Patent ID: 9259270
Filing Date: 2016-02-16
CPC Classification: A61B,A61N,G01J

Claim Text:
1. Apparatus for therapeutic application of energy to a tissue, comprising: a delivery fiber arranged to deliver optical energy from a laser to a treatment site at a distal end of the delivery fiber; and a feedback circuit including a detector arranged to detect overheating of, or damage radiation emitted by, at least one of: (a) an instrument used in said therapeutic application of energy and (b) said tissue; and a sacrificial element situated near the distal end of the fiber for amplifying or enhancing detectability of overheating or damage radiation by absorbing selected wavelengths of said damage radiation so as to cause sacrifice of the sacrificial element during delivery of optical energy to the treatment site, said sacrificial element being made of a sacrificial material that absorbs said specific wavelengths and, in response to the absorption of said specific wavelengths emits radiation in the form of visible light as it is sacrificed, said radiation emitted by the sacrificial material having an increased contrast with respect to background radiation than said damage radiation so that the overheating or damage radiation can more easily be detected before damage to the instrument or tissue occurs.