Variable depth thermal lesions in rabbit corneas using a tunable thulium fiber laser

Nathaniel M. Fried; Guillermo Noguera M.D.; Juan Castro-Combs M.D.; Ashley Behrens M.D.

doi:10.1117/12.697949

5 March 2007 Variable depth thermal lesions in rabbit corneas using a tunable thulium fiber laser

Nathaniel M. Fried, Guillermo Noguera M.D., Juan Castro-Combs M.D., Ashley Behrens M.D.

Proceedings Volume 6426, Ophthalmic Technologies XVII; 642613 (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.697949
Event: SPIE BiOS, 2007, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

Laser-induced thermal changes in the cornea have been used clinically for refractive surgery. This study describes the creation of variable depth thermal lesions in the cornea using a tunable Thulium fiber laser. Thermal lesions were created in fresh rabbit corneas, ex vivo, at three different wavelengths (1873 nm, 1890 nm, and 1904 nm) (n=6 corneas each). All other laser parameters were kept fixed with power of 5.5 W, 25-ms exposure time, and 650-&mgr;m diameter spot, yielding a single pulse exposure of 138 mJ, and a fluence of 42 J/cm². Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and histology were used to measure pre- and post-operative corneal thickness and lesion dimensions. OCT measurements of pre and post-operative corneal thickness and lesion depth (in microns) were: (1873 nm: 450±30, 801±95, 655±51), (1890 nm: 460±27, 618±70, 332±56), (1904 nm: 448+20, 550±42, 245+36), respectively. By comparison, histologic measurements were: (1873 nm: 470+25, 828+21, 540±31), (1890 nm: 457±13, 625±17, 350±43), (1904 nm: 465±40, 627±35, 239±23), respectively. OCT lesion depth measured 82%, 54%, and 45% of corneal thickness, compared to histologic analysis of 65%, 56%, and 38%. This is the first preliminary test of a compact and tunable Thulium fiber laser for creating variable depth thermal lesions in the cornea. The Thulium fiber laser may have potential use as a replacement for the Ho:YAG and diode lasers for thermal keratoplasty.

Citation Download Citation

Nathaniel M. Fried, Guillermo Noguera M.D., Juan Castro-Combs M.D., and Ashley Behrens M.D. "Variable depth thermal lesions in rabbit corneas using a tunable thulium fiber laser", Proc. SPIE 6426, Ophthalmic Technologies XVII, 642613 (5 March 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.697949

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