Surgical Technology. Lasers
What does LASER stand for? - answer light amplification by stimulated emission of
radiation
How do lasers damage tissue? - answer Energy is converted into light energy which is
monochromatic and as the energy is absorbed by the tissue, heat is produced and the
tissue is damaged
Biophysics of lasers - answer1) Monochromatic - photons that compose the light at the
same color or wavelength (the color determines how it will react with the tissues)
2) Collimated - waves are parallel to each other and do not spread out
3) Cohert- collimated light waves travel in the same direction and in phase with each
other, increasing its amplitude and power
What is Fluence? - answer refers to the precision of the laser beam and consists of the
properties of spot size, watts, joules, and time
Joule definition - answer measurement of laser pulse energy based on 1 second
amount of time the beam is activated
(use the highest safe wattage for the least amount of time to keep the damage to the
adjacent tissue to a minimum)
How do lasers work? - answer1) Light is pumped into a sealed chamber (optical
resonant cavity) and filled with a laser medium (gas, solid, or liquid)
2) When photons enter the chamber, high-energy atoms in the chamber are stimulated
to vibrate or resonate in the same wave pattern.
3) Mirrors in the laser system bounce the photons back and forth through the laser
medium (a gas, solid, or liquid) in the chamber. This increases the number of resonating
parallel photons (amplification).
Components of a Laser - answer1) Optical resonator (contains the laser medium and
mirrors needed to amplify the light waves)
2) Excitation source - supplies the energy source to increase the resonance of the
medium
3) Delivery system - instruments that transmit the laser energy to the operative site
4) Control panel/touch screen - control functions and operations
5) Accessory equipment - cooling system and vacuum pump, if required as well as the
foot pedal
Types of lasers - answerCO2
Nd-YAG
Holmium (YAG)
What does LASER stand for? - answer light amplification by stimulated emission of
radiation
How do lasers damage tissue? - answer Energy is converted into light energy which is
monochromatic and as the energy is absorbed by the tissue, heat is produced and the
tissue is damaged
Biophysics of lasers - answer1) Monochromatic - photons that compose the light at the
same color or wavelength (the color determines how it will react with the tissues)
2) Collimated - waves are parallel to each other and do not spread out
3) Cohert- collimated light waves travel in the same direction and in phase with each
other, increasing its amplitude and power
What is Fluence? - answer refers to the precision of the laser beam and consists of the
properties of spot size, watts, joules, and time
Joule definition - answer measurement of laser pulse energy based on 1 second
amount of time the beam is activated
(use the highest safe wattage for the least amount of time to keep the damage to the
adjacent tissue to a minimum)
How do lasers work? - answer1) Light is pumped into a sealed chamber (optical
resonant cavity) and filled with a laser medium (gas, solid, or liquid)
2) When photons enter the chamber, high-energy atoms in the chamber are stimulated
to vibrate or resonate in the same wave pattern.
3) Mirrors in the laser system bounce the photons back and forth through the laser
medium (a gas, solid, or liquid) in the chamber. This increases the number of resonating
parallel photons (amplification).
Components of a Laser - answer1) Optical resonator (contains the laser medium and
mirrors needed to amplify the light waves)
2) Excitation source - supplies the energy source to increase the resonance of the
medium
3) Delivery system - instruments that transmit the laser energy to the operative site
4) Control panel/touch screen - control functions and operations
5) Accessory equipment - cooling system and vacuum pump, if required as well as the
foot pedal
Types of lasers - answerCO2
Nd-YAG
Holmium (YAG)
