Investigations into the interaction of a high-power semiconductor diode laser with biological tissue

摘要

Preliminary investigations of the interaction between a continuous wave diode laser and biological tissue are presented. The laser used has a wavelength of 980 nm and a maximum output power of 10 W. The tests were carried out on porcine liver samples. The interaction was seen to develop over three different stages during laser irradiation. The initial stage of tissue coagulation was followed by a distinct tissue surface eruption, followed by the ablation of a crater into the tissue. Measurements of the time evolution of these stages are presented over a range of incident spot diameters, and related to theoretical expectations. Measurements taken from the resultant crater are presented, including the extent of residual tissue damage around the crater, over a range of applied laser exposure times.