Temperature control during diode laser welding in a human cornea

Diode laser welding is a technique proposed in ophthalmic surgery to induce immediate sealing of clear corneal wounds. The welding effect is achieved irradiating the area, previously treated with a chromophore, by the use of a low power diode laser: the resulting thermal effect induces structural modifications in the stromal collagen, that welds upon cooling. We present a study on the temperature dynamics developing during welding in a human eye. An infrared thermocamera was used to measure the temperature variations on the surface of the cornea during clinical penetrating keratoplasty (corneal transplant). The experimental data were used as a starting point for a theoretical investigation of the temperature rising inside the ocular structures: we developed a mathematical model based on the bio-heat equation and solved by the use of the Finite Element Method (FEM). The predictive accuracy was verified by comparing the temperature post-processing description with the results obtained from the thermographic data. The model was then used to study the temperature rise and heat propagation inside the eye. Experimental results and model analysis indicated the occurrence of heat confinement during the treatment procedure and a modest enhancement of the temperature (reaching about 55°C inside the laser treated wound), thus evidencing the safety of the procedure in clinical applications.