Laser beam surgical system

Claim 1

A steerable laser beam system for performing surgery at a target in a surgical site within a body cavity, said system comprising: A. a cannula insertable into a body passage leading to the surgical site, said cannula including a rotatable inner tube provided with an inlet section having an input port and an outlet section provided with a lateral output port which, by rotation of the inner tube, can be made to assume a position adjacent the target; B. a laser source coupled to said input port to produce a collimated laser beam which is directed toward said outlet section; C. a normally planar deformable membrane having a reflective surface supported in said outlet section at an angle with respect to the inner tube axis to project the laser beam impinging thereon through said output port toward the target in the surgical site; and D. a controllable actuator coupled to the rear of the membrane at its geometric center to force said membrane to assume a concave form having a quasi-parabolic shape which optically brings said beam to a focus at the surgical site target, so that by rotating the inner tube and by focusing the beam projected from said output port one can steer the beam to precisely strike the target; said membrane having an elliptical form and being peripherally joined by an elastomeric coupler to a rigid supporting ring so that the membrane, when it is deformed to assume a quasi-parabolic shape, is not distorted at its periphery.