title: Photography of shock waves during excimer laser ablation of the cornea. Effect of helium gas on propagation velocity.
abstract: Shadow photography of shock waves excited by means of a xenon chloride excimer laser was performed to determine the shock wave propagation velocity in air, nitrogen and helium. Energy densities between 500 and 2,000 mJ/cm2 were used to ablate a rotating rubber cylindrical target and porcine corneas. In ablating the rubber cylinder, a shock wave velocity of 3.3 km/s was generated in air and nitrogen at 40 ns; this decreased to 1.4 km/s at 320 ns. When helium was blown on the target, the velocity increased by a factor of approximately two, to 5.9 km/s at 40 ns and 2.7 km/s at 320 ns. We suggest that blowing helium on the surface of the cornea during excimer laser ablation may speed the dissipation of high-energy acoustic waves and gaseous particles, and thus reduce the exposure and transfer of heat energy to the surrounding tissue.
authors.affiliation: Dean A. McGee Eye Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Krueger
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Krasinski
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Radzewicz
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Stonecipher
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Rowsey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery*; D006371:Helium; D053685:Laser Therapy; D010781:Photography; D013552:Swine; D014465:Ultrasonics
chemical_list: D006371:Helium