Patent Application
20250213302
The present disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatus for ablating holes in tissue, and more specifically, to providing a plurality of energy pulses directed into the holes having different properties to generate controlled amounts of coagulated tissue within the holes. Such methods and apparatus can be used, e.g., for fractional photothermolysis of skin and other tissues, improved transdermal drug delivery, etc.
Cosmetic procedures and other dermatological treatments that employ a laser to generate small regions of thermal damage or ablation in skin tissue are known in the medical care field for fractional photothermolysis of skin and other tissues. For example, fractional skin resurfacing can relate to a cosmetic procedure where small regions of thermal damage are formed in skin tissue, for example, using electromagnetic energy such as a laser beam.
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for ablating a hole in tissue with a plurality of energy pulses directed into the hole having different properties, to generate controlled amounts of coagulated tissue within the hole.
In one embodiment, the disclosure provides an apparatus for directing optical energy onto a sample, including: a difference frequency generation (DFG) laser apparatus; a handpiece optically coupled to at least a portion of the DFG laser apparatus by an optical fiber arrangement; and a controller in operative communication with the DFG laser apparatus and the handpiece, wherein the DFG laser apparatus is configured to generate both ablative and nonablative optical energy, and wherein the handpiece includes at least one of an optical or a micromechanical element configured to generate a first pulse and a second pulse of optical energy, wherein a first amount of at least one of ablative optical energy or nonablative optical energy in the first pulse is different from a second amount of at least one of ablative optical energy or nonablative optical energy in the second pulse, and wherein the controller is configured to direct the first pulse and the second pulse onto a particular location on the sample using the handpiece.
In another embodiment, the disclosure provides a method for directing optical energy onto a sample, including: generating both ablative and nonablative optical energy using an apparatus comprising a difference frequency generation (DFG) laser arrangement and a handpiece optically coupled to at least a portion of the DFG laser arrangement by an optical fiber arrangement, wherein the DFG laser arrangement is configured to generate both ablative and nonablative optical energy, and wherein the handpiece includes at least one of an optical or a micromechanical element configured to deliver a first pulse and a second pulse of optical energy; and generating the first pulse and the second pulse of optical energy using the apparatus; and directing the first pulse and the second pulse onto a particular location on the sample, wherein a first amount of at least one of ablative optical energy or nonablative optical energy in the first pulse is different from a second amount of at least one of ablative optical energy or nonablative optical energy in the second pulse.
The disclosure will be better understood and features, aspects, and advantages other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such detailed description makes reference to the following drawings which may not be drawn to scale.
The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for directing energy onto biological tissue, e.g., for fractional skin resurfacing, that includes ablating one or more holes in a region of the tissue surface using electromagnetic energy, such as optical energy produced by a laser, then directing further pulses of electromagnetic energy into at least some of the holes to generate further coagulated tissue therein and/or ablate at least a portion of the coagulated tissue that has formed therein. Further pulses can be directed into the same hole to generate additional coagulation and/or remove additional tissue from the holes.
Each region is preferably small, for example, less than 1 mm in diameter or less than 0.5 mm in diameter, and surrounded by substantially unaffected, healthy tissue. The areal fraction of skin surface area covered by damaged tissue after a conventional fractional resurfacing treatment can be typically between about 5% and about 40-50%. Because the regions of tissue damage can be small and separated by healthy tissue, there is a reduced risk of infection or other complications in fractional procedures as compared to procedures such as chemical peels, and healing of the tissue can be faster due to the presence of healthy tissue adjacent to the small regions of damage.
The optical energy pulses can be generally categorized by their typical effects when directed onto biological tissue such as skin. For example, an ablative electromagnetic energy pulse can vaporize tissue and thereby ablate a hole, for example, to remove at least some tissue. A non-ablative electromagnetic energy pulse (an “NA pulse”) can heat tissue locally to coagulate a portion of it, with no associated tissue ablation or vaporization.
The damaged regions can be generated by heating and/or ablation, where ablation can lead to formation of small holes in the tissue as the heated tissue vaporizes and the by-products escape from the hole. The area surrounding the ablated tissue typically includes some coagulated tissue generated by the absorbed energy, where the extent of ablation and local coagulation can depend on parameters of the energy pulse. Such parameters include, e.g., pulse wavelength, pulse duration, pulse intensity, beam diameter, etc.
Non-ablative treatments can produce regions of thermally damaged tissue in the absence of tissue vaporization or removal. Such regions of thermal damage can generate collagen shrinkage, coagulation, and/or a wound healing response that can lead to such effects as an overall tightening of the skin tissue and improved appearance in the treated area. The amount of coagulation produced by a non-ablative pulse can also depend on such parameters of the energy pulses including, e.g., pulse wavelength, pulse duration, pulse intensity, beam diameter, number of pulses, etc.
Such small-scale tissue damage can also be performed on other body tissues besides skin. In any such procedures, it may be desirable to generate both ablative and non-ablative tissue damage. Accordingly, disclosed herein are embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for generating controlled amounts of both ablative and non-ablative damage in small regions of tissue, to achieve various beneficial effects including, but not limited to, skin tightening, enhanced absorption of drugs applied transdermally, and the like.
Embodiments of the disclosure provide apparatus, methods, and systems for generating both ablative and non-ablative energy using a fiber laser arrangement, and a handpiece that can be configured to select either ablative or non-ablative energy for each energy pulse directed onto the tissue. The use of a fiber laser arrangement can provide precise spatial accuracy, such that both ablative and non-ablative energy can be directed onto the same tissue location in a short time period.
Unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms “about” and “approximately,” as used herein with respect to a reference value, refer to variations from the reference value of ±15% or less (e.g., ±10%, ±5%, etc.), inclusive of the endpoints of the range. Similarly, the term “substantially equal” (and the like) as used herein with respect to a reference value refers to variations from the reference value of less than ±30% (e.g., ±20%, ±10%, ±5%) inclusive. Where specified, “substantially” can indicate in particular a variation in one numerical direction relative to a reference value. For example, “substantially less” than a reference value (and the like) indicates a value that is reduced from the reference value by 30% or more, and “substantially more” than a reference value (and the like) indicates a value that is increased from the reference value by 30% or more.
Also as used herein, unless otherwise limited or defined, “or” indicates a non-exclusive list of components or operations that can be present in any variety of combinations, rather than an exclusive list of components that can be present only as alternatives to each other. For example, a list of “A, B, or C” indicates options of: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; and A, B, and C. Correspondingly, the term “or” as used herein is intended to indicate exclusive alternatives only when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” For example, a list of “one of A, B, or C” indicates options of: A, but not B and C; B, but not A and C; and C, but not A and B. A list preceded by “one or more” (and variations thereon) and including “or” to separate listed elements indicates options of one or more of any or all of the listed elements. For example, the phrases “one or more of A, B, or C” and “at least one of A, B, or C” indicate options of: one or more A; one or more B; one or more C; one or more A and one or more B; one or more B and one or more C; one or more A and one or more C; and one or more of A, one or more of B, and one or more of C. Similarly, a list preceded by “a plurality of” (and variations thereon) and including “or” to separate listed elements indicates options of multiple instances of any or all of the listed elements. For example, the phrases “a plurality of A, B, or C” and “two or more of A, B, or C” indicate options of: A and B; B and C; A and C; and A, B, and C.
Difference frequency generation (DFG) in lasers is a nonlinear process that involves combining two photons of different energies to produce a third photon whose energy equals the difference between those of the incident photons. This is based on the fact that the amount of energy in a given photon is directly proportional to the photon's electromagnetic frequency (ω) and inversely proportional to its wavelength (λ) such that the higher the photon's frequency (ƒ), the higher its energy while the longer the photon's wavelength, the lower its energy. As illustrated in
For example, the difference between ω0 and ω1 in the first stage of the DFG fiber laser 100 shown in
Top-down and cross-sectional images of histological samples showing the effects of several exemplary laser pulses on skin tissue are shown in
As can be seen in
The DFG fiber laser 100 described herein can also generate non-ablative optical energy beams having wavelengths of 1030 nm and 1560 nm. Such energy, when focused onto biological tissue, can thermally damage the tissue to produce coagulation without ablating it. Controlled amounts of tissue coagulation can be desirable for a variety of effects. For example, coagulation of skin tissue can promote skin tightening and collagen shrinkage, which may improve the cosmetic appearance. Coagulation in subsurface tissues surrounding ablated holes can also promote penetration and absorption of hydrophilic and/or low molecular weight (MW) drugs and compounds. Such applications and benefits are described in more detail below.
In some dermatological and other biological laser procedures, it may be desirable to reduce the amount of coagulation surrounding ablated holes, and/or to avoid excessive bleeding. In other applications, it may be desirable to control or increase the size of the CZ around an ablated hole. Accordingly, embodiments of the disclosure can provide a method and apparatus for ablating small holes in tissue and tailoring the amount of coagulation around the ablated region by using both ablative and non-ablative wavelengths of the optical energy generated by a laser such as the DFG fiber laser 100 described herein that can generate both ablative and non-ablative optical energy in rapid succession and deliver the energy to the tissue via a single fiber arrangement for spatial consistency. In some embodiments, the optical output of the DFG fiber laser 100 can be switched controllably and rapidly between ablative and non-ablative frequencies. Additionally, or alternatively, such frequencies can be emitted simultaneously in controlled ratios. In various embodiments, the diameter of the light beam and tissue removal or photothermal destruction (coagulation zone) can be in a range of 10-1000 μm, and preferably in the range of 30 to 300 μm. The desired ablation depth can be in the range of 10 μm to 5 mm.
Accordingly, in certain embodiments of the disclosure, a fiber laser apparatus 200 can be provided such as, for example, that illustrated schematically in
The handpiece 206 can further include conventional optical elements 208 such as lenses that can be configured to direct and/or focus the optical energy generated by the laser unit 202 (e.g., the DFG fiber laser 100 or portions thereof) from the handpiece 206 onto a target (e.g., skin or other tissue), where such focusing can include controlling the spot size and/or convergence/divergence of the emitted optical beam.
The fiber laser apparatus 200 of
In some embodiments, the two types of optical energy can be split between the first stage and the second stage of a laser apparatus such as the DFG fiber laser 100 shown in
Rapid switching between ablative and non-ablative outputs can be achieved through the use of techniques and mechanisms known in the art (e.g., using optical or micromechanical switching elements 212, 214, which may be part of the laser unit 202 and/or the handpiece 206, respectively, or may be separate components) that include appropriate wavelength-dependent optical elements and shifting them electronically. In one embodiment, a polarizer and a polarizing beam splitter can be used to separate the two types of wavelengths. Polarization of incoming light (optical energy) can be electronically switched by using optical elements such as, for example, liquid crystals, electro-optical modulators (e.g. Pockels cells), or Faraday rotators. Polarization-based shutters rotate a polarization element between two linear filters and tend to have moderate switching speeds, on the order of tens of milliseconds, but can operate on low power and do not have precise alignment requirements for operation.
In further embodiments, rapid output selection between ablative and non-ablative optical energy can be achieved using, for example, reflection- or diffraction-based switching arrangements or elements. Such arrangements can generate pulses of optical energy by employing electronically-driven (e.g. micromechanical) optical elements that reflect or diffract the optical energy based on its frequency/wavelength, such that portions of the laser output can be directed in different optical paths based on their wavelengths. The electronically-driven optical elements can include, for example, acousto-optic and electro-optic modulators, flip/movable mirrors, electrical actuators, galvanometer scanners, rotation stages, and/or spinning mirror drums. Acousto-optic and electro-optic modulators can be very fast, providing switching on the order of a microsecond or less, and are highly tunable for different wavelengths. Acousto-optic modulators use a pressure wave diffraction grating to shift laser frequencies and produce several orders of spatially separated diffracted beams, where particular beams can then be selected using spatially oriented shuttering arrangements.
In further embodiments, an electronic shutter or optical choppers may be employed to open/close light paths of the two types of energy after they have been separated. Mechanical shutters can operate very quickly and can provide 100% switching between transmission and blocking of optical beams.
In these embodiments, the optical and/or micromechanical elements used to separate ablative and non-ablative energy and direct them to a fiber output can be specified based on the particular wavelengths of interest. Although the exemplary DFG fiber laser 100 shown in
Exemplary ablative/non-ablative laser systems as described herein can be provided with conventional control systems (e.g. controller 210) to select, vary, and control certain aspects of their operation. For example, controls can be provided on the handpiece or laser unit (for example the handpiece 206 or the laser unit 202) to switch between ablative and non-ablative outputs and can be designed based on the particular type of wavelength-switching arrangement used. In some embodiments, the system can be configured to generate predetermined sequences of optical energy pulses, where parameters that may be controlled included pulse duration, pulse intensity or energy, pulse timing, and wavelength(s) of the emitted pulses (e.g., ablative or non-ablative). Because of the ability to rapidly switch between types of emitted optical energy and having such energy delivered through an optical fiber waveguide (e.g., the fiber 204) to the handpiece 206, such laser systems can provide high spatial consistency such that the optical energy (e.g. in the form of a plurality of pulses) can be directed onto one or more target locations with high precision. The importance of such spatial precision can be appreciated based on the below description of exemplary operation of such devices.
Controls can also be provided (e.g. by controller 210) for varying the geometric properties of the emitted energy. For example, a plurality of conventional lens arrangements can be provided in the handpiece 206, such that optical beams having different beam widths, focal lengths, and divergent/convergent angles can be provided. Such optical controls are known in the art for fiber lasers and can include preprogrammed and/or manual selection of beam geometry parameters.
In some implementations, devices or systems disclosed herein can be utilized, manufactured, installed, etc. using methods embodying aspects of the invention. Correspondingly, any description herein of particular features, capabilities, or intended purposes of a device or system is generally intended to inherently include disclosure of a method of using such devices or systems for the intended purposes, of a method of otherwise implementing such capabilities, of a method of manufacturing relevant components of such a device or system (or the device or system as a whole), and of a method of installing disclosed (or otherwise known) components to support such purposes or capabilities. Similarly, unless otherwise indicated or limited, discussion herein of any method of manufacturing or using a particular device or system, including installing the device or system, is intended to inherently include disclosure, as embodiments of the invention, of the utilized features and implemented capabilities of such device or system. For example, some embodiments of the present disclosure can provide methods and apparatus for forming a small ablated hole (e.g., less than 1 mm in diameter, or less than about 0.5 mm) in a target tissue using one or more pulses of ablative energy, and then directing one or more further optical pulses into the holes to generate further tissue coagulation, ablate a portion of the coagulated tissue, and/or to ablate further tissue deeper than the existing hole. The parameters of such pulses (e.g., pulse type (ablative/non-ablative), pulse energy or intensity, pulse duration, timing between pulses, beam width and geometry, etc.) can be determined based on the desired effects to be produced in the tissue.
In general, ablative energy pulses having higher power and shorter duration tend to more strongly ablate tissue, vaporizing a portion thereof based on the large amount of energy that is absorbed by the tissue in a short time (e.g., shorter than a thermal relaxation period). For such ablative pulses, the energy tends to heat up tissue quickly enough to vaporize a portion thereof. These highly ablative pulses tend to have a very thin thermal affected zone (which may, e.g., include a coagulated zone) around the ablated volume. In contrast, pulses having lower power and longer durations tend to heat up tissue more slowly, such that some energy can be dissipated to surrounding tissue and generate more tissue coagulation, protein denaturation, etc. A single pulse can both ablate and coagulate tissue. Also, a laser pulse having a particular set of parameters may affect different tissues differently, e.g., based on the chromophores present, tissue structures may be present in the tissue, etc. For example, the energy generated by an ablative laser such as a CO2 laser tends to be strongly absorbed by water and thus its effect on tissue may depend more on the amount of water present in the tissue than on the presence or absence of visible chromophores such as pigments.
A simplified illustration of thermal effects that can be achieved in skin tissue by precise delivery of both ablative and non-ablative optical energy (e.g. using the) is shown in
There is typically a zone of heat-affected, coagulated tissue around the surface of an ablated hole.
In some embodiments, a second ablative laser pulse 26 can be directed into the ablated hole 18, as shown in
Additionally, one or more non-ablative pulses can be directed into the ablated hole 18 such that, after the ablated hole 18 is formed, additional coagulated tissue can be generated within the ablated hole 18 (not illustrated). In another embodiment, the coagulation and ablation steps can be alternated, such that deeper holes surrounded by additional coagulated tissue can be formed. Any desired combination of pulses can be directed onto a single location, to controllably and precisely form ablated holes and coagulation zones within and adjacent to such holes. Parameters for such pulse sequences that include both ablative and non-ablative pulses can be selected based on known properties of the tissue interactions with various types of optical energy. In various embodiments, the delivery of optical energy can be conducted by an embodiment of the fiber laser apparatus 200 operating in conjunction with an optical imaging arrangement 1000 and a position controller 1100 (
In some embodiments, the width and/or convergence/divergence angle of one or more pulses in a series of pulses can be varied to further tailor the local effects of directing optical energy onto the tissue. For example, a narrower or converging non-ablative pulse can follow an ablative pulse to generate more coagulation near the bottom of the ablated hole. Alternatively, a wider non-ablative pulse can be applied to generate more coagulation around the hole, e.g., closer to the surface region. Such increased coagulation near the tissue surface may produce desirable effects such as, e.g., increased tightening and/or faster healing when used in fractional resurfacing procedures.
In further embodiments, the fiber laser apparatus 200 as described herein can be used to first irradiate a target location with one or more pulses of non-ablative optical energy to generate a zone of tissue coagulation in the irradiated volume. This may be followed by one or more pulses of ablative energy directed onto the same location after a short time interval to form an ablated hole within the coagulated tissue. The interval between non-ablative and ablative pulses can be selected, for example, based on the energy, width, and/or intensity of the different pulses, and the desired degree of local coagulation between pulses. General tissue/energy interactions are well-characterized for many types of optical energy, such that the different pulse parameters and timing of pulse sequences can be estimated to achieve desired local ablation and coagulation results without undue experimentation. In some embodiments, a sequence may be used, for example, to first form a thermally-damaged volume of coagulated tissue having a desired size and depth, and then forming a hole in this region to facilitate access to the deeper portions of the coagulated volume. The ablated hole may be used, for example, to improve absorption of certain compounds in a laser-assisted drug delivery procedure, or provide a less-obstructed pathway for further pulses of ablative and/or non-ablative laser pulses.
In some embodiments, pulse sequences that include both ablative and non-ablative pulses can be utilized such that, for example, successive pulses of ablative energy deepen the hole, with non-ablative pulses used to generate additional coagulation within the hole. In this manner, shrinkage, coagulation and/or other tissue effects can be generated at progressively deeper levels within the tissue. Such increase in the amount of tissue coagulation around a single hole may, for example, improve the skin tightening efficacy when used in fractional resurfacing procedures.
In some embodiments, the fiber laser apparatus 200 can be configured to provide pulses that combine ablative and non-ablative optical energy, for example, a single pulse containing energy having a wavelength of ω0 and/or ω1, and also containing energy having a wavelength of ω2 and/or ω3. The generation of such “mixed” pulses can be achieved, e.g., by using any of the various known techniques and further optical and/or micromechanical arrangements provided, for example, in the handpiece 206 to selectively reflect, transmit, block, attenuate, and/or filter certain optical wavelengths in the output path of the DFG fiber laser 100. The energy of each wavelength in the mixed pulse can be selected, for example, based on such techniques and arrangements adapted to modify the output level for one or more wavelength components of the overall output of the DFG fiber laser 100.
Mixed pulse sequences that include certain pulses each having both ablative and non-ablative optical energy, and optionally further pulses having either ablative or non-ablative energies, can be utilized to provide even more varied and tailored zones of coagulated and ablated tissue in a target region. Relative amounts of ablation, shrinkage, coagulation, and/or other tissue effects can be generated within a tissue region by appropriate selection of pulse sequence parameters, where the particular sequence will depend on the desired local effects in the tissue.
The interval between successive pulses can be determined based on several factors. In general, the interval between pulses should be long enough to allow most of the resulting coagulation of tissue to occur. Such coagulation can form in several or tens of milliseconds, for example, based on considerations of local thermal relaxation times. Accordingly, intervals between successive pulses applied to the same location can be, for example, tens of milliseconds, e.g., 20-30 ms or more, up to 100 ms or greater. Relatively smaller intervals may lead to more local preheating as the tissue has less time to cool off between pulses. This cumulative preheating can be controlled to generate increased coagulation and/or ablation with subsequent pulses that have the same or reduced intensity, power, etc. Setting appropriate pulse intervals can also vary the relative amounts of coagulation and ablation that are generated, e.g., by a plurality of alternating ablative and non-ablative pulses, each pulse type having constant pulse properties.
In some embodiments, it may be desirable to mechanically stabilize the tissue surface where one or more holes are ablated and coagulated tissue is being formed by applying a stabilizer such as a plate, a film, or a mask onto the sample prior to directing energy at the sample.
In some embodiments, stabilization may be achieved by applying an adhesive tape 400 or film or the like to the tissue surface 20 prior to application of optical energy as shown in
Embodiments of the disclosure can be used to produce ablated holes in tissue having controllable or selectable widths, depths, and thickness profiles of coagulated tissue within, along the depth of, and/or surrounding the ablated holes. Such control over characteristics of the ablated holes can be used to achieve a variety of results and effects in biological tissues. One example is ablative fractional skin resurfacing, where a plurality of small holes (e.g., holes having a width of about 0.5 mm or less) are ablated in a region of skin tissue. This well-known procedure can achieve a degree of skin tightening and wrinkle reduction through a healing response and physical collagen shrinkage resulting from the thermal damage to the skin. Because fractional resurfacing generates small regions of damage surrounded by healthy tissue, the damage effects tend to be well-tolerated and produce a low risk of infection compared to other procedures such as chemical peels.
The fiber laser apparatus 200 as described herein does not require any mirrored laser arm, and the optical energy is delivered through an optical fiber arrangement (e.g., the fiber 204) to produce the emitted wavelengths via a single handpiece (e.g., the handpiece 206). This configuration facilitates precise and consistent delivery of a focused laser beam into predefined locations with high locational precision in a stable and reproducible manner. Accordingly, some embodiments of the disclosure can provide a precise delivery of the laser focused beams having different wavelengths and properties (e.g. ablative and non-ablative) through a prefabricated mask 500 containing a plurality of openings or holes 502 as shown in
In some embodiments as shown in
In some embodiments, for example, the mask 700 shown in
In some embodiments, for example, the mask 800 shown in
In some embodiments of the disclosure, various combinations of beam parameters can be used to achieve improved fractional resurfacing cosmetic effects. For example, ablative energy can be applied to one or more target locations to generate ablated holes. Subsequently, one or more non-ablative beam pulses can be directed precisely onto/into the ablated holes to generate additional coagulated tissue within the ablated holes. Optionally, further ablative energy can be applied to the same location, for example, to deepen the ablated hole, and further pulses of non-ablative energy can be directed into the ablated hole to produce even more coagulation deeper in the tissue. This can lead to greater overall shrinkage or tightening effects and/or wrinkle removal based on the same number of ablated surface spots that may be generated in a conventional ablative fractional resurfacing procedure. Additionally, an ablated hole may be filled to a substantial degree by increasing the tissue volume within the initial hole (using non-ablative pulses) more than the volume is reduced from tissue removal by further ablative pulses. Any desired sequence of ablative and non-ablative pulses can be applied onto a precise target location in rapid succession to achieve the desired thermal effects in the tissue.
After one or a plurality of holes are treated with a plurality of pulses as described herein, further holes can be formed in regions proximal to the treated area, and a plurality of pulses directed into these additional holes. The procedure can be repeated until the entire target area has been treated. Geometrical parameters for initial ablative hole sizes and hole patterns/spacings that are used in conventional ablative fractional resurfacing procedures may also be used in embodiments of the present invention.
In some embodiments of the disclosure, the system and apparatus described herein (e.g., the fiber laser apparatus 200) can be used for a variety of cosmetic and therapeutic procedures. For example, perforating tissue with ablated holes can modify or improve the absorption of certain compounds. Such effects form the basis for laser-assisted drug delivery methods and systems. Embodiments of the present disclosure can improve such methods by facilitating greater control of hole geometry and the extent of tissue coagulation within and around the ablated holes.
For example, hydrophilic and low molecular weight (MW) compounds can more easily diffuse through coagulated tissue zones (CZs; for example the zones of coagulated tissue 20 shown in
In some embodiments, the fiber laser apparatus 200 described herein can be combined with an optical imaging arrangement 1000 (see
Laser-ablated holes can also facilitate the penetration and absorption of high MW drugs and compounds, such as hyaluronic acid and human growth hormone (HGH). However, thick CZs can inhibit the absorption of such compounds by the surrounding tissue. Accordingly, embodiments of the disclosure can provide for formation of ablated holes in tissue having small CZs, or holes having desired CZ profiles, to improve absorption of high MW compounds as compared to holes ablated using, e.g., a CO2 laser or the like, where the CZs tend to be thicker. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in laser-assisted drug delivery procedures to generate ablated holes with tailored CZ profiles to inhibit fast absorption of certain therapeutic compounds therethrough, where such absorption may then occur over a longer period of time and/or with lower instantaneous levels in the surrounding tissue. Using embodiments of the present disclosure, the characteristics of ablated and coagulated tissues (e.g., hole width and depth, coagulation zone thickness profile along the hole, etc.) may be tailored to provide desired local delivery and absorption rates for certain therapeutic compounds and the like.
The systems and methods described herein facilitate the formation of precisely-located ablated holes in tissue with surrounding coagulation zones that can be tailored by selection of both ablative and non-ablative wavelengths, which can be provided as pulses of optical energy. The parameters of these pulses can also be selected to further tailor the characteristics of the ablated holes for particular treatments and procedures. Such pulses can be generated and emitted in rapid sequences with short intervals between them, and delivering such energies through a fiber arrangement allows precise spatial precision during the application of a plurality of pulses. Accordingly, in addition to the few practical examples described herein, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide useful for other types of laser-based procedures performed on various body parts, such as endoscopic applications, including but not limited to: neurological surgery, oral surgery, cardiovascular surgery, oncology, gastrointestinal surgery, cataract surgery, and other dermatological or non-dermatological procedures.
Turning to
In some embodiments, computing device 7100 and/or server 7200 can be any suitable computing device or combination of devices, such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a smartphone, a tablet computer, a wearable computer, a server computer, a virtual machine being executed by a physical computing device, etc. As described herein, system for directing optical energy onto a biological tissue 7040 can present information related to the system, e.g. information for generating ablative or non-ablative pulses of optical energy, to a user (e.g., researcher and/or physician).
In some embodiments, fiber laser apparatus 7010 may include a laser unit 7020, which can be any laser unit suitable for generating ablative or non-ablative optical energy pulses. In other embodiments, laser unit 7020 can be local to computing device 7100. For example, laser unit 7020 may be incorporated with computing device 7100 (e.g., computing device 7100 can be configured as part of a device for directing optical energy into a biological tissue). As another example, laser unit 7020 may be connected to computing device 7100 by a cable, a direct wireless link, etc. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, laser unit 7020 can be located locally and/or remotely from computing device 7100, and can communicate (send or receive) information to computing device 7100 (and/or server 7200) via a communication network (e.g., communication network 7060).
In some embodiments, communication network 7060 can be any suitable communication network or combination of communication networks. For example, communication network 7060 can include a Wi-Fi network (which can include one or more wireless routers, one or more switches, etc.), a peer-to-peer network (e.g., a Bluetooth network), a cellular network (e.g., a 4G network, a 5G network, etc., complying with any suitable standard, such as CDMA, GSM, LTE, LTE Advanced, WiMAX, etc.), a wired network, etc. In some embodiments, communication network 7060 can be a local area network, a wide area network, a public network (e.g., the Internet), a private or semi-private network (e.g., a corporate or university intranet), any other suitable type of network, or any suitable combination of networks. Communications links shown in
In some embodiments, communications systems 8080 can include any suitable hardware, firmware, and/or software for communicating information over communication network 7060 and/or any other suitable communication networks. For example, communications systems 8080 can include one or more transceivers, one or more communication chips and/or chip sets, etc. In a more particular example, communications systems 8080 can include hardware, firmware and/or software that can be used to establish a Wi-Fi connection, a Bluetooth connection, a cellular connection, an Ethernet connection, etc.
In some embodiments, memory 8100 can include any suitable storage device or devices that can be used to store instructions, values, etc., that can be used, for example, by processor 8020 to present content using display 8040, to communicate with server 7200 via communications system(s) 8080, etc. Memory 8100 can include any suitable volatile memory, non-volatile memory, storage, or any suitable combination thereof. For example, memory 8100 can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, one or more flash drives, one or more hard disks, one or more solid state drives, one or more optical drives, etc. In some embodiments, memory 8100 can have encoded thereon a computer program for controlling operation of computing device 7100. In such embodiments, processor 8020 can execute at least a portion of the computer program to present content (e.g., images, user interfaces, graphics, tables, etc.), receive content from server 7200, transmit information to server 7200, etc.
In some embodiments, server 7200 can include a processor 8120, a display 8140, one or more inputs 8160, one or more communications systems 8180, and/or memory 8200. In some embodiments, processor 8120 can be any suitable hardware processor or combination of processors, such as a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, etc. In some embodiments, display 8140 can include any suitable display devices, such as a computer monitor, a touchscreen, a television, etc. In some embodiments, inputs 8160 can include any suitable input devices and/or sensors that can be used to receive user input, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touchscreen, a microphone, etc.
In some embodiments, communications systems 8180 can include any suitable hardware, firmware, and/or software for communicating information over communication network 7060 and/or any other suitable communication networks. For example, communications systems 8180 can include one or more transceivers, one or more communication chips and/or chip sets, etc. In a more particular example, communications systems 8180 can include hardware, firmware and/or software that can be used to establish a Wi-Fi connection, a Bluetooth connection, a cellular connection, an Ethernet connection, etc.
In some embodiments, memory 8200 can include any suitable storage device or devices that can be used to store instructions, values, etc., that can be used, for example, by processor 8120 to present content using display 8140, to communicate with one or more computing devices 7100, etc. Memory 8200 can include any suitable volatile memory, non-volatile memory, storage, or any suitable combination thereof. For example, memory 8200 can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, one or more flash drives, one or more hard disks, one or more solid state drives, one or more optical drives, etc. In some embodiments, memory 8200 can have encoded thereon a server program for controlling operation of server 7200. In such embodiments, processor 8120 can execute at least a portion of the server program to transmit information and/or content (e.g., results of a tissue identification and/or classification, a user interface, etc.) to one or more computing devices 7100, receive information and/or content from one or more computing devices 7100, receive instructions from one or more devices (e.g., a personal computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smartphone, etc.), etc.
In some embodiments, any suitable computer readable media can be used for storing instructions for performing the functions and/or processes described herein. For example, in some embodiments, computer readable media can be transitory or non-transitory. For example, non-transitory computer readable media can include media such as magnetic media (such as hard disks, floppy disks, etc.), optical media (such as compact discs, digital video discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), semiconductor media (such as RAM, Flash memory, electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), etc.), any suitable media that is not fleeting or devoid of any semblance of permanence during transmission, and/or any suitable tangible media. As another example, transitory computer readable media can include signals on networks, in wires, conductors, optical fibers, circuits, or any suitable media that is fleeting and devoid of any semblance of permanence during transmission, and/or any suitable intangible media.
In some embodiments, the optical signals are detected by photodiodes. It should be recognized that any opto-electronic conversion device including but not limited to photo detectors, photodiodes, line-scan and two-dimensional cameras, and photodiode arrays can be used to perform this detection function.
It should be noted that, as used herein, the term mechanism can encompass hardware, software, firmware, or any suitable combination thereof.
It should be understood that the above-described steps of the process of
Although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in light of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise numerous systems, arrangements and methods which, although not explicitly shown or described herein, embody the principles of the invention and are thus within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The present application is based on and claims priority from U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 63/323,647, filed on Mar. 25, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2023/064849 | 3/23/2023 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63323647 | Mar 2022 | US |
