Abstract: A bipolar snare instrument for use in surgery is provided. The snare instrument has a snaring loop comprising a flexible continuous electrically-insulating loop for supporting bipolar electrodes. The electrodes may be arranged in various geometries on the insulating loop to provide localized selective necrosis and hemostasis of a patient's protruding tissue. Methods of performing surgery with such devices are also provided.

Abstract: A method of treating benign prostatic hyperplasia employs the steps of inserting a diffusing light guide into a prostrate lobe and providing laser power to the diffusing light guide in order to necrose surrounding tissue. The diffusing light guide can be inserted into the central or lateral prostrate lobes by inserting a needle and a trocar transperineally into the middle of the lateral lobe, removing the trocar, inserting the diffusing light guide, and monitoring the position of the needle, trocar, and diffusing light guide using ultrasound. The diffusing light guide can also be inserted into the central or lateral prostrate lobes transurethrally and positioned with the aid of an urethroscope.

Abstract: A system for lighting a field for diagnosis or microsurgery, especially eye surgery. Basically, in one embodiment a ring light having a diameter sufficient to surround the objective lens of a surgical microscope is mounted on a housing adjacent to the objective lens. The ring light provides broad, shadowless illumination over the surgical site. In addition, where surgery of the cornea is to be undertaken, a ring of light is reflected from the cornea surface and can be observed through the microscope as indicative of astigmatism. In alternate embodiment, two smaller ring lights are mounted on the housing surrounding and coaxial with the microscope entrance pupils. In this case two circular rings in a figure eight configuration are projected onto the cornea. A light intensity varying mechanism controls ring light intensity. A center light is provided between the objective lenses providing a point source for uniformly illuminating the central portion of the microsurgery site.

Abstract: An ophthalmic laser apparatus has a proper exit angle from a probe to prevent a sclera from being damaged when the probe is used to treat an eye of a patient. A laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator is directed to a light cable receptacle connector by an optical system. The laser beam is directed to a delivery optical system or a probe by a light cable having a connecting part at one end thereof to be connected to the light cable receptacle connector. The probe is bent near an end thereof and the end of the probe is generally spherically shaped.

Abstract: A method for modification of the corneal surface, in which a gel is applied to the cornea and molded in situ to create an ablation mask. This ablation mask has a posterior surface substantially identical to that of the surface to be treated. A shaping means (such as a contact lens) having a posterior curvature corresponding to the desired final profile of the cornea is superimposed on the gel prior to the setting of the gel; the anterior curvature of the ablation mask is equal to that of the posterior curvature of the shaping means. The gel has essentially the identical ablation properties of the cornea, which is generally not the case when other non-biological materials (such as plastics materials) are used. A preferred gel for use in forming the ablation mask is collagen gel.

Abstract: A flexible tip for a medical catheter suitable for the transmission of light and dimensioned to pass through extremely small tubular members is described. The flexible tip, preferably made of optically transparent silicone elastomer, is affixed to the terminal end of a conventional optical fiber. In a preferred embodiment, the flexible tip comprises a central silicone core surrounded by a cladding having an index of refraction less than that of the core, permitting internal reflection. The flexible tip is provided with an outer jacket which serves two purposes: a) it provides structural integrity for the tip, and b) it reinforces the union between the flexible tip and the optical fiber to which it is abutted. The tip enables the delivery of a comparable amount of light as a large glass fiber of equal core diameter but possesses much greater flexibility.

Abstract: A fiber-optic probe for soft-tissue laser surgery such as angioplasty comprising a section of an optical fiber having a beam-inlet end (23) and a beam-outlet end (22) and composed of a beam-propagating core (18) and a cladding (19) a part of which is removed in the form of openings (20, 21) through which a portion of the laser beam leaves the fiber-optic probe and is directed laterally to the longitudinal axis 34 of the fiber to the operation site. The intensity distribution of the outgoing beam can be controlled by selecting a required pattern of distribution of the openings.

Abstract: A surgical instrument comprises a handle, an electrical cauterization electrode, a mounting for movably joining the electrode to the handle so that distance of the electrode from the handle may be adjusted prior to a surgical procedure, and an electrical supply mechanically connected to the handle and operatively connected to the electrode for supplying thereto an electrical voltage having a characteristic waveform.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing an ophthalmic operation on an eye by photocoagulation using a laser beam while allowing continuous observation of the eye to be treated, includes a light source for producing the laser beam, an observing system having a first inherent optical path including a slit-lamp microscope, a laser optical system having a second inherent optical path, means for transmitting the laser beam from the light source to the laser optical system, means for introducing the laser beam from the second optical path of the laser optical system to the first optical path of the observing system, a contact lens having predetermined characteristics positioned in front of and contacting the eye to be treated, first optical means provided in the first inherent optical path of the observing system for adjusting an objective plane observable from the slit-lamp microscope, means for shifting the objective plane to a desired position along the optical path while observing the objective plane, and second optical me