An optical fiber connection state determination system determines a state of connection between a first optical fiber configured to propagate a test light input from a light source and a second optical fiber in a connector configured to detachably connect an output side from which the test light is output in the first optical fiber and an input side of the second optical fiber to which the test light propagated by the first optical fiber and output from the first optical fiber is input, and includes: a measurement unit configured to measure an intensity of a reflected light reflected and propagating thorough the first optical fiber in the test light; and a determination unit configured to determine the state of connection between the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber in the connector based on the intensity measured by the measurement unit.

Periodontal disorders such as disorders associated with a dental implant are treated. An average power for a laser is selected via a user interface on a tablet, along with a set of permissible laser parameters provided in response to the selected average power. A gingival trough or flap is created around the implant with the laser. Infected tissue is selectively ablated or denatured via photothermolysis, and a pocket is lased around the affected implant. Marginal tissues are compressed against the implant.

Periodontal disorders such as disorders associated with a dental implant are treated with a laser where an average laser power along with other laser parameters provide particular settings for the treatment, the treatment including one or more of creating a gingival trough or flap around the implant, ablating or denaturing infected tissue via photothermolysis, lasing a pocket around the affected implant, and compressing marginal tissues against the implant.

Outer jacket support embodiments for laser ablation catheter embodiments are discussed herein. In some cases, such outer jacket support embodiments may be useful for improving the robustness and performance of laser ablation catheters.

A laser system includes a first laser configured to generate a laser light, the first laser light including a first wavelength, a second laser configured to generate a second laser light, the second laser light including a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, and a laser fiber operatively coupled to each of the first laser and the second laser to emit at least one of the first laser light or the second laser light at a target site.

A medical apparatus includes a shaft and a basket assembly. The shaft is configured for insertion into a cavity of an organ of a patient. The basket assembly is connected distally to the shaft and includes electrodes, which are configured to apply electrical energy to tissue within the cavity. The basket assembly further includes a flexible porous sheath, which is fitted over the basket assembly and is configured to contact the tissue within the cavity while simultaneously (i) preventing the electrodes from indenting the tissue and (ii) allowing electrical energy applied from the electrodes to be delivered to the tissue.

A laser can produce pulses of light energy for tissue-type selective ejection of a volume of the target tissue, and the energy can be delivered to a treatment site through a waveguide, such as a fiber optic waveguide. The incident laser energy can be absorbed within a volume of the target tissue with a tissue penetration depth and pulse direction such that the propagation of the energy from the tissue volume is inhibited and such that the target tissue within the volume reaches the spinodal threshold of decomposition and ejects the volume, for example without substantial damage to tissue adjacent the ejected volume. The pulses are set to be tissue selective.

Embodiments of the invention include a method of initiating an optical fiber of a tip assembly to form a finished tip assembly. In some embodiments, at least a portion of a distal portion of the optical fiber is coated with an energy absorbing initiating material. In some embodiments, the initiating material is an enamel material including a mixture of brass (copper and zinc) flakes or aluminum flakes in a solution of organic solvents. After the initiating material dries, a diode laser is fired through the optical fiber. The laser energy is at least partially absorbed in the initiating material and ignites the organic solvents. This combustion melts the material of the optical fiber, and impregnates the optical fiber with the metal flakes of the initiating material. The resulting initiated optical fiber is thus permanently modified so that the energy applied through the fiber is partially absorbed and converted to heat.

Devices, systems, and methods to generate a plan for an interstitial laser ablation procedure are disclosed. The systems may be configured as an interstitial optical mapping system including a catheter, an emitter optical fiber, an imaging optical fiber, a light source, and a processing unit. The emitter optical fiber and the imaging optical fiber are used to interstitially image a fluorescent dye associated with a tumor, including the tumor margin, at discrete imaging positions along a length of the catheter. The processor calculates a location of the fluorescent dye at each discrete position and creates an optical map representing the tumor. The optical map is used to generate an interstitial laser ablation plan that includes laser fiber pull-back positions.

A protective structure for the distal treatment end of a surgical laser fiber inserted into a patient through a scope includes uniformly-spaced ruler or scale markings that are visible through the scope and that enable the size of an object within the field of view of the scope to be precisely determined.