KHACHATUROV ARKADY (IL)
US20120232821A1 | 2012-09-13 | |||
US20110205523A1 | 2011-08-25 | |||
US20160038030A1 | 2016-02-11 | |||
US20180245907A1 | 2018-08-30 | |||
US20100228119A1 | 2010-09-09 | |||
US20170146335A1 | 2017-05-25 | |||
US20210038306A1 | 2021-02-11 | |||
US20090244547A1 | 2009-10-01 |
What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus, comprising: a laser source; an optical fiber having a distal end, the optical fiber configured to pass laser light from the laser source out of the distal end and to receive reflected laser light into the distal end; a detector; and a controller comprising a processor and memory, the memory comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to: generate a ranging beam with the laser source, the ranging beam including a linearly changing wavelength sweep, identify a detection signal generated by a detector based on measurement of a mixture of a reference signal, at least one reflection of the ranging beam off a target, and at least one reflection of the ranging beam off a distal end of an optical fiber, analyze the detection signal to determine a frequency component corresponding to the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the target and the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the distal end of the optical fiber, and determine a distance between the distal end of the optical fiber and the target based on the frequency component. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser source comprises a first laser source and the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to select a mode of operation for a second laser source based on the distance between the distal end of the optical fiber and the target. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser source comprises a first laser source and the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to generate a treatment beam with a second laser source when the distance between the distal end of the optical fiber and the target is within a threshold distance. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser source comprises a first laser source and the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to cease generation of the treatment beam with the second laser source when the distance between the distal end of the optical fiber and the target exceeds the threshold distance. 5. The apparatus of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to generate one or more of an audible, a tactile, and a visual alert when the distance between the distal end of the optical fiber and the target exceeds a threshold distance. 6. The apparatus of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the detection signal is generated by the detector based on measurement of the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the target, the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the distal end of the optical fiber, and at least one reflection of the ranging beam off a proximal end of the optical fiber. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the frequency component comprises a first frequency component and the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to analyze the detection signal to determine second and third frequency components, the second frequency component corresponding to the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the distal end of the optical fiber and the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the proximal end of the optical fiber and the third frequency component corresponding to the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the target and the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the proximal end of the optical fiber. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to determine the first frequency component corresponds to the distance the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the target and the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the distal end of the optical fiber based on the first frequency component being higher than the second and third frequency components. 9. The apparatus of any of claims 1 to 8, comprising a filter configured to remove frequencies below a threshold corresponding to reflections of the ranging beam off a proximal end of the optical fiber. 10. The apparatus of any of claims 1 to 8, comprising a bandpass filter configured to remove frequencies above a first threshold and below a second threshold. 11. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, in response to being executed by a processor circuit, cause the processor circuit to: generate a ranging beam with a laser source, the ranging beam including a linearly changing wavelength sweep; identify a detection signal generated by a detector based on measurement of a mixture of a reference signal, at least one reflection of the ranging beam off a target, and at least one reflection of the ranging beam off a distal end of an optical fiber; analyze the detection signal to determine a frequency component corresponding to the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the target and the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the distal end of the optical fiber; and determine a distance between the distal end of the optical fiber and the target based on the frequency component. 12. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions, in response to execution by the processor circuit, further cause the processor circuit to generate one or more of an audible, a tactile, and a visual alert when the distance between the distal end of the optical fiber and the target exceeds a threshold distance. 13. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of claims 11 to 12, wherein the set of instructions, in response to execution by the processor circuit, further cause the processor circuit to perform a Fourier analysis on the detection signal to determine the frequency component. 14. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the set of instructions, in response to execution by the processor circuit, further cause the processor circuit to remove frequencies from the detection signal above a first threshold and below a second threshold. 15. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of claims 11 to 14, wherein the set of instructions, in response to execution by the processor circuit, further cause the processor circuit to filter out at least a portion of the detection signal based on a reflection frequency associated with a proximal end of the optical fiber. |
Equation 12 [0056] Accordingly, each of the first six lines in the equation above represents a frequency proportional to the distance difference between the reflectors. The following table, Table 1, shows the resulting frequencies for a fiber of 2.5 m assuming: the propagation in air (from interferometry optics to proximal end) is 0.2 m; the fiber length is 2.5 m; the fiber tip to target distance is 1 mm; the laser wavelength is 1060 nm; the scan range is 5.5 nm; and the scan rate is 5.5 ms. Table 1 [0057] As shown in Table 1, the signal of interest (Target vs. Distal end frequency difference) is clearly separated in frequency from the rest of the signals. The following table, Table 2, shows results with the fiber length adjusted from 2.5 m to 2 m. Table 2 [0058] The calculation of amplitudes of the signal for low reflectivity of target (0.03) and assuming local oscillator feedback signal (reference signal) amplitude of 0.01 (1%) is shown in Table 3 below: Table 3 [0059] The amplitude of the signal of target to fiber tip is 3.5550×10 -5 for low reflectivity. The direct current (DC) level amplitude (i.e., the sum of all the amplitudes on the diagonal) is 0.001206. The ration between the DC component, and the fiber tip-target components is approximately 34, or 30.6 decibels (dB). The calculation of amplitudes of the signals for high reflectivity of target (0.45) and assuming Local Oscillator feedback signal amplitude of 0.01 (1%) is shown in Table 4 below: Table 4 [0060] The amplitude of the signal of target to fiber tip is 5.3325×10 -4 for high reflectivity. The DC level amplitude (the sum of all the amplitudes on the diagonal) is 0.001206. The ratio between the DC component and the fiber tip- target components is approximately 191, or 45.6 dB. As can be seen from the tables, the main contributor to the DC component is the target reflection, in the range of 30-45 dB above the signal. This level is easily resolved at the signal processing level but could also be filtered out using a high pass filter at the analog stage. [0061] Continuing with the evaluation of an exemplary return signal, signal processing and measurement will now be described. In order to measure the frequencies of the reflections, the signal should be sampled at 24Mhz. This will provide 128K points for a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) calculation, and bin resolution of 366Hz. [0062] For fiber tip – target measurement, the frequency range of approximately 300 Hz to approximately 12,000 Hz (distance of 0.13 – 5mm) should examined, searching for the maximum point. The frequency of the maximum point corresponds to the fiber tip – target distance. This value should also be compared to a threshold, such as 12,000 Hz, which will eliminate the possibility of target reflection not present. [0063] Other reflection points frequencies can also be isolated and found. In this case measuring their amplitude can provide some information regarding the reflecting surface condition for one or more of: proximal end condition, fiber length, distal end condition, target reflectivity (combined with information on target distance), and unwanted reflections indicating a break in the fiber. [0064] Regarding interference from other sources, in principle, all reflecting surfaces at 90° will cause a reflection, and all these reflections will be mixed between them, creating a frequency proportional to the distance between them with an amplitude that is the multiplication of these amplitudes. For example, the lens will cause some small reflection (specular reflection from a single point) from both surfaces, and since these surfaces are approximately 3mm apart, they will create a frequency in the same range as fiber tip – target, resulting in interference with the measurement. This example shows that any 2 surfaces with a distance between them in the area of a few millimeters will cause interfering signal. [0065] However, the signals of interest are going to be centered around the frequency corresponding to the fiber length. These are going to be the signals with the highest frequencies. Thus, the following procedure may be utilized to prevent interfering signals. The spectrum may be scanned from the highest frequency (half the sampling rate) down, identifying the first peak higher than a predetermined threshold. In various embodiments, the predetermined threshold may be determined based on the fiber length. In some embodiments, the fiber length may be determined as the length of the production fiber. In other embodiments, the length may be determined by direct measurement once the fiber is connected and when there is no target reflection (e.g., the fiber tip is in the air). [0066] After the first peak higher than the predetermined threshold is identified, the signal may then be filtered using a bandpass filter around that frequency. More generally, a bandpass filter may remove frequencies from a signal that are above a first threshold and below a second threshold. Next, the remaining signal may be squared, creating frequencies of a difference of the present signals, and of their sum (like the action of the photodiode). Then, a low pass filter may be used on the resulting signal to remove the sum component of the mixed signal. Finally, the frequency of the remaining signal may be estimated, which is directly proportional to the fiber tip-target distance. [0067] An exemplary operating point for laser system 200 may include the following. The laser source 204 may include a direct control tuning laser diode having a wavelength of 1060 nanometers (nm) with a tuning range of 5.5nm and a sweep time of 5.5 milliseconds (ms). For example, laser system 200 may include a pigtailed fiber laser with a wavelength tuning range of 30 or 50 nm and a minimum output power of 0.1 milliwatts (mW). The optical fiber 206 may have a length of 2.5 meters (m) and the distance 224 from the distal end 222 of the optical fiber 206 to the target 218 may be 1 millimeters (mm). Thus, the ranging beam 216 may travel 20 centimeters (cm) in air, 2.5 m through the optical fiber 206, and 1 mm through water to the target 218. These parameters may result in a proximal end reflection of 354 kilohertz (kHz), a distal end reflection of 6.9061 megahertz (MHz), and a target reflection of 6.9085 MHz. Resulting in a frequency difference between the distal end 222 and the target 218 of 2.363 kHz. [0068] In embodiments utilizing a direct sampling approach without mixing the reference signal 208, the sampling rate may be 24 MHz (Nyquist limit of 14MHz) and the controller 212 may perform an 128K (131,072) point FFT with a frequency resolution (FFT bin size) of 366 Hz, resulting in a distance resolution of 0.155mm. In some such embodiments, the processing time for the 128K FFT may be approximately 4 ms. [0069] In other embodiments a super heterodyning approach may be utilized. In such approaches the proximal end reflection measurement may be sacrificed by filtering out, such as with a high pass filter, or processed separately. The filtered signal may be mixed (heterodyned) with a local signal, reducing the frequency of the main signals. The limit of heterodyning frequency may be constrained by the lower signal frequency that must be preserved. For a 2m fiber, the distal end reflection may generate a frequency of 5.7 MHz. Therefore, a local oscillator frequency of 5 MHz may be used. The resulting frequency for distal end / target reflections may become approximately 2 MHz and a sampling rate of 6 MHz may be used. This can enable the FFT to be reduced to 32,768 points, resulting in a reduced computational load over the direct sampling approach. [0070] In some embodiments, the wavelength tuning may be by diode current. However, using current to control the wavelength may result in a limited tuning range when compared to other devices. For example, linearly scanning the current from 100 milliamps (mA) to 450 mA may give a tuning range of 0.4 nm, but to achieve the same frequency change rate of the pigtailed fiber laser described above, the scan time would be 0.4 ms. However, this is too short to sample the necessary number of points for an FFT. Accordingly, in various embodiments, the scan may be repeated and concatenated to achieve the necessary number of points (14 times based on the 0.4 nm and 0.4 ms). [0071] Accordingly, a number of considerations may go into choosing the appropriate laser source. Considerations in selecting a direct control tuning laser configuration may include one or more of: convenient wavelength scan control, constant power throughout the scan, variations in linearity of the scan and power output stability may result in increased Fourier domain line width and reduce distance resolution, and the power output level (e.g., 0.1 mW) may result in weak reflected signals and the need for avalanche photodiode instead of PIN photodiode and/or high amplification. Considerations in selecting a wavelength tuning by diode current laser configuration may include one or more of: pulling the wavelength by changing the current may be a basic characteristic, power level changes during pulse may result in increased Fourier domain line width, high power levels may create an eye safety issue, and the need for much higher operating currents compared to direct control tuning laser configurations. The power level changes during a pulse resulting in increased Fourier domain line width for wavelength tuning by diode current laser configurations may be mitigated by increasing the frequency change rate (faster scanning), which can result in increased fiber tip - target frequency separation. Additionally, the eye safety issue can be mitigated by moving to another wavelength (e.g., from 1060 nm to 1350 nm). [0072] FIG. 3 illustrates various aspects of a laser system 300 according to one or more embodiments described hereby. The illustrated embodiment includes laser system 300 and a target 316. The laser system 300 includes a laser source 304, a beam splitter 318, an optical fiber 306, a detector 302, and a controller 310. In various embodiments, the laser system 300 may function to determine the distance between a distal end of the optical fiber 306 and the target 316. In operation, the laser source 304 may generate a ranging beam 314 that passes through the beam splitter 318 and through the optical fiber 306 onto the target 316. In several embodiments, the controller 310 may control generation of the ranging beam 314 by the laser source 304. A portion of the ranging beam 314 may be reflected off the fiber distal end and the target 316 and back into the optical fiber 306 as a return signal 308. The return signal 308 may pass through the optical fiber 306 and be directed toward the detector 302 by the beam splitter 318. The detector 302 may generate detection signal 312 based on measurement of the remaining portion of the return signal 308 and controller 310 may perform a frequency analysis on the detection signal 312 to determine the distance between the target 316 and the distal end of the optical fiber 306. It will be appreciated that a variety of configurations may be utilized to direct the ranging beam 314 onto the target 316, filter the return signal 308, and direct the return signal 308 onto the detector 302 without departing from the scope of this disclosure. [0073] The return signal 308 may include a reflection from a variety of sources, such as the proximal and distal ends of the optical fiber 306 as well as the target 316. By mixing all of the signals present at the detector, the detection signal 312 includes a frequency that is the direct result of the mixing between reflections signals from the distal end of the optical fiber 306 and the target 316. More generally, mixing creates signals that are the sum of the original signal frequencies (which is then filtered out) and the difference of the remaining frequencies is measured. Accordingly, using the frequency modulation of the transmitted signal and measuring the frequencies generated by the detector 302 in detection signal 312, controller 310 can detect a frequency proportional to the distance between the distal end of the optical fiber 306 and the target 316. This can be accomplished without mixing in a reference signal as described with respect to laser system 200. Without mixing in the reference signal (which would be a portion of the ranging beam 314), Equation 12 discussed above reduces to Equation 13 as shown below: Equation 13 [0074] Further, the frequencies of the fiber proximal end to the fiber distal end and the fiber proximal end to the target will be higher than the signal of interest, the fiber distal end to the target, because of the higher distances associated with the fiber proximal end to the fiber distal end and the fiber proximal end to the target. For example, distances associated with fiber proximal end to the fiber distal end and the fiber proximal end to the target will be on the order of 2.5 m while the distance associated with the fiber distal end to the target will be on the order of a few millimeters. Accordingly, the frequencies of the fiber proximal end to the fiber distal end and the fiber proximal end to the target can be readily filtered out, such as using signal processing hardware (analog or digital) and software. However, in the laser system 300 the optical design must assure that no reflections in the measurement system with distances between them of a few millimeters exist at levels comparable to the fiber distal end to the target signal because the reference signal is not being mixed in. This can be achieved by using an optical design in which the reflecting optical surfaces are either placed at an angle, so they do not reflect back to the detector, and/or are coated with appropriate antireflective coatings that reduce such signals. [0075] Further, laser system 300 can be used in cases where the only information required is the fiber tip - target distance. Additionally, laser system 300 may be achieved in a more economical manner than laser system 200. In various embodiments, the laser system may utilize a bandpass filter about the aforementioned first peak frequency higher than a predetermined threshold determined based on length of the fiber. One example may include an analog level bandpass filter for a frequency range of 300 Hz to 24,000 Hz (corresponding to 0.13 mm - 10 mm distances). In such an example, the remaining signal may be sampled with a frequency of 93,750 Hz (1/256 times the original frequency). This will result in 512 samples within the 5 ms sweep time and performing a 512-point FFT will result in the same distance resolution described above with respect to FIG. 2. [0076] FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate aspects of reflection frequencies according to one or more embodiments described hereby. More specifically, FIG. 5A illustrates aspects of theoretical reflection frequencies 500a and FIG. 5B illustrates aspects of actual reflection frequencies 500b. Each of the theoretical and actual reflection frequencies 500a, 500b include a proximal fiber reflection 502a, 502b, a distal fiber reflection 504a, 504b, and a target reflection 506a, 506b. The frequency difference between the distal fiber reflections and the target reflections is proportional to the distance between the distal end of the optical fiber and the target. As shown in FIG. 5A, in the theoretical reflection frequencies 500a the values for each reflection are discrete. However, as shown in FIG. 5B, in the actual reflection frequencies 500b the values for each reflection are spread out. This spreading may result from a number of factors, such as one or more of an undesirable amplitude modulation of transmitted light intensity, non-linearity of the frequency modulation, creation of new modes in the multi-mode delivery fiber and their different propagation times. Accordingly, practical distance resolution may be determined by these effects. [0077] FIG. 6 illustrates a logic flow 600 for estimating distance between a distal end of an optical fiber and a target according to one or more embodiments described hereby. More specifically, logic flow 600 may be directed to detection that includes mixing done with a reference signal that travels a constant short local path (see e.g., FIG.2). The logic flow 600 may be representative of some or all of the operations that may be executed by one or more components/devices/systems described hereby, such as one or more portions of laser system 102, laser system 200, and/or laser system 300. The embodiments are not limited in this context. [0078] In the illustrated embodiment, logic flow 600 may begin at block 602. At block 602 “generate a ranging beam with a laser source, the ranging beam including a linearly changing wavelength sweep” a ranging beam with a linearly changing wavelength sweep may be generated by a laser source. For example, laser source 204 may generate ranging beam 216 with a linearly changing wavelength sweep. Continuing to block 604 “identify a detection signal generated by a detector based on measurement of at least one reflection of the ranging beam off a target and at least one reflection of the ranging beam off a distal end of an optical fiber” a detection signal generated by a detector based on measurement of at least one reflection of the ranging beam off a target and at least one reflection of the ranging beam off a distal end of an optical fiber may be identified. For example, controller 212 may identify detection signal 214 generated by detector 202 based, at least in part, on measuring return signal 210 comprising at least one reflection of the ranging beam 216 off of the target 218 and at least one reflection of the ranging beam 216 off the distal end 222 of the optical fiber 206. [0079] At block 606 “analyze the detection signal to determine first and second frequency components, the first frequency component corresponding to the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the target and the second frequency component corresponding to the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the distal end of the optical fiber” the detection signal may be analyzed to determine a first frequency component corresponding to the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the target and a second frequency component corresponding to the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the distal end of the optical fiber. For example, controller 110 may identify a detection signal comprising distal fiber reflection 504b frequency component corresponding to reflection of the ranging beam off a distal end of the optical fiber 106 and target reflection 506b frequency component corresponding to reflection of the ranging beam off a target. Proceeding to block 608 “determine a distance between the distal end of the optical fiber and the target based on the first and second frequency components” a distance between the distal end of the optical fiber and the target based on the first and second frequency components may be determined. For example, controller 212 may determine distance 224 based on distal fiber reflection 504b and target reflection 506b. [0080] FIG. 7 illustrates a logic flow 700 for estimating distance between a distal end of an optical fiber and a target according to one or more embodiments described hereby. More specifically, logic flow 700 may be directed to detection that includes a mixing between all signals present on the detector (no reference signal), according to the square law (see e.g., FIG. 3). The logic flow 700 may be representative of some or all of the operations that may be executed by one or more components/devices/systems described hereby, such as one or more portions of laser system 102, laser system 200, and/or laser system 300. The embodiments are not limited in this context. [0081] In the illustrated embodiment, logic flow 700 may begin at block 702. At block 702 “generate a ranging beam with a laser source, the ranging beam including a linearly changing wavelength sweep” a ranging beam with a linearly changing wavelength sweep may be generated by a laser source. For example, laser source 304 may generate ranging beam 314 with a linearly changing wavelength sweep. Continuing to block 704 “identify a detection signal generated by a detector based on measurement of at least one reflection of the ranging beam off a target and at least one reflection of the ranging beam off a distal end of an optical fiber” a detection signal generated by a detector based on measurement of at least one reflection of the ranging beam off a target and at least one reflection of the ranging beam off a distal end of an optical fiber may be identified. For example, controller 310 may identify detection signal 312 generated by detector 302 based, at least in part, on measuring return signal 308 comprising at least one reflection of the ranging beam 314 off of the target 316 and at least one reflection of the ranging beam 314 off a distal end of the optical fiber 306. [0082] At block 706 “analyze the detection signal to determine a frequency component corresponding to the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the target and the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the distal end of the optical fiber” the detection signal may be analyzed to determine a frequency component corresponding to the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the target and the at least one reflection of the ranging beam off the distal end of the optical fiber. For example, controller 310 may identify a frequency component in return signal 308 corresponding to reflection of the ranging beam 314 off a distal end of the optical fiber 306 and reflection of the ranging beam 314 off target 316. Proceeding to block 608 “determine a distance between the distal end of the optical fiber and the target based on the frequency component” a distance between the distal end of the optical fiber and the target based on the first and second frequency components may be determined. For example, controller 310 may determine the distance between a distal end of the optical fiber 306 and the target 316 based on a frequency component in detection signal 312. [0083] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a computer system 802 for implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the computer system 802, or one or more portions thereof, may comprise a controller (e.g., controller 110, 212, 310) in a laser system (e.g., laser system 102, 200, 300). Accordingly, in various embodiments, computer system 802 may perform a frequency analysis on a detection signal (e.g., detection signal 214, 312) generated by a detector (e.g., detector 108, 202, 302) based on measurement of one or more signals (e.g., return signal 210, 308 and/or reference signal 208). In various such embodiments, the computer system 802 may be utilized to control operation of the laser system (e.g., laser system 102, 200, 300), such as based on a distance to a target determined based on the frequency analysis. Embodiments are not limited in this context. [0084] The computer system 802 may include a central processing unit (“CPU” or “processor”) 804. The processor 804 may include at least one data processor for executing instructions and/or program components for executing user or system- generated processes. A user may include a person, a person using a device such as those included in this disclosure, or such a device itself. The processor 804 may include specialized processing units such as integrated system (bus) controllers, memory management control units, floating point units, graphics processing units, digital signal processing units, etc. The processor 804 may be disposed in communication with input devices 822 and output devices 824 via I/O interface 820. The I/O interface 820 may employ communication protocols/methods such as, without limitation, audio, analog, digital, stereo, IEEE-1394, serial bus, Universal Serial Bus (USB), infrared, PS/2, BNC, coaxial, component, composite, Digital Visual Interface (DVI), high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), Radio Frequency (RF) antennas, S-Video, Video Graphics Array (VGA), IEEE 802.n /b/g/n/x, Bluetooth, cellular (e.g., Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High- Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), Global System For Mobile Communications (GSM), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), WiMAX, or the like), etc. [0085] Using the I/O interface 820, computer system 802 may communicate with input devices 822 and output devices 824. In some embodiments, the processor 804 may be disposed in communication with a communications network 826 via a network interface 806. In various embodiments, the communications network 826 may be utilized to communicate with a remote device 828, such as for accessing look-up tables, performing updates, or utilizing external resources. The network interface 806 may communicate with the communications network 826. The network interface 806 may employ connection protocols including, without limitation, direct connect, Ethernet (e.g., twisted pair 10/100/1000 Base T), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), token ring, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/x, etc. In some embodiments, one or more portions of the computer system 802 may be integrated into a laser system (e.g., laser system 102, 200, 300). In some such embodiments, one or more components of the laser system may comprise one or more of input devices 822 and/or one or more of output devices 824 (e.g., laser source 104, detector 108, etcetera). [0086] The communications network 826 can be implemented as one of the different types of networks, such as intranet or Local Area Network (LAN), Closed Area Network (CAN) and such. The communications network 826 may either be a dedicated network or a shared network, which represents an association of the different types of networks that use a variety of protocols, for example, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), CAN Protocol, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), etc., to communicate with each other. Further, the communications network 826 may include a variety of network devices, including routers, bridges, servers, computing devices, storage devices, etcetera. In some embodiments, the processor 804 may be disposed in communication with a memory 810 (e.g., RAM, ROM, etc. not shown in FIG. 12) via a storage interface 808. The storage interface 808 may connect to memory 810 including, without limitation, memory drives, removable disc drives, etc., employing connection protocols such as Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE), IEEE-1394, Universal Serial Bus (USB), fiber channel, Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI), etc. The memory drives may further include a drum, magnetic disc drive, magneto-optical drive, optical drive, Redundant Array of Independent Discs (RAID), solid-state memory devices, solid-state drives, etcetera. [0087] The memory 810 may store a collection of program or database components, including, without limitation, a user interface 812, an operating system 814, a web browser 816, instructions 818, etcetera. In various embodiments, instructions 818 may include instructions that when executed by the processor 804 cause the processor 804 to perform one or more techniques, steps, procedures, and/or methods described herein, such to estimate a distance. For example, instructions to perform logic flow 600 and/or logic flow 700 may be stored in memory 810. In many embodiments, memory 810 includes at least one non- transitory computer-readable medium. In some embodiments, the computer system 802 may store user/application data, such as the data, variables, records, preferences, etc. as described in this disclosure. Such databases may be implemented as fault-tolerant, relational, scalable, secure databases such as Oracle or Sybase. [0088] The operating system 814 may facilitate resource management and operation of the computer system 802. Examples of operating systems include, without limitation, APPLE ® MACINTOSH ® OS X ® , UNIX ® , UNIX-like system distributions (E.G., BERKELEY SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION ® (BSD), FREEBSD ® , NETBSD ® , OPENBSD, etc.), LINUX ® DISTRIBUTIONS (E.G., RED HAT ® , UBUNTU ® , KUBUNTU ® , etc.), IBM ® OS/2 ® , MICROSOFT ® WINDOWS ® (XP ® , VISTA ® /7/8, 10 etc.), APPLE ® IOS ® , GOOGLE TM ANDROID TM , BLACKBERRY ® OS, or the like. The user interface 812 may facilitate display, execution, interaction, manipulation, or operation of program components through textual or graphical facilities. For example, user interfaces may provide computer interaction interface elements on a display system operatively connected to the computer system 802, such as cursors, icons, checkboxes, menus, scrollers, windows, widgets, etcetera. Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) may be employed, including, without limitation, Apple ® Macintosh ® operating systems’ Aqua ® , IBM ® OS/2 ® , Microsoft ® Windows ® (e.g., Aero, Metro, etc.), web interface libraries (e.g., ActiveX ® , Java ® , JavaScript ® , AJAX, HTML, Adobe ® Flash ® , etcetera), or the like. In some embodiments, the user interface 812 may be integrated with the display and/or user interface of an endoscope. [0089] In some embodiments, the computer system 802 may implement the web browser 816 stored program components. The web browser 816 may be a hypertext viewing application, such as MICROSOFT ® INTERNET EXPLORER ® , GOOGLE TM CHROME TM , MOZILLA ® FIREFOX ® , APPLE ® SAFARI ® , etcetera. Secure web browsing may be provided using Secure Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTPS), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), etcetera. Web browser 816 may utilize facilities such as AJAX, DHTML, ADOBE ® FLASH ® , JAVASCRIPT ® , JAVA ® , Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), etcetera. In some embodiments, the computer system 802 may implement a mail server stored program component. The mail server may be an Internet mail server such as Microsoft Exchange, or the like. The mail server may utilize facilities such as Active Server Pages (ASP), ACTIVEX ® , ANSI ® C++/C#, MICROSOFT ® , .NET, CGI SCRIPTS, JAVA ® , JAVASCRIPT ® , PERL ® , PHP, PYTHON ® , WEBOBJECTS ® , etcetera. The mail server may utilize communication protocols such as Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI), MICROSOFT ® exchange, Post Office Protocol (POP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), or the like. In some embodiments, the computer system 802 may implement a mail client stored program component. The mail client may be a mail viewing application, such as APPLE ® MAIL, MICROSOFT ® ENTOURAGE ® , MICROSOFT ® OUTLOOK ® , MOZILLA ® THUNDERBIRD ® , etcetera. [0090] Furthermore, memory 810 may include one or more computer-readable storage media utilized in implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Generally, a computer-readable storage medium refers to any type of physical memory on which information or data readable by a processor may be stored. Thus, a computer-readable storage medium may store instructions for execution by one or more processors, including instructions for causing the processor(s) to perform steps or stages consistent with the embodiments described herein. The term “computer-readable medium” should be understood to include tangible items and exclude carrier waves and transient signals, i.e., non- transitory. Examples include Random Access Memory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, hard drives, Compact Disc (CD) ROMs, Digital Video Disc (DVDs), flash drives, disks, and any other known physical storage media. [0091] In various embodiments, the present disclosure may provide a variety of technical effects and improvements. For example, the present disclosure may enable estimation of distance between a distal end of an optical fiber and a target, by performing a frequency analysis of reflected or return signals. Estimation of the distance based on frequency analysis can provide robustness with respect to different types of targets, target compositions, target colors, target surfaces and the like. The frequency analysis-based techniques and systems disclosed in the present disclosure can be provided to estimate a distance between the distal end of an optical fiber and a target and can facilitate an accurate estimation of the distance. Further, the present disclosure provides processes of estimation of a distance between a distal end of an optical fiber and a target for various types of targets and can provide for estimation of the distance for more and more varied target than conventionally possible. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides systems and methods to more accurately aiming at a target than conventionally possible. More accurate aiming can eliminate or reduce ablating and/or fragmenting incorrect portions of the target (or nontargeted areas, such as healthy tissue), which can lead to adverse outcomes and/or permanent damages. Also, more accurate aiming consumes less time in ablating and/or fragmenting the target, leading to a more efficient system. [0092] In several embodiments, the present disclosure may be used to accurately position and/or aim a treatment beam, such as in low-visibility environments (e.g., environments including dust or target debris). For example, during treatment of a target (e.g., kidney stones) water may get turbid due to the presence of stone fragments or dust. This may reduce (or prevent) the ability to see the target (e.g., the kidney stone). In such scenarios, the present disclosure provides a system to accurately recognize and inform the treating physician about placement of the optical fiber (e.g., whether the fiber is placed in front of the target or whether there is no target detected). [0093] Further, in many embodiments, the present disclosure may be used for distance measurement. For example, the target (e.g., kidney stone) may move around during treatment, which may lead to laser light associated with a treatment beam being incident on unwanted areas (e.g., healthy tissue, or the like) as opposed to being incident on the target. Therefore, the present disclosure may enable automatic and real-time monitoring of the distance between the optical fiber and the target, which in turn can reduce, or eliminate, the possibility of lasing unwanted areas. [0094] Still further, in various embodiments, the present disclosure may be used for the purpose of controlling and/or adjusting one or more operational parameters. For example, during the treatment, the target may move back and forth, or may change its shape and size. Therefore, parameters pre-set for the laser sources before initiating lasing on the target, may become less effective. Conventionally, such pre- set parameters are manually changed which may be error prone and time consuming, or in some cases the pre-set parameters may be left unchanged which may lead to scenarios where the optical fiber may be too close or too far from the target. Therefore, the automatic and real-time monitoring of the distance between the optical fiber and the target, as disclosed in the present disclosure, can enable automatically changing the lasing pre-set parameters to adjust the lasing in accordance with the target shape, position, etcetera for best results. [0095] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular and/or plural permutations are expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity and not limitation. [0096] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended. For example, as an aid to understanding, the detail description may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to disclosures containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). [0097] All of the devices and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the devices and methods of this disclosure have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it may be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations can be applied to the devices and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the disclosure. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and concept of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.