The development of the laser opened new and exciting avenues in man''s effort to study the properties of matter, understand the effects of intense electromagnetic radiation on inorganic and organic substances, and utilize light to improve quality of life. The development, especially of powerful lasers in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectral regions, led to the precise removal of biological tissue (optical ablation) from a laser-irradiated surface to depths and widths in the submicron domain even in the case of transparent tissues. Although this technology has been applied in many important areas and currently presents a new dimension in laser biomedicine, the mechanisms leading to precise tissue removal and the effects on neighboring tissues are still under investigation. In this paper, the basic photophysical and photochemical phenomena and processes related to precise cutting of biological tissue are discussed.

Date Published: 1 November 1991
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 1525, Future Trends in Biomedical Applications of Lasers, (1 November 1991); doi: 10.1117/12.48192

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1525:
Future Trends in Biomedical Applications of Lasers
Lars Othar Svaasand, Editor(s)