This proposal concerns the development of a superior laser surgical tool. We have found that laser ablation is enhanced when tissue are pretreated with microdrops of dye, nominally 50um in diameter. The use of dye to couple the laser energy to the tissue has two advantages. (i) Energy absorption is governed by the optical characteristics of the dye (not the tissue), thus the new-generation of cheap, compact diode laser can be harnessed to surgical task. (ii)Because surgeons can """"""""paint"""""""" the tissue with brief burst of dye prior to each laser shot, they gain a new dimension of interactive control over their laser's impact on tissue. Our proposed instrument combines a miniature, solid-state fluid microdispenser, based on ink jet printing technology, and a laser fiber in a slim, endoscopic instrument. I Phase I of the research we will (i) evaluate various dyes, including lipophilic, """"""""sticky"""""""" dyes for surgical use, (ii) explore how the fundamentals of laser-tissue interaction (thermal diffusion, photoacoustic effects) are modified b use of dyes and (iii) assess the clinical efficacy (ablation efficiency vrs tissue damage) of selected laser-dye combinations. In Phase II we anticipate assembly of prototype instruments and pre-clinical, in vivo testing.
| Diven, D G; Pohl, J; Motamedi, M (1996) Dye-enhanced diode laser photothermal ablation of skin. J Am Acad Dermatol 35:211-5 |
