An ophthalmic surgical laser system and method for forming a lenticule in a subject's eye using fast-scan-slow-sweep scanning scheme. A high frequency scanner forms a fast scan line, which is placed by the XY and Z scanners at a location tangential to a parallel of latitude of the surface of the lenticule. The XY and Z scanners then move the scan line in a slow sweep trajectory along a meridian of longitude of the surface of the lenticule in one sweep. Multiple sweeps are performed along different meridians to form the entire lenticule surface, and a prism is used to change the orientation of the scan line of the high frequency scanner between successive sweeps. In each sweep, the sweeping speed along the meridian is variable, being the slowest at the edge of the lenticule and the fastest near the apex.

A light-based skin treatment device is for treating skin by laser induced optical breakdown of hair or skin tissue. A focusing system has an exit focusing lens for focusing the incident light beam into a focal spot in the hair or skin tissue. This lens has a central aperture. This serves to reduce back-reflectance from the lens surface, which can cause damage to the focusing system.

Technologies are provided for laser treatment with reduced illumination variability. In some examples, a laser beam that creates a first illumination variation at a target site may be adjusted such that the laser beam orientation changes slightly while the laser beam is still being generated. The adjusted laser beam may create a second illumination variation at the target site, and because the laser beam orientation is different the first and second illumination variations may combine to form a combined illumination variation at the target site whose variability is less than the variability of the first or second illumination variations. The more-uniform combined illumination variation may then be used to treat the target site, for example via heat generation.

The laser lancing device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment includes: a main body; a laser resonator located within the main body and configured to generate a laser and output the laser forwards; a beam barrel located in front of the laser resonator and including at least one lens unit fixed therein; a window barrel located in front of the beam barrel and connected to the main body; a cap part connected to the front of the window barrel and brought into contact with an irradiation target area; a fan unit communicating with the cap part and induce flow of air; and a communication pipe of which one end is connected to the fan unit and the other end is connected to the cap part.

An electro-mechanical-type handpiece is specially designed to be used with a laser Generator, particularly those that use a CO.sub.2 laser and provide a laser beam in fractional mode. The fractional mode laser beam is provided in a pattern of homogeneous points aligned in rows, columns or diagonally, and such a pattern allows internal tissue along an entire length of a vagina of a patient to be treated and a pelvic floor of the patient to be retracted, such that a urinary bladder of the patient is elevated and, owing to the change in angle thereof, slight or moderate losses of urine are resolved or improved. In addition, the device can be used to treat the inner surface of the vagina of the patient, reducing vaginal laxity caused by childbirth and age.

The present invention relates to a flexible surgical system for endoscopic spinal decompression and methods thereof. Various methods of accessing the epidural space with this instrument are described. The system design enables placement of the device through several approaches. It is then advanced under direct visualization or fluoroscopic (X-Ray), for example, into areas of the spine including lumbar (low back), thoracic (mid and upper back) and cervical (neck). The pathologies encroaching upon the spinal space can then be visualized wherein the epidural membrane can optionally be displaced to further aid in visualization. The membrane can be used to protect regions of tissue adjacent the site to tissue removal.

An electromagnetic beam scanning system and corresponding method of use is provided. The system includes a motor, a reciprocating mechanism, and a focus optic. The motor is configured to generate a rotational movement. The reciprocating mechanism is operatively coupled with the motor and configured to convert the rotational movement to a reciprocating movement including a plurality of strokes along a first scanned axis. The reciprocating movement has a constant speed over a portion of at least one stroke of the plurality of strokes. The focus optic is operatively coupled to the reciprocating mechanism such that the focus optic moves experiences the reciprocating movement of the reciprocating mechanism. The focus optic is configured to focus an electromagnetic radiation (EMR) beam incident upon the focus optic to a focus along an optical axis substantially orthogonal to the first scanned axis.

An apparatus and method for laser-assisted machining (LAM) of non-monolithic composite bone material is described. A high intensity focused laser beam conducts bone material removal in extremely short time duration without causing any thermal (necrosis) and mechanical damage to the material surrounding the bone-laser interaction region. A computer associated with the apparatus for machining bone preferably employs a Multiphysics computational modeling approach which takes into account physical phenomena such as heat transfer, fluid flow, convection mixing, and surface tension when determining bone target volume, calculating material properties of the multicomponent and multicomposition composite bone material, determining parameters for the laser-assisted machining based on the material properties, and performing the laser-assisted cutting/shaping/machining of bone.

A system includes a focus optic configured to converge an electromagnetic radiation (EMR) beam to a focal region located along an optical axis. The system also includes a detector configured to detect a signal radiation emanating from a predetermined location along the optical axis. The system additionally includes a controller configured to adjust a parameter of the EMR beam based in part on the signal radiation detected by the detector. The system also includes a window located a predetermined depth away from the focal region, between the focal region and the focus optic along the optical axis, wherein the window is configured to make contact with a surface of a tissue.

In certain embodiments, a system for controlling a position of a focal point of a laser beam comprises a beam expander, a scanner, an objective lens, and a computer. The beam expander controls the focal point of the laser beam and includes a mirror and expander optical devices. The mirror has a surface curvature that can be adjusted to control a z-position of the focal point. The expander optical devices direct the laser beam towards the mirror and receive the laser beam reflected from the mirror. The scanner receives the laser beam from the beam expander and manipulates the laser beam to control an xy-position of the focal point. The objective lens receives the laser beam from the scanner and directs the beam towards the target. The computer receives a depth instruction, and sets actuation parameters to control the surface curvature of the mirror according to the depth instruction.