Mechanical effects that amy damage tissue were measured by laser doppler vibrometry. The results on the recoil momentum illustrate the laser parameters under which laser survey of organs with delicate structures becomes dangerous. One example is the acceleration of the tiny middle ear bones. In the case of an intact ossicular chain, the motion of a middle ear bone is transferred to the inner ear. The second topic is related to eye surgery. Removing or cutting of membranes, the lens or the vitreous body by pulsed lasers is often associated with the formation of laser induced cavitation bubbles. The collapse of these bubbles generates pressure shock waves propagation through the eye. Laser Doppler vibrometry was used to monitor the shock wave induced velocity of the sclera.

Date Published: 22 May 2000
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 4072, Fourth International Conference on Vibration Measurements by Laser Techniques: Advances and Applications, (22 May 2000); doi: 10.1117/12.386742

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4072:
Fourth International Conference on Vibration Measurements by Laser Techniques: Advances and Applications
Enrico Primo Tomasini, Editor(s)