Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods of and for an ophthalmic illumination system are disclosed. In an exemplary implementation, an ophthalmic illumination system includes a collimator having at least one lens. The system includes a first mirror arranged to reflect light towards the collimator. The first mirror is configured for use with a first light source that emits a first light beam having a first parameter. The system includes a second mirror arranged to reflect light towards the collimator. The second mirror is configured for use with a second light source emitting a second light beam having a second parameter that is different than the first parameter. The second mirror is shaped and arranged to cause a reflected portion of the second light beam to have the first parameter. The first mirror and the first light source, and the second mirror and the second light source, are separately usable with the collimator.

Abstract: An ophthalmic illumination system can include an optical fiber configured to transmit a light beam output by a light source and focused by a condenser. The optical fiber can includeproximal, distal, and central portions. The proximal portion can be configured to receive the light beam focused by the condenser. The distal portion can be configured to emit the light beam to illuminate a surgical field. The central portion can extend between the proximal and distal portions. A core diameter of the proximal portion can be larger than core diameters of the central and distal portions. An ophthalmic illumination method can include focusing, using a condenser, a light beam emitted by a light source onto a proximal portion of an optical fiber. The method can also include transmitting, using the optical fiber, the light beam to a surgical field.

Abstract: An ophthalmic illumination system can include an optical fiber configured to transmit a light beam output by a light source and focused by a condenser. The optical fiber can include proximal, distal, and central portions. The proximal portion can be configured to receive the light beam focused by the condenser. The distal portion can be configured to emit the light beam to illuminate a surgical field. The central portion can extend between the proximal and distal portions. A core diameter of the proximal portion can be larger than core diameters of the central and distal portions. An ophthalmic illumination method can include focusing, using a condenser, a light beam emitted by a light source onto a proximal portion of an optical fiber. The method can also include transmitting, using the optical fiber, the light beam to a surgical field.

Abstract: An ophthalmic illumination system includes a light source to emit a light beam and a filter comprising a clear region to transmit visible light in the visible spectrum and a first filtered region to transmit visible light in a first spectral range. The filter is arranged within the optical path of the beam. The system includes a plurality of chromaticity sensors to receive a portion of the light beam transmitted by the filter and output a signal indicating chromaticity of the received beam. The system also includes a processor to receive the signal indicating chromaticity, compare the indicated chromaticity to a target chromaticity stored in memory and, based on the comparison, adjust the chromaticity of the light beam transmitted by the filter by generating a signal to move the filter from a first position in which the light beam is incident upon only the clear region to a second position in which the light beam is partially incident on both the clear region and the first filtered region.

Abstract: An illumination fiber optics is provided that includes an optical fiber, configured to receive illumination light at a proximal end from a light source; and a light-scattering element, at a distal end of the optical fiber, configured to receive the illumination light from the optical fiber at a proximal end and to emit the illumination light at a distal end in a wide angle. The illumination fiber optics can be prepared by providing an optical fiber, configured to receive illumination light at a proximal end from a light source; and creating a light-scattering element at a distal end of the optical fiber, configured to receive the illumination light from the optical fiber at a proximal end and to emit the illumination light at a distal end in a wide angle.

Abstract: A process of making a diverging-light fiber optics illumination delivery system includes providing a micro-post comprising a glass-ceramic light-scattering element that includes at least one of a ceramic, a glass ceramic, an immiscible glass, a porous glass, opal glass, amorphous glass, an aerated glass, and a nanostructured glass; and fusion-splicing the glass-ceramic micro-post to the optical fiber by pulling an arc between electrodes across a gap formed by the optical fiber and the glass-ceramic micro-post; maintaining the arc for a time sufficiently long to make facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the micro-post one of malleable and molten; and pushing and thereby fusing together the facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the micro-post. Some embodiments can include fusing the glass-ceramic micro-post to the optical fiber by applying a laser beam to heat up at least one of the facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the glass-ceramic micro-post.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating multi-spot laser light beams, multiplexing an illumination light and the multi-spot laser light beams, and delivering the multiplexed light to a surgical handpiece via a multi-core optical fiber cable.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating multi-spot laser light beams, multiplexing an illumination light and the multi-spot laser light beams, delivering the multiplexed light to a surgical handpiece via a multi-core optical fiber cable, and delivering the multiplexed light onto patient anatomy.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a multi-core optical fiber cable (MCF). In some embodiments, an MCF comprises a plurality of cores surrounded by a cladding and a coating surrounding the cladding, wherein a refractive index of one or more of the plurality of cores is greater than a refractive index of the cladding. The MCF further comprises a probe comprising a probe tip coupled with a distal end of the MCF and a lens located at a distal end of the probe tip. In some embodiments, the lens is configured to translate laser light from the distal end of the MCF to create a multi-spot pattern of laser beams on a target surface and a distal end of the MCF terminates at an interface with the lens.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a thermally robust laser probe assembly comprising a cannula, wherein one or more optical fibers extend at least partially through the cannula for transmitting laser light from a laser source to a target location. The probe assembly further comprises a lens housed in the cannula and a protective component press-fitted to the distal end of the cannula, wherein the lens is positioned between the one or more optical fibers and the protective component.

Abstract: An illuminated microsurgical instrument is provided herein that includes a microsurgical instrument having a tubular member arranged to treat patient tissue at a surgical site, the tubular member having a distal tip, an inner surface, and an outer surface. The inner surface defines a lumen. The outer surface has a notch formed therein. The illuminated microsurgical instrument further includes an optical fiber arranged to deliver light to the surgical site. The optical fiber includes a proximal end arranged to receive a light beam from a light source and also includes a curved distal end arranged to emit light adjacent to the distal tip. A portion of the curved distal end is positioned within the notch and curves away from the tubular member.

Abstract: An illumination fiber optics is provided that includes an optical fiber, configured to receive illumination light at a proximal end from a light source; and a light-scattering element, at a distal end of the optical fiber, configured to receive the illumination light from the optical fiber at a proximal end and to emit the illumination light at a distal end in a wide angle. The illumination fiber optics can be prepared by providing an optical fiber, configured to receive illumination light at a proximal end from a light source; and creating a light-scattering element at a distal end of the optical fiber, configured to receive the illumination light from the optical fiber at a proximal end and to emit the illumination light at a distal end in a wide angle.

Abstract: An ophthalmic illumination system includes a light source generating a source light beam and a beam splitter splitting the source light beam into first and second light beams. A first attenuator is located in a path of the first light beam and a second attenuator is located in the path of the second light beam, the first and second attenuators operable to change the intensities of the first and second light beams, respectively. A first optical fiber port is configured for connection to a first optical fiber for delivering the first light beam to a patient's eye and a second optical fiber port is configured for connection to a second optical fiber for delivering the second light beam to the patient's eye. A control unit is communicatively coupled to the first and second attenuators and is operable to adjust the attenuators to control the intensities of the light beams delivered to the patient's eye.

Abstract: Multi-fiber laser probes utilize relative motion of fibers and other laser probe elements to preserve small-gauge compatibility while providing for multi-spot beam deliver, or to provide for the selectively delivery of single-spot or multi-spot beam patterns. An example probe includes fibers having distal ends that are movable as a group onto a distal ramp element affixed to a distal end of a cannula, so that the distal ends of the fibers can be moved between a retracted position, in which the distal ends of the fibers are within the cannula or ramp element, and an extended position, in which distal ends of the fibers are guided by grooves or channels of the ramp so as to extend at least partially through external openings in the distal end of the laser probe and so as to be pointed angularly away from a longitudinal axis of the cannula.

Abstract: A process of making a diverging-light fiber optics illumination delivery system includes providing a micro-post comprising a glass-ceramic light-scattering element that includes at least one of a ceramic, a glass ceramic, an immiscible glass, a porous glass, opal glass, amorphous glass, an aerated glass, and a nanostructured glass; and fusion-splicing the glass-ceramic micro-post to the optical fiber by pulling an arc between electrodes across a gap formed by the optical fiber and the glass-ceramic micro-post; maintaining the arc for a time sufficiently long to make facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the micro-post one of malleable and molten; and pushing and thereby fusing together the facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the micro-post. Some embodiments can include fusing the glass-ceramic micro-post to the optical fiber by applying a laser beam to heat up at least one of the facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the glass-ceramic micro-post.

Abstract: A surgical probe includes a cannula assembly, having a graded index (GRIN) fiber that is configured to receive a multi-spot light beam at a proximal end and to emit the multi-spot light beam at a distal end; an adapter, having a distal end, configured to receive the cannula assembly, with the proximal end of the GRIN fiber, a proximal end, configured to couple to a light guide via a connector and to receive a light delivered by the light guide from a laser source to the adapter, and an interface, configured to couple the light delivered by the light guide to the proximal end of the GRIN fiber; wherein a length of the GRIN fiber is sufficiently long that the interface is outside a patient's eye during a photocoagulation procedure.

Abstract: An optical surgical probe includes a cylindrical cannula; a light guide partially within the cannula to receive a light beam from a light source through a proximal end, to guide the light beam to a distal end of the light guide, and to emit the light beam through the distal end of the light guide; a multi-spot generator at a distal end of the cannula that includes an optical element with a proximal surface to receive the emitted light beam, and a focusing lens, positioned inside the optical element to focus the received light beam into a focused beam, wherein the optical element has a faceted distal surface to split the focused beam into multiple distally emitted beam-components when the optical surgical probe is operated in a fluid with an index of refraction of 1.30-1.40, and to confine the focused beam in the optical surgical probe when the optical surgical probe is operated in air.

Abstract: An example multi-fiber, multi-spot laser probe comprises a plurality of fibers extending from a proximal end of the laser probe to at least near a distal end of the laser probe, where the proximal end of the laser probe is configured to be coupled to a laser source via an adapter interface, and a cannula having a distal end and surrounding the plurality of fibers along at least a portion of the laser probe at or near the distal end of the laser probe, where a distal end of each of the plurality of fibers is angle-polished so that the distal end of each fiber is angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the cannula and relative to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cannula. Additional embodiments employ lensed fibers, a distal window, ball lens, lens array, or faceted wedge.

Abstract: Multi-fiber laser probes utilize relative motion of fibers and other laser probe elements to preserve small-gauge compatibility while providing for multi-spot beam deliver, or to provide for the selectively delivery of single-spot or multi-spot beam patterns. An example probe includes fibers having distal ends that are movable as a group onto a distal ramp element affixed to a distal end of a cannula, so that the distal ends of the fibers can be moved between a retracted position, in which the distal ends of the fibers are within the cannula or ramp element, and an extended position, in which distal ends of the fibers are guided by grooves or channels of the ramp so as to extend at least partially through external openings in the distal end of the laser probe and so as to be pointed angularly away from a longitudinal axis of the cannula.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods of and for an ophthalmic illumination system are disclosed. In an exemplary implementation, an ophthalmic illumination system includes a collimator having at least one lens. The system includes a first mirror arranged to reflect light towards the collimator. The first mirror is configured for use with a first light source that emits a first light beam having a first parameter. The system includes a second mirror arranged to reflect light towards the collimator. The second mirror is configured for use with a second light source emitting a second light beam having a second parameter that is different than the first parameter. The second mirror is shaped and arranged to cause a reflected portion of the second light beam to have the first parameter. The first mirror and the first light source, and the second mirror and the second light source, are separately usable with the collimator.