Ablation of porcine subcutaneous fat and porcine aorta tissues by a burst-mode nanosecond-pulsed laser at 355 nm.

Abstract

High-energy laser pulses used in laser angioplasty are challenging the laser cost, delivery system damage, efficiency, and laser catheter operating time. 355 nm nanosecond-pulsed laser in burst mode has shown potentials in reducing the system complexity and selective ablation of tissues. In this paper, burst mode laser ablation of porcine subcutaneous fat and porcine aorta is investigated. A histopathological analysis demonstrates that porcine subcutaneous fat can be ablated at a rate of greater than 0.2 mm/s when the number of pulses per burst is 1500 (corresponding to a fluence of 0.12 mJ/mm2 per pulse and 180 mJ/mm2 per burst), and the temperature of tissue during lasing is lower than 45°C. The porcine aorta remains nearly unaffected at the same laser parameter, and the tissue temperature during lasing is lower than 35°C. It shows the feasibility of using a burst-mode laser for selective ablation of tissue.