ISSN:
1432-0630
Keywords:
81.60
;
87.00
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
,
Physics
Notes:
Abstract A femtosecond pulse laser in the visible spectral region shows promise as a potentially new powerful corneal sculpting tool. It combines the clinical and technical advantages of visible wavelengths with the high ablation quality observed with nanosecond-pulse excimer lasers at 193 nm. A femtosecond and a nanosecond dye laser with pulse durations of 300 fs and 7 ns, and centre wavelengths at 615 nm and 600 nm, respectively, both focused to an area of the order of 10−5 cm2, have been applied to human corneal ablation. Nanosecond laser pulses caused substantial tissue disruption within a 30–100 μm range from the excision edge at all fluences above the ablation threshold of F th≈60 J cm−2 (I th≈9 GW cm−2). Completely different excisions are produced by the femtosecond-pulse laser: high quality ablations of the Bowman membrane and the stroma tissue characterised by damage zones of less than 0.5 μm were observed at all fluences above ablation threshold of F th≈1 J cm−2 or I th≈3 TW cm−2 (3×1012 W cm−2). The transparent cornea material can be forced to absorb ultrashort pulses of extremely high intensity. The fs laser generates its own absorption by a multiphoton absorption process.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00332446
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