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ArF EXCIMER LASER‐INDUCED BUBBLE FORMATION DURING IRRADIATION OF NaCl SOLUTIONS
Author(s) -
Turovets Igor,
Palanker Daniel,
Lewis Aaron
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-1097.1994.tb05125.x
Subject(s) - fluence , laser , irradiation , ablation , excimer laser , shock wave , materials science , liquid bubble , aqueous solution , excimer , bubble , optics , chemistry , physics , engineering , parallel computing , computer science , nuclear physics , aerospace engineering
Abstract During application of the 193 nm excimer laser to vitreoretinal surgery, very deep cutting of the retina of about 100 μm/pulse was detected at the energy fluence in the range of 0.25–0.35 J/cm 2 /pulse. At the surface of the ablating tip insoluble bubbles were observed during the irradiation. In this paper we study production of these bubbles in aqueous solutions of sodium chloride. The yield of gaseous photoproducts was measured as a function of NaCl concentration and energy fluence. At concentrations of 100 g/L powerful water vapor bubbles and shock waves were observed. A mechanism of soft tissue cutting by the 193 nm laser in highly absorbing liquid media is suggested that explains the features of vitreoretinal ablation with this system: (1) the high cutting depth when the tip touches the tissue and (2) the absence of cutting when the tip is not in contact with the tissue. The advantages of the ArF laser for microsurgery of internal organs are discussed.