Laser Fiber Capillary Dimpling for High-Power Heat Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
The size of the optical fiber in medical laser delivery devices limits the power of laser energy that can be delivered, leading to overheating and potential damage to the device and user, as well as ineffective breakdown of targeted materials.
Innovation Solution
A medical laser delivery device with a capillary surrounding the optical fiber, featuring dimples on its outer surface to scatter higher order and overfilled laser energy, redirecting it to a ferrule that can better absorb and dissipate this energy, reducing overheating risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If higher power laser energy is delivered through the optical fiber, then the ability to break down targeted material improves, but the risk of overheating and damage to the device and user increases
Solution Approach 1:
A capillary tube is introduced as an intermediary component between the optical fiber and the external environment. The capillary captures higher order laser modes that escape the fiber core and redirects them through the ferrule to a heat sink, preventing direct heating of external components and users while allowing higher power delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful higher order laser modes are extracted from the main laser beam path at the fiber output. The capillary tube selectively captures these unwanted modes that would otherwise cause overheating, separating them from the useful fundamental modes that deliver therapeutic energy to the target tissue.
2Power
If the optical fiber size is increased to deliver more laser power, then the laser energy delivery capability improves, but the device complexity and handling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The capillary tube is nested around the optical fiber in a concentric arrangement. This nested structure allows the capillary to capture stray laser modes without requiring a larger overall device footprint, maintaining compactness while adding the functionality to handle higher power levels.
3Use of energy by moving object
If higher order laser energy is allowed to escape the optical fiber, then the total energy delivery improves, but the components in the handle overheat to unsafe temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The capillary tube converts the harmful effect of escaping higher order modes (which would cause overheating) into a beneficial function. By capturing these modes and redirecting them to a dedicated heat sink in the ferrule, the system safely dissipates the energy that would otherwise be harmful, enabling higher total energy delivery.
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
The device allows for the use of more powerful lasers by minimizing overheating and breaking risks, ensuring safer and more effective material breakdown procedures.
Implementation Method 1
dimples on its outer surface to scatter higher order and overfilled laser energy, redirecting it to a ferrule that can better absorb and dissipate this energy
Implementation Method 2
redirecting it to a ferrule that can better absorb and dissipate this energy
Data Source
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AI summary
A laser delivery device may include a connector portion at a proximal end of the laser delivery device and an optical fiber connecting the connector portion to a distal end of the laser delivery device. The connector portion may include a capillary at least partially surrounding a proximal portion of the optical fiber, and the capillary may include dimples on at least a portion of a circumferential surface thereof.