Abstract: The high-power-optical-amplifier of the present invention uses a number of spaced, thin slabs (e.g., disc-shaped doped-slabs that are stacked, with a space between discs), aligned to give an amplifier both with a high active cross-section and a very high surface area to volume ratio. More specifically, the present invention provides several methods that include the steps of aligning at least two or four slabs having a thickness dimension of less than one centimeter, substantially parallel to, and spaced from adjacent slabs, wherein the slab surfaces are rendered essentially non-reflective, optically pumping the slabs and passing an input beam through the surfaces wherein the beam is optically amplified in the slabs, and wherein the input beam is of an eye-safe wavelength.

Abstract: The present invention includes the method of using optically-pumped optical amplifiers to remove material from a body by optical-ablation through time-compressing the amplified pulse and illuminating a portion of the body with the time-compressed optical pulse. The pulse energy of semiconductor optical amplifiers may also be adjusted by controlling the pump diode current.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and systems for ablation based material removal configuration for use in semiconductor manufacturing that includes the steps of generating an initial wavelength-swept-with-time optical pulse in an optical pulse generator, amplifying the initial pulse, compressing the amplified pulse to a duration of less than about 10 picoseconds and applying the compressed optical pulse to the wafer surface, to remove material from, e.g., wafer surface.

Abstract: A laser ablation method and apparatus uses a laser device to generate a pulsed laser using a laser device and to project the pulsed laser onto an ablation target to be ablated. A probe is then used to measure an indicative property of the ablation target or of the pulsed laser projected on the ablation target. A control loop is used to optimize ablation effect by generating a feedback signal according to the measured indicative property, sending the feedback signal to a control unit, and adjusting an output parameter of the pulsed laser according to the feedback signal. The measured indicative property may be a size of the laser beam spot or a material composition. The ablation, the feedback and the adjustment may be performed dynamically.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method of surgical material removal from a body by optical-ablation with controlled pulse energy from an amplifier including inputting an ablation-threshold-pulse-energy-for-material-being-ablated signal; controlling the energy of a pulse and the pulse repetition rate and by knowing the type of material being removed, the system can control the removal to predetermined rate and, thus knowing the removal rate, it can know how long to run to stop at the predetermined volume.

Abstract: A tool for removing a seal is provided, wherein the seal has a grooved inner peripheral surface. The tool comprises a tubular member and at least two jaws. The tubular member has inner and outer surfaces, and first and second ends and a passage therebetween. First and second slots are formed between the tubular member inner and outer surfaces, and each equally spaced apart from one another about a predetermined axis. First and a second jaws are at least partially slidably disposed in the first and second slots, respectively, and each jaw has an outer peripheral surface having at least one protrusion formed thereon. The protrusion is configured to mate with the grooved inner peripheral surface. Each jaw is configured to selectively radially expand away from and retract toward the predetermined axis.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method of fabricating an optically-pumped disk-array solid-state laser amplifier having one or more disks, wherein one or more of the one or more disks having two opposed surfaces, including the steps of patterning a photoresist mask on one or more of the two opposed surfaces of the one or more disks and processing the one or more disks through the patterned photoresist mask, whereby the temperature profile improved radially across the disk's surface, amplified spontaneous emission are reduced, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: The present invention includes an apparatus and the method for remotely controlling an ablation beam for removal of material from a body so that it to impinge at various locations on the surface and can be remotely blocked or enabled, when monitored with a video camera to view the body surface in an isolated environment.

Abstract: The present invention includes the method of using optically-pumped optical amplifiers to remove material from a body by optical-ablation through time-compressing the amplified pulse and illuminating a portion of the body with the time-compressed optical pulse. The pulse energy of semiconductor optical amplifiers may also be adjusted by controlling the pump diode current.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and systems for controlling ablation based on analysis of material removed from a surface, that includes the steps of generating an initial wavelength-swept-with-time optical pulse, amplifying the initial pulse, compressing the amplified pulse to a duration of less than 10 picoseconds, applying the compressed optical pulse to the surface to cause material to be emitted from the surface, analyzing the material being emitted to at least partially determine composition of the removed material and using the analysis of material composition to adjust pulse energy and/or stop ablation.

Abstract: The present invention includes an apparatus and method of surgical ablative material removal “in-vivo” or from an outside surface with a short optical pulse that is amplified and compressed using either an optically-pumped-amplifier and air-path between gratings compressor combination or a SOA and chirped fiber compressor combination, wherein the generating, amplifying and compressing are done within a man-portable system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and systems for dynamically controlled laser amplifier configuration for composite cutting includes the steps of generating an initial wavelength-swept-with-time optical pulse in an optical pulse generator, amplifying the initial optical pulse, compressing the amplified optical pulse to a duration of less than 10 picoseconds and applying the compressed optical pulse on the composite with an ablating energy density, to controllably remove a slice of material from the composite.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and systems for ablation based material removal configuration for use in semiconductor manufacturing that includes the steps of generating an initial wavelength-swept-with-time optical pulse in an optical pulse generator, amplifying the initial pulse, compressing the amplified pulse to a duration of less than about 10 picoseconds and applying the compressed optical pulse to the wafer surface, to remove material from, e.g., wafer surface.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and apparatus for the surgical material removal from a body by optical-ablation by setting one or more color specifications for ablation control into a beam control system, measuring the color emitted from a portion of a surface in line with the beam path and selectively emitting or blocking the ablation beam when at least one measured color is within the one or more color specification for ablation control.

Abstract: The present invention includes an apparatus and a method of controlling the emission of a surgical ablation beam in a beam path from a surgical-probe end, including setting a maximum distance for ablation into a beam control system, measuring the distance from the surgical-probe end to a object in the beam path, and blocking the ablation beam based on the distance between the end of the ablation probe and an object for safety or ablation control reasons.

Abstract: The present invention includes methods for using optically-pumped amplifiers to control the temperature of the amplifier by controlling pump diode current to avoid operation in the region where performance is seriously degraded by high amplifier temperature. The pulse energy of semiconductor optical amplifiers may also be adjusted by changing the repetition rate of pulse in the amplifier.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for fluid purification. A charged species is separated from the fluid using, e.g., a Faraday induced motive forces. This approach deionizes any fluid medium (including water).

Abstract: The present invention is a system and method of ablation laser-machining, that includes the steps of generating pulses at 1 to 50 MHz by one or more semiconductor-chip laser diodes, each pulse having a pulse-duration less than three picoseconds, directing a less than 1 square mm beam of the pulses to a work-piece with an ablating pulse-energy-density; and scanning the beam with a power-driven scanner to ablate a scanned area at least 25 times larger than the beam area.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method of obtaining video images from inside a living body and displaying the images outside the body by interconnecting a video camera extension to a display-containing control unit with a flexible interconnector; inserting the camera extension into the body, wherein the camera extension has a scanned-camera-beam emitter and a reflected-light-collector; illuminating portions of the body with a scanned camera beam from the scanned-camera-beam emitter, causing reflections off the portions of the body; collecting reflection information with the reflected-light-collector and transferring the reflection information through the flexible interconnector to the display system; and displaying the images with the control unit, whereby a relatively inexpensive camera extension with improved depth of field and resolution can be inserted into extremely small openings to generate real-time images of internal body parts.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method of laser ablation by connecting two or more semiconductor optical amplifier diodes electrically and optically in series, wherein one of the diodes is an optically-first diode and another of the diodes is an optically-last diode, introducing current into the series diodes; introducing at least two optical signal input pulses into the optically-first of the series diodes; amplifying and coupling the optical signal pulses out of the last optical diode, time-compressing the amplified pulses and directing the compressed pulses toward a work-piece with a pulse-energy-density of 0.1 to 20 Joules/square centimeter.