross-sectional view of another multi-core fiber optic cable 380 according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. The multi-core fiber optic cable 380 includes four germanium-doped silica inner core fibers 385 within an undoped fused silica outer core fiber 390, the inner core fibers having a diameter of 75 micrometers and a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.22, and the outer core fibers having a diameter of 300 micrometers and an NA of 0.47. The outer core fibers 390 may be contained within a low-refractive-index polymer cladding 395 having a thickness of 25 micrometers. The multi-core fiber optic cable 380 may be further contained within an ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) coating 376.

[0067] The refractive index of the four germanium-doped silica core optical fibers 385 at 532 nm is approximately 1.47648. The refractive index of the undoped fused silica outer core optical fiber 390 at 532 nm is 1.46. The refractive index of the low-refractive-index polymer cladding fiber 395 at 532 nm can be 1.38228.

[0068] Although specific geometries of multi-core fiber optic cables are explicitly shown herein, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure that a wide variety of configurations of multi-core fiber optic cables are possible. Figures 3A to 3N In the configuration shown, the white illumination spot at the distal end of the multi-core fiber is slightly larger than the 2x2 laser spot array. In some cases, this geometry is desirable because it provides illumination to both the target area for retinal treatment and some of the surrounding retina, and the illumination spot is small enough to maintain a fairly concentrated white light. Furthermore, this geometry allows for sufficient white irradiation at the retina using fibers with relatively small core diameters. Additionally, as explained above, the intensity of the white illumination beam and the laser aiming beam can be adjusted (e.g., at the illumination source and the surgical laser system, respectively) to provide an appropriate amount of laser aiming beam contrast relative to white, while providing sufficient white illumination for easy visualization of the retina.

[0069] Figure 4 A method 400 is illustrated for creating an image of a multi-point pattern of laser beams and a multiplexed beam of illumination light. The method includes selecting a material for the multi-core fiber optic cable in step 405 to ensure that the beams are confined within individual core regions as they propagate along the length of the fiber optic cable, as explained above. Method 400 also includes determining the numerical aperture of the laser beam from the laser source and the numerical aperture of the illumination beam from the illumination source in step 410, and selecting a focusing lens in step 415 to focus the multiplexed multi-point pattern of laser beams and the illumination beam onto the interface plane of the multi-core fiber optic cable.

[0070] Next, method 400 includes multiplexing the laser beam multi-point pattern and the illumination beam in step 420, focusing the multiplexed laser beam multi-point pattern and the illumination beam onto the interface plane of the multi-core fiber optic cable in step 425, and guiding the multiplexed beam of the laser beam multi-point pattern and the illumination beam through a lens in the surgical handpiece in step 430.

[0071] As explained above, a wide variety of configurations for multi-core fiber optic cables are possible. For example, an incoherent white light illumination source can be replaced by a white laser system (e.g., a supercontinuum laser system). In this case, the light concentration of the white laser beam can be small enough to be smaller than that of the nanofiber, and can be effectively coupled into the nanofiber, allowing the multi-core fiber optic cable described above to be used to deliver multiplexed laser aiming and treatment beams as well as white laser illumination.

[0072] In some embodiments disclosed herein, the distal end of the multi-core fiber optic cable terminates within the tip of a surgical handheld probe inserted into the patient's eye. The tip of the surgical handheld probe may also include a lens to image the multiplexed beam onto the patient's anatomical structures, such as the retina.

[0073] Figure 5A An open side view of the tip 505 of a surgical handheld probe according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. The probe tip 505 may include a cannula 535 (e.g., a stainless steel cannula) having a distal end 530, and the probe tip includes a multi-core optical fiber 510 and a lens 515. The lens 515 may be a graded-index (GRIN) lens, and an air gap 525 may be kept open between the GRIN lens 515 and the distal end of the multi-core optical fiber 510. The size of the air gap 525 may be configured such that light emitted from the multi-core optical fiber 510 undergoes a certain amount of diffusion before incident on the GRIN lens 515, and that the GRIN lens 515 images the light onto the patient's anatomy.

[0074] In some cases, an air gap is not permitted between the distal end of the multi-core fiber 510 and the proximal end of the lens 515. Here, the multi-core fiber 510 and the lens 515 are essentially pressed against each other under positive pressure to avoid concerns about air gap tolerances, thereby reducing the chance that peripheral off-axis rays will travel a distance far enough off-axis to be reflected back by the cylindrical sidewalls of the GRIN lens. However, using a conventional lens instead of a GRIN lens involves an air gap between the multi-core fiber 510 and the lens 515 in order to properly focus the light.

[0075] In some cases, the lens 515 is secured to the probe tip 505 by optical adhesive 520. For example... Figure 5AAs shown, a multi-point pattern of green 532 nm laser light was projected onto retinal tissue 4 mm from the distal end of the cannula.

[0076] Figure 5B An open side view of another tip 540 of a surgical handheld probe according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Similarly, the probe tip 540 may include a cannula 545 having a distal cannula 550, and the probe tip includes a multi-core optical fiber 555 and a lens 560. Figure 5B The lens 560 shown is a plano-convex glass lens. Moreover, the plano-convex lens 560 is fixed in the cannula 545 by a retaining feature 565. Similarly, the size of the air gap 570 can be set such that light emitted from the multi-core optical fiber 555 undergoes a certain amount of diffusion before incident on the plano-convex lens 560, and that the plano-convex lens 560 images the light onto the patient's anatomical structures.

[0077] As explained above, a surgical laser system (e.g., surgical laser system 100, 100') can alternatively generate a surgical treatment beam with a wavelength of about 532 nanometers (nm) (i.e., green) and a laser aiming beam with a wavelength of about 635 nm (i.e., red). However, the red and green incident lasers diffract from the DOE at different diffraction angles. When the laser beams are not collimated, their focal lengths are also affected, meaning the red and green beams will be focused at different axial positions. This significantly complicates attempts to focus the green and red laser beams into the same core region of the multi-core fiber, as explained above. Furthermore, the DOE may have a fixed requirement for the diameter of the laser beam to be collimated. Therefore, some embodiments of the disclosed technology involve collimating multiple beams with a selected beam diameter for use in the DOE.

[0078] Figure 6 A laser multiplexing assembly 600 is shown, which has a dual-lens beam compressor 605 for achieving the correct collimated laser beam diameter for a diffractive optical element (DOE) 665. The dual-lens beam compressor 605 may include two achromatic doublets 607, 609 for focusing and then re-collimating the laser beam, and for guiding the collimated beam to the DOE 665 with a suitable beam diameter. Figure 6 This includes precise dimensions for a particular embodiment; however, those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure will readily understand that other lenses, dimensions, etc., can be used to achieve a collimated laser beam with a lens diameter suitable for other DOEs.

[0079] The laser multiplexing assembly 600 also includes a collimating lens 675 for collimating or substantially collimating the illumination light from the illumination source 670, and a beam splitter 680 that performs both: a) reflecting the multi-point pattern of the laser aiming beam and the treatment laser beam from the DOE 665, and b) transmitting the illumination light from the illumination source 670 (minus the spectral narrowbands corresponding to the laser aiming beam and the treatment laser beam). The laser multiplexing assembly 600 further includes a condenser lens 690 disposed between the beam splitter 680 and the port 610 for coupling with the multi-core fiber optic cable 612 of the illumination multi-point laser probe assembly. The condenser lens 690 can be selected to precisely focus the multiplexed light onto the interface near the proximal end of the multi-core fiber optic cable 612.

[0080] Figures 7A to 7G An example of a ray trajectory model of a multiplexing component according to some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown. Figure 7A -&B shows an example of the ray trajectory of white illumination light passing through the multiplexing component. Figure 7C An example of the light trajectory of a laser therapy beam reflected from a beam splitter in a multiplexing assembly is shown. Figure 7D An example of the light trajectories of white illumination light and laser treatment beam in a multiplexing component is shown. Figure 7E An example of the trajectory of a laser treatment beam guided through a dual-lens compressor, reflected from a beam splitter, and focused by a condenser lens is shown. Figures 7F to 7G An example of the ray trajectory of white illumination light passing through a multiplexing component is shown.

[0081] The subject matter disclosed above should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments falling within the true spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the scope of this disclosure shall be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents and shall not be limited to or confined to the specific embodiments described above.

Claims

1. A laser system, comprising: First port; A multi-core optical fiber is used for coupling with the first port; The therapeutic laser source is configured to provide a therapeutic laser beam; Aiming laser source, used to provide aiming laser beam; A diffractive optical element (DOE) having multiple diffraction regions is configured to receive the therapeutic laser beam and the aiming laser beam and create a multi-point laser pattern. A focusing lens; wherein the focusing lens focuses the multi-point laser pattern onto the interface in the first port; A lighting system that emits illumination light; A collimating lens, which collimates the illumination light received from the illumination system into an illumination beam; and A multiplexing beamsplitter is arranged to receive the illumination beam and the multi-point laser pattern from the DOE. The multiplexing beamsplitter is configured to reflect the multi-point laser pattern toward the condenser lens and transmit the illumination beam from the collimating lens toward the condenser lens, thereby multiplexing the multi-point laser pattern and the illumination beam.

2. The laser system of claim 1, further comprising: A first laser probe assembly is used to couple with the first port; The second port is used for coupling with the second laser probe assembly; as well as Port selector; The therapeutic laser source is configured to direct the therapeutic laser beam to the port selector, and the port selector is configured to selectively direct the therapeutic laser beam to the first port or the second port.

3. The laser system of claim 2, wherein the aiming laser source is a first aiming laser source, the aiming laser beam is a first aiming laser beam, and wherein the laser system further includes a second aiming laser source configured to provide a second aiming laser beam to the second port.

4. The laser system of claim 3, further comprising a focusing lens arranged to receive the therapeutic laser beam and the second aiming laser beam, and to focus the therapeutic laser beam and the second aiming laser beam onto the second port and onto a third interface with the optical fiber of the second laser probe assembly.

5. The laser system of claim 1, further comprising: A beam detector, wherein a portion of the therapeutic laser beam is directed to the beam detector by a beam splitter.

6. The laser system of claim 2, further comprising: A first beam detector, wherein when the port selector directs the therapeutic laser beam toward the first port, a portion of the therapeutic laser beam is directed to the first beam detector by a first beam splitter; and The second beam detector, wherein when the port selector directs the therapeutic laser beam toward the second port, a portion of the therapeutic laser beam is directed to the second beam detector by the second beam splitter.

7. The laser system of claim 1, further comprising: Power monitor; as well as A beam splitter is arranged to receive the therapeutic laser beam from the therapeutic laser source and guide a portion of the therapeutic laser beam to the power monitor.

8. The laser system of claim 1, further comprising: An optical element in the path of the therapeutic laser beam, the optical element being configured to convert a horizontally polarized therapeutic beam from the therapeutic laser source into a vertically polarized therapeutic beam.

9. The laser system of claim 1, further comprising: A shield is arranged in the path of the therapeutic laser beam and is configured to alternately block and transmit the therapeutic laser beam.

10. The laser system of claim 1, wherein, The DOE includes a movable linear stage having multiple diffraction regions.

11. The laser system of claim 1, wherein: The multi-core optical fiber includes a near end that, when coupled to the first port, substantially abuts against the interface in the first port, such that a multi-point laser pattern is focused on the near end of the multi-core optical fiber. The multi-core optical fiber further comprises a first outer core surrounded by an outer core cladding and a plurality of inner cores contained within the outer core, each of the plurality of inner cores being surrounded by an inner core cladding. The refractive index of the outer core is greater than the refractive index of the outer core cladding. The refractive index of each of the plurality of inner cores is greater than the refractive index of the inner core cladding.

12. The laser system of claim 1, further comprising: A beam compressor is disposed between the therapeutic laser source and the DOE, the beam compressor being configured to collimate the therapeutic laser beam to a diameter selected based on the properties of the DOE and the desired multi-point laser pattern.

13. The laser system of claim 1, further comprising: A surgical handpiece having a probe tip coupled to the distal end of the multi-core optical fiber, the probe tip having a lens substantially located at the distal end of the probe tip, wherein: The distal end of the multi-core optical fiber terminates at the second interface with the lens, and The lens translates the geometry of the multi-point laser pattern from the distal end of the multi-core optical fiber onto the target surface.

14. The laser system of claim 1, wherein the therapeutic laser beam and the aiming laser beam in the multi-point laser pattern propagate through the multi-core optical fiber via a plurality of inner cores.

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