In vivo studies of ultrafast near-infrared laser tissue bonding and wound healing

• Published in: Journal of biomedical optics Vol. 20; no. 10; p. 108001
• Main Authors: Sriramoju, Vidyasagar, Alfano, Robert R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers 01.10.2015
• Subjects: Animals; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Guinea Pigs; Infrared Rays - therapeutic use; Laser Therapy - instrumentation; Laser Therapy - methods; Research Papers: Therapeutic; Treatment Outcome; Wound Closure Techniques - instrumentation; Wound Healing - radiation effects; laser tissue bonding; ultrafast laser studies; near-infrared laser welding; laser surgery; ultrafast lasers on wound healing; femtosecond laser tissue bonding; nonthermal laser effects; nonlinear photo absorption in proteins
• ISSN: 1083-3668; 1560-2281
• DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.20.10.108001

Femtosecond (fs) pulse lasers in the near-infrared (NIR) range exhibit very distinct properties upon their interaction with biomolecules compared to the corresponding continuous wave (CW) lasers. Ultrafast NIR laser tissue bonding (LTB) was used to fuse edges of two opposing animal tissue segments in vivo using fs laser photoexcitation of the native vibrations of chomophores. The fusion of the incised tissues was achieved in vivo at the molecular level as the result of the energy-matter interactions of NIR laser radiation with water and the structural proteins like collagen in the target tissues. Nonthermal vibrational excitation from the fs laser absorption by water and collagen induced the formation of cross-links between tissue proteins on either sides of the weld line resulting in tissue bonding. No extrinsic agents were used to facilitate tissue bonding in the fs LTB. These studies were pursued for the understanding and evaluation of the role of ultrafast NIR fs laser radiation in the LTB and consequent wound healing. The fs LTB can be used for difficult to suture structures such as blood vessels, nerves, gallbladder, liver, intestines, and other viscera. Ultrafast NIR LTB yields promising outcomes and benefits in terms of wound closure and wound healing under optimal conditions.