A method is disclosed for treating veins. In the subject method, the skin is pierced with the sharpened tip of a fiber optic probe. The probe is advanced to a location underneath the vessel to be treated. Once in position, the vessel is irradiated with a treatment beam having a fluence sufficient to coagulate and collapse the vessel at that location. The procedure is then repeated at multiple sites along the length of the vessel so that it will collapse along its length and no longer carry any blood. In the preferred embodiment, a curved probe is used to facilitate the insertion of the tip under the vessel.

A micro surgical lighting instrument includes a hollow needle and a light guide received coaxially within the hollow needle and connected to a light source for transmitting light to a surgical site of a patient. The light guide has a distal end formed with an end face of circular segment shape and defined by a plane oriented orthogonal to the axis of the hollow needle, and a slanted surface adjacent the end face and extending rearwardly at an acute angle, with the slanted surface being lined by a coating for reflection of incident light rays.

A phototherapy device which can include an optical fiber having a perfluorinated polymer outer buffer coating, and an optical element, such as a GRIN lens or a mirror, disposed at its distal end. A tubular housing encases the optical element and is thermally bonded to at least a portion of the buffer. The component elements of the device can be constructed of materials having similar thermal characteristic to inhibit the effect of heat cycling on the device. In addition, the materials of the device, and in particular the housing, can be selected to inhibit wear and scrapping of the lumen of the delivery instrument during use. A marker band can be positioned about the optical fiber to facilitate viewing of the phototherapy device in-vivo.

An electrosurgical apparatus for coagulating tissue includes an elongated flexible tube which extends through a working channel of an endoscope. A pressurized ionizable gas is supplied to the proximal end of the tube and is forced at a rate of greater than 1 liter per minute therethrough. The tube also includes at least one aperture located along the periphery of the tube and an angularly disposed surface located within the tube for redirecting the gas through the aperture and at the tissue. At least one electrode ionizes the gas prior to the gas exiting the aperture.

A laser medical device for delivering energy to tissue to be treated. The device includes a laser energy transmitting conduit having a longitudinal axis, and has a proximal end for connection to a source of laser energy and a distal end from which laser energy transmitted by the conduit is emitted. A laser energy redirecting member is located adjacent the distal end of the conduit for redirecting the laser energy in a lateral direction with respect to the axis of the conduit, and a tissue contact member is provided adjacent the laser energy redirecting member. The tissue contact member has a transverse cross section of preselected shape and a longitudinal axis generally transverse to the axis of the conduit. The tissue contact member further has an input surface for receiving laser energy redirected by the laser energy redirecting member and transmitting the laser energy received from the laser energy redirecting member. The tissue contact member terminates in a tissue contact surface having a radius of curvature. The dimensions of the tissue contact member and the radius of curvature of the tissue contact surface are determined and structural such that laser energy is transmitted divergently therethrough and impinges upon the tissue contact surface in a substantially diffuse pattern.