Abstract: An apparatus and method are described that uses fractional light based treatment to shrink soft tissue in the mouth or throat to reduce obstruction of the airways for patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. A light delivery probe with scanning optics can be used to deliver treatment. Cooling systems can be added to reduce damage to epithelial layers of tissue. Light based treatment can be nonablative or ablative and is preferably performed with a laser.

Abstract: A counter-rotating disk scanner together with another scan mechanism provides two-dimensional optical scanner. The counter-disk scanner includes counter-rotating scan disks that implement the scanning action as they rotate through an optical axis of the system.

Abstract: An optical beam is delivered to internal target tissue, for example via two counter-rotating disks or via a single rotatable component. In one approach, two counter-rotating disks deflect an incident optical beam in a manner that generates an irradiation pattern at the target tissue. In another approach, a rotatable component includes a plurality of deflection sectors arranged around a rotation axis, and each sector deflects an incident optical beam as the sector rotates through the beam to generate an irradiation pattern at the target tissue. A probe maintains an optical channel within the human body so that the deflected optical beam can be delivered to the target tissue.

Abstract: An optical pattern generator uses a single rotating component. The rotating component includes a number of deflection sectors. Each sector deflects an incident optical beam by a substantially constant angular amount although this amount may vary from one sector to the next. The rotating component may be combined with an imaging lens group that produces, for example, image points, spots, or lines displaced along a line locus.

Abstract: A counter-rotating disk scanner together with another scan mechanism provides two-dimensional optical scanning. The counter-rotating disk scanner includes counter-rotating scan disks that implement the scanning action as they rotate through an optical axis of the system.

Abstract: An improved endoscope comprises an objective including a diffractive optical element juxtaposed to a solid-state imaging element at the distal tip of the endoscope. An inexpensive halogen lamp at the proximal end of the endoscope is employed as the illumination source. A fiber-optic bundle carries light to the distal tip of the endoscope, where diffractive optical elements are provided to disperse light, illuminating the field of view.

Abstract: A terrestrial (erecting) telescope that may be inexpensively manufactured with plastic lenses but which telescope will provide a high quality image. The telescope comprises an objective lens, usually a single plano-convex lens, mounted in an outer tube. The telescope further comprises an inner tube in which are fixed an erecting lens system and an eye piece lens system. The erecting lens system comprises two identical plastic lens elements with opposite spherical and aspherical surfaces. The spherical surfaces of the erector lenses are facing. The eye piece lens system comprises a Ramsden eye piece having two plano-convex lenses with facing spherical surfaces. The aperture stop is positioned equidistance between the lenses of the erector lens system.