Beam diffraction for surgical laser

Abstract

The present disclosure teaches the use of endoscopic surgical lasers with beam diffraction. During lithotripsy, an endoscope probe with a laser fiber is deployed. A diffraction grating within the optical core of the laser fiber disperses laser energy to a larger area for more effective ablation of kidney stone.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 448,985, filed February 28, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to surgical laser systems. In particular, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to laser fibers used during endoscopic laser surgery. Background Art

[0004] Medical lasers are used in a variety of practice areas. One method for treating renal calculi (also known as kidney stones) is ureteroendoscopy, also known as ureteroscopy. An endoscopic probe equipped with a camera or other sensors is inserted into the patient's urinary tract to locate stones for removal. In endoscopic lithotripsy, the probe also includes an optical fiber that transmits a laser beam to break up stones when they are found.

[0005] The ideal lithotripsy process is fast, precise, and thorough: the practitioner minimizes the time spent inserting the endoscope, directs all delivered laser energy into the target stone, and ensures that no large stones or fragments remain. However, these three goals can sometimes conflict. For larger stones, relatively low-intensity but high-frequency pulses can be used to ablate layers from the target without breaking them apart (called "pulverization"). While thorough, the process is time-consuming, in part because of the maximum intensity that can be applied without risking premature fragmentation.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a device that can promote safe and effective fragmentation of target stones more quickly. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not necessarily intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0008] The present disclosure provides an endoscopic lithotripsy solution that provides more effective stone fragmentation.

[0009] Generally speaking, the present disclosure provides beam diffraction of laser energy for endoscopic surgical procedures. A grating pattern within the optical core of a laser fiber distributes the beam over a wider area, resulting in more uniform and faster target splitting.

[0010] In some examples, the present disclosure provides an endoscopic surgical device comprising a laser source and a laser fiber optically coupled to the laser source, the laser fiber comprising an optical core and a fiber tip, the optical core comprising a plurality of grating patterns forming a diffraction grating; and an endoscope probe housing an imager and the fiber tip.

[0011] In some embodiments, the laser source is a pulsed high-energy laser. In some embodiments, the plurality of grating patterns are evenly spaced along a length of the optical core. In some embodiments, the grating patterns are spaced at intervals between 1.9 and 35 microns along the optical core. In some embodiments, the intervals are between 7.5 and 7.9 microns. In some embodiments, a diameter of the optical core is between 200 and 550 microns. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of grating patterns is etched into the optical core by mechanical, chemical, or laser etching. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of grating patterns is inserted into the optical core by implantation or material synthesis. In some embodiments, the diffraction grating is disposed within the fiber tip. In some embodiments, a distal surface of the fiber tip is etched with one of the plurality of grating patterns.

[0012] The device can further comprise a display device configured to display imaging data received from the imager while the endoscope probe is deployed. The device can further comprise a controller configured to receive imaging data from the imager while the endoscope probe is deployed and activate the laser source to release laser energy through the laser fiber, the laser energy emanating from the fiber tip. In some embodiments, the laser energy is dispersed over an area that is more than ten times the diameter of the laser tip. In some embodiments, the laser energy is dispersed over an area comprising a plurality of high-intensity regions separated by lower-intensity regions.

[0013] In some embodiments, the present disclosure can be implemented as a method of endoscopic lithotripsy, wherein any embodiment of the device described herein is deployed. Laser energy is released from the laser source through the laser fiber to ablate a portion of a kidney stone. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] For ease of discussion of any element or action, one or more most significant digits of a reference number refer to the figure number in which the element is first introduced.

[0015] Figure 1 An endoscopic surgical system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0016] Figure 2 A laser fiber with a diffraction grating according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 3 A non-dispersed laser intensity pattern according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 4A and Figure 4B A dispersed laser intensity pattern is shown in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 5 A computer-readable storage medium 500 is shown in accordance with one embodiment.

[0020] Figure 6 A diagram of a machine 600 in the form of a computer system is shown in accordance with example embodiments, within which a set of instructions, for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, can be executed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description of the present disclosure that follows can be better understood. The present disclosure, however, can be readily understood as follows: when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: the novel features of the present disclosure, whether it be its organization or method of operation, can be better understood. Further objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, considered in conjunction with the following detailed description. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are provided for purposes of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 1 An endoscopic surgical system 100 is shown in accordance with non-limiting examples of the present disclosure. Generally, the endoscopic surgical system 100 is a system for deploying and controlling an endoscopic probe to image, target, and destroy a calculus. Although the focus of the present disclosure is on lithotripsy using a ureteroscope, the present disclosure is also applicable to other urological or endoscopic forms and / or applications, such as, for example, with a duodenoscope, a gastroscope, a colonoscope, a bronchoscope, etc.

[0023] The endoscopic surgical system 100 includes an endoscopic probe 102 that is disposed during lithotripsy. The probe 102 includes an imager 104 and a laser fiber 106. While the endoscopic probe 102 is deployed, the imager 104 can return endoscopic images, videos, or other data of a patient’s urinary tract. In some embodiments, the imager 104 can be a camera or other sensor that is deployed with the endoscope during the course of lithotripsy.

[0024] Although the present disclosure describes illustrative embodiments using visible spectrum camera images, the imager 104 can be any endoscopic imaging device, such as, for example, a fluoroscopy imaging device, an ultrasound imaging device, an infrared or ultraviolet imaging device, a computed tomography (CT) imaging device, a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging device, a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging device, or a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging device.

[0025] The imager 104 can generate information elements or data, including an indication of a kidney stone. A controller 108 for the surgical system 100 is communicatively coupled to the imager 104 and can receive data, including endoscopic images, from the imager 104. Generally, the endoscopic images can include an indication of shape data and / or appearance data of the urinary tract. The shape data can include landmarks, surfaces, and boundaries of a three-dimensional surface of the urinary tract. By way of some examples, the endoscopic images can be constructed from two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) images.

[0026] The laser fiber 106 is optically coupled to a laser source 110. The laser source 110 generates electromagnetic radiation or laser energy in the form of a laser beam according to conventional techniques. The laser energy is released through a tip of the laser fiber 106, which is in turn supported by the body of the endoscope probe 102.

[0027] Generally, the display device 112 can be a digital display arranged to receive rendered image data and display the data in a graphical user interface. The controller 108 can be any of a variety of computing devices. In some embodiments, the controller 108 can be incorporated into and / or implemented by a console of the display device 112. For some embodiments, the controller 108 can be a workstation or server communicatively coupled to the imager 104 and / or the display device 112. For other embodiments, the controller 108 can be provided by a cloud-based computing device, such as by a compute-as-a-service system accessible over a network (e.g., the Internet, an intranet, a wide area network, etc.). The user input 114 can include dedicated components such as a keyboard and can also be integrated with the display device 112 in the form of a capacitive touch control. In some implementations, remote user input can also be received and used by the controller 108.

[0028] It should be noted that the endoscopic surgical system 100 includes custom components that are specifically configured, programmed, and / or arranged to perform the logic flows and methods detailed herein. For example, the controller 108 can be preconfigured to perform laser control and release, as further described.

[0029] Figure 2 A laser fiber 200 used in conjunction with the described endoscopic surgical system is shown. The fiber 200 includes a light core 202 surrounded by a coating 204. The light core 202 is transparent to laser wavelengths conducted through the fiber 200, while the coating 204 reflects these wavelengths and acts as a waveguide for laser energy released through the fiber 200 during lithotripsy.

[0030] The laser fiber 200 includes a series of gratings 206 etched into the optical core 200. In some embodiments, the gratings 206 are etched into the core 200 by a mechanical, chemical, or laser etching process. To generate the refractive index differences required for a dispersive grating, a synthesis, injection, or another optical engineering method can be used instead of or in addition to etching. The gratings 206 are spaced at set intervals along the core so as to form Bragg gratings within the optical fiber.

[0031] For effective endoscopic lithotripsy, the overall size of the endoscope probe and thus the diameter of the optical fiber 200 can be limited. For example, the optical fiber 200 can be limited to a total diameter of 300 microns. This further limits the available laser wavelengths and possible dispersion patterns.

[0032] The size and spacing of the gratings 206 depends on the laser type and settings. For example, a pulsed holmium laser can project energy at a wavelength of 2100 nm. In this case, a grating size of no more than 0.48 lines per micron is used. Depending on the preferred dispersion pattern, any grating size between 0.03 and 0.48 lines per micron can be chosen (which corresponds to a spacing between lines of between 2.1 and 35 microns). The basic dispersive grating is formed of horizontal and vertical lines etched perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the optical fiber, but other patterns can also be used. As another example, a pulsed thulium laser projecting energy at a wavelength of 1940 nm can have a grating size of no more than 0.51 lines per micron (corresponding to a spacing of 1.96 microns).

[0033] Figure 3 is a plot showing the positioning of a laser pulse emitted from an optical fiber without the gratings, Figure 4A and Figure 4B shows a laser pulse emitted from an optical fiber with internal etched gratings. In Figure 3 , the energy of the laser pulse is tightly clustered around the center of the plot. This limits the maximum energy and pulse frequency that can be used without breaking a target stone positioned in front of the laser fiber.

[0034] In Figure 4A , which represents the energy intensity at a distance of 1 mm from the tip of the fiber as described herein, the energy is spread over a larger area due to the gratings. Due to this spreading, more laser energy can be directed onto a target without the risk of breaking. Figure 4B shows the intensity at a distance of 3 mm from the tip of the fiber; this would allow more beam dispersion if a larger distance from the target is chosen (such as for a larger stone).

[0035] Figure 5A computer-readable storage medium 500 is shown. The computer-readable storage medium 500 can include any non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or machine-readable storage medium, such as an optical, magnetic or semiconductor storage medium. In various embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium 500 can include an article of manufacture. In some embodiments, the medium 500 can store computer-executable instructions 502 that a circuit (e.g., one or more processors, etc.) can utilize to perform. For example, the computer-executable instructions 502 can include instructions to implement the operations described with respect to the technology 504, the routines 506, the routines 508, the BIOS 510, the OS 512, and / or the drivers 514. Examples of a computer-readable storage medium 500 or machine- readable storage medium can include any tangible medium that is capable of storing electronic data, including volatile memory or non-volatile memory, removable or non-removable memory, erasable or non-erasable memory, writeable or re-writeable memory, etc. Examples of computer-executable instructions 502 can include any suitable type of code, such as source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code, object-oriented code, visual code, etc.

[0036] Figure 6 An illustration of a machine 600 in the form of a computer system is shown, within which a set of instructions, for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, can be executed. More specifically, the machine 600 can include a processor 602, a main memory 604, a Figure 6 An illustration of a machine 600 in the form of a computer system is shown, within which a set of instructions, for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, can be executed. More specifically, the machine 600 can include a processor 602, a main memory 604, a Figure 5 the technology 504, Figure 5 the routines 506, Figure 5 the routines 508 in the BIOS 510, etc. More generally, the instructions 608 can cause the machine 600 to allocate memory during pre-boot operations and reserve memory for post-boot operations (or usage).

[0037] Instructions 608 convert a general, unprogrammed machine 600 into a specific machine 600 that is programmed to perform the functions described and shown in a specific manner. In alternative embodiments, the machine 600 operates as a standalone device or can be coupled (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine 600 can operate as a server machine or a client machine in a server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine 600 may include, but is not limited to, a server computer, a client computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a netbook computer, a set-top box (STB), a PDA, an entertainment media system, a cellular phone, a smartphone, a mobile device, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch), a smart home device (e.g., a smart appliance), other smart devices, a network device, a network router, a network switch, a bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions 608 sequentially or otherwise, which specify the actions to be taken by the machine 600. Further, while a single machine 600 is illustrated, the term "machine" shall also be taken to include any collection of machines 600 that individually or jointly execute instructions 608 to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

[0038] The machine 600 may include a processor 602, a memory 604, and I / O components 642, which may be configured to communicate with each other, such as via a bus 644. In an example embodiment, the processor 602 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) may include, for example, a processor 606 that may execute instructions 608 and a processor 610. The term "processor" is intended to include multi-core processors, which may include two or more independent processors (sometimes referred to as "cores") that may execute instructions concurrently. Although Figure 6 Multiple processors 602 are shown, but the machine 600 may include a single processor with a single core, a single processor with multiple cores (e.g., a multi-core processor), multiple processors with a single core, multiple processors with multiple cores, or any combination thereof.

[0039] The storage 616 can also include a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium 618 having stored instances of the instructions 608. In some embodiments, the storage 616 can include a removable medium or solid-state memory such as a semiconductor chip including but not limited to NAND or NOR gates, flash memory, or other suitable types of solid-state memory. In some embodiments, the storage 616 can include a magnetic storage such as a disk drive. In some embodiments, the storage 616 can include a combination of solid-state and magnetic storage. In some embodiments, the storage 616 can include a combination of one or more types of storage media.

[0040] The I / O components 642 can include a wide variety of components to receive input, provide output, produce output, transmit information, exchange information, capture measurements, and so on. The specific I / O components 642 included in the machine 600 will depend on the type and Figure 6 configuration of the machine 600. For example, portable machines such as mobile phones will likely include a touch input device or other such input mechanisms, while a headless server machine will likely not include such a touch input device. It will be appreciated that the I / O components 642 can include many other components that are not shown in FIG. 6. In various example embodiments, the I / O components 642 can include output components 628 and input components 630. The output components 628 can include visual components (e.g., a display such as a plasma display panel (PDP), a light emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a projector, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), acoustic components (e.g., speakers), haptic components (e.g., a vibratory motor, resistance mechanisms, or other haptic components), and so forth. The input components 630 can include alphanumeric input components (e.g., a keyboard, a touchscreen configured to receive alphanumeric input, a photo-optical keyboard, or other alphanumeric input components), point-based input components (e.g., a mouse, a touchpad, a trackball, a joystick, a motion sensor, or other pointing instruments), tactile input components (e.g., a physical button, a touch screen that provides location and / or force of touches or touch gestures, or other tactile input components), audio input components (e.g., a microphone), and the like.

[0041] In further example embodiments, the I / O components 642 can include biometric components 632, motion components 634, environmental components 636, or position components 638, among a wide array of other components. For example, biometric components 632 can include components to detect expressions (e.g., hand expressions, facial expressions, vocal expressions, body gestures, or eye tracking), measure biosignals (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, perspiration, or brain waves), identify a person (e.g., voice identification, retinal identification, facial identification, fingerprint identification, or electroencephalogram-based identification), and the like. The motion components 634 can include acceleration sensor components (e.g., accelerometer), gravitation sensor components, rotation sensor components (e.g., gyroscope), and so forth. The environmental components 636 can include, for example, illumination sensor components (e.g., photometer), temperature sensor components (e.g., one or more thermometers that detect ambient temperature), humidity sensor components, pressure sensor components (e.g., barometer), acoustic sensor components (e.g., one or more microphones that detect background noise), proximity sensor components (e.g., infrared sensors that detect nearby objects), gas sensors (e.g., gas detection sensors to detect concentrations of hazardous gases for safety or to measure pollutants in the atmosphere), or other components that can provide indications, measurements, or signals corresponding to a surrounding physical environment. The position components 638 can include location sensor components (e.g., a GPS receiver component), altitude sensor components (e.g., altimeters or barometers that detect air pressure from which altitude can be derived), orientation sensor components (e.g., magnetometers), and the like.

[0042] Communications can be enabled using a wide variety of technologies. The I / O components 642 can include communication components 640 operable to couple the machine 600 components (e.g., low energy), components, and other communication components to provide for communication via other modalities. The devices 622 can be another machine or any of a wide array of peripheral devices (e.g., a peripheral device coupled via a USB).

[0043] Moreover, the communication components 640 can detect identifiers or include components operable to detect identifiers. For example, the communication components 640 can include radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader components, NFC smart tag detection components, optical reader components (e.g., an optical sensor to detect one-dimensional bar codes such as Universal Product Code (UPC) bar codes, multi-dimensional bar codes such as Quick Response (QR) codes, Aztec codes, Data Matrix, Dataglyph, MaxiCode, PDF417, Ultra Code, UCC RSS-2D bar codes, and other optical codes), or acoustic detection components (e.g., microphones to identify tagged audio signals). In addition, a variety of information can be derived via the communication components 640, such as location via Internet Protocol (IP) geolocation, location via Wi-Fi® signal triangulation, location via cellular signal triangulation, location via detecting an NFC beacon signal that can indicate a particular location, and so forth.

[0044] The various memories (i.e., the memory 604, the main memory 612, the static memory 614, and / or the memory of the processor 602 and / or the storage unit 616) can store one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. These instructions (e.g., instructions 608), when executed by the processor 602, cause various operations to be implemented to embody the disclosed embodiments.

[0045] As used herein, the terms “machine-storage medium,” “device-storage medium,” and “computer-storage medium” mean the same thing and can be used interchangeably in this disclosure. The terms “machine-storage medium,” “device-storage medium,” and “computer-storage medium” mean a single or multiple storage devices and / or media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) that store executable instructions and / or data structures. Thus, the terms “machine-storage medium,” “device-storage medium,” and “computer-storage medium” should be understood to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media, including a non-exhaustive list of memories (e.g., a semiconductor memory device (e.g., a read only memory (ROM), a programmable read only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory), a

[0046] In various example embodiments, one or more portions of network 620 can be a self-organizing network, intranet, extranet, VPN, LAN, WLAN, WAN, WWAN, MAN, the Internet, a portion of the Internet, a portion of The network 620 or a portion thereof can include a wireless or cellular network, and the coupling 624 can be a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) connection, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) connection, or another type of cellular or wireless coupling. In this example, the coupling 624 can implement any of a variety of types of data transfer technology, such as Single Carrier Radio Transmission Technology (lxRTT), Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) technology, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology, Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) technology, third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) including 3G, fourth generation wireless (4G) networks, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, others defined by various standard setting organizations, other long range protocols, or other data transfer technology.

[0047] The instructions 608 can be transmitted or received over the network 620 using a transmission medium via a network interface device and utilizing any one of a number of well-known transfer protocols (e.g., hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)). Similarly, the instructions 608 can be transmitted or received using a transmission medium via the coupling 626 (e.g., a peer-to-peer coupling) to the devices 622. The term “transmission medium” and “signal medium” mean the same thing and can be used interchangeably in this disclosure. The terms “transmission medium” and “signal medium” shall be taken to include any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying the instructions 608 for execution by the machine 600, and includes digital or analog communications signals or other intangible media to facilitate communication of such software. Hence, the terms “transmission medium” and “signal medium” shall be taken to include any form of a modulated data signal, carrier wave, and so on. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal.

[0048] The terms used herein are to be interpreted in accordance with their ordinary meanings in the relevant art, or as indicated by use in context, but if an explicit definition is provided, that definition shall control.

[0049] Herein, reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although they can. Unless specifically stated otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprising,” “including,” and the like, mean “including but not limited to.” The word “or” is used in the inclusive sense, unless explicitly indicated otherwise. The use of singular or plural terminology does not exclude the corresponding plural or singular interpretation or vice versa, unless explicitly limited by the context. Also, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar meaning are used in the context of this application only, and not in the context of any other application. When the claims use the word “or” to connect a list of two or more items, the term covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list. Any term not expressly defined herein has its ordinary conventional meaning as understood by those skilled in the relevant art.

Claims

1. An endoscopic surgical device comprising: Laser source; a laser fiber optically coupled to the laser source, the laser fiber comprising an optical core and a fiber tip, the optical core comprising a plurality of grating patterns forming a diffraction grating; as well as An endoscopic probe houses the imager and the fiber optic tip.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein The laser source is a high-energy pulse laser.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The plurality of grating patterns are evenly spaced along the length of the optical core.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein The grating patterns are spaced apart along the optical core at intervals between 1.9 and 35 microns.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein The spacing is between 7.5 and 7.9 microns.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The diameter of the optical core is between 200 and 550 microns.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: Each of the plurality of grating patterns is engraved on the optical core by mechanical, chemical or laser etching.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: Each of the plurality of grating patterns is inserted into the optical core by implantation or material synthesis.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein The diffraction grating is disposed within the optical fiber tip.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein A distal surface of the optical fiber tip is engraved with one of the plurality of grating patterns.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising: A display device is configured to display imaging data received from the imager when the endoscopic probe is deployed.

12. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising: A controller configured to, when the endoscopic probe is deployed: receiving imaging data from the imager; as well as The laser source is activated to release laser energy through the laser fiber, with the laser energy emanating from the fiber tip.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein The laser energy is dispersed over an area exceeding ten times the diameter of the laser tip.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein The laser energy is dispersed over an area comprising a plurality of high intensity regions separated by lower intensity regions.

15. A method of endoscopic lithotripsy, comprising: deploying the endoscopic surgical device of any one of claims 1 to 14 into the urinary tract of a patient; as well as When the device is deployed, laser energy is released from the laser source through the laser fiber to ablate a portion of the kidney stone.

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