An AutoFocusing System for Endoscopic Laser Surgery based on a Hydraulic MEMS Varifocal Mirror Endoscopic laser surgery is a minimally invasive procedure in which a fiber laser tool is used to perform precise incisions in soft tissue. Although the precision of such incisions depends on the proper focusing of the laser, endoscopic laser tools use no optics at all, due to the limited space in the endoscopic system. Instead, they rely on placing the tip of the fiber in direct contact with the tissue, which often leads to tissue carbonization. To solve this problem, we developed a compact autofocusing system based on a MEMS varifocal mirror. The proposed system is able to ensure the focusing of the laser by controlling the deflection of the varifocal mirror using hydraulic actuation. Validation experiments showed that the system is able to keep the variation of the laser spot diameter under 3% for a distance range between 12.15 and 52.15 mm.

A Compact LaserSteering EndEffector for Transoral Robotic Surgery Laryngeal cancer treatments, while curative, often lead to voice impairment. Minimally invasive surgical methods that facilitate greater preservation of healthy tissue have recently emerged, but they are still limited in important ways. In this work, we describe a device that combines the advantages of the two primary minimally invasive approaches: the high quality incision and reduced postoperative pain achievable with transoral laser microsurgery and the superior visualization and tissue manipulability afforded by transoral robotic surgery. Our 11 mm diameter scanning system connects to focusing optics and a fiber optic laser source and can direct a laser beam across a 18xc3x9710 mm plane with controllable trajectories at speeds up to 7ms. We describe its design and benchtop validation and present avenues for further development within a clinical environment. While oncological treatment is a natural first application area for this technology, we anticipate that it may also yield important benefits for the minimally invasive treatment of benign laryngeal diseases.