Patent ID: 8827991
Filing Date: 2014-09-09
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A device comprising an optical waveguide that transports optical radiation from its proximal end to its distal end and that is surrounded by a medium at least in the area of its distal end and where a certain fraction of light is at least initially emitted through said waveguide's peripheral surface area; and said certain fraction of light being configured such that said fraction of light changes the refractive index of said surrounding medium at least in the vicinity of said peripheral surface area, in such a way that radiation emitted from said waveguide is redirected; wherein said optical waveguide is a glass optical fiber having a core with refractive index n wherein the glass optical fiber is shaped at its distal end in such a way that a certain fraction of the transmitted optical radiation is coupled out of the fiber core and extracted in forward direction; said certain fraction of the transmitted optical radiation being configured such that a vapor bubble, caused by interaction of said surrounding medium with said certain fraction of the transmitted optical radiation, allows for the redirection of remaining optical radiation such that said remaining optical radiation is emitted laterally from a glass optical fiber's distal end facet; and wherein at least two laser wavelengths are transmitted through the device, and wherein at least one wavelength is well-absorbed by said surrounding medium and a second wavelength is used for a medical treatment.