Abstract
We studied light propagation of holmium:YAG laser radiation (λ = 2.12 µm) by measuring the two-dimensional laser beam profile before and after propagation through a tissue sample with a modified fast-temperature-measurement technique. The comparison between water and cartilage tissue allowed us to differentiate between beam broadening caused by formation of a thermal lens and broadening due to light scattering. In water, beam propagation is influenced by formation of thermal lensing, whereas in cartilage the broadening was caused by a combination of light scattering and thermal lensing. Additionally, we discovered that the observed effects are subject to dynamic changes during the laser–tissue interaction.
© 2001 Optical Society of America
Full Article | PDF ArticleMore Like This
Hans Pratisto, Martin Frenz, Michael Ith, Hans J. Altermatt, E. Duco Jansen, and Heinz P. Weber
Appl. Opt. 35(19) 3328-3337 (1996)
Emil N. Sobol, Alexander P. Sviridov, Moishe S. Kitai, and Glenn S. Edwards
Appl. Opt. 42(13) 2443-2449 (2003)
Inci Çilesiz and Abraham Katzir
Appl. Opt. 40(19) 3268-3277 (2001)