Abstract: A laser employing a dispenser cathode is provided with a tubular enclosure surrounding that cathode. The tubular enclosure serves as a support for the bore and the optical chamber on either side of the dispenser cathode and is insulated from ambient temperature conditions by a ballast reservoir housed in a jacket encircling the tubular enclosure. The jacket has peripheral sidewalls spaced apart from the tubular enclosure. Lateral end walls connect the opposite extremities of the peripheral sidewalls in a sealing engagement to the exterior of the tubular enclosure. Communication between the interior of the jacket and the interior of the tubular support is afforded through an aperture formed in the tubular support at a location remote from the dispenser cathode. Leads for the dispenser cathode are disposed in a sealing engagement through the end walls of the jacket and enter the interior of the tubular support through the aperture formed therethrough.

Abstract: An improved optical delivery assembly for an argon-ion or similar medical laser attaches to a wobble plate for thermal tracking and supports in a single integral subassembly an adjustable focusing lens, a beam splitter and associated light detector enabling selective display of power at both proximal and distal ends of the fiber, scattering and blocking shutters, a scattering shutter position sensor, shutter control solenoids, an optical plug position sensor and an optical plug mounting block adapted to interchangeably receive any of several types of optical fiber connecting plugs.