In-vivo plasma-mediated ablation as a function of laser pulse width

We evaluated in vivo wound healing responses to plasma- mediated ablation in skin as a function of laser pulsewidth and energy. Experiments utilized a regeneratively amplified Ti:Sapphire laser operating at 800 nm with pulsewidths varied from 7 ns to 100 fs. Skin incisions were created in mice by tightly focusing the laser beam on the tissue surface. Incisions of equal depth were compared at time points ranging from 6 hours to 3 weeks using standard histologic methods. Incision depth was proportional to pulse energy at each pulsewidth. Fluence threshold dependence on laser pulsewidth agreed with those predicted by ex vivo testing. Histologic analysis revealed minimal adjacent tissue damage at pulsewidths less than a few picoseconds and energies near the fluence threshold. Longer pulsewidths and higher fluence levels were associated with more significant collateral effects. These in vivo results suggest collateral tissue damage and secondary effects may be minimized by controlling laser pulsewidth and energy.