Evanescent-wave delivery into a precise tissue area using fiber optic probes

Ilko K. Ilev; Ronald W. Waynant; Michael A. Bonaguidi

doi:10.1117/12.427918

4 June 2001 Evanescent-wave delivery into a precise tissue area using fiber optic probes

Ilko K. Ilev, Ronald W. Waynant, Michael A. Bonaguidi

Proceedings Volume 4253, Optical Fibers and Sensors for Medical Applications; (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.427918
Event: BiOS 2001 The International Symposium on Biomedical Optics, 2001, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

We demonstrate a novel all-optical-fiber system for infrared (IR) laser radiation delivery into a precise tissue area. The operating principle of the laser delivery system is based on the use of a direct laser-to-taper coupling and an IR delivery fiber with angle-shaped tip. In our experiment, instead of a conventional lens-based laser-to-fiber coupling we use an uncoated glass hollow taper for a laser-to-fiber coupling. It is a funnel-shaped grazing-incidence-based hollow taper. The laser emission is launched directly, without any focusing elements, into the taper and next into the delivery fiber by a direct taper-to-fiber coupling. The IR fiber delivers the forward emission from a Er:YAG laser ((lambda) equals 2.94 micrometers ) to the tissue to be treated. Moreover, in order to realize a regime of evanescent wave delivery, we use a specially shaped fiber tip with an angled (porro-prism) profile. When the fiber tip is out of the tissue area, the laser emission is backreflected at the angled tip due to total-internal-reflection. However, when the fiber tip is placed on absorbing tissue, it becomes `transparent' for laser emission because of the frustrated- total-internal-reflectance and the energy then is coupled into the absorber. When sufficient energy is transferred, dermatology or other precise surgical processes can be controlled or stopped.

Citation Download Citation

Ilko K. Ilev, Ronald W. Waynant, and Michael A. Bonaguidi "Evanescent-wave delivery into a precise tissue area using fiber optic probes", Proc. SPIE 4253, Optical Fibers and Sensors for Medical Applications, (4 June 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.427918

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