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The fiber is relatively flexible, but can be broken if bent at an angle that is too sharp or a radius that is too small.
Protein debris from gingival tissue accumulates on the fiber during surgery and the extreme heat that develops
will deteriorate the Tip. Fibers can fracture if a blackened area greater than 3 - 4 mm develops. This is especially
important when using the Sapphire
®
Portable Diode Laser for periodontal pocket debridement. Stop lasing and
regularly wipe off the tip with a 2 x 2 gauze sponge that has been wet with water to avoid the accumulation of
protein debris. Do not use flammable solvents such as alcohol when cleaning a hot tip. The Sapphire Portable
Diode Laser disposable Fiber Optic Tips are designed so that they typically won’t need to be stripped or cleaved.
Replace the disposable, single-use Tip as necessary and for each new patient.
The disposable, single-use Fiber Optic Tips are provided in a sealed package. Each Fiber Optic Tip contains a
pre-cleaved, pre-stripped piece of fiber. They are designed for single-use only and must be discarded after use.
Confirm the integrity of the package before use; if damaged, do not use the Tips. Special care should be taken
not to break or snap the fiber when removing Tips from packaging. Do not touch the ends of the fiber.
Re-using Fiber Optic Tips will greatly increase the chance of patient-to-patient infection. Dispose used Fiber
Optic Tips in a Sharps Container.
Confirm that the unit’s Operating Key is turned to ‘OFF’ when changing Fiber Optic Tips.
To install a new Tip, hold the collar of the Tip between your thumb and forefinger, align the polished end of the
fiber with the Handpiece receptacle and firmly press the Tip onto the Handpiece. We recommend that you set
the Sapphire Portable Diode Laser to READY with the aiming beam at default (0.4 mW) after installing a new
Fiber Optic Tip to evaluate the shape and the intensity of the beam to ensure the integrity of the fiber Optic
system: the aiming beam spot should be round and the beam should be focused and not diffuse. If the beam is
not round or is diffuse, try another Fiber Optic Tip and if the problem persists, the unit’s Fiber Optic system will
need to be evaluated by the manufacturer. Reset the aiming beam to desired output (page 14) following this
evaluation.
To remove a worn Fiber Optic Tip, gently grip the Sapphire Portable Diode Laser Fiber Optic Tip between
forefinger and thumb and pull it directly away from the Handpiece.
