Abstract
Laser fiber probe consists of a suction sheath with a suction window in the distal end of the sheath and a fiber conduit with fiber position regulator to limit and position the fiber laser window. The suction sheath and the fiber conduit are constructed that the suction window is used to catch up the surgery targets and also functions as the entrance of the surgery debris, where the fiber laser window is in contact with the sucked surgery targets. Hereby the surgery targets sucked by the suction window are made into debris through the laser energy emitted from the fiber laser window, while the surgery debris is evacuated all the way out of the patient through the suction, which improves the surgery efficiency and ultimately reduces the procedure time.
Claims
1. A laser fiber probe comprising of two parts, a suction sheath and a fiber conduit, which are combined together: Suction sheath: a window is in the distal end of the suction sheath which is used to suck the surgery targets and surgery debris, herein the proximal end of the suction sheath is adapted to connect to at least a suction source or an irrigation pump. Fiber conduit: a fiber position regulator functions to move forward or backward of the fiber laser window to approach the suction window.
2. The window of the suction channel of claim 1 wherein the opening is either in the terminal of the suction sheath, or completely in the side of the suction sheath, or in combination of part the terminal and the side.
3. A suction sheath and a fiber conduit of claim 1, wherein the fiber conduit is in touching with the outside or inside of the suction sheath, or just inside of the suction sheath.
4. A suction sheath and a fiber conduit of claim 3, wherein the mutual position is fixed.
5. A suction sheath and a fiber conduit of claim 3, wherein the mutual position can be changed through turning movement.
6. The suction sheath, the fiber conduit of claim 1, wherein is made from rigid materials, flexible materials, is transparent or opaque.
7. The laser fiber probe of claim 1, wherein has a suction switcher
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates the ultrasonic lithotripter for renal calculus under PCNL.
[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates the protruding fiber tip during the laser lithotripsy procedures.
[0018] FIG. 3A is one embodiment of the invention depicting the suction window is in the side of the suction sheath of the distal end.
[0019] FIG. 3B is one embodiment of the invention illustrating the suction window is in both parts of the terminus and the side of the sheath of the distal end.
[0020] FIG. 4 depicts one embodiment of the fiber position regulator.
[0021] FIG. 5 One embodiment can change the relative position between the suction window and the fiber tip.
[0022] FIG. 6 is the cross-section view of the suction channel of the debris and irrigation water though the embodiment with suction window on both the terminus and side of the sheath.
[0023] FIG. 7 illustrates the laser fiber probe within the endoscope to treat calculus during laser lithotripsy procedure.
[0024] FIG. 8 is the exterior view of one embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] A sheath with the diameter dimension are selected according to the inner diameter of the device channel 110 of the endoscope 100 and is configured as the suction channel 10. The proximal end of the sheath is configure as an adaptor 12 of the suction channel 10, being connected to the vacuum source or irrigation pump through pipe lines (there is a surgery debris collector which is not shown in the specifications because it is the standard industrial arts), the distal end of the sheath is open as suction window 11. The window 11 can be open in the distal end face of the sheath 10, or open in combined part of the terminus and part of the side of the sheath shown in FIG. 3B, or open completely in the side of the sheath shown in FIG. 3A, varies in different embodiments. The materials of the sheath should be biocompatibility such as stainless steel, polymer etc. The material can be transparent or opaque, can be rigid or flexible.
[0026] A conduit limits and provides the fiber path 20 of the optic fiber 30. The inner diameter of the conduit is a little large than the outer diameter of the fiber allowing the fiber 30 can pass through. The distal end 21 of the fiber conduit is the open allowing fiber 30 to protrude.
[0027] In order to make the window 11 and window 31 as close as possible and reduce the total size of the cross-section, the suction sheath 10 and fiber conduit 20 are integrated as a whole through welding, bonding and molding. The integrated result is that the center axis of sheath and the conduit are paralleled to each other.
[0028] In FIG. 3A the window 11 is open completely in the side of sheath distal end and the maximum open size should be less or equal to the inner diameter of the sheath 10. The sheath 10 and the fiber conduit 20 is integrated in the manner that they contact with each other externally, the fiber laser window 31 can be extended across the center line 1-1 of window 11 viewing in the end, the end 21 of the fiber conduit 20 is about 5-10 mm away from the nearest border of window 11.
[0029] In FIG. 3B, the suction window 11 is patterned opening in both parts of the end terminal and side of the sheath 10, the maximum open size should be less or equal to the inner diameter of the sheath 10. The sheath 10 and the fiber conduit 20 is integrated in the manner that they contact with each other externally, the fiber laser window 31 can be extended across the center line 1-1 of window 11 viewing in the end, the end 21 of the fiber conduit 20 is about 5-10 mm away from the nearest border of window 11.
[0030] In the two embodiments shown in FIG. 3, the 5-10 mm distance is help to have good vision of the surgery through the endoscope camera 120.
[0031] As the result of the embodiments, the laser window 31 of the fiber 30, emitting laser, is approaching to the suction window 11 and the surgery targets which are being sucked to the window 11 when the suction is applied through suction channel.
[0032] The construction of the suction sheath 10 and fiber conduit 20 can be embodied as shown in FIG. 5 where the fiber conduit 20 can be turned around the axis of the suction sheath 10. The two parts 24 which is bond to fiber conduit 20 further limit the round movement around the suction sheath 10. The round movement either in CW or in antiCW of fiber conduit 20 is activated by turning the turning parts 14. That movement is limited to saying 30 depending on the size of window 11. That movement benefits the fiber laser window 31 approaching the surgery targets. As shown in FIG. 8, the turning part 14 is integrated as part of the probe handpiece 6 through threaded pattern.
[0033] This invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms. The configuration of the fiber conduit 20 and the suction sheath 10 is not limited the touching manner, which includes both the inner contacting and outside contacting manner. There is an embodiment that the fiber conduit 20 is in the axis of the suction sheath 10 and the window 11 is opened in the terminal of the suction sheath 10.
[0034] There are two operating modes related to fiber position regulator 26 shown in FIG. 4. One operating mode is the length the fiber tip moved within 10 mm, which is achieved through the bush button 26-1 of the fiber position regulator 26 through the thumb of the doctor. The fiber position regulator 26 can push the fiber forward and backward along the fiber conduit 20 no matter it is during surgery procedures or not. If length of the movement of fiber tip beyond 10 mm is desired, another operating mode is to push bottom 26-2 to release the fiber from griping by the part 26-3 of the regulator 26, fiber 30 can be moved forward or backward by directly handing the fiber 30 itself from the doctor. Through the fiber position regulator 26, 3 objectives are accomplished. First is to adjust the position of fiber laser window 31 coincident with the suction window 11 in order to achieve the good interaction between the laser and the surgery targets such calculus. The second is to adjust the fiber laser window 31 forward to its right position when the fiber tip is born back, or being destroyed during the procedures. The third is to move fiber forward enough to arrow the doctors to repair the fiber tip, after the fiber tip is repaired then move the fiber tip backward to the position of the suction window 11.
[0035] The principal of this invention is build a suction channel and window which can capture the surgery targets and the debris correctly without the hinder of fiber tips. While the good interaction between the infrared laser and the surgery targets is disclosed through the construction pattern of fiber conduit where position and limit the optic fiber tip approaching the surgery targets, being kept in position of the suction window during the procedures. The fiber tip position can be adjusted during the procedures through the fiber position regulator or the related turning movement of the fiber tube against the suction channel.
[0036] When the arrangement of the suction channel 10 and fiber conduit 20 are in the outside of each other as shown the embodiments in FIG. 3, the total size of the whole should be less than the diameter of the device channel 110 of the endoscope 100 as shown in FIG. 7. This size requirement can guarantee the laser fiber probe can pass through the endoscope to reach the surgery targets. In FIG. 6, the fiber laser window 31 and suction window 11 should be protruded out of the endoscope 100 in the manner which the fiber laser window 31 is under the monitoring of the camera 120 of the endoscope.
[0037] There are different embodiments of the probe which can either has the suction switcher 16 or not. The switcher 16 can not just only turn on or off the suction channel 10, but also other important role is to keep very good interactions between the infrared laser pulse and the surgery targets. This is because that at first the debris is peeled out of the calculus where the fiber laser window 31 is pointed, as laser pulse keeps firing the interaction will become poor because the separation between the window 31 and calculus become larger. However the calculus position against the suction window will be repositioned once the suction is switched off and on again. In addition to on and off conditions of switcher 16, there are other embodiments to have partial on and off instead just on and off as options, which can help to maintain the proper suction forces. The switcher 16 is installed in the handpiece 6 of the fiber laser probe in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8.
[0038] In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 8, handpiece 6 is part of the probe. The handpiece is also integrated with the suction switcher 16, fiber position regulator 26 and turning part 14. This kind of configuration facilitates the doctors to manipulate the probe in one hand during surgery procedures. Of course the probe is not necessary to have hand piece, the probe can be just the bonded suction sheath and fiber conduit which is either operated by doctors or part of robots.
[0039] In a particular laser surgery procedure of one embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the fiber 30 is installed into the fiber conduit 20 through release button 26-2 before the procedure. To adjust the fiber laser window 31 to the position of the suction window 11 through button 26-1 after the button 26-2 is closed. Before the probe is connected to vacuum source, close the switcher 16 and make the connection of the vacuum source. Now the probe is ready. Place the probe through the device channel 110 of endoscope 100 until the suction window 11 reaching the surgery targets such as calculus shown in FIG. 7. To activate switcher 16, the calculus is sucked to the window 11 and window 31 at the same time, then firing the infrared laser, the fragmented pieces of calculus are absorbed by the vacuum source away from the window 11 and pass all the way of the suction channel 10, suction connector 12 and the pipe lines, finally are collected. The fragmentation and evacuation of the calculus are coincidence in this laser surgery procedure with the invented probe. In case the fiber tip or fiber laser window is born back, or is broken, the laser induced fragmentation of the calculus becomes slow, the doctor can improve the result through the forward movement of the fiber laser window 31 with the usage of the regulator 26. In case the fragmentation of the calculus becomes slow, the good interaction between the laser energy and the surgery targets can be resumed just through turning on or off the suction channel through switcher 16. An alternative way is to turn the turning part 14 clock-wise or anti clock-wise to reposition the window 31 against calculus after turn-off the suction channel 10.
[0040] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the irrigation water together with the surgery debris are forced into the suction channel 10 through the entrance where is the window 11. Herein the suction channel 10 is connected through adaptor 12 to a vacuum source or irrigation pump via the pipe lines, which becomes the external force of the suction window 11 of the fiber laser probe.
