Medical Applications of Laser

Gurwinder Singh
RE2407A18, Reg. No.11406747, ECE563
Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering
Lovely Professional University
Phagwara, INDIA
gsingh1655@gmail.com
AbstractThis paper reviews the applications of laser in
medical field. This paper includes the fundamental physics of
laser, lasers types. Laser applications from eye treatment to
cancer treatment are covered in this paper.
Index Termslaser, population
emission, stimulated emission.

inversion,

spontaneous

I. INTRODUCTION

When an external electromagnetic field at a frequency

associated with a transition state, the probability of the atom
entering this transition state is greatly increased. Such a
transition to a higher state is called absorption, and it destroys
an incident photon (the photons energy goes into powering the
increased energy of the higher state). A transition from the
higher to a lower state, however, produces an additional
photon: this is the process of stimulated emission.

The term laser means light amplification by stimulated

emission of radiation. It differs from other sources of light
because it emits light coherently. Laser has spatial coherence as
well as high temporal coherence. Spatial coherence means the
output being a narrow beam which is diffraction-limited.
Temporal coherence means a polarized wave at a single
frequency whose phase is correlated over a relatively large
distance. Medical areas that employ lasers include angioplasty,
cancer treatment, medical imaging and many more.CO 2, diode,
dye and excimer are some of the lasers type.
II. HISTORY
In 1917, Albert Einstein established the theoretical
foundations for the laser and the maser in the paper Zur
Quantentheorie der Strahlung (On the Quantum Theory of
Radiation) for the absorption, spontaneous emission of
electromagnetic radiation. In 1928, Rudolf W. Ladenburg
confirmed the existences of the phenomena of stimulated
emission. Red ruby laser radiation was generated for the first
time by Theodore Maiman in May 1960. The first real success
in terms of laser technology was in care of a detached retina.
After successfully treating rabbits for detached retina, the
ophthalmologist Ch.J.Campbell and the Ch. Zweng performed
the first successful operations on a human patient.

When number of particles in excited state exceeds the

number of particles in some lower energy state, population
inversion is achieved. The amount of stimulated emission due
to light that passes through is larger than the amount of
absorption. Hence, the light is amplified. This makes an optical
amplifier. When an optical amplifier placed inside a resonator
optical cavity, it works like a laser oscillator. If the applied
pump power is small, the gain will never be sufficient to
overcome the resonator losses, and laser light will not be
produced. Thus, the minimum pump power needed to begin
laser action is called the lasing threshold.

III. LASER PHYSICS

1. Gas laser
Mostly used gas is Carbon Dioxide (CO 2) at commercial
level. It can emit hundreds of watts in a single mode which can
be concentrated into a tiny spot. The emission is in the thermal
infrared at 10.6m. CO2 gas laser is very useful in surgical
procedures because water (which makes up most biological
tissue) absorbs this frequency of light very well. Its other uses
are laser surgery and skin resurfacing.

The energy of an electron in the outer shell of an atomic

nucleus is larger. When an electron absorbs energy either from
light(photons) or heat (phonons) , it excited from lower to
higher energy level but it will not stay that way forever. When
such an electron decay from an excited state to lower state
without external influence, emitting a photon, that is called
spontaneous emission.

IV. TYPES OF LASERS

passed through a thin tube into an artery. Then it destroys the

plaque, layer by layer, by vaporizing it into gaseous particles.

Fig. Laser Angioplasty

Fig. Medical CO2 laser
2. Dye laser
This laser uses an organic dye as the lasing medium,
usually as a liquid solution. A dye laser can be used for a much
wider range of wavelengths. Dye laser was discovered by P.P.
Sorokin and F.P. Schafer in 1966. This laser is used in several
areas of medical, including dermatology where they are used to
make skin tone more even. It is also used to treat blood vessel
disorders and kidney stones. Its wavelength is 390-435nm.
3. Excimer laser
It is also known as exciplex laser. It is a form of
ultraviolet laser which is commonly used in eye surgery. These
lasers are of the noble gas halide type. It was invented by
Nikolai Basov, V.A. Danilychev and Yu .M. Popov in 1970. It
typically uses a combination of a noble gas (argon, krypton, or
xenon) and a reactive gas (fluorine or chlorine). Its wavelength
is 193nm.
The ultraviolet light from excimer laser is absorbed by
biological matter and organic compounds. Rather than burning
or cutting material, it disrupt the molecular bonds of the
surface tissue and disintegrates them into air. It uses in eye
surgery LASIK.
4. Free-Electron laser
This laser uses very high-speed electrons that move
freely through a magnetic structure, hence the term freeelectron as lasing medium. This laser used in surgery. Soft
tissues like skin, cornea, and brain tissue could be cut using
infrared free-electron laser of wavelength around 0.1nm.
Rox Anderson found that infrared free-electron laser can be
used in melting fats, without harming the overlying skin.

2. Cancer treatment
Laser therapy uses high-intensity light to treat cancer. Laser
is most commonly used to treat superficial cancers and the
very early stages of some cancers. Laser therapy is often given
through endoscope. Laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy
(LITT) also uses lasers to treat some type of cancers. During
LITT, an optical fiber is inserted into a tumor. Laser light at
the tip of the fiber raises the temperature of the tumor cells
and damages or destroys them. LITT is sometimes used to
shrink tumors in the liver. CO2 laser is used in cancer
treatment. CO2 lasers can cut the skins surface without going
into deeper layers. With laser therapy, patients usually have
less pain, bleeding and swelling. With laser therapy, operations
are usually shorter. It takes less time for patients to heal after
surgery, and they are less likely to get infections.
3. Laser eye surgery(LASIK)
LASIK, or laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis. LASIK is
used to treat myopia (short-sightedness), hyperopia (longsightedness) and astigmatism. The laser reshapes the front
surface of the eye with the use of cool ultraviolet beam of light
energy, which brings light into the retina. The laser light
pulses painlessly reshape the cornea. Excimer lasers also can
correct astigmasm by smoothing an irregular cornea into a
more normal shape.

V. MEDICAL AREA EMPLOY LASER

1. Angioplasty
It is the technique of widening narrowed or obstructed
arteries, which are completely blocked by plaque build-up or
blood clot. In laser angioplasty, a laser (the excimer laser) is

Fig. LASIK procedure

4. Medical Imaging
It is the technique, process and art of creating visual
representations of the interior of a body for clinical analysis
and medical intervention. It is used to see internal structures
hidden by the skin and bones, as well as to diagnose and treat
disease.

Pressure increases and the rotten area explodes, making

popping sound. The laser kills any bacteria in the area so the
tooth is sterilized. Lasers are helping to reduce the pain
associated with most dental procedures.

5. Orthopedics
The laser is used to treat some common ailments of the
knee, shoulder and back. Orthopedic laser surgery is designed
to reconstruct, repair or stabilize the function of the
musculoskeletal system. Laser removes torn tissue in knee and
shoulder surgery which is often in areas inaccessible to
standard tools.

Laser technology has reached very deep into the medical

field at its extreme level. Diseases like cancer, eye surgery, and
angioplasty and so on, which seems to be very expensive and
painful for the patients, now easily available for them. Lasers
from Dye laser to Excimer lasers are used in medical field area.
Hence, this paper has explained various medical areas where
lasers have its own importance, but it is only the small area of
the laser use in medical field area.

6. Dentistry
Many people suffer from tooth sensitivity which causes
pain with hot and cold things. This pain is result of an exposed
dentin layer and possibly the root when the gum has been
stripped away through aggressive brushing. Lasers can seal
the area and eliminate the sensitivity. Lasers are also used to
remove tooth decay, harden plastics used in place of metal
fillings and so on. The laser is directed at the rotten area,
which contains more water molecules than the rest of the
tooth. Water molecules in the decay are heated rapidly.

VI.

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES
[1] www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery
[2] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LASIK
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Applications of Dye Lasers". In Duarte FJ. Tunable Laser
Applications (2nd ed.). Boca Raton: CRC Press. pp. 227
244.ISBN 1-4200-6009-0.
[4] Goldman L (1990). "Dye Lasers in Medicine". In Duarte FJ;
Hillman LM. Dye Laser Principles. Boston: Academic Press.
pp. 41932. ISBN 0-12-222700-X.