Abstract: A light delivery device comprising an optical fiber having a non-feature portion and a feature portion having features that force light to couple out radially from the feature portion and provide a desired radial light output pattern. A method of photodisinfection of a cavity comprising of providing this device, apply a photosensitizing composition to treatment site within the cavity, and inserting at least a portion of the device into the cavity; and applying light delivered by the device from a light source to the treatment site within the cavity at a wavelength absorbed by the photosensitizing composition so as to inhibit or eliminate microbes located at the treatment site. The present invention also includes a method of making the device and a treatment kit containing the device and a container containing a photosensitizing composition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the fields of skin care and energy-tissue interaction. More particularly, the invention relates to a device and method for enhancing operation and treatment safety during applications of energy to the skin and human body.

Abstract: A fixing device for attaching to a lumen wall, the device including a base (18) and a fixing mechanism (5) fixed on the base (18). The fixing mechanism (5) includes a housing (5a), at least a set of clamping brackets (3), and a rotating shaft (7). A bracket hole (3b) is formed on each clamp bracket (3), and the rotating shaft (7) passes through the bracket hole (3b) and fixes each set of the clamping brackets (3) on the housing (5a) of the fixing device.

Abstract: A steerable laser probe may include a handle having a handle distal end and a handle proximal end, an actuation structure of the handle, a flexible housing tube having a flexible housing tube distal end and a flexible housing tube proximal end, and an optic fiber disposed within an inner bore of the handle and the flexible housing tube. A compression of the actuation structure may cause the optic fiber to gradually curve. A decompression of the actuation structure may cause the optic fiber to gradually straighten.

Abstract: A surgical articulation assembly is disclosed, including a control assembly and an articulable portion. The surgical articulation assembly has a passage therethrough for receiving a surgical object. The articulable portion includes at least two segments capable of independent movement. Disposed within the control assembly is an actuation assembly including a driving member, a translating member, two engagement members, a rotating member, and connecting members engaging in cooperation to effect forces through the connecting members on each of the first and second segments. More than one actuation assembly may be present, and the associated components of the actuation assembly may be configured to effect bi-directional articulation of the first and second segments in more than one plane.

Abstract: A device configured to cut hair using laser light includes a handle portion and a shaving portion. The handle portion includes a battery and a laser light source. The laser light source is coupled to and configured to receive power from the battery. The laser light source is also configured to generate laser light having a wavelength selected to target a predetermined chromophore to effectively cut a hair shaft. The shaving portion includes a support and a single fiber optic supported by the support. The fiber optic has a proximal end, a distal end, an outer wall, and a cutting region positioned towards the distal end and extending along a portion of the side wall. The fiber optic is positioned to receive the laser light from the laser light source at the proximal end, conduct the laser light from the proximal end toward the distal end, and emit the light out of the cutting region and toward hair when the cutting region is brought in contact with the hair.

Abstract: A process for producing the actuating part of an instrument for endoscopic applications, which instrument comprises a tubular member having a handling end portion with a flexible portion and an actuating device located at another end portion, which actuating device comprises a cylindrical part connected to the handling end portion, a cylindrical part connected to the actuating device and a number of longitudinal elements for transferring the movement of the actuating device to the handling end portion, the actuating device being made beginning with a full cylindrical tube which is provided with a number of longitudinal slits thereby forming the longitudinal elements.

Abstract: A method for marking coagulation sites on a retina by application of a light source including: projecting a serial spot sequence from a sequential, one-dimensional series of spots on the retina, wherein the individual spots indicate the coagulation sites; waiting for confirmation of the sequence of individual spots; after confirming, recalculating an automated sequence of steps having a further serial spot sequence and projecting them on the retina according to the first step; and subsequent repeating of the second and third steps. Also, a system for coagulating the retina, having an imaging diagnostic unit, a therapy beam for coagulating coagulation sites, a pilot beam for marking the coagulation sites by a spot sequence, a beam deflecting unit for generating the spot sequence and for positioning the therapy beam, an electronic control unit for controlling the above devices, a software interface, and an interactive interface.

Abstract: A surgical robot with seven degrees of freedom, including various types of joints, offers a hybrid active-passive control for operation both manually and by programmed navigation. One of the degrees of freedom allows the robot to be moved efficiently around the axis of a patient's body to provide ample workspace for surgical procedures in an operating room.

Abstract: A steerable laser probe may include a handle, an actuation structure of the handle, a housing tube, a wire having a pre-formed curve, and an optic fiber disposed within the housing tube and an inner bore of the handle. The housing tube may include a first housing tube portion having a first stiffness and a second housing tube portion having a second stiffness. The second stiffness may be greater than the first stiffness. A compression of the actuation structure may curve or straighten the housing tube. A decompression of the actuation structure may curve or straighten the housing tube.

Abstract: A multi-spot/multi-fiber laser probe is provided that includes a first adapter; a GRIN lens within the first adapter, the GRIN lens configured to receive a laser beam from a laser source at a proximal end of the GRIN lens and to relay the received laser beam towards a distal end of the GRIN lens; and a multi-fiber array having a proximal end configured to receive the relayed laser light. In addition, a multi-spot/single-fiber laser probe is provided that includes a cannula; an optical fiber positioned within the cannula; a diffractive beam splitter within the cannula; and a GRIN lens within the cannula and arranged between a distal end of the optical fiber and the diffractive beam splitter, wherein the diffractive beam splitter is configured to split a focused laser beam from the GRIN lens into multiple diffracted laser beams.

Abstract: An ophthalmic apparatus including an observation system configured for displaying a moving image of a patient's eye, an optical system for directing an illumination beam into the patient's eye and for directing an observation beam from the patient's eye into the observation system, a control system configured for controlling the optical system, and a control stick for inputting control signals into the control system including an auxiliary control element being provided on the control stick for inputting auxiliary control signals into the control system, wherein the control system is configured for controlling a display mode of displaying the moving image of the observation system according to the auxiliary control signals. The invention further relates to a method of operating said ophthalmic apparatus.

Abstract: A physical activity data collection unit includes one or more infrared sensors configured to provide an output indicative of a pulse rate of a user of the physical activity data collection unit, at least one temperature sensor configured to provide an output indicative of at least a body temperature of the user, and at least one accelerometer configured to provide an output indicative of movements of the user.

Abstract: A laser system for ophthalmic surgery includes a laser source to produce a surgical pulsed laser beam, an XY scanner to scan the surgical pulsed laser beam in XY transverse directions, a Z scanner, to scan the XY scanned laser beam along a Z axis, an objective, to focus the XYZ scanned beam into a focal spot in a target region, and a computational controller, to use a computational process to control at least one of the Z scanner and the XY scanner, to control an optical distortion of the focused scanned beam.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus, method, devices and instruments, including an apparatus that includes a flexible waveguide coupled to a supporting structure, and further coupled to a treatment tip. The apparatus also includes a beam controller to control application of a radiation beam emitted from the flexible waveguide to distribute the beam over an area different than an area covered by direct application of the beam to a single location on a target tissue. Further disclosed is an apparatus that includes a waveguide, coupleable to a laser source, and a thermal protection instrument. The thermal protection instrument includes a tissue contacting member to contact a part of an area of a tissue irradiated by laser radiation, and a beam blocking element to absorb at least some of radiation not absorbed by the area of the tissue, the beam blocking element being thermally isolated from the area of the tissue.

Abstract: A fixed sequence activation handle is described that forces a predetermined activation sequence. Such handles are suitable for use in the delivery of medical devices or for other application that require a fixed sequence of activations.

Abstract: Embodiments apply a cross-linking agent to a region of corneal tissue. The cross-linking agent improves the ability of the corneal tissue to resist undesired structural changes. For example, the cross-linking agent may be Riboflavin or Rose Bengal, and the initiating element may be photoactivating light, such as ultraviolet (UV) light. In these embodiments, the photoactivating light initiates cross-linking activity by irradiating the applied cross-linking agent to release reactive oxygen radicals in the corneal tissue. The cross-linking agent acts as a sensitizer to convert O2 into singlet oxygen which causes cross-linking within the corneal tissue. The rate of cross-linking in the cornea is related to the concentration of O2 present when the cross-linking agent is irradiated with photoactivating light. Accordingly, the embodiments control the concentration of O2 during irradiation to increase or decrease the rate of cross-linking and achieve a desired amount of cross-linking.

Abstract: A medical laser system and related methods of utilizing cooling within and around an optical fiber tip to prevent premature failure of the optical fiber. The optical fiber is surrounded by a protective jacket assembly including a body tube assembly, and a tip cap assembly. The body tube assembly includes an internal fiber jacket, and an external body tube with a body tube channel defined therebetween. The tip cap assembly includes an inner cap member and an outer cap member defining a cap irrigation channel therebetween. Together, the cap irrigation channel and body tube channel cooperatively define an internal irrigation channel. The optical fiber can be delivered to a treatment location through a cystoscope. Saline is directed through an external irrigation channel between the cystoscope and the protective jacket assembly, as well as the internal irrigation channel to cool the fiber tip and prevent overheating and failure of the optical fiber.

Abstract: A fixed sequence activation handle is described that forces a predetermined activation sequence. Such handles are suitable for use in the delivery of medical devices or for other application that require a fixed sequence of activations.

Abstract: A surgical laser system can include a laser engine to generate a laser beam of laser pulses; a scanning delivery system to direct the laser beam to a target region and to scan the laser beam along a scan-pattern in the target region; and a spatio-temporal modulator to perform a space- and time dependent modulation of the laser beam. The spatio-temporal modulation of the phases or amplitudes of the beam components can reduce or even eliminate uncut regions in the target region, caused by the destructive interference of the beam components brought about by a wrinkling of a portion of the target or by other beam distorting factors.