title: Vascular tissue ablation by an erbium-YAG laser: a fiber-transmittable pulsed laser in the infrared range.
abstract: Vascular tissue ablation by an erbium:YAG laser of 2,940 nm was tested in-vitro with the application of increasing energies from 20 to 80 mJ per pulse. Effective ablation of normal vascular tissue, lipomatous atheromas and calcified plaques was achieved. Penetration depth was considerably diminished in the presence of calcifications. The lasered craters showed smooth surfaces and were regularly shaped. The solid state erbium:YAG, which is transmittable by fluoride fibers, offers theoretical advantages for laser angioplasty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Technology, Aachen, West Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vorwerk
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zolotas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hessel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Guenther
mesh_terms: D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007259:Infrared Rays; D008028:Light Coagulation / Q000379:methods