News — Holmium Fiber

Tip failure occurs more rapidly where the tip begins with flaws, particularly where the optical output of the fiber is distorted. Most instructions for reproducing fiber tips are crude and non-scientific; “stripping and cleaving” instructions found on the internet, within other fiber manufacturers’ websites and IFUs typically yield highly variable and suboptimum results.   The following guide represents best practices in producing fiber working tips and is based upon the science of Fracture Mechanics. It is provided as a supplement to the full ProFlex™ LLF IFU and is intended for use by non-surgical personnel who are routinely charged with reproducing working tips on...

I find myself addressing this question with customers on an almost weekly basis, so I thought I would blog about it since many of you likely have the same questions: Who the heck needs a 200 μm core fiber? And if they’re so great, why don’t other companies make one? OK, I admit it; I added the second half of the question to sing the praises of InnovaQuartz versus the competition one more time…. As to why a 200 μm core fiber has utility, the answer is simple enough: The Answer? FLEXIBILITY   True 200 μm fibers are more flexible...

It has come to our attention that holmium fibers for Trimedyne lasers are in short supply. We are happy to step in and serve this unmet need. You should have switched long ago to save blast shields... Our ProFlex LLF var. Trimedyne  offers five sizes (true 200, 273, 365, 550 and 910) featuring IQ's Pulsar HPC connector and Smooth Passage tips. Our true 200 is the only Trimedyne compatible fiber capable of reaching lower pole stones because it does not interfere with scope deflection what-so-ever. As a bonus, it delivers more laser power than others' larger core fibers(rated at 25W...

Resurrecting Urine Flow with IQ's Phoenix™ BPH Laser The US Patent Office has informed InnovaQuartz that our multi-wavelength surgical laser, that we have dubbed the Phoenix, has issued (US Pat. No. 9,220,563), precisely one year after it was filed. This laser addresses the deficiencies of other photoselective lasers – photobleaching, charring -- for minimal collateral tissue damage at wavelengths between 380 nm and 450 nm. Phoenix targets multiple tissue chromophores, tissue breakdown products and melanoidins, short-circuiting char formation.   20th CENTURY LASER SURGERY Surgical procedures for removing excess tissue blocking the male urethra (BPH) have advanced a great deal in...

InnovaQuartz developed the first quartz ferrule reinforced surgical fiber termination 20-years ago; we called it the Black Hole™ because it could capture and absorb even highly errant laser focus energy without damaging the laser or the connector. The holmium laser fiber product line came to be known as SureFlex™ for its unprecedented high tolerance to tight bending under power. InnovaQuartz was acquired by Laserscope in 2006 and then became part of American Medical Systems a month later when Laserscope was acquired. In 2012, the scientist who had designed and perfected SureFlex and AccuFlex™ (and founder of InnovaQuartz, Stephen Griffin) had...