Candela Laser Corporation will develop an integrated laser/light delivery system that will provide a surgeon with a tool which can remove small, precise amounts of bone and be employed in efficient cutting or shaping of bone on a large scale. The system and design will strictly minimize any damage to nearby sensitive tissue, an important consideration in such fields as head and neck surgery. Specifically, a flash lamp excited dye laser pumped Ho:YAG laser will be constructed to produce short duration pulses of up to 5 watts average power and up to 100 Hz repetition rate. The efficacy of the system will be evaluated by irradiating samples of ossicles, mandible and temporal bones. Histologic analysis will be conducted to reveal extent and nature of any thermal damage. The system will have immediate impact in procedures in Otlaryngology head and neck surgery and can be embraced by surgeons of many disciplines, thereby justifying the investment in a hospital/outpatient setting.
