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Morphologic changes in collagen fibers after 830 nm diode laser welding
Author(s) -
Tang Jing,
Godlewski Guilhem,
Rouy Simone,
Delacrétaz Guy
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
lasers in surgery and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1096-9101
pISSN - 0196-8092
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9101(1997)21:5<438::aid-lsm5>3.0.co;2-r
Subject(s) - welding , laser , materials science , diode , laser beam welding , scanning electron microscope , electron microscope , fiber laser , optical fiber , composite material , optics , optical microscope , biomedical engineering , fiber , optoelectronics , medicine , physics
Background and Objective The mechanism of laser tissue welding is elusive, but collagen transitions are somehow involved. Collagen fiber modifications observed after 830 nm diode laser welding are presented in this study. Study Design/Materials and Methods A 830 nm diode laser assisted longitudinal aortorrhaphy was performed on 37 Wistar rats, with shots of 0.5 W in power, 8 sec in duration and 250 W/cm 2 in irradiance. Energy utilized ranged from 400–550 J/mm 2 for 1 cm‐length of anastomosis. After laser welding, histological modifications in collagen fibers were observed through optic, scanning electron, and electron microscopic examination. Results After laser welding, collagen fibers lost a proportion of birefringence. Under electron microscope, the different changes in collagen fibers were visualized being either fused, “roped,” swollen, or dissolved, surrounded by normal ones situated in the same zone. Conclusion These data suggest that diode laser heating denatured part of the collagenic fibers, and that these morphologic changes play an important role in laser welding. Lasers Surg. Med. 21:438–443, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.