A tubular optically-transparent device structured as a terminating cap for an optical fiber is configured to deliver laser radiation from the optical fiber substantially radially (generallytransversely to the axis of the cap) while at the same time spatially-redistributing the radiant intensity at a point of interaction of laser radiation with a wall of the cap to reduce material damage of the material of the cap thereby reducing tissue adhesion during surgery performed with the use of the device including such optical fiber and cap. A method for operating the same.

A catheter system for imparting pressure to induce fractures at a treatment site within or adjacent a blood vessel wall includes a catheter, a fortified balloon inflation fluid and a first light guide. The catheter includes an elongate shaft and a balloon that is coupled to the elongate shaft. The balloon has a balloon wall and can expand to a first expanded configuration to anchor the catheter in position relative. The fortified balloon inflation fluid can expand the balloon to the first expanded configuration. The fortified balloon inflation fluid includes a base inflation fluid and a fortification component. The fortification component reduces a threshold for inducing plasma formation in the fortified balloon inflation fluid compared to the base inflation fluid. The fortification component can include at least one of carbon and iron. The first light guide is disposed along the elongate shaft and is positioned at least partially within the balloon. The first light guide is in optical communication with a light source and the fortified balloon inflation fluid. The light source provides sub-millisecond pulses of a light to the first light guide so that plasma formation and rapid bubble formation occur in the fortified balloon inflation fluid, thereby imparting pressure waves upon the treatment site.

A catheter system (100) for treating a treatment site (106) includes a first light source (124), a plurality of light guides (122A), a multiplexer (128), a multiplexer alignment system (142), and a first beamsplitter (268). The first light source (124) generates a source beam (124A). The multiplexer (128) receives the source beam (124A), and alternatively directs the source beam (124A) to each of the plurality of light guides (122A). The multiplexer alignment system (142) is operatively coupled to the multiplexer (128). The multiplexer alignment system (142) includes a second light source (270) that generates a probe source beam (270A) that is directed to scan across a guide proximal end (122P) of each of the plurality of light guides (122A) so that a time is determined to generate the source beam (124A) so that the source beam (124A) is optically coupled to the guide proximal end (122P) of each of the plurality of light guides (122A). The first beamsplitter (268) receives the source beam (124A) and the probe source beam (270A), and alternately directs the probe source beam (270A) and the source beam (124A) toward the guide proximal end (122P) of each of the plurality of light guides (122A).

A method for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or a heart valve, includes the steps of (i) generating light energy with a light source; (ii) positioning a balloon substantially adjacent to the treatment site, the balloon having a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid; (iii) receiving the light energy from the light source with a light guide at a guide proximal end; (iv) guiding the light energy with the light guide in a first direction from the guide proximal end toward a guide distal end that is positioned within the balloon interior; and (v) optically analyzing with an optical analyzer assembly light energy from the light guide, wherein the light energy that is analyzed moves in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

A laser system may include a controller configured to direct a plurality of temporally spaced-apart electrical pulses to a device that optically pumps a lasing medium, and a lasing medium configured to output a quasi-continuous laser pulse in response to the optical pumping. The plurality of temporally spaced-apart electrical pulses may include (a) a first electrical pulse configured to excite the lasing medium to an energy level below a lasing threshold of the lasing medium, and (b) multiple second electrical pulses following the first electrical pulse. The quasi-continuous laser pulse is output in response to the multiple second electrical pulses.

An apparatus and a system for performing thermotherapy on at least a portion of a tissue site is described. The apparatus and system comprise a heating probe comprising an emitting area. The heating probe is connectable to an energy source for heating the tissue by the emitting area. The apparatus and system comprise a sleeve. The heating probe is arrangable in the sleeve, and the sleeve is configured to be slid along the heating probe in a distal and/or proximal direction for positioning of the emitting area in said portion of tissue for controlling the thermotherapy.

A laser with a wide continuous wavelength tuning range is desirable for optimized selective photothermolysis (SP) laser surgeries that treat light-absorptive lesions and unwanted pigments in human tissue with minimal collateral damages. However, current SP laser surgical systems are limited to a few lasing lines including 1024 nm by Nd:YAG, 755 nm by Alexandrite, 694 nm by Ruby, and 532 nm by second harmonic generation of 1064 nm. This invention discloses techniques to implement a high power, tunable optical parametric oscillator (OPO) system for demanding SP applications such as laser tattoo removal. In addition to wavelength tuning, the OPO laser system's output pulse energy, pulse duration, and pulse-train duration are also adjustable by tuning the pump laser pulse energy, pump laser pulse duration, and pump laser pulse-train duration for optimizing SP laser surgical outcomes.

A laser system may include a controller configured to direct a plurality of temporally spaced-apart electrical pulses to a device that optically pumps a lasing medium, and a lasing medium configured to output a quasi-continuous laser pulse in response to the optical pumping. The plurality of temporally spaced-apart electrical pulses may include (a) a first electrical pulse configured to excite the lasing medium to an energy level below a lasing threshold of the lasing medium, and (b) multiple second electrical pulses following the first electrical pulse. The quasi-continuous laser pulse is output in response to the multiple second electrical pulses.

A light irradiating medical device 1 includes a catheter shaft 2 extending in a longitudinal direction; a balloon 5 disposed at a distal portion of the catheter shaft 2; a light guiding tool 10 disposed in a lumen of the catheter shaft 2 and movable in the longitudinal direction, the light guiding tool 10 including an optical fiber 11 extending in the longitudinal direction and a tubular member 15 covering the optical fiber 11 and having light transparency, the optical fiber 11 including a core 12, a cladding 13 and a cladding absent portion 14 disposed at a part of a distal portion of the core 12; a first radiopaque marker 21 disposed at the distal portion of the catheter shaft 2; and a second radiopaque marker 22 disposed at the tubular member 15 at a position distal to a distal end 12a of the core 12.

Described is a method and device for dilating a tubular anatomical structure. The device and method can be useful for extracting a blood clot in an artery of a mammal by concentrically irradiating an inner wall of the occluded artery using an ultraviolet (UV) laser beam delivered by an optical fiber having an external or inverted conical tip. Dilation results from photophysical production and release of nitric oxide from the cells lining the arterial wall when UV laser light is projected as a ring beam onto the inner arterial wall. This minimal contact persistent dilation system prepares the artery for safer mechanical extraction by thrombectomy, owing to decrease in friction and dissolution of chemical bonding.