THERAPEUTIC LASER TECHNOLOGY

Lasers are now employed for many surgical procedures, but always as an adjunct technology used in tandem with existing surgical equipment. Because most therapeutic lasers emit wavelengths in excess of 700nm or below 400nm, they are invisible to the human eye. MITI’s multispectral and time domain multiplexing capabilities and our TheraScope Technology can transmit a range of therapeutic laser wavelengths through the same fiber optic pathway into the body that is used for conventional illumination. 

A therapeutic laser emits light at single wavelengths, concentrating its power within a focused beam that can either make direct contact with tissue or be optically focused to target a site. Our Therapeutic Laser Technology offers the ability to use a pulsed, visible-target laser in tandem with the computer and digital camera to mark the position for a therapeutic laser. 

Because the laser is activated within the "Dark Space" time created by MITI’s pulsed light and digital imaging system, conventional imaging can be simultaneous.  The capability to integrate laser marking for targeting with visual imaging enhances both technologies. 

MITI’s laser-directed endoscopes will be designed to integrate therapeutic lasers with a target-marking capability analogous to weapons systems which shine beams of light on a target prior to pulling the trigger.  These endoscopes are expected to be able to shine laser energy through the MITI endoscope directly into the body to a given area.  The photo below shows how a laser will be directed from a video image created by an endoscope and projected on to a monitor.  It also shows a target image created by the same endoscope and projected as an overlay on the same monitor.  Although the surgeon will see both images at once, there is a time delay of 10 milliseconds between them.  MITI expects to seek FDA approval in September, 2006.