power transmission is feasible with this arrangement [47]. Although this ‘‘optical
catheter’’ was demonstrated in in vivo experiments for laser angioplasty,
no further improvements on these types of devices have been reported and
silica fibers for this spectral region seem to remain the preferred choice. Regard-
ing the UV wavelengths, the use of liquid-core fibers for laser delivery in
medical applications has not been reported. Nonetheless, as seen before, these
waveguides have proven to operate in this spectral region.
Wavelengths in the IR spectrum can be guided by several types of optical
fibers that have proven to be useful for laser delivery. These include hollow
waveguides, IR-transmitting glasses, and crystalline fibers [45]. However, com- ...