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Title: Comparison of tissue ablation with pulsed holmium and thulium lasers

Journal Article · · IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (USA)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/3.64363· OSTI ID:5840564
;  [1]
  1. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (US)

The ablation rates and tissue effects produced by a pulsed holmium laser (wavelength 2.12 {mu}m, pulse duration 250 {mu}s) and a pulsed thulium laser (wavelength 2.01 {mu}m, pulse duration 250 {mu}s) are compared. Because the absorption coefficient of water is almost three times greater at the shorter wavelength (65 versus 24 cm{sup {minus}1}), the thulium laser should have a significantly lower threshold of ablation and produce significantly less residual thermal injury. These hypotheses were tested in vitro. Ablation rates were measured using fresh liver and a mass loss technique and found to increase linearly with delivered radiant exposure. The threshold radiant exposure for ablation was derived from the mass loss measurements and found to be 36 J/cm{sup 2} for the holmium laser and 29 J/cm{sup 2} for the thulium laser. The corresponding heats of ablation were 10 kJ/cm{sup 3} for the holmium laser and 9.7 kJ/cm{sup 3} for the thulium laser. These values were not statistically different.

OSTI ID:
5840564
Journal Information:
IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (USA), Vol. 26:12; ISSN 0018-9197
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English