JP3679142B2 - Surgical laser probe - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to a surgical laser probe.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The prior art will be explained with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a typical laser knife fiber end probe 3 conventionally used. The probe has an optical fiber 6 for guiding laser light emitted from a light source, and a protective tube 8 disposed outside the optical fiber 6. The optical fiber 6 includes a core 4 and a clad 5, and is fixed to a protective tube 8 by a filling adhesive 7. The protective tube 8 is generally formed of stainless steel or the like.
[0003]
Laser light is emitted from the end face of the probe. Conventionally, the emission end face of the probe is often a flat surface perpendicular to the axial direction. That is, the end face of the probe is ground flat, and the end face 9 of the fiber 6 and the protective tube 8 is located on the same plane.
[0004]
FIG. 2 shows a fiber end probe 3 for a laser knife disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,273,109. The basic configuration of the probe of FIG. 12 is the same as that of the probe of FIG. 11, but the shape of the probe end face is different. In other words, in the probe of FIG. 12, the outer peripheral portion 9a of the protective tube is rounded and smoothly curved.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Now, when a living tissue is irradiated with a laser (particularly a laser having a wavelength that is efficiently absorbed by water, which is a main component of the living tissue), the living tissue in the irradiation section is rapidly evaporated. This phenomenon is called transpiration of living tissue by laser. A hole can be formed in the living tissue using this transpiration.
[0006]
1 and 2 show a state in which a laser beam is irradiated onto a living tissue using the above-described fiber knife for a laser knife and a hole is formed by the thermal energy thereof.
[0007]
1 and 2 , reference numeral 1 denotes a living tissue, and 2 denotes a gap generated by the thermal energy of the laser irradiated from the laser emission end of each probe 3.
[0008]
In order to form a deeper hole from the state of FIG. 1 , the living tissue must be evaporated by irradiating a deeper region of the living tissue with a laser. However, in the probe of FIG. 1 , since the probe end surface 9 is a flat surface, the resistance is large, and the probe tip cannot be easily inserted into the living tissue. For this reason, it is difficult to make the gap 2 deeper than this while maintaining the same diameter.
[0009]
In addition, although the probe tip 9a is somewhat rounded in the probe 3 of FIG. 2 , it is still not easy to insert the probe into the living tissue, and a deep gap is created in the living tissue using the transpiration action of the laser. It was difficult.
[0010]
On the other hand, it is possible to form a hole with a certain depth by increasing the intensity of the laser, but in this case, the shape of the hole (particularly the inner diameter) could not be accurately controlled.
[0011]
The present invention relates to a surgical laser probe for solving such problems of the prior art and forming a minute hole in human tissue accurately and easily.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention includes a light source unit that emits light to irradiate an irradiation object, a fiber diameter of 200 μm, a fiber part that irradiates the irradiation object with light from the light source unit, a protective tube diameter of 400 μm, and 100 μm In a surgical laser probe having a thickness difference and a covering portion covering at least a tip portion of the fiber portion on the emission end side, the fiber portion is provided with a grad around the core to the tip, 1-5 mm projecting from the coating part on the injection end side of the part, the projecting part of the fiber part is covered with a taper shape by the filling adhesive, and the taper angle is 5.7 to 1.15 ° The gist of the surgical laser probe is characterized by the following.
[0013]
【Example】
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the distal end portion of the surgical laser probe according to the present invention.
[0014]
The surgical laser probe 40 is formed by a laser light guide optical fiber 33 including a core 31 and a clad 32 , and a protective tube 35 made of stainless steel or the like. The optical fiber 33 and the protective tube 35 are fixed by a filling adhesive 34 . Following the distal end portion 35a of the protective tube 35, the distal end portion 34a of the filling adhesive 34 is tapered, that is, tapered.
[0015]
As the surgical laser, it is preferable to use a laser having a wavelength of about 3 μm which is well absorbed by water, for example, an Er / YAG (erbium yag) laser having a wavelength of 2.94 μm.
[0016]
The material of the optical fiber 33 is preferably a material that is harmless to the human body, has excellent heat resistance, and has little absorption around the wavelength of 3 μm, which is the wavelength of the laser light source. Specifically, anhydrous quartz fiber having few —OH groups can be used.
[0017]
The protective tube 35 is preferably made of a material that is harmless to the human body, resistant to acids and alkalis, hardly corroded, and resistant to impact. A specific material corresponds to austenitic stainless steel SUS304 or the like.
[0018]
As the filling adhesive, a material having no harm to the human body and excellent in heat resistance is suitable. As an appropriate material for the filling adhesive, an epoxy-diameter adhesive such as Devcon 2-Ton Epoxy 2 hour curing type (trade name) can be used. This adhesive has the characteristics that the molecular weight of the main epoxy is 200,000 to 300,000, the molecular weight of the amine curing agent is 20,000 to 30,000, and the initial mixed viscosity is 5 to 7 Pa · S (5000 to 7000 cP). In addition, the adhesive strength is high, and there is little cure shrinkage and a complete cure rate is excellent.
[0019]
The taper portion of the probe 40 will be described in more detail. The tip of the fiber portion protrudes by a considerable amount from the end portion of the protective tube cut off by a plane. A step between the tip 35a of the protective tube and the tip 31a of the fiber portion is formed in a tapered shape by the tip 34a of the filling adhesive 34 .
[0020]
Here, when the fiber diameter is 200 μm, the protective tube diameter is 400 μm, and the wall thickness difference is 100 μm, even if the length of the fiber protruding from the tip of the protective tube is about 1 to 5 mm, a probe that can withstand use can be created. Yes. In this case, the taper angle is 5.7 ° to 1.15 °.
[0021]
By configuring in this way, it is possible to create a probe with a small taper angle and a thin taper coating, compared to processing the protective tube into a tapered shape, and formed by irradiating a laser. The tip of the probe can be inserted more smoothly into the gap.
[0022]
Next, a method for creating this structure will be described.
[0023]
Projecting a predetermined amount of fibers from the protective tube tip to tip of the protective tube in this state, a tapered shape as shown in FIG. 3 dipping or which is applied to the adhesive of the same material as the filler adhesive described above.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
The surgical laser probe according to the present invention includes a light source unit that emits light to irradiate an irradiation target, a fiber diameter of 200 μm, a fiber unit that irradiates the irradiation target with light from the light source unit, and a protection of 400 μm. It has a wall thickness difference of 100 μm from the tube diameter, and has a coating portion that covers at least the tip portion on the injection end side of the fiber portion, and the fiber portion is provided with a grad around the core up to the tip portion. It protrudes 1-5 mm from the coating part on the injection end side, and the protruding part of the fiber part is covered with a filling adhesive in a tapered shape, and the taper angle is 5.7 to 1.15 °. Since it is a feature, it is possible to accurately and easily form deep voids in the living tissue by utilizing the transpiration action of the laser on the living tissue.
[0025]
In addition, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned Example. For example, the tapered shape of the probe tip may be rounded like a streamline shape. The probe tip may be tapered so that the cross-sectional shape is a polygon.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a prior art.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of another prior art.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Living tissue 2 Space | gap 2a Through-hole 40 Laser probe for operation 31 Core 32 Cladding 33 Optical fiber 34 Filling adhesive material 35 Protective tube

Claims (1)

A light source unit that emits light to irradiate the irradiation object;
A fiber part having a fiber diameter of 200 μm, and irradiating the object to be irradiated with light from the light source part;
A covering portion that has a protective tube diameter of 400 μm and a wall thickness difference of 100 μm, and covers at least a tip portion on the emission end side of the fiber portion;
In a surgical laser probe having
The fiber part is provided with a grad around the core up to the tip, and protrudes 1 to 5 mm from the covering part on the emission end side of the fiber part,
A surgical laser probe characterized in that a protruding portion of a fiber portion is covered with a filling adhesive in a tapered shape, and the taper angle is 5.7 to 1.15 °.

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