Apparatus for laser lithotripsy

1. A method comprising:

connecting a sheath to a shaft of an endoscope, where the sheath comprises at least two lumen, where a first one of the lumen is connected to the endoscope with the shaft of the endoscope extending through the first lumen, and where a second one of the lumen is spaced from the shaft of the endoscope providing a channel proximate an exterior side of the shaft;

inserting a laser fiber into the second lumen; and

controlling delivery of energy from the laser fiber comprising a low energy check pulse from the laser fiber for detecting a response based upon the low energy check pulse, and a high energy laser pulse from the laser fiber for causing a stone to fragment.

2. A method as in claim 1 further comprising, before inserting the laser fiber into the second lumen, inserting a fluid into the second lumen to expand the second lumen from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration.

3. A method as claim 1 further comprising using a range detection system to detect a range between an end of the laser fiber and an object which the low energy check pulse impacts.

4. A method as in claim 1 further comprising using a detection feedback system is configured to:

measure reflectivity and/or emissivity based upon the low energy check pulse, and/or

identify an object in front of a path of the low energy check pulse by image processing.

5. A non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for performing operations, the operations comprising:

delivering a low energy check pulse from a laser fiber;

detecting a response based upon the low energy check pulse; and

based, at least partially, upon the detected response, determining to:

deliver a high energy laser pulse from the laser fiber to cause a stone to fragment, or

deliver another low energy check pulse from the laser fiber.

6. An apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to control delivery of a low energy check pulse from the apparatus;

circuitry configured to detect a response based upon the low energy check pulse;

circuitry configured to control delivery of a high energy laser pulse from the apparatus, where the control of the delivery of the high energy laser pulse comprises at least one of:

allowing the high energy laser pulse to be delivered from the apparatus based upon determining that the high energy laser pulse would impact a first predetermined object, or

preventing the high energy laser pulse from being delivered from the apparatus based upon determining that the high energy laser pulse would impact a second predetermined object.

7. The apparatus as in claim 6 where the apparatus is configured to detect a range between an end of a laser fiber of the apparatus and the first predetermined object.

8. The apparatus as in claim 6 where the apparatus is configured to measure reflectivity and/or emissivity.

9. The apparatus as in claim 6 where the apparatus is configured to use image processing to determine the first predetermined object and/or the second predetermined object.

10. The apparatus as in claim 6 where the apparatus is configured to recognize at least a portion of the second predetermined object as being a retrieval basket.

11. The apparatus as in claim 6 where the apparatus is configured to recognize the first predetermined object as being a stone.

12. A method comprising:

delivering a low energy check pulse from an apparatus;

detecting a response based upon the low energy check pulse; and

controlling delivery of a high energy laser pulse from the apparatus to cause a stone to fragment, where the controlling of the delivery of the high energy laser pulse from the apparatus prevents the high energy laser pulse from being delivered based upon determining that the high energy laser pulse would impact a retrieval basket.

13. The method of claim 12 where the determining that the high energy laser pulse would impact the retrieval basket comprises recognizing at least one of:

a shape of at least a portion of the retrieval basket,

a color of at least a portion of the retrieval basket, or

a pattern on at least a portion of the retrieval basket.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising detecting a range between an end of a laser fiber of the apparatus and a location of impact of the low energy check pulse.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising measuring reflectivity and/or emissivity in the response to the low energy check pulse.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising using image processing to determine that the high energy laser pulse would impact the retrieval basket.

17. A method comprising:

delivering a low energy check pulse from an apparatus;

detecting a response based upon the low energy check pulse; and

based at least partially upon the detected response, controlling delivery of a high energy laser pulse from the apparatus to cause a stone to fragment, where the controlling of the delivery of the high energy laser pulse comprises determining if a portion of a retrieval basket is located in a path of the high energy laser pulse.

18. The method as in claim 17 where the determining if a portion of the retrieval basket is located in a path of the high energy laser pulse comprises recognizing at least one of:

a shape of at least a portion of the retrieval basket,

a color of at least a portion of the retrieval basket, or

a pattern on at least a portion of the retrieval basket.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising detecting a range between an end of a laser fiber of the apparatus and a location of impact of the low energy check pulse.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising measuring reflectivity and/or emissivity in the response to the low energy check pulse.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising using image processing to determine that the high energy laser pulse would impact the retrieval basket.