US5274728A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Heavy metal-oxide glass optical fibers for use in laser medical surgery
Assignee: KaVo Dental Corp
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Filing: 1992-07-06
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Granted: 1993-12-28
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Expires: 2012-07-06
Abstract
Abstract An improved optical fiber for transmitting mid-infrared wavelength laser light in surgical instruments, includes, a heavy-metal oxide component, preferably GeO 2 doped with heavier cations and anions, is capable of delivering of at least three watts of laser power continuously for more than ten minutes, without failure. This glass fiber has an α(dB/m) at 2.94μm of 10, preferably less, and can transmit at least 27% of the IR through a thickness of one foot.
Inventors
- 👤 Danh C. Tran
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 17:28
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/18; A61B18/20; A61B18/22; C; C03; C03C; C03C13/00; C03C13/04; C03C13/048; C03C4/00; C03C4/0071; G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/02; G02B6/10; G02B6/102; G02B6/24; G02B6/42; G02B6/4296; A61B2018/2205; A61B2018/2222
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
In a surgical laser operating in the mid-infrared wavelength region of between 1.0 and 3.0 microns and including an optical fiber for transmitting laser light, the improvement wherein said optical fiber has a solid core and a cladding, and is formed of a glass containing less than 1 ppm of H 2 O and having a glass transition temperature Tg of at least 290° C., comprising a heavy metal oxide and having a coupling efficiency of at least 20% over an optical path length of one foot, said glass having a critical cooling rate Rc of less than 5.5° C./min, said optical fiber constituting means for delivering at least 1.35 watts of laser power continuously for at least five minutes and without failure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
123 words
In a surgical laser operating in the mid-infrared wavelength region of between 1.0 and 3.0 microns and including an optical fiber for transmitting laser light, the improvement wherein said optical fiber has a solid core and a cladding, and is formed of a glass containing less than 1 ppm of H 2 O and having a glass transition temperature Tg of at least 290° C., comprising a heavy metal oxide and having a coupling efficiency of at least 20% over an optical path length of one foot, said glass having a critical cooling rate Rc of less than 5.5° C./min, said optical fiber constituting means for delivering at least 1.35 watts of laser power continuously for at least five minutes and without failure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A surgical laser according to claim 1, wherein said optical fiber has a length of at least six inches.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A surgical laser according to claim 1, wherein said optical fiber has a length of at least one foot.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
72 words
A surgical laser according to claim 1, said glass comprising 10-85 mol% GeO 2 and at least one dopant selected from the group consisting of PbO, PbF 2 , NaF, AlF 3 , TeO 2 , ZrO 2 , La 2 O 3 , BaO, Bi 2 O 3 , Sb 2 O 3 , As 2 O 3 , SrF 2 , ZnO 2 , CaF 2 and PbCl 2 .
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A surgical laser according to claim 1, wherein said optical fiber is capable of transmitting IR at 1.0 to 3.0 microns of at least 40% over a one foot optical length.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
A surgical laser according to claim 1, wherein said glass has a Tg of at least 315° C. and said optical fiber has a coupling efficiency of at least 35% over a one foot length.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A surgical laser according to claim 6, wherein said Rc is less than 3.0° C./min and said coupling efficiency is at least 50% over a one foot length.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
A surgical laser according to claim 1, wherein said glass contains less than 0.1 ppm of H 2 O.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
A surgical laser according to claim 1, wherein said glass further comprises an amount sufficient of a fluoride dopant to minimize the water content of said glass.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-12-27 | 1997-06-28 | 1997-12-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-12-27 | 2001-06-28 | 2001-12-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-12-27 | 2005-06-28 | 2005-12-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |