Optical Fiber Coupling System for Steerable Endoscopic Instruments¶
This research presents a novel optical coupling system designed to bridge the gap between commercial high-power surgical lasers and the next generation of steerable microrobotic instruments. While standard commercial fibers (like Endostat) are effective for delivering laser energy, their large diameters limit their flexibility, requiring a minimum bending radius of at least 12mm. Our system successfully couples light from these thick commercial fibers into much thinner 200 µm multimode fibers. This transition enables a significantly tighter bending radius of just 6mm, allowing laser-based surgical tools to navigate and treat previously inaccessible areas within confined anatomical spaces like the larynx.
To validate the clinical viability of this system, we performed extensive experimental characterization. Our results demonstrate a stable optical power coupling efficiency of approximately 50% across a wide range of power settings. Furthermore, we conducted tissue ablation experiments on tissue-mimicking agar, proving that the laser energy delivered through our coupling system and the thinner fiber remains powerful enough to perform precise surgical incisions. This work provides a practical foundation for the development of steerable, fiber-based endoscopic probes that can enhance the reach and safety of minimally invasive laser surgeries.
