Abstract:
A free electron laser (FEL) may be tuned to novel wavelengths to explore laser-tissue interactions for development or improvement of laser surgical procedures. This study investigated the effect of selected infrared wavelengths upon human cornea and optic nerve tissues. Human cadaver eyes were placed in 10% dextran solution to normalize corneal thickness, and solution was injected intraocularly to achieve a physiologic intraocular pressure. The corneas and optic nerves were lased with the 6.0 micrometer amide I band, 6.1 micrometer water absorbency peak, 6.45 micrometer amide II band, and 7.7 micrometer. The Vanderbilt FEL produces 5 microsecond long macropulses at 10 Hz with each macropulse consisting of 1 ps micropulses at 3 GHz. Histologic examination of the corneal tissue showed the least amount of collateral damage (10 - 20 micrometers) with the 6.0 micrometer amide I band, while marked shrinkage occurred with the 7.7 micrometer wavelength. For optic nerve tissue, the least amount of collateral damage (0 micrometer visible) occurred at 6.1 micrometer water absorbency peak and 6.45 micrometer amide II band, while the most damage (30 - 50 micrometers) was observed with the 7.7 micrometer wavelength. We conclude that different tissues may have different optimal wavelengths for surgical laser procedures.
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