Optical radiation and infection control for laser hand pieces

Abstract

Surgical skin treatments such as; laser ablation, laser scalpels, hair removal, tattooed removal etc can all generate direct and secondary optical radiation hazards, however, because they are designed to intentionally destroy human tissue they also generate gaseous and particulate emissions. This second family often referred to as; surgical smoke, surgical smoke plume and surgical fume, have over the years raised concerns with numerous investigations trying to determine what, if any risk these by-products pose to the patient and staff of the operating room. Local extraction is sometimes used to try and reduce the airborne concentration of these byproducts though in virtually all cases the smell of the process is detectable by all. The optical radiation hazard usually dictates the wearing of protective eyewear to provide some level of personal protection. A major health concern to all medical and cosmetic facilities is that of infection control. Surgical smoke is usually overlooked as a source of infection within the operating environment and it has been known since the mid-1980s that the particulate can carry with it live pathogens from the patient which can now be in skin contact or respired by the operating staff.This paper examines the practical limitations of the existing approaches and provides some simple practical control measures that provide complete radiation containment as well as enable complete particulate and gas extraction without any reliance on any form of personal protection for the patient and operating staff.Surgical skin treatments such as; laser ablation, laser scalpels, hair removal, tattooed removal etc can all generate direct and secondary optical radiation hazards, however, because they are designed to intentionally destroy human tissue they also generate gaseous and particulate emissions. This second family often referred to as; surgical smoke, surgical smoke plume and surgical fume, have over the years raised concerns with numerous investigations trying to determine what, if any risk these by-products pose to the patient and staff of the operating room. Local extraction is sometimes used to try and reduce the airborne concentration of these byproducts though in virtually all cases the smell of the process is detectable by all. The optical radiation hazard usually dictates the wearing of protective eyewear to provide some level of personal protection. A major health concern to all medical and cosmetic facilities is that of infection control. Surgical smoke is usually overlooked as a source of infection...