1. A method for recording an image on a recording medium using an input beam coupled to the electromagnetic radiation source to provide a visible mark on the recording medium, comprising:
(a) shaping the input beam to provide a modified beam having a first dimension in a first direction greater than a second dimension in a second direction; and
(b) applying the modified beam to the recording medium to form the visible mark.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visible mark is oval shaped.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first dimension of the oval shaped mark is directed in a direction of travel along the recording medium and the second dimension is transverse to the first dimension.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the second dimension of the oval shaped mark is directed in a direction of travel along the recording medium and the first dimension is transverse to the second dimension.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein the first dimension is substantially greater than the second dimension.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the shaping the input beam comprises applying the input beam to an anamorphic prism pair.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing the first andor second dimensions of the modified beam before applying the modified beam to the recording medium.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the dimensions of the modified beam are reduced by using a telescopic unit.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is a laser.
10. The method of claim 1 where the recording medium is a thermochromic medium.
11. The method of claim 1 where the recording medium is a photochromic medium.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording medium is disposed on a substrate.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the substrate is an optical disc.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the optical disc is one of the following group: DVD, CD, Blu-Ray or HD DVD disks.
15. Apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium using an input beam coupled to the electromagnetic radiation source to provide a visible mark on the recording medium, comprising:
(a) means optically coupled to the electromagnetic radiation source for shaping the input beam to provide a modified beam having a first dimension in a first direction greater than a second dimension in a second direction; and
(b) means optically coupled to the means for shaping the input beam for applying the modified beam to the recording medium to form the visible mark.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for shaping provides a visible mark that is oval shaped.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first dimension of the oval shaped mark is directed in a direction of travel along the recording medium and the second dimension is transverse to the first dimension.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first dimension is substantially greater than the second dimension.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for reducing the first andor second dimensions of the modified beam before applying the modified beam to the recording medium.
20. Apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium using an input beam coupled to the electromagnetic radiation source to provide a visible mark on the recording medium, comprising:
(a) a prism device optically coupled to the electromagnetic radiation source and configured to shape the input beam to provide a modified beam having a dimension in a first direction greater than a dimension in a second direction; and
(b) a lens arrangement optically coupled to the prism device and configured to apply the modified beam to the recording medium to form the visible mark.
21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the prism device provides a visible mark that is oval shaped.
22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the oval shaped mark has a first dimension in a direction of travel substantially greater than a second dimension transverse to the direction of travel.
23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the oval shaped mark has a first dimension transverse to a direction of travel substantially greater than a second dimension in the direction of travel.
24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the prism device comprises an anamorphic prism pair.
25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the anamorphic prism pair comprises a prism pair such that the beam width may be reduced by 3.3 or less relative to the beam length.
26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the lens arrangement comprises a telescope optics device configured to reduce the first andor second dimensions.
27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the telescope optics device comprises a plano-convex lens optically coupled with a plano-concave lens.
28. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is a laser.
29. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the recording medium is an optical disc.
30. A program storage system readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program, applet or instructions executable by the computer to cause a laser marking system to utilize an input beam from a laser to perform a method for making a visual mark on a recording medium, comprising:
(a) shaping the input beam to provide a modified beam having a first dimension in a first direction greater than a second dimension in a second direction; and
(b) applying the modified beam to the recording medium to form the visible mark.
31. The program storage system of claim 30, wherein the visible mark is oval shaped.
32. The program storage system of claim 30, wherein the first dimension of the oval shaped mark is directed in a direction of travel along the recording medium and the second dimension is transverse to the first dimension.
33. The program storage system of claim 30, wherein the second dimension of the oval shaped mark is directed in a direction of travel along the recording medium and the first dimension is transverse to the second dimension.
34. The program storage system of claim 32 wherein the first dimension is substantially greater than the second dimension.
35. The program storage system of claim 30, further comprising reducing the first andor second dimensions of the modified beam before applying the modified beam to the recording medium.
36. The program storage system of claim 35, wherein the dimensions of the modified beam are reduced by using a telescopic unit.
37. The program storage system of claim 30, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is a laser.
38. The program storage system of claim 30, wherein the recording medium is an optical disk.
39. A method of recording a visible mark on an electromagnetic radiation-sensitive recording medium, comprising:
impinging an electromagnetic radiation beam on the recording medium, the beam being elongated in a first direction relative to a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and
moving at least one of the electromagnetic beam and the recording medium relative to one another in the first direction.
40. The method of claim 39, comprising:
shaping an input beam to form the electromagnetic radiation beam.
41. The method of claim 39, wherein the impinging includes applying the beam to a desired location on the recording medium for a time and at a power level sufficient to heat, mix, and react chemicals of the medium so as to form the visible mark at the desired location.
42. The method of claim 41, wherein the time and the power level are insufficient to ablate the recording medium.
43. The method of claim 39, wherein the impinging includes applying the beam to a desired location on the recording medium at a wavelength sufficiently short so as to form the visible mark at the desired location.
44. The method of claim 39, wherein a speed of the moving is inversely proportional to the amount of elongation of the beam.
45. An apparatus for recording a visible mark on an electromagnetic radiation-sensitive recording medium, comprising:
a source configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation beam;
an optical arrangement configured to elongate the electromagnetic radiation beam in a first direction relative to a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and impinge the electromagnetic radiation beam on the recording medium; and
a spindle configured to move the recording medium relative to the electromagnetic radiation beam in the first direction.
46. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein the source is a laser.
47. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the optical arrangement includes a prism device.
48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the prism device is an anamorphic prism pair.
49. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the optical arrangement includes a telescope optics device.
50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the telescope optics device is a plano-convex lens optically coupled with a plano-concave lens.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A tissue connector assembly comprising a clip movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, said clip having an enlarged end portion, and a release mechanism comprising a plurality of strands releasably coupled to said enlarged portion, and retaining said clip in said open configuration wherein said strands each comprise a notch for receiving part of said enlarged portion.
2. The tissue connector assembly of claim 1, wherein distal end portions of said strands comprise notches configured to receive and lock said enlarged portion within a chamber defined by said notches.
3. The tissue connector assembly of claim 2, further comprising a shrink wrap layer surrounding at least said distal end portions of said strands, said shrink wrap layer adapted to be heat shrunk against said strands, thereby compressing said notches against said enlarged portion.
4. The tissue connector assembly of claim 3, wherein said shrink wrap layer comprises a shrink tubing.
5. The tissue connector assembly of claim 2, wherein distal end portions of said strands comprise notches configured to receive and lock said enlarged portion within a chamber defined by said notches; and wherein compression of said plurality of strands in a location between said notches and said coupled proximal end portions, deforms said chamber to enable removal of said enlarged portion from said chamber.
6. A tissue connector assembly comprising a clip movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, said clip having an enlarged end portion, a release mechanism comprising a plurality of strands releasably coupled to said enlarged portion, and retaining said clip in a said open configuration and a needle connected to said release mechanism and thereby releasably attached to said clip.
7. The tissue connector assembly of claim 6, wherein said strands comprise substantially rigid wires.
8. The tissue connector assembly of claim 6, wherein said strands comprise substantially rigid cables.
9. The tissue connector assembly of claim 6, wherein said clip has a generally U-shaped configuration when in said open configuration.
10. The tissue connector assembly of claim 6, wherein said plurality of strands are arranged in a circle and substantially parallel to one another to form a tube-like configuration, with proximal end portions of said strands being coupled to said needle.
11. The tissue connector assembly of claim 6, wherein compression of said plurality of strands releases said release mechanism from said enlarged portion.
12. A tissue connector assembly comprising a clip movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, said clip having an enlarged end portion, a release mechanism comprising a plurality of strands releasably coupled to said enlarged portion, and a coil surrounding at least a portion of said clip and biasing said clip toward the open configuration.
13. The tissue connector assembly of claim 12, further comprising a clip retainer fixed at an end portion of said clip opposite said enlarged end portion.
14. The tissue connector assembly of claim 13, wherein said coil comprises a plurality of adjacent loops, said coil being compressible with said plurality of adjacent loops being spaced closer to one another along one side of said coil than along an opposite side of said coil.
15. The tissue connector assembly of claim 14, wherein coupling of said release mechanism to said enlarged portion compresses said coil between said release mechanism and said retainer clip thereby biasing said clip in said open position.
16. The tissue connector assembly of claim 13, wherein said clip retainer has a cross-sectional area greater than a cross-sectional area of said coil.
17. The tissue connector assembly of claim 12, wherein said clip comprises a wire.
18. The tissue connector assembly of claim 17, wherein said wire is tubular.
19. The tissue connector assembly of claim 17, wherein said wire has a generally circular cross-section.
20. The tissue connector assembly of claim 17, wherein said wire comprises shape memory material.
21. A tissue connector assembly comprising a clip movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, said clip having an enlarged end portion, and a release mechanism comprising a plurality of strands releasably coupled to said enlarged portion, and retaining said clip in said open configuration wherein said clip assumes a spiral configuration in said closed configuration.
22. The tissue connector assembly of claim 21, wherein said clip is in a relaxed state when in said closed configuration.
23. The tissue connector assembly of claim 21, wherein said plurality of strands comprises two to ten strands.
24. A tissue connector assembly comprising a clip adapted to assume an open configuration and a closed configuration, a coil coupled to said clip, and a release mechanism comprising a plurality of strands releasably coupled to said clip, wherein said coil biases said clip in said open configuration when said release mechanism is coupled to said clip.
25. The tissue connector assembly of claim 24, further comprising a needle coupled to said release mechanism.
26. The tissue connector assembly of claim 25, wherein said plurality of strands are arranged in a circle and substantially parallel to one another to form a tube-like configuration, with proximal end portions of said strands being coupled to said needle.
27. The tissue connector assembly of claim 26, wherein distal end portions of said strands comprise notches configured to receive and lock an enlarged portion of said clip within a chamber defined by said notches.
28. The tissue connector assembly of claim 27, further comprising a shrink wrap layer surrounding at least said distal end portions of said strands, said shrink wrap layer adapted to be heat shrunk against said strands, thereby compressing said notches against said enlarged portion.
29. The tissue connector assembly of claim 28, wherein compression of said plurality of strands in a location between said notches and said coupled proximal end portions, deforms said chamber to enable removal of said enlarged portion from said chamber.
30. The tissue connector assembly of claim 28, wherein said shrink wrap layer comprises a shrink tubing.
31. The tissue connector assembly of claim 25 wherein said needle is releasable from said clip simultaneously with said release mechanism.
32. The tissue connector of claim 31, wherein said clip assumes said closed position upon release from said release mechanism.
33. The tissue connector assembly of claim 24, further comprising a needle and a flexible member, said flexible member coupling said needle to said release mechanism.
34. The tissue connector assembly of claim 33, further comprising a transition sleeve connecting said release mechanism to said flexible member.
35. The tissue connector assembly of claim 33, wherein said flexible member compnses a suture.
36. The tissue connector assembly of claim 24 wherein compression of said plurality of strands releases said release mechanism from said clip.
37. The tissue connector assembly of claim 24, wherein said plurality of strands comprises two to ten strands.