<title>Comparative study of continuous wave and pulsed Nd:YAG laser using different fiber optic delivery systems on the lung</title>

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cutting abilities and thermal effects of different fiber optic delivery systems on the lung, after varying the power levels and system modes. The Nd:YAG (1.064 micrometers ) laser was tested using 600 micrometers bare, and sculptured (600/300 micrometers cone and 1000 micrometers chamfer) fiber tips in the continuous wave (cw) and pulsed (P) modes. A standard porcine model (n equals 18) was used for this study. We did not observe any ablation in the noncontact mode with the 1000 micrometers chamfer (P and cw) and the 600 micrometers bare fiber, in pulsed mode. We observed tissue ablation in the contact mode for all fibers. In contact mode, there was no significant difference in the cutting width between the 600/300 micrometers cone, and 1000 micrometers chamfer. In the range of the parameters tested we observed no carbonization. There is an advantage using Nd:YAG laser and flexible fibers in minimal invasive thoracic surgery.