Two-part surgical waveguide

摘要

An apparatus includes a light source configured to provide radiation at a wavelength and a conduit configured to direct radiation at a wavelength from the light source to a target location of a patient. The conduit includes a first optical waveguide extending along a waveguide axis, the first optical waveguide being a flexible waveguide having a hollow core, the first optical waveguide being configured to guide the radiation at through the core along the waveguide axis; and a second optical waveguide extending along the waveguide axis, the second optical waveguide having a hollow core and being coupled to the first optical waveguide to receive the radiation from the first optical waveguide and to deliver the radiation to the target location. The first optical waveguide is a photonic crystal fiber and the second optical waveguide is not a photonic crystal fiber waveguide.

主权项

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a conduit configured to direct radiation at a wavelength λ from a light source to a target location of a patient, the conduit comprising: a flexible optical waveguide extending along a waveguide axis, the flexible optical waveguide having a melting point less than 900 degrees C., having a hollow core and being configured to guide radiation at λ through the hollow core along the waveguide axis; and a second optical waveguide extending along the waveguide axis, the second optical waveguide having an outer surface, having a hollow core, terminating in a distal tip having an open output end, and being coupled to the flexible optical waveguide to receive radiation from the flexible optical waveguide and to deliver radiation through the open output end to the target location, wherein the second optical waveguide is different from the flexible optical waveguide and has a melting point higher than the melting point of the flexible optical waveguide.