Coherent Fiber Bundle for Patterned Laser Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laser-based ophthalmic intervention systems lack the ability to deliver patterned laser energy to the eye without bulky hardware, making them difficult to use in environments where the patient cannot position their head upright, such as an operating room, and multi-mode fibers fail to maintain spatial relationships of laser energy concentration, resulting in loss of patterning capability.
Innovation Solution
A modular system utilizing coherent fiber bundles to separate the generation and delivery of patterned laser beams, allowing for adjustable size and pattern of laser energy concentrations, which can be transmitted through a distal subsystem to the eye via a slit lamp, endoprobe, or LIO, without requiring bulky scanning hardware near the patient.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If scanning/patterning hardware is located closely adjacent to the patient to deliver patterned treatment beams, then patterning capability is provided, but the system becomes difficult to use in situations where the patient is unable to position their head upright, such as in an operating room environment
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separate subsystems: a first subsystem that generates patterned treatment beams and a second subsystem that delivers them through a coherent fiber bundle. This segmentation allows the bulky scanning hardware to be separated from the delivery device, enabling use in various positions including operating room tables where the patient lies flat.
Solution Approach 2:
A coherent fiber bundle acts as an intermediary between the patterned treatment beam generator and the eye. The coherent fiber bundle transmits the patterned beam while maintaining spatial relationships, allowing the bulky scanning hardware to be positioned away from the patient while still achieving the desired patterning effect.
2Device complexity
If multi-mode fibers are used to transmit treatment beams, then beam delivery is simplified, but the spatial relationship between areas of laser energy concentration is lost, resulting in a single composite beam instead of patterned delivery
Solution Approach 1:
A coherent fiber bundle is used as an intermediary that maintains the spatial relationship between different areas of laser energy concentration. Unlike conventional multi-mode fibers, the coherent fiber bundle preserves the patterned structure of the beam, allowing precise delivery of multiple separate areas of laser energy to the eye.
3Device complexity
If a single treatment beam is used without patterning capability, then the system is simpler to operate, but the surgeon or operator must manually manipulate the delivery device to generate desired lesion patterns, increasing operation complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The desired lesion patterns are generated in advance by the scanning hardware that creates the patterned treatment beam. This preliminary patterning action eliminates the need for the surgeon or operator to manually manipulate the delivery device during the procedure, as the pattern is already established before the beam reaches the eye.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the precise delivery of patterned laser energy to the eye with minimal hardware near the delivery device, maintaining spatial relationships and consistency of laser energy distribution, thus improving the usability and effectiveness of laser treatments in various clinical settings.
Implementation Method 1
a coherent fiber bundle (28, 30, 32) capable of transmitting a treatment beam from a first end to a second end
Implementation Method 2
generate a patterned treatment beam comprising at least two separate areas of laser energy concentration
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and processes are described relating to laser-based ophthalmic intervention technologies, and, more specifically, to techniques for creating lesions on an eye using a modular system featuring one or more coherent fiber bundles configured to deliver laser energy to the eye from a separate housing wherein a laser source is located. The subject technology may be utilized to not only separate a patient from certain portions of the hardware, but also to facilitate patterned lesion creation using mobile devices such as LIO and laser endoprobe devices.