Joseph Miller,1
Paula K. Yu,1
Stephen J. Cringle,1
and Dao-Yi Yu1
1The authors are with the Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Perth, Australia. D.-Y. Yu's e-mail address is dyyu@cyllene.uwa.edu.au.
Joseph Miller, Paula K. Yu, Stephen J. Cringle, and Dao-Yi Yu, "Laser-fiber system for ablation of intraocular tissue using the fourth harmonic of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser," Appl. Opt. 46, 413-420 (2007)
Wereporton a method for delivering high fluence pulsed
laser radiation to the target tissue via an optical fiber. The fourth harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser was concentrated using a hollow glass taper and launched into an optical fiber. Fluences of up to
were routinely output at the tapered optical fiber tip. The maximum fluence generated before failure of the optical fiber was between 3.5 and
. Ablation of ocular tissue was demonstrated using fluences of 1.0 and
. The delivery system has the potential for use in intraocular surgicalprocedures.
Stanislav O. Konorov, Vladimir P. Mitrokhin, Andrei B. Fedotov, Dmitrii A. Sidorov-Biryukov, Valentin I. Beloglazov, Nina B. Skibina, Andrei V. Shcherbakov, Ernst Wintner, Michael Scalora, and Aleksei M. Zheltikov Appl. Opt. 43(11) 2251-2256 (2004)
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Tapers were pulled from Pyrex tubing using a modified vertical tube pulling furnace. Transmission efficiency is given for an input beam diameter that matches the input (i∕p) taper diameter.
Table 2
Comparison of a Launch Device versus the Maximum Pulse Energy and Maximum Fluence Output from 100 mm Lengths of a 600 μm Core Optical Fibera
Launch Device
Maximum Energy Output from an Undamaged Length of a100 mm Fiber(mJ)
Maximum Fluence Output from an Undamaged Length of a100 mm Fiber
Taper 2
>0.99
>0.35
Taper 3
0.88
0.31
Taper 1
0.79
0.28
Lens NA = 0.09
0.48
0.17
A diameter beam of pulsed light was launched into the optical fiber using one of three hollow glass tapers or a single planoconvex lens. Fluence was increased stepwise every 600 pulses until fiber damage was detected. The fluence listed is the averaged over the fiber core area. All fibers failed except those used with taper 2; none of these fibers failed, so in this case, the maximum fluence is undetermined.
Table 3
Comparison of a Launch Device versus Maximum Pulse Energy and Maximum Fluence Output from 100 mm Lengths of 200 μm Core Optical Fibera
Launch Device
Maximum Energy Output from an Undamaged Length of a100 mm Fiber(μJ)
Maximum Fluence Output from an Undamaged Length of a100 mm Fiber
Taper 5
18
0.57
Taper 4
14
0.45
Taper 6
13
0.41
Taper 1
11
0.35
Lens NA = 0.07
9
0.29
Lens NA = 0.013
8
0.25
Lens NA = 0.15
8
0.25
A diameter beam of pulsed light was launched into the optical fiber using one of three hollow glass tapers or one of three planoconvex lenses. Fluence was increased stepwise every until fiber damage was detected, all fibers failed. Fluence was averaged over the fiber core area.
Table 4
Maximum Fluence Transmitted through Narrowed Optical Fiber Coresa
Fiber Core Diameter (μm)
Narrowest Core Diameter (μm)
Maximum Fluence at the Narrowest Point
Damage Location
600
50 μm waist
8.0
Damaged at waist
600
62 μm waist
7.5
Undamaged
600
93 μm tapered tip
3.8
Undamaged
600
86 μm tapered tip
3.5
Damaged at taper tip
200
31 μm waist
4.9
Damaged at fiber input (unpulled) end, waist undamaged
The fluence was increased stepwise every until fiber damage was detected.
Tapers were pulled from Pyrex tubing using a modified vertical tube pulling furnace. Transmission efficiency is given for an input beam diameter that matches the input (i∕p) taper diameter.
Table 2
Comparison of a Launch Device versus the Maximum Pulse Energy and Maximum Fluence Output from 100 mm Lengths of a 600 μm Core Optical Fibera
Launch Device
Maximum Energy Output from an Undamaged Length of a100 mm Fiber(mJ)
Maximum Fluence Output from an Undamaged Length of a100 mm Fiber
Taper 2
>0.99
>0.35
Taper 3
0.88
0.31
Taper 1
0.79
0.28
Lens NA = 0.09
0.48
0.17
A diameter beam of pulsed light was launched into the optical fiber using one of three hollow glass tapers or a single planoconvex lens. Fluence was increased stepwise every 600 pulses until fiber damage was detected. The fluence listed is the averaged over the fiber core area. All fibers failed except those used with taper 2; none of these fibers failed, so in this case, the maximum fluence is undetermined.
Table 3
Comparison of a Launch Device versus Maximum Pulse Energy and Maximum Fluence Output from 100 mm Lengths of 200 μm Core Optical Fibera
Launch Device
Maximum Energy Output from an Undamaged Length of a100 mm Fiber(μJ)
Maximum Fluence Output from an Undamaged Length of a100 mm Fiber
Taper 5
18
0.57
Taper 4
14
0.45
Taper 6
13
0.41
Taper 1
11
0.35
Lens NA = 0.07
9
0.29
Lens NA = 0.013
8
0.25
Lens NA = 0.15
8
0.25
A diameter beam of pulsed light was launched into the optical fiber using one of three hollow glass tapers or one of three planoconvex lenses. Fluence was increased stepwise every until fiber damage was detected, all fibers failed. Fluence was averaged over the fiber core area.
Table 4
Maximum Fluence Transmitted through Narrowed Optical Fiber Coresa
Fiber Core Diameter (μm)
Narrowest Core Diameter (μm)
Maximum Fluence at the Narrowest Point
Damage Location
600
50 μm waist
8.0
Damaged at waist
600
62 μm waist
7.5
Undamaged
600
93 μm tapered tip
3.8
Undamaged
600
86 μm tapered tip
3.5
Damaged at taper tip
200
31 μm waist
4.9
Damaged at fiber input (unpulled) end, waist undamaged
The fluence was increased stepwise every until fiber damage was detected.