A medical system includes an insertion device including a handle and a delivery portion, a laser fiber, a conductive wire, and a lock. The laser fiber extends through the insertion device and is coupled to a laser slider to control a position of the laser fiber relative to a distal end of the delivery portion. The conductive wire extends through the insertion device and is coupled to a wire slider to control a position of the laser fiber relative to a distal end of the delivery portion. The lock is positioned within the handle and is movable in order to selectively lock either the movement of the laser slider or lock the movement of the wire slider.

An arrangement that prevents carbonization of cladding, coating, or buffer layers of a surgical laser fiber due to thermal radiation reflected back into the fiber from, or emitted by, a target of the laser, includes a thermal radiation blocking, absorbing or diverting structure. The thermal radiation blocking, absorbing or diverting structure surrounds an end portion of the fiber that has been stripped of one or more coating and/or buffer layers, and may be made of a heat resistant material such as PTFE or polyimide to block heat from reaching the coating or buffer layers, an optical ferrule such as fused silica to guide the heat away from the fiber coating or buffer layers, or a high refraction index material such as UV adhesive.

A cosmetic method of directionally tightening human skin tissue includes providing an ablative laser source and a non-ablative laser source, then using the ablative laser source to form one or more overlapping circular shaped microchannels in the skin tissue; the overlapping microchannels formed have a longitudinal dimension larger than their cross dimension; then, using the non-ablative laser source to weld the microchannels, whereby the welding causes the skin tissue to tighten.

A cosmetic method of directionally tightening human skin tissue includes providing an ablative laser source and a non-ablative laser source, then using the ablative laser source to form one or more overlapping circular shaped microchannels in the skin tissue; the overlapping microchannels formed have a longitudinal dimension larger than their cross dimension; then, using the non-ablative laser source to weld the microchannels, whereby the welding causes the skin tissue to tighten.

An apparatus and method of treatment of an animal using the apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus includes a scalpel, a laser included in the scalpel, and a visible light source included in the scalpel. The visible light source provides a visible targeting beam. The method of treatment includes activating a visible targeting beam in a laser scalpel. The visible targeting beam has an illumination intensity. The method further includes illuminating a tumor that includes cancerous cells and non-cancerous cells with the visible targeting beam, activating an invisible mid-infrared laser included in the scalpel to produce a laser spot at the tumor, and ablating the cancerous cells while leaving the non-cancerous cells substantially undamaged.

A cosmetic method of directionally tightening human skin tissue includes providing an ablative laser source and a non-ablative laser source, then using the ablative laser source to form one or more overlapping circular shaped microchannels in the skin tissue; the overlapping microchannels formed have a longitudinal dimension larger than their cross dimension; then, using the non-ablative laser source to weld the microchannels, whereby the welding causes the skin tissue to tighten.

A cooling element includes a frame including one or more datums. The cooling element also includes a first window including a first proximal surface and a first distal surface. The first window is sealed to the frame. The cooling element further includes a second window sealed to the frame. The second window includes a second proximal surface and a second distal surface. The second window is configured to contact a target tissue or a tissue adjacent to the target tissue via the second distal surface. The cooing element also includes a coolant chamber located between the first distal surface of the first window and the second proximal surface of the second window and configured to receive a coolant. The first window, the second window and the coolant chamber are configured to receive and electromagnetic radiation (EMR), and transmit a portion of the received EMR to the target tissue.

A laser lithotripsy system includes a thulium-based laser that, upon activation, selectively produces a continuous wave of laser light with a first wavelength or uniformly spaced, intermittent pulses of laser light with the first wavelength. The system further includes a second laser that, upon activation, produces laser light with a second wavelength, which is shorter than the first wavelength. The system includes an optical detector positioned to receive light emitted by a target in response to the target being impacted by the light produced by the second laser, and a controller communicatively coupled to both the optical detector and the first laser such that the controller selectively activates and deactivates the first laser based on one or more measured characteristics of the light emitted by the target and received by the optical detector.

In one aspect, a method of tightening skin and/or reducing scar tissue is described herein. The method comprises performing a fractional laser ablation in a treatment area of the skin, thereby removing a column of the skin and forming a columnar vacancy in the skin, the columnar vacancy having a perimeter defined by a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side and the second side each comprising an epidermal layer, a dermal layer, and a subcutaneous layer of skin. The first side of the columnar vacancy is contacted to the second side of the columnar vacancy, thereby dosing the columnar vacancy.

A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall includes a light source, a balloon, a light guide, and an optical analyzer assembly. The light source generates light energy. The balloon is positionable substantially adjacent to the vascular lesion. The balloon has a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid. The light guide receives light energy from the light source at a guide proximal end and guides the light energy toward a guide distal end and into the balloon interior. The optical analyzer assembly is configured to optically analyze light energy emitted from the guide proximal end of the light guide.