US4963143A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Laser surgical apparatus with a lensguide
Assignee: UNIVERSITY PHOTONIX Inc A CORP OF DE
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Filing: 1989-04-03
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Granted: 1990-10-16
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Expires: 2009-04-03
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for performing laser surgery by directing infrared and ultraviolet radiant energy from a surgical laser inside a patient's body using a lensguide is disclosed. The lensguide is comprised of a plurality of spaced convex lenses which are disposed within a plurality of rigid tubular segments connected end to end. The lensguide is flexible, allowing it to replace optical fibers in redirecting the radiant energy around bends encountered in surgical applications.
Inventors
- 👤 Douglas A. Pinnow
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 19:14
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/18; A61B18/20; A61B18/201; A61B18/22; A61B2018/2205; A61B2018/2222; A61B2018/2233
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
103 words
A surgical apparatus comprising: a surgical laser which emits ultraviolet or infrared radiant energy; a lensguide for transmitting said radiant energy from said surgical laser at a point outside a patient's body to a point on the surface or inside the patient's body, said lensguide comprising a series of spaced convex lenses disposed within a plurality of rigid tubular segments, each segment being connected end to end with an adjacent segment in such a manner as to permit bending of the lensguide; and means for discharging the radiant energy from said lensguide at a point inside the patient's body for performing laser surgery.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
103 words
A surgical apparatus comprising: a surgical laser which emits ultraviolet or infrared radiant energy; a lensguide for transmitting said radiant energy from said surgical laser at a point outside a patient's body to a point on the surface or inside the patient's body, said lensguide comprising a series of spaced convex lenses disposed within a plurality of rigid tubular segments, each segment being connected end to end with an adjacent segment in such a manner as to permit bending of the lensguide; and means for discharging the radiant energy from said lensguide at a point inside the patient's body for performing laser surgery.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said surgical laser is a CO 2 laser, said radiant energy is infrared radiant energy and said lenses are made from infrared transmissive material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said lenses are made from ZnSe.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the surfaces of said lenses are coated with an antireflection coating with low absorption loss for the radiant energy emitted by the CO 2 laser.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said surgical laser is an excimer laser, said radiant energy is ultraviolet radiant energy and said lenses are made from a material that is transmissive to ultraviolet radiation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said lenses are made from silica.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the surfaces of said lenses are coated with an antireflection coating with low absorption loss for radiant energy emitted by the excimer laser.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each rigid tubular segment contains one convex lens therein.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein each rigid tubular segment contains means at each end thereof for connecting with the adjacent segment in such a manner as to permit non-axial relative movement between adjacent segments.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said means at each end of each rigid tubular segment comprises an arcuate shaped end piece which is in slidable, overlapping contact with the end piece of the adjacent segment, permitting relative movement of adjacent segments in all non-axial directions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said rigid tubular segments are metallic segments.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lensguide further comprises a plastic jacket surrounding said rigid tubular segments.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said discharge means comprises a transparent window to prevent body fluids or surgical debris from entering the lensguide.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said transparent window is made from ZnSe or diamond.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said discharge means comprises a convex lens to either focus or collimate the radiant energy to a diffraction limited spot from the end of the lensguide.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said discharge means comprises a double lens telescope to either magnify or demagnify the exiting radiant energy.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
A surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said convex lenses are spaced so that the period of oscillation of the beam of radiant energy from said surgical laser does not coincide with an integer number of lens spacings.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
91 words
A method of performing laser surgery, comprising emitting a beam of ultraviolet or infrared radiant energy from a surgical laser; transmitting said beam of radiant energy through a patient's body in a lensguide comprising a series of spaced convex lenses disposed within a plurality of rigid tubular segments, each segment being connected end to end with an adjacent segment in such a manner as to permit bending of the lensguide; and discharging the beam of radiant energy from said lensguide at a point inside the patient's body for performing laser surgery.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
91 words
A method of performing laser surgery, comprising emitting a beam of ultraviolet or infrared radiant energy from a surgical laser; transmitting said beam of radiant energy through a patient's body in a lensguide comprising a series of spaced convex lenses disposed within a plurality of rigid tubular segments, each segment being connected end to end with an adjacent segment in such a manner as to permit bending of the lensguide; and discharging the beam of radiant energy from said lensguide at a point inside the patient's body for performing laser surgery.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said beam of radiant energy is infrared radiant energy having a wavelength greater than 2 μm.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the wavelength of said beam of infrared radiant energy is 10.6 μm.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said beam of radiant energy is ultraviolet radiant energy having a wavelength less than 0.36 μm.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the wavelength of said ultraviolet radiant energy is between 0.15 and 0.3 μm.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the focal length of each lens is in the range of 2 to 20 mm.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the focal length of each lens is in the range of 3.3 to 10 mm.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-10-15 | 1994-04-16 | 1994-10-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-10-15 | 1998-04-16 | 1998-10-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-10-15 | 2002-04-16 | 2002-10-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |