US 12,279,813 B2
Medical optical fiber with protective tip and method of manufacture therefor
Arkady Khachaturov, Haifa (IL); and Tal Waisman, Haifa (IL)
Assigned to Lumenis Ltd., (IL)
Filed by Lumenis Ltd., Yokneam Ilit (IL)
Filed on Sep. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/901,441.
Application 17/901,441 is a continuation of application No. 16/388,697, filed on Apr. 18, 2019, granted, now 11,446,087.
Application 16/388,697 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/954,443, filed on Apr. 16, 2018, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/661,023, filed on Apr. 22, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0409277 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 18/22 (2006.01); G02B 6/44 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 18/22 (2013.01) [G02B 6/443 (2013.01); G02B 6/4486 (2013.01); A61B 2018/2222 (2013.01); A61B 2018/2244 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A medical optical fiber for use with an endoscope for laser based treatment of internal bodily organs, the medical optical fiber comprising:
an optical fiber comprising a distal optical fiber tip having an optical fiber end face transverse to a longitudinal axis of the optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber includes at least an optical fiber core and a cladding;
a jacket axially enclosing the optical fiber, the jacket comprising a distal jacket tip having a jacket end face transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein the jacket end face is a first length from the optical fiber end face and wherein the distal jacket tip comprises an aperture exposing a portion of the optical fiber enclosed by the jacket without exposing the optical fiber core; and
a protective tip encapsulating the distal jacket tip, the jacket end face, and the optical fiber end face, and extending along the longitudinal axis a second length greater than the first length, wherein the protective tip contacts the portion of the optical fiber exposed by the aperture;
wherein the protective tip is configured to fragment or melt responsive to incidence of laser energy and wherein the protective tip has a dimension greater than a dimension of the jacket.