title: Measurement of the surface temperature of the cornea during ArF excimer laser ablation by thermal radiometry with a 15-nanosecond time response.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this work was to develop a temperature measurement system with a nanosecond time response to monitor the transient temperature of the corneal surface during laser refractive surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thermal radiation from the surface of the porcine cornea during ArF excimer laser irradiation was measured using a photovoltaic HgCdTe detector with a response bandwidth of 150 MHz.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maximum thermal radiation occurred at 31 +/- 4 nanoseconds, which was longer than the time response of the measurement system. The temperature derived from the detected signal reached over 100 degrees C at a fluence of 80 mJ/cm(2), which was the ablation threshold, and reached 240 degrees C at a fluence of 180 mJ/cm(2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present system of temperature measurement with a time response of 15.7 nanoseconds revealed that the transient surface temperature of the cornea during ablation is much higher than that previously reported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Engineering, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan. kobako@cc.ndmc.ac.jp
authors.forename: Miya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Tsunenori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Obara
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D011874:Radiometry; D013552:Swine; D013696:Temperature; D013821:Thermometers; D013997:Time Factors