Collateral Damage-Free Debridement using 193 nm ArF Laser

Copyright 2011 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. This paper was (will be) published in and is made available as an electronic reprint [preprint] with permission of SPIE. Single print or electronic copies for personal use only are allowed. Systematic or multiple reproduction, distribution to multiple locations through an electronic listserver or other electronic means, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commericial purposes, or modification of the content of the pater are all prohibited. By choosing to view or print this document, you agree to all the provisions of the copyright law protecting it.

Burn eschar and other necrotic areas of the skin and soft tissue are anhydrous compared to the underlying viable tissue. A 193 nm ArF excimer laser, emitting electromagnetic radiation at 6.4 eV at fluence exceeding the ablation threshold, will debride such necrotic areas. Because such radiation is strongly absorbed by aqueous chloride ions through the non-thermal process of electron photodetachment, debridement will cease when hydrated (with chloride ions) viable tissue is exposed, avoiding collateral damage to this tissue. Such tissue will be sterile and ready for further treatment, such as a wound dressing and/or a skin graft.

By: James J. Wynne, Jerome M. Felsenstein, Robert Trzcinski, Donna Zupanski-Nielsen, Daniel P. Connors

Published in: SPIE Proceedings, volume 7883, (no ), pages DOI: 10.1117/12.876957 in 2011

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