A miniature fiber optic ablation probe manufactured via ultrafast laser inscription and selective chemical etching

Abstract

Picosecond laser ablation has recently emerged as a minimally invasive alternative to conventional surgical resection of early tumors, offering high precision and limited thermal damage to surrounding tissue. Potential clinical application routes include deployment through the working channels of endoscopes or needle bores, which require the delivery of ultrashort high energy pulses through flexible optical fibers with focusing optics at the distal end. The manufacture of distal end optical systems for fiber ablation is challenging, inhibiting translation toward clinical applications. Here, we present a miniature fiber-coupled ablation probe developed using ultrafast laser inscription and chemical etching, employing a hollow-core fiber for pulse delivery. Its design, fabrication, and characterization are detailed, along with a feasibility demonstration for the ablation of stainless steel and chicken tissue.