Medical Optical Fiber Tip Encapsulation for Secure Adhesion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Medical optical fibers often have distal ends with sharp or pointed tips that can detach during manufacturing or use, and existing protective tips do not provide adequate adhesion or laser energy management.

Innovation Solution

A medical optical fiber design featuring a jacket with apertures and a protective tip that overlaps these apertures, providing enhanced adhesion and absorbing laser energy to fragment or melt, allowing controlled energy delivery through the optical core.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a protective tip is added to the distal end of the medical optical fiber, then mechanical strength is improved, but adhesion failure occurs causing the tip to come loose or fall off

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanical strengthVSAvoidadhesion reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The protective tip is segmented into multiple sections with different properties: a distal section that contacts the jacket end face and provides adhesion, and a proximal section that provides mechanical strength. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between strength and adhesion reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different sections of the protective tip have different local qualities - the distal section has enhanced adhesion properties to bond with the jacket, while the proximal section has enhanced mechanical strength properties. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing both adhesion and strength at appropriate locations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Use of energy by moving object

If the distal end of the medical optical fiber is stripped to expose the core, then laser energy delivery is improved, but the distal section becomes sharp or pointed causing safety issues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelaser energy deliveryVSAvoidsharp distal end

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The protective tip is pre-formed with a rounded distal end before the fiber is stripped and assembled. This preliminary action ensures that when the fiber is later stripped for laser delivery, the distal end remains rounded and safe, preventing the harmful sharp edge while maintaining laser energy delivery capability through the exposed core.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The protective tip acts as an intermediary element between the exposed optical core and the external environment. It allows laser energy to pass through to the target while providing a rounded, safe distal end that prevents injury, thus resolving the contradiction between energy delivery and safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Use of energy by moving object

If existing protective tips are designed to shatter or melt under laser pulses, then laser energy delivery is improved, but adhesion between tip and jacket causes the tip to come loose between manufacturing and use

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelaser energy deliveryVSAvoidtip stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The protective tip is segmented into a distal section with high adhesion for stability and a proximal section with laser-reactive properties for energy delivery. This segmentation allows the tip to remain stable during handling while still being able to shatter or melt under laser pulses for energy delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different sections of the protective tip have different local qualities - the distal section has enhanced adhesion properties to maintain stability, while the proximal section has properties that allow it to shatter or melt under laser exposure. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between stability and laser energy delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 design ensures secure attachment of the protective tip and controlled laser energy delivery, preventing tip detachment and enhancing predictability of laser radiation output.

Implementation Method 1

the protective tip is made of material that absorbs laser energy and one or more of fragments or melts, wherein on delivery of laser energy through the medical optical fiber, at least some of said leading protective tip surface forward of said optical fiber end face fragments or melts for enabling delivery of laser energy through said optical core end face to an internal bodily organ

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLaser energy absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 2

the protective tip overlaps with several aperture(s) and in some embodiments, the protective tip substantially contacts an inner surface of the number of aperture(s) to provide higher adhesion of the protective tip to the medical optical fiber

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Data Source

PatentUS12510712B2Medical optical fiber with protective tip encapsulation

Publication Date: 2025.12.30 LUMENIS LTD

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a medical optical fiber with protective tips for use with medical laser-based treatment of internal bodily organs. The medical optical fibers have apertures in a jacket of the medical optical fiber to increase an adhesion between the protective tip and the jacket.