Laser-produced plasmas in medicine

Journal Article · Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/27.125042· OSTI ID:5378080

Gitomer, S J ^[1]; Jones, R D ^[2]

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1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States). Applied Theoretical Physics Div.

The laser has found numerous applications in medicine, beginning with uses in ophthalmology in the 1960's. Today, lasers are used in tissue cutting, blood coagulation, photodynamic cancer therapy, arterial plaque removal, dental drilling, etc. In this paper the authors examine those areas of laser medicine in which plasmas (ionized gases) are produced. In fact, the presence of a plasma is essential for the application at hand to succeed. We consider examples of the plasmas produced in ophthalmology (e.g., lens membrane destruction following cataract surgery), in urology and gastroenterology (e.g., kidney and gall stone ablation and fragmentation), and in cardiology and vascular surgery (e.g., laser ablation and removal of fibro-fatty and calcified arterial plaque). Experimental data are presented, along with some results from computer simulations of the phenomena. Comments on future directions in these areas are included.

• OSTI ID: 5378080
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States), Vol. 19:6; ISSN 0093-3813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
42 ENGINEERING
MEDICINE
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
LASERS
USES
DATA
INFORMATION
NUMERICAL DATA
PLASMA
SIMULATION
550600* - Medicine
426002 - Engineering- Lasers & Masers- (1990-)