Diode Laser as an Electronic System of Surgical Influence on Soft Biological Tissues

The analysis of the physical bases, features of the design and clinical application of diode lasers (laser scalpels) in surgical practice, mechanism of action of a laser scalpel, which is based on the fact that the energy of a monochromatic coherent light beam sharply increases the temperature at the corresponding limited area of biological tissue, is carried out in the work. It is shown that under the effect of laser radiation the tissue is destroyed by the influence of a kind of shock wave, which is formed during the instantaneous transition of tissue fluid to a gaseous state. The surgical action of laser radiation depends on the wavelength, pulse duration, structure, and physical properties of the tissue. When calculating the results of laser heating of tissue it is necessary to take into account that optical, mechanical and thermal properties of tissue change in the course of its laser heating and are observed not separately, but in a complex. This is due to the heterogeneity of the tissue heating and the temperature gradients. The depth of incision of breast tissue was estimated by a laser scalpel "Lika-surgeon" (Ukraine), which is used for treatment of nodal formations of breast or residual cystic cavities with a fixed instrument. The depth of the hole changes inversely proportional to the size of the irradiated area, which is in good agreement with the experimental data.