title: The response of living tissue to pulses of a surgical CO2 laser.
abstract: The response of living tissue to surgical lasers was studied numerically. An algorithm computed the crater boundaries formed by a single laser pulse and the thermochemical damage around this crater. Heat conduction and beam attenuation by tissue vapors were found to be the major factor in the reduction of cutting efficiency.
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D007834:Lasers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008954:Models, Biological; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide