Surgical CO 2 Laser Units With Specialized Beam-Delivery Systems

Abstract

The continuous expanding of CO₂ laser applications in medicine needs not only compact, reliable and multifunctional surgical CO₂ laser units, but also specialized beam delivery systems, which are essential to extend the clinical use of lasers. Our effort for improving the surgical CO₂ laser units was directed to : a) developing compact CO₂ laser scalpels, reliable and more suitable for the surgical operating theatre by using high performance with low maintenance average power sealed-off CO₂ lasers; b) designing specialized electronic circuits to increase the protection degree against uncontrolled irradiation by technical failures or wrong manipulation; c) extending the operating regimes, i.e. continuous wave, laser pulses with pre-established length and laser pulses with variable repetition frequency. The beam delivery systems used with our surgical CO₂ lasers units included opto-mechanical articulated arms, IR fiber optic cables and laser microscope adaptors. Coupling different CO₂ laser scalpels, beam delivery systems and terminals, we have tested these surgical laser units in neurosurgery, otolaryngology,,ophthalmology and microvascular lympho-venous anastomosis. The most significant data recorded by us on the interaction of laser radiation with living matter are shortly reviewed.