Patent ID: 8055108

Claim:
An optical system for use in a medical procedure, the system comprising: one or more laser diodes capable of generating one or more optical signals; a gain fiber coupled to the one of more laser diodes, the gain fiber receiving the one or more optical signals and generating a corresponding pump signal having at least one wavelength; a wavelength shifter coupled to the gain fiber, the wavelength shifter adapted to wavelength shift the at least one wavelength of the pump signal to a shifted pump wavelength based at least in part on a Raman wavelength shifting mechanism, wherein the shifted pump wavelength is in a wavelength range between approximately 1700 nm and 1900 nm; and a lens system adapted to receive and deliver at least a portion of the wavelength-shifted pump signal to unwanted parts of tissue, to substantially damage the unwanted parts without significantly damaging surrounding tissue or tissue above the unwanted parts, wherein the shifted pump wavelength is selected to obtain a desired penetration depth and to substantially minimize water absorption, wherein the wavelength-shifted pump signal has a pulse width greater than approximately 100 picoseconds, wherein a time averaged output power of the wavelength-shifted pump signal is 20 mW or more, and wherein an intensity of the wavelength-shifted pump signal delivered by the lens system is less than approximately 50 MW/cm 2 .