<title>Compact optical fiber components for a Nd:YAG laser delivery system</title>

Nd:YAG lasers have become fundamental tools in the medical field, because of the low absorption and high scattering in tissue at the emission wavelength of 1.06 micrometers . Therefore the development of new laser delivery systems is a very attractive goal. In this paper a complete fiber-optic delivery system is described. Such a system is composed by a laser-to- fiber and a fiber-to-fiber coupling device, in which GRIN rod lenses are utilized. Furthermore a distal handpiece, suitable for medical applications, has been properly designed and manufactured.