Optical fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation device and ablation system

Abstract

The invention is suitable for the field of medical apparatus and instruments, and provides an optical fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation device and ablation system. The optical fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation device comprises an optical fiber beam combining assembly, the optical fiber beam combining assembly comprises a first optical fiber and a plurality of second optical fibers, the optical fiber beam combining assembly is used for transmitting laser energy in the single first optical fiber to the plurality of second optical fibers, and the core diameter of the first optical fiber is larger than that of the second optical fibers. According to the optical fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation device and ablation system, the optical fiber beam combining assembly can serve as a final conductor, the first optical fiber with the large core diameter is arranged at the front end, laser energy can be better conducted to the second optical fiber with the small core diameter, the end face of the incident end of the second optical fiber is prevented from being directly damaged by the laser energy, and the ablation efficiency is improved. The second optical fiber adopts a small-core-diameter optical fiber as an ablation optical fiber, is soft and easy to bend, has a smaller bending radius, and is small in limitation, more flexible to operate and good in application effect when being applied to laser ablation treatment in a blood vessel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular to an optical fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device and an ablation system. Background Art

[0002] Symptoms such as chronic occlusive lesions, thrombi and their coexisting plaques and calcified tissue lesions in blood vessels are generally treated through arterial intervention. The instrument catheter is delivered into the blood vessel, and the principle of laser ablation is used to eliminate plaques and hyperplastic tissue, thereby unblocking occluded or narrowed blood vessels, achieving the effect of safe treatment without damaging the blood vessels.

[0003] Laser acting on biological tissues will produce a series of biological effects, such as photochemical effects, thermal effects and mechanical effects. Ultraviolet lasers with high peak power pulses and pulse widths in the nanosecond range have high photon energy, which can directly destroy the chemical bonds between biological tissue molecules and break macromolecular compounds into small fragments. Microparticles with a volume of less than 20μm are eventually absorbed by the reticuloendothelial system, thereby avoiding blockage of microvessels. When 355nm ultraviolet laser ablates thrombi and other diseased tissues, the photochemical effect plays a major role, and the thermal effect is relatively small. For the current ultraviolet laser ablation catheter, the diameter is relatively small, and the number and area of ​​ablation optical fibers that can be accommodated in the catheter are limited, which limits the acceptable laser energy at the incident end of the optical fiber and easily damages the end face of the optical fiber, resulting in unsatisfactory tissue ablation effects. The bending radius of a single optical fiber with a larger core diameter is too large, which has great limitations when used for laser ablation in blood vessels for treatment, and the application effect is poor. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art and to provide a fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device and an ablation system, in which the second optical fiber adopts a small core diameter optical fiber as the ablation optical fiber, which is soft and easy to bend and has a smaller bending radius. When used for laser ablation treatment in blood vessels, it has little limitation, is more flexible to operate, and has a better application effect.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is: a fiber-optic beam-combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device, including a fiber-optic beam-combining component, the fiber-optic beam-combining component includes a first optical fiber and multiple second optical fibers, the fiber-optic beam-combining component is used to transmit the laser energy in a single first optical fiber to multiple second optical fibers, and the core diameter of the first optical fiber is larger than the core diameter of the second optical fiber.

[0006] Specifically, each of the second optical fibers is sleeved in a sleeve to form a bundled input optical fiber, and the bundled input optical fiber is fusion-spliced ​​with the first optical fiber.

[0007] Specifically, the cross section of the second optical fiber is circular, and at least seven second optical fibers are provided. The second optical fibers are arranged in a honeycomb shape, and each second optical fiber is tangent to an adjacent second optical fiber.

[0008] Specifically, the second optical fibers in the outer layer of the bundled input optical fibers are all inscribed in the sleeve, and the inner diameter of the sleeve is equal to the outer diameter of the first optical fibers.

[0009] Specifically, the fiber optic bundle combining assembly also includes a tapered bundled optical fiber, the two ends of the tapered bundled optical fiber are respectively a first end and a second end, the diameter of the first end is smaller than the diameter of the second end, the first end is connected to the bundled input optical fiber, and the second end is connected to the bundled output optical fiber.

[0010] Specifically, the optical fiber bundle combining assembly has the same diameter at both ends and includes a plurality of bundled optical fibers wrapped in a tube, and each of the bundled optical fibers is fused to the first optical fiber.

[0011] Specifically, the fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device further includes a light homogenizing component, which is used to shape the laser light emitted by the laser, and the fiber beam combining component is arranged on the optical path of the light homogenizing component.

[0012] Specifically, the light homogenizing component includes a microlens group and a focusing lens, and the microlens group and the focusing lens are arranged in sequence along the optical path of the laser.

[0013] The present invention also provides a fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation system, comprising a laser and the above-mentioned fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation device.

[0014] Specifically, the fiber-optic beam-combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation system includes a handle and a distal sleeve connected to the handle, the handle having a proximal entrance of an ablation fiber lumen, the fiber-optic beam-combining assembly passes through the proximal entrance of the ablation fiber lumen and out of the distal sleeve, a first catheter, a second catheter and a third catheter are arranged in the distal sleeve, the first catheter and the second catheter are arranged in the third catheter, the first catheter has a first lumen, the second catheter has a second lumen, and in the inner lumen of the third catheter, the cavity excluding the first lumen and the second lumen is the third lumen; the first lumen is used to place an imaging catheter probe; the second lumen is used for the passage of a guide wire.

[0015] Specifically, the diameter of the first lumen is larger than the diameter of the second lumen; and the positions of the first lumen and the second lumen in the third catheter are eccentrically arranged, the third catheter is connected to the distal inner tube of the catheter, the first catheter and the second catheter are arranged in the lumen of the distal inner tube of the catheter, and the third catheter is connected to a suction device; the second optical fiber is used as an ablation optical fiber to conduct laser energy, and the ablation optical fiber is coated on the outer layer of the third catheter and the distal inner tube of the catheter.

[0016] The present invention provides a fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device and ablation system, wherein the fiber beam combining component can be used as the final conductor, and the front end is a first optical fiber with a large core diameter, which can better transmit the laser energy to the second optical fiber with a small core diameter, thereby avoiding direct damage of the laser energy to the end face of the incident end of the second optical fiber. The second optical fiber can adopt a small core diameter optical fiber as an ablation optical fiber, which is soft and easy to bend, and has a smaller bending radius. When used for laser ablation treatment in blood vessels, it has little limitation, is more flexible to operate, and has a good application effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation system provided in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a plan view of a fiber beam combining assembly in a fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device provided in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fiber beam combining component in a fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device provided in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation system provided in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation system provided in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 is a plan view of a fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation system provided in the third embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional schematic diagram of a distal sleeve in a fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation system provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 8 It is a schematic transverse cross-sectional view of a distal sleeve in a fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation system provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0027] It should be noted that the terms “setting” and “connection” should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be directly setting or connecting, or it can be indirectly setting or connecting through a central component or a central structure.

[0028] In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention, if there are terms indicating orientation or positional relationships such as "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., they are based on the orientation or positional relationships or conventional placement states or usage states shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the structure, feature, device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or positional relationship, nor must it be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0029] In the field of medical device technology, the direction close to the operator is usually defined as the proximal end, the direction away from the operator is defined as the distal end, the radial direction refers to the direction along the diameter or radius, the axial direction refers to the direction along the central axis, the radial direction and the axial direction are perpendicular to each other, and the circumferential direction refers to the circumferential direction around the central axis. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the present invention have the same meaning as those commonly understood by technicians in the technical field of the present invention. The customary terms used in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not to be understood as limitations of the present invention.

[0030] In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in the present invention are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in the field to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0031] The various specific technical features and embodiments described in the specific implementation methods can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. For example, different implementation methods can be formed by combining different specific technical features / embodiments. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, the various possible combinations of the specific technical features / embodiments in the present invention are no longer described separately. Some embodiments of the present invention will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0032] Embodiment 1:

[0033] See also Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the present invention provides a fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device, including a fiber beam combining component 3, wherein the fiber beam combining component 3 includes a first optical fiber 4 and a second optical fiber 9, and the fiber beam combining component is used to transmit the laser energy in a single first optical fiber 4 to multiple second optical fibers 9, wherein the core diameter of the first optical fiber 4 is larger than the core diameter of the second optical fiber 9, and the laser energy in a single first optical fiber 4 is transmitted to multiple second optical fibers 9 (bunching input optical fibers 5) through the fiber beam combining component 3. The fiber beam combining component 3 can be used as a final conductor, and the front end is the first optical fiber 4 (large core diameter optical fiber), which can better transmit the laser energy to the second optical fiber 9 (small core diameter optical fiber). The second optical fiber 9 uses a small core diameter optical fiber as an ablation optical fiber, which is soft and easy to bend, and has a smaller bending radius. When used for laser ablation treatment in blood vessels, it has small limitations, more flexible operation, and good application effect.

[0034] Specifically, a plurality of the second optical fibers 9 are sheathed in a sleeve (quartz capillary 8) to form a bundled input optical fiber 5, which has a compact structure and good reliability. The second optical fiber 9 in the bundled input optical fiber is fused with the first optical fiber

[0035] In a specific application, the bundled input optical fiber 5 can be coaxially connected to the first optical fiber 4 to facilitate the optical fiber bundle combining assembly 3 to pass smoothly through the catheter.

[0036] In specific applications, the sleeve can also be integrally sleeved on the first optical fiber 4, which has good reliability.

[0037] Specifically, the fiber optic beam-combining assembly 3 includes a tapered beam-combining optical fiber 6, wherein the two ends of the tapered beam-combining optical fiber 6 are respectively a first end and a second end, wherein the diameter of the first end is smaller than the diameter of the second end, the first end is connected to the bundled input optical fiber 5, and the second end is connected to the bundled output optical fiber 7; in specific applications, the tapered beam-combining optical fiber 6 can be connected to the bundled input optical fiber 5 and the bundled output optical fiber 7 by laser welding or the like.

[0038] In specific applications, a single large-core optical fiber has high structural strength and is not easy to break or damage during use; and the optical fiber bundle can use ultraviolet multimode optical fiber, which can effectively ensure the stability of its working performance.

[0039] Specifically, the optical fiber combining assembly 3 includes a sleeve, which may be a transparent tube (i.e., a quartz capillary 8), which may be sleeved on the tapered optical fiber 6, and the first end of the tapered optical fiber 6 is located inside one end of the transparent tube, and the second end of the tapered optical fiber is located outside the transparent tube.

[0040] Specifically, a plurality of the second optical fibers 9 are arranged in a set manner to form a bundled input optical fiber 5, and each second optical fiber 9 can be closely arranged in a honeycomb / hexagonal shape, and reducing the gap between optical fibers is more conducive to the overall transmission efficiency. The bundled output optical fiber 7 can be arranged in a ring shape and provided with (one layer, two layers or multiple layers).

[0041] Specifically, the outer layer of the second optical fibers 9 in the bundled input optical fiber 5 are all inscribed in the sleeve, and the inner diameter of the sleeve is equal to the outer diameter of the first optical fiber.

[0042] In a specific application, in the bundled input optical fiber 5, the cross section of each second optical fiber 9 is circular, the cross section of the second optical fiber 9 is circular and at least 7 second optical fibers 9 are arranged in a honeycomb shape, each second optical fiber 9 is tangent to the adjacent second optical fiber 9, and each second optical fiber 9 in the outer ring is inscribed in the same circle. Each second optical fiber 9 can be arranged in at least three layers, and at least one layer has no less than three second optical fibers 9 arranged side by side. In a specific application, each second optical fiber 9 in the outer ring is inscribed in a sleeve (quartz capillary), and the inner diameter of the sleeve (quartz capillary) can be equal to the outer diameter of the first optical fiber 4.

[0043] Taking the bundled input optical fiber 5 including seven second optical fibers 9 as an example, it is arranged in three layers, with the first layer having two second optical fibers 9, the second layer having three second optical fibers 9, and the third layer having three second optical fibers 9. Each second optical fiber 9 is arranged in tangential contact with at least two second optical fibers 9, with smaller gaps, so that laser energy can be conducted more effectively within the same tube diameter.

[0044] In specific applications, the diameters of both ends of the fiber optic beam combining assembly 6 may also be the same, including multiple bundled optical fibers coated in a tube, each of which is fused to the first optical fiber 4. By hot-melting multiple bundled optical fibers (small core diameter optical fibers) coated in a quartz glass tube, the small core diameter optical fibers are closely arranged in a honeycomb / hexagonal shape, reducing the gap between optical fibers is more conducive to overall transmission efficiency. In specific applications, the input end of the fiber optic beam combining assembly with the same diameter at both ends is connected to the large core diameter optical fiber through fusion, so that the conductor can conduct laser energy more effectively, thereby improving the ablation treatment effect.

[0045] Specifically, the fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device further comprises a light homogenizing component 2, and the fiber beam combining component 3 is arranged on the optical path of the light homogenizing component 2. The light homogenizing component 2 is used to perform beam flattening and / or beam superposition on the laser emitted by the laser 1.

[0046] Specifically, the light homogenizing component 2 includes a microlens group 14 and a focusing lens 15, which are sequentially arranged along the optical path of the laser. The microlens group 14 is arranged on the optical path of the laser to shape the laser to obtain a shaped light beam; the focusing lens 15 is arranged on the optical path of the shaped light beam, and the focusing lens 15 can be a plano-convex lens or a biconvex lens.

[0047] The present invention also provides a fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation system, including a laser 1 and the above-mentioned fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device, the fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device can be connected to the laser 1, and the fiber beam combining component 3 is arranged on the optical path of the laser 1.

[0049] Embodiment 2:

[0050] Specifically, Figures 1 to 5 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation system, which includes: a laser 1, a light homogenizing component 2 and a fiber beam combining component 3. The fiber beam combining component 3 can be the fiber beam combining component 3 in the first embodiment.

[0051] The laser 1 is used to emit laser light; the light homogenizing component 2 is arranged on the output light path of the laser; the optical fiber beam combining component 3 is arranged on the output light path of the light homogenizing component 2; the light homogenizing component 2 is used to perform beam flattening and beam superposition on the laser to obtain a target light spot; the optical fiber beam combining component 3 is used to perform multi-beam transmission on the target light spot.

[0052] Specifically, the light homogenizing component 2 may include a diffractive optical component, and the diffractive optical component may be a holographic diffuser.

[0053] The light homogenizing component 2 includes: a microlens group 14 and a focusing lens 15. The microlens group 14 is used to flatten the laser beam to obtain a shaped beam; the focusing lens 15 is used to superimpose the shaped beam to obtain a target light spot. The microlens group 14 is arranged on the exit light path of the laser; the focusing lens 15 is arranged on the exit light path of the shaped beam. The focusing lens 15 is a plano-convex lens or a biconvex lens.

[0054] Specifically, the optical fiber combining assembly 3 includes: a first optical fiber (large core diameter silica optical fiber) 4 , a bundled input optical fiber 5 , a tapered combined optical fiber 6 and a bundled output optical fiber 7 .

[0055] Specifically, the first optical fiber (large core diameter quartz optical fiber) 4 is arranged on the outgoing light path of the light homogenizing component 2; the core diameter of the first optical fiber (large core diameter quartz optical fiber) 4 is greater than 600 μm.

[0056] Specifically, the first optical fiber (large core diameter silica fiber) 4 is connected to the tapered bundled optical fiber 6 via the bundled input optical fiber 5; the output end of the tapered bundled optical fiber 6 is connected to the bundled output optical fiber 7. The bundled input optical fiber 5 includes a plurality of second optical fibers (small core diameter silica fibers) 9. The core diameter of the second optical fiber (small core diameter silica fiber) 9 is less than 200 μm.

[0057] Specifically, the optical fiber combining assembly 3 further includes a protective cover; the protective cover can be coated on the surface of the first optical fiber (large core diameter quartz optical fiber) 4.

[0058] In practical applications, the laser 1 selects the wavelength range of ultraviolet laser in the range of 200nm-400nm, the light homogenizing component 2 is a coupling device for receiving ultraviolet laser energy, and the optical fiber beam combining component 3 is a conductor device for conducting laser energy. When the laser passes through the array composed of the microlens group 14, the microlens group 14 performs beam flattening shaping on the laser and divides the input laser spot, and then the multiple small beams of the divided spot are superimposed on each other through the subsequent focusing lens 15, so as to obtain a homogenized light field distribution, so as to reduce the laser energy intensity received per unit area at the incident end of the optical fiber, thereby avoiding damage to the end face of the incident end, and forming a uniform target spot.

[0059] Specifically, the optical fiber beam combining component 3 has a core numerical aperture range of 0.22-0.50, and effectively transmits laser energy from a single large-core optical fiber with a core diameter of more than 600 μm to multiple small-core optical fibers through a laser ablation catheter, ultimately achieving a compact laser ablation system with uniform light spot distribution and integrated optical fiber coupling.

[0060] Specifically, the optical fiber combining assembly 3 connects the first optical fiber (large core diameter silica fiber) 4 to the tapered combining optical fiber 6 via the bundled input optical fiber 5 by fusion splicing, and the bundled input optical fiber 5 includes a plurality of second optical fibers (small core diameter silica fibers) 9. The plurality of second optical fibers (small core diameter silica fibers) 9 are bundled using a silica capillary 8.

[0061] Specifically, the tapered optical fiber 6 is coated in a quartz capillary 8, which effectively transmits laser energy from a single first optical fiber (large core diameter quartz optical fiber) 4 to multiple second optical fibers (small core diameter quartz optical fibers) 9, and the core diameter of the second optical fiber (small core diameter quartz optical fiber) 9 is in the range of less than 200 μm. The optical fiber bundle composed of multiple second optical fibers (small-core quartz optical fibers) 9 includes an input end (first optical fiber 4 and bundled input optical fiber 5), a tapered end (tapered bundled optical fiber 6) and an output end (annular bundled output optical fiber 7), wherein the two ends of the tapered end have different diameters, the large end of the tapered end is connected to the output end, and the small end of the tapered end is connected to the input end, the tapered end and the input end are both located in the front end of the quartz capillary 8, and the output end is located at the rear end of the quartz capillary 8 and extends to the outside of the quartz capillary 8. In the optical path, the first optical fiber (large-core quartz optical fiber) 4 is arranged behind the focusing lens 15, the microlens group 14 homogenizes the laser energy emitted by the laser 1, and the first optical fiber (large-core quartz optical fiber) 4 receives the homogenized laser.

[0062] Specifically, the pulse width of the laser emitted by the laser 1 is less than 15 nanoseconds or is a sub-nanosecond laser, and the wavelength is 200nm-400nm; the light homogenizing component 2 can be provided with one or two microlens arrays; the light homogenizing component 2 can be a diffractive optical element; further, the light homogenizing component 2 can be a holographic diffuser. The focusing lens 15 is a plano-convex lens or a biconvex lens.

[0063] In addition, the protective sleeve (tube) can be coated on the surface of the first optical fiber (large core diameter silica fiber) 4 and the silica capillary 8. The optical fiber bundle assembly 3 can also be set to be connected in the form of an SMA optical fiber connector, the first optical fiber (large core diameter silica fiber) 4 is connected to one end of the optical fiber connector, and the tapered bundled optical fiber 6 is connected to the other end. In addition, the optical fiber bundle assembly 3 can be set to have only a tapered optical fiber bundle.

[0064] In specific applications, the effective energy density of the UV laser ablation system needs to reach 40mJ / mm 2 -60mJ / mm 2 . The high peak energy of the ultraviolet laser with a pulse width of nanoseconds and a wavelength of 355nm will directly damage the end face of the optical fiber incident end, making it difficult to achieve optical fiber coupling. Usually, the first optical fiber (large core diameter quartz fiber) 4 is used as the conductor, but because the bending radius of the optical fiber is too large, it cannot be used as a laser ablation catheter for treatment in the blood vessel. Multiple second optical fibers (small core diameter quartz fibers) 9 are used as the conductor of the catheter. Since the small core diameter optical fiber is soft and has a smaller bending radius, it can be used for laser ablation in the blood vessel.

[0065] The optical fiber combining assembly 3 is used as the final conductor, and the front end is a single first optical fiber (large core diameter quartz fiber) 4, which can better transmit the homogenized laser energy to the second optical fiber (small core diameter quartz fiber) 9 and avoid directly damaging the end faces of multiple optical fibers.

[0066] The fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation system provided by the present invention solves the problem of fiber coupling and can be applied to ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 266nm or other common wavelengths of light, such as 1064nm.

[0067] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a fiber-optic bundle-combining assembly 3, including a single first optical fiber (large core diameter quartz optical fiber) 4, a bundle input optical fiber 5, a tapered bundle-combining optical fiber 6, and a bundle output optical fiber 7; the bundle input optical fiber 5 is composed of a plurality of second optical fibers (small core diameter quartz optical fibers) 9 bundled together, and the tapered bundle-combining optical fiber 6 is located at the output side of the bundle input optical fiber 5, one end face of the bundle input optical fiber 5 is fused with one end of the first optical fiber (large core diameter quartz optical fiber) 4, the other end face of the bundle input optical fiber 5 is fused with the first end of the tapered bundle-combining optical fiber 6, and the second end of the tapered bundle-combining optical fiber 6 is fused with the bundle output optical fiber 7, and the fused bundle output optical fiber 7 serves as the output of the fiber-optic bundle-combining assembly 3. In order to improve the coupling efficiency between the bundle output optical fiber 7 and the first optical fiber (large core diameter quartz optical fiber) 4, the core diameter of the bundle output optical fiber 7 can be close to or equal to the core diameter of the second optical fiber 9.

[0068] Specifically, the bundled input optical fiber 5 includes a plurality of second optical fibers 9, such as Figure 3 As shown in the cross-sectional structural diagram, the bundled input optical fiber 5 is composed of 7 second optical fibers 9, and the core diameter range is below 200μm. The optical fiber bundling method mainly uses a circular quartz capillary 8 (low refractive index fluorine-doped glass tube) as a sleeve. The inner diameter of the quartz capillary 8 can be 0.80mm-1.00mm, the outer diameter can be 1.05mm-1.25mm, and the length can be 100mm-200mm. After removing the coating of multiple second optical fibers 9, insert them into the preset quartz capillary 8. In some embodiments, after first removing the coating at one end of the 7 second optical fibers 9, the second optical fibers 9 are neatly arranged in a honeycomb regular hexagon and all are inserted into the quartz capillary 8; after the 7 second optical fibers 9 are bundled, the cross-sectional diagram is as shown Figure 3 As shown. After the optical fiber is bundled, a melt-tapered tapered area is performed on the predetermined area on the input side of the bundled input optical fiber 5, and the length of the tapered area can be 10mm-30mm, for example, 20mm. The output end interface diameter is tapered to about 450μm-750μm, and in some embodiments, it is 600μm. After the optical fiber bundle is hot-melted at high temperature on the fusion splicer, the optical fiber bundle is well fixed and arranged together. After the melt-tapered tapered fiber is cut at the waist area with a large core diameter optical fiber cutter. Then, the carbon dioxide laser fusion method can be used to fuse the cut optical fiber bundle tapered end face with one end of the first optical fiber (large core diameter quartz optical fiber) 4.

[0069] like Figure 4As shown, the Y-shaped handle 11 of the laser catheter is provided with the aforementioned optical fiber beam combining component 3. The connecting end 10 of the laser catheter is provided with the aforementioned first optical fiber (large core diameter quartz optical fiber) 4. The laser catheter uses the first optical fiber (large core diameter quartz optical fiber) 4 as a connector, which can be easily connected to the light homogenizing component 2, and because the optical fiber in the front laser catheter is not fixed with an adhesive, it can achieve high energy, short pulse width and effective ablation treatment, and the thermal effect of the laser on human tissue is lower. The laser catheter uses the optical fiber beam combining component 3 as a conductor device to effectively conduct the light beam to the rear end of the laser catheter as the output port 12 of the laser catheter. As a possible embodiment, the cavity of the laser catheter includes an ablation optical fiber and a guide wire 13, and the ablation optical fiber is used to transmit laser energy. By controlling the guide wire 13, the rear end of the laser catheter can be guided to a specified position in the blood vessel. Among them, the diameter of the ablation optical fiber is smaller than the diameter of the guide wire 13, and the ablation optical fiber, the guide wire 13 and the catheter cavity are non-coaxially arranged, that is, the ablation optical fiber and the guide wire 13 are eccentrically arranged in the catheter cavity.

[0070] In the present invention, in the coupled ultraviolet laser ablation system through the optical fiber beam combining component, a light homogenizing component 2 and an optical fiber beam combining component 3 are provided. When the laser passes through the microlens group 14, the microlens group 14 performs beam flattening shaping on the laser, and then the divided light spots are superimposed by the focusing lens 15 to reduce the laser energy intensity received by the unit area of ​​the incident end of the first optical fiber (large core diameter quartz optical fiber) 4. By distributing and equalizing the laser energy and increasing the area for receiving the laser, damage to the end face of the incident end is avoided, and the purpose of balanced energy application is achieved. The optical fiber beam combining component 3 effectively transmits the homogenized laser energy from a single large core diameter quartz optical fiber to multiple second optical fibers (small core diameter quartz optical fibers) 9 through fusion, avoiding direct damage to the end face of the incident end of the second optical fiber (small core diameter quartz optical fiber) 9, and also simplifies the entire optical fiber coupling and laser energy transmission system, which can easily achieve effective laser ablation of tissues. In the coupled ultraviolet laser ablation system after homogenization, the coupling efficiency of laser energy is improved, the requirement for the laser's excitation energy intensity can be reduced, and a smaller and lighter laser can be accommodated, making it more practical.

[0071] Embodiment three:

[0072] Specifically, Figures 6 to 8As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation system, including a laser and a fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device, the fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device including a laser catheter, a handle 400 and a distal sleeve 410 connected to the handle 400, the laser catheter may include the fiber beam combining assembly 3 in the above-mentioned embodiments one and two, the handle 400 has a proximal entrance 450 of an ablation optical fiber lumen, the fiber beam combining assembly (laser catheter) passes through the proximal entrance 450 of the ablation optical fiber lumen and passes out of the distal sleeve 410, a first catheter 110, a second catheter 120 and a third catheter 130 are arranged in the distal sleeve 410, the first catheter 110 and the second catheter 120 are arranged in the third catheter 130, an ablation optical fiber 310 is arranged between the third catheter 130 and the distal sleeve 410, and the ablation optical fiber 310 can be connected to the fiber beam combining assembly 3 in the first embodiment. The first catheter 110 is provided with a first lumen 101, the second catheter 120 is provided with a second lumen 102, and in the inner cavity of the third catheter 130, the cavity other than the first lumen 101 and the second lumen 102 is the third lumen 103; the first lumen 101 is used to place an imaging catheter probe; the second lumen 102 is used for the passage of a guide wire; the third lumen 103 is a suction cavity, and there is no need to provide a separate suction cavity, so as to avoid the laser catheter and the distal sleeve 410 being too large in diameter and affecting their use. The cavity outside cavity 102 (i.e., the third cavity 103) is used as a suction cavity, so that the diameter of the laser catheter can be designed to be smaller and the suction effect is better, thereby improving the efficiency of flushing and taking away the small particles generated after ablation through the suction cavity. It is not easy to be blocked, and an imaging catheter probe can be set in the first catheter 110 to assist in real-time imaging of the ablation situation in the blood vessel during laser ablation. The image can be used to determine whether the ablation laser directly acts on the blood vessel wall, which can effectively reduce the risk of damage to the blood vessel caused by the ablation laser acting on the blood vessel wall, effectively improve the safety during ablation, and have good reliability.

[0073] Specifically, the diameter of the first lumen 101 may be greater than the diameter of the second lumen 102; the first lumen 101 and the second lumen 102 are eccentrically arranged in the third catheter 130, the first catheter 110 and the second catheter 120 are tangent to each other, and the first catheter 110 and the second catheter 120 are both inscribed in the third catheter 130, and the structure has good stability. When the laser catheter is bent, the third lumen 103 will not be squeezed and blocked, and the reliability is good.

[0074] Specifically, the laser ablation catheter device includes an imaging catheter probe, and the imaging catheter probe includes an illumination fiber and an imaging module (imaging catheter system); the imaging module is a video imaging catheter probe, an optical coherence tomography probe, or an intravascular ultrasound probe. Through the handle 400 and the distal sleeve 410 (multi-instrument inner tube), in addition to the video imaging catheter probe, other medical imaging catheter systems can also be compatible. The imaging catheter probe can be optical coherence tomography (OCT) or intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheter, etc., introduced into the inner cavity of the multi-instrument inner tube, and can be used as a laser ablation catheter system integrating laser ablation and medical imaging, simplifying the mutual switching of the imaging catheter and the ablation catheter during ablation. The imaging catheter system assists in real-time imaging of the ablation situation in the blood vessel during laser ablation, and uses the image to determine whether the ablation laser directly acts on the blood vessel wall, which can effectively reduce the risk of damage to the blood vessel caused by the ablation laser acting on the blood vessel wall, and effectively improve the safety during ablation. The imaging module assists in real-time imaging of the ablation situation in the blood vessels during laser ablation, and uses the image to determine whether the ablation laser acts on calcified tissue lesions, thrombi and chronic occlusive lesions in the blood vessels, thereby improving the efficiency during laser ablation and making it more practical.

[0075] Specifically, the handle 400 is provided with a guidewire lumen proximal inlet 430 for inserting a guidewire and a suction lumen proximal inlet 440 for connecting an external suction device; the second lumen 102 is connected to the guidewire lumen proximal inlet 430; and the suction lumen proximal inlet 440 is connected to the third lumen 103. The external suction device may be a suction bag or other component used for suction.

[0076] Specifically, the laser catheter includes a laser ablation conductor for transmitting laser light to the ablation optical fiber 310 , and the laser ablation conductor includes a single optical fiber or a fiber bundle consisting of multiple ultraviolet multimode optical fibers.

[0077] Or, if Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the laser ablation conductor is a fiber beam combining assembly, which includes a first optical fiber 4 and a plurality of second optical fibers 9. The core diameter of the first optical fiber 4 is greater than the core diameter of the second optical fiber 9, that is, the first optical fiber 4 is used as a large core diameter optical fiber, and the second optical fiber 9 is used as a small core diameter optical fiber, so that the laser energy in the single first optical fiber 4 is transmitted to the plurality of second optical fibers 9. Each of the second optical fibers 9 forms a bundled input optical fiber 5, which is fused with the first optical fiber 4. In specific applications, the bundled input optical fiber 5 can be coaxially docked with the first optical fiber 4 to facilitate the fiber beam combining assembly to pass smoothly through the catheter.

[0078] The optical fiber beam combining assembly includes a tapered beam combining optical fiber 6, the two ends of the tapered beam combining optical fiber 6 are respectively a first end and a second end, the diameter of the first end is smaller than the diameter of the second end, the first end is connected to the bundle input optical fiber 5, and the second end is connected to the bundle output optical fiber 7, and the bundle output optical fiber 7 can be used as an ablation optical fiber 310; in specific applications, the tapered beam combining optical fiber 6 can be connected to the bundle input optical fiber 5 and the bundle output optical fiber 7 by laser welding or the like. A plurality of the second optical fibers 9 are sleeved in a sleeve (quartz capillary 8) to form a bundle input optical fiber 5, which has a compact structure and good reliability. The second optical fiber 9 in the bundle input optical fiber 5 is fused with the first optical fiber 4.

[0079] Specifically, the diameters of both ends of the optical fiber bundle combination assembly may also be the same, and a plurality of second optical fibers 9 coated in the sleeve form a bundled input optical fiber 5, and the bundled input optical fiber 5 is fused to the first optical fiber 4. The optical fiber bundle combination assembly with the same diameter at both ends is connected to the large core diameter optical fiber (first optical fiber 4) through fusion, so that the conductor can conduct laser energy more effectively, thereby improving the ablation treatment effect.

[0080] Specifically, the second optical fibers 9 in the bundled input optical fiber 5 are arranged in a honeycomb / hexagonal shape, and the second optical fibers 9 in the outer layer of the bundled input optical fiber 5 are all inscribed in the sleeve.

[0081] Specifically, the cross section of each second optical fiber 9 is circular, at least 7 second optical fibers 9 are provided, each second optical fiber 9 is arranged in a honeycomb shape, each second optical fiber 9 is tangent to the adjacent second optical fiber 9, and each second optical fiber 9 can be arranged in at least two layers. In specific applications, each second optical fiber 9 can also be arranged in at least three layers, and at least one layer has no less than three second optical fibers 9 arranged side by side.

[0082] Specifically, the tapered optical fiber 6 is coated in the quartz capillary 8, effectively transmitting the laser energy from the single first optical fiber (large core diameter quartz optical fiber) 4 to multiple second optical fibers (small core diameter quartz optical fibers) 9, and the core diameter of the second optical fiber (small core diameter quartz optical fiber) 9 is below 200μm. The optical fiber bundle composed of multiple second optical fibers (small core diameter quartz optical fibers) 9 includes an input end (bundled input optical fiber 5), a tapered end (tapered optical fiber 6) and an output end (annular bundled output optical fiber 7), wherein the two ends of the tapered end have different diameters, the large end of the tapered end is connected to the output end, and the small end of the tapered end is connected to the input end, the tapered end and the input end are both located in the front end of the quartz capillary 8, and the output end is located at the rear end of the quartz capillary 8 and extends to the outside of the quartz capillary 8.

[0083] Specifically, Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the front end of the third catheter 130 is connected to the catheter distal inner tube 140; the ablation optical fiber is arranged in one or at least two layers along the circumferential direction to form an ablation optical fiber layer (bundled output optical fiber 7), and the ablation optical fiber layer is coated on the outer layer of the third catheter 130 and the catheter distal inner tube 140. The ablation optical fiber 310 reaches the catheter distal end 411 from the catheter proximal connector 470 through the ablation optical fiber lumen proximal entrance 450.

[0084] Specifically, a developing part 220 is provided at the distal end of the distal sleeve 410. The developing part 220 can be a metal ring, which is coated on the outside of the ablation optical fiber layer and the distal inner tube 140 of the catheter. The metal ring is used for the developing function to determine the position of the distal end 411 of the catheter.

[0085] In specific applications, the effective energy density of the UV laser ablation system needs to reach 30-70mJ / mm 2 . For the high peak energy of 355nm ultraviolet laser with a nanosecond pulse width, multiple small-core optical fibers are used as the conductor of the catheter. Since small-core optical fibers are soft and have a smaller bending radius, they can be applied to laser ablation in blood vessels. In the embodiment, the optical fiber combiner is used as the final conductor, and the front end can be a single large-core optical fiber to better transmit the homogenized laser energy to the small-core optical fiber (the second optical fiber 9) and avoid directly damaging the end faces of multiple optical fibers.

[0086] Specifically, the ablation optical fiber can be a single optical fiber with a larger core diameter (the first optical fiber 4), or a fiber bundle consisting of multiple ultraviolet multimode optical fibers. The single large core diameter optical fiber has a high structural strength and is not easy to break or damage during use; while the ultraviolet multimode optical fiber used in the fiber bundle can effectively ensure the stability of its working performance. Each has its own advantages and can be selected according to actual conditions.

[0087] Specifically, the imaging catheter probe is placed at the distal end 411 of the catheter, and a multi-instrument lumen proximal inlet 420 is provided inside the shell of the tree-shaped handle 400. The first lumen 101 can be connected to the multi-instrument lumen proximal inlet 420, and the catheter probe can be extended from the multi-instrument lumen proximal inlet 420 into the first catheter 110, so that the imaging catheter is connected to the imaging engine to complete the setting of the imaging function; the imaging catheter probe is set at the distal end of the first catheter 110, and the imaging catheter probe may include an illumination fiber and an imaging module for forming real-time imaging. The guidewire lumen proximal inlet 430 is used for the passage of the guidewire; the handle 400 shell is also provided with a suction lumen proximal inlet 440, which can be connected to an external pressurized bag to complete the suction function; the ablation fiber 310 reaches the distal end of the catheter from the catheter proximal connector through the ablation fiber lumen proximal inlet 450. The proximal connector is connected to the imaging probe located at the distal end of the catheter and occupies the first lumen 101 of the catheter. In a specific application, the ablation optical fiber 310 can be coated on the outer layer of the third catheter 130 and the distal inner tube 140 of the catheter by an adhesive and fixed together with the metal ring (developing member 220). The ablation optical fiber 310 can be arranged in a ring shape and in multiple layers on the outer periphery of the distal inner tube 140 of the catheter, thereby realizing the laser ablation treatment function in the blood vessel. The second catheter 120 is arranged between the proximal entrance 430 of the guidewire lumen and the distal outlet of the second lumen 102 (guidewire lumen). The proximal entrance of the guidewire lumen is located at the entrance of the distal sleeve 410, and the position of the distal outlet of the guidewire lumen is close to the position of the imaging catheter probe. Preferably, the distance from the proximal entrance 430 of the guidewire lumen to the distal outlet of the guidewire lumen (second lumen 102) is 150-250 cm. Preferably, the outer diameter of the distal sleeve 410 is 0.9-2.8 mm, which is suitable for percutaneous coronary intervention. Preferably, the imaging module is an optical coherence tomography (OCT) or an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheter, which is introduced into the first lumen 101 of the first catheter 110 to achieve real-time scanning imaging.

[0088] In a specific application, the cavity of the laser catheter includes an ablation optical fiber 310 and a guide wire. The ablation optical fiber 310 is used to transmit the target energy density. By controlling the guide wire, the front end of the laser catheter can be guided to the specified position in the blood vessel. Among them, the diameter of the ablation optical fiber 310 is smaller than the diameter of the guide wire, and the ablation optical fiber 310, the guide wire and the cavity of the third catheter 130 are non-coaxially arranged, that is, the ablation optical fiber 310 is eccentrically arranged in the catheter cavity relative to the guide wire. The core diameter of the ablation optical fiber 310 is less than 100μm, and the numerical aperture ranges from 0.12 to 0.50, which effectively expands the laser ablation treatment area.

[0089] In this embodiment, the conductor is the above-mentioned optical fiber combiner 3, which connects the large core diameter quartz optical fiber to the combined optical fiber by fusion splicing, and the combined optical fiber is coated in a quartz glass tube, which effectively transmits the laser energy from a single large core diameter optical fiber (the core diameter range can be above 600μm) to multiple small core diameter optical fibers (the core diameter range can be below 100μm). The optical fiber bundle composed of multiple optical fibers, the small core diameter optical fiber includes an input end and an output end.

[0090] When performing ablation surgery on diseased tissue in a blood vessel during laser ablation assisted by an imaging catheter system, the distal end of the laser catheter can be guided to the location of the diseased tissue in the blood vessel by controlling the guide wire; then, the diseased tissue is ablated by the ablation optical fiber 310, and at the same time, the imaging catheter is shuttled into the cavity of the inner tube 140 at the distal end of the catheter, and the imaging catheter probe is made to reach the imaging position (the distal end face of the catheter) to perform real-time imaging of the intravascular situation and the ablation situation, and then it can be judged in real time based on the imaging image whether the ablation optical fiber 310 acts on the blood vessel wall. If the ablation optical fiber 310 does not act on the blood vessel wall, the ablation will continue. If the ablation optical fiber 310 acts on the blood vessel wall, the ablation will be stopped. In this way, the risk of the ablation optical fiber 310 acting on the blood vessel wall and causing damage to the blood vessel wall can be effectively reduced, and the safety during ablation can be effectively improved. Furthermore, through the use of an external sheath and the flushing of the distal end of the catheter with saline during laser ablation, real-time imaging of the intravascular conditions and ablation conditions can be achieved, and the enlarged area of ​​the suction lumen (the third lumen 103) can effectively ensure and improve the applicability of the imageable laser ablation catheter.

[0091] Those skilled in the art should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. As long as they are within the spirit of the present invention, appropriate changes and modifications to the above embodiments are within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fiber beam-coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device, characterized in that: The invention comprises an optical fiber combining assembly, which comprises a first optical fiber and a plurality of second optical fibers. The optical fiber combining assembly is used to transmit laser energy in a single first optical fiber to a plurality of second optical fibers. The core diameter of the first optical fiber is larger than the core diameter of the second optical fiber.

2. The optical fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the second optical fibers is sleeved in a sleeve to form a bundled input optical fiber, and the bundled input optical fiber is fusion-spliced ​​with the first optical fiber.

3. The optical fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cross section of the second optical fiber is circular and at least seven second optical fibers are provided. The second optical fibers are arranged in a honeycomb shape and each second optical fiber is tangent to an adjacent second optical fiber.

4. The optical fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second optical fibers in the outer layer of the bundled input optical fibers are all inscribed in the sleeve, and the inner diameter of the sleeve is equal to the outer diameter of the first optical fibers.

5. The optical fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The optical fiber combining assembly also includes a tapered optical fiber, the two ends of which are a first end and a second end, the diameter of the first end is smaller than the diameter of the second end, the first end is connected to the bundled input optical fiber, and the second end is connected to the bundled output optical fiber.

6. The optical fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical fiber bundle combining assembly has the same diameter at both ends and comprises a plurality of bundled optical fibers wrapped in a tube, and each of the bundled optical fibers is fused to the first optical fiber.

7. The optical fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation device further comprises a light homogenizing component, which is used to shape the laser light emitted by the laser, and the fiber beam combining component is arranged on the optical path of the light homogenizing component.

8. The optical fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The light homogenizing component comprises a microlens group and a focusing lens, and the microlens group and the focusing lens are arranged in sequence along the optical path of the laser.

9. A fiber beam-coupled ultraviolet laser ablation system, comprising a laser, characterized in that: It also includes a fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The fiber beam combining coupled ultraviolet laser ablation system comprises a handle and a distal sleeve connected to the handle, the handle having a proximal entrance of an ablation fiber lumen, the fiber beam combining assembly passes through the proximal entrance of the ablation fiber lumen and passes through the distal sleeve, a first catheter, a second catheter and a third catheter are arranged in the distal sleeve, the first catheter and the second catheter are arranged in the third catheter, the first catheter has a first lumen, the second catheter has a second lumen, and in the inner lumen of the third catheter, the cavity other than the first lumen and the second lumen is the third lumen; The first lumen is used for placing the imaging catheter probe; The second lumen is used for passage of a guide wire.

11. The fiber beam combining and coupling ultraviolet laser ablation system according to claim 10, characterized in that: The diameter of the first lumen is larger than the diameter of the second lumen; and the positions of the first lumen and the second lumen in the third catheter are eccentrically arranged, the third catheter is connected to the distal inner tube of the catheter, the first catheter and the second catheter are arranged in the lumen of the distal inner tube of the catheter, and the third catheter is connected to a suction device; the second optical fiber is used as an ablation optical fiber to conduct laser energy, and the ablation optical fiber is coated on the outer layer of the third catheter and the distal inner tube of the catheter.

Images