Temperature controlled burn generation system based on a CO2 laser and a silver halide fiber optic radiometer.
OBJECTIVE
Experimental animal study of burns is dependent on a reliable burn generation system. Most of the experimental systems used today are unable to produce precise partial thickness burns. This limits the ability to study minor changes associated with burn care. The aim of the study was to develop a method for generating burns with a fixed depth using a CO2 laser burn generation system.


METHODS
The burn generation system was composed of two components: a burn generation device and a temperature sensing and control system. These components were designed to operate together in order to keep a constant, predetermined skin surface temperature during prolonged burn generation. One hundred thirty-eight spot burns were generated on the back of five shaved 450 g male Wistar rats. The rat skin was exposed to a 70 degrees C for 5-60 seconds. The burned areas were excised and underwent evaluation by hematoxylin-eosin-stained slide microscopy.


RESULTS
A linear correlation was found between the duration of exposure and the average burn depth (r = 0.93). This correlation is represented by the equation: burn depth in millimeters = 0.012x (duration in seconds of skin exposure at 70 degrees C).


CONCLUSIONS
The fiber-optic-controlled laser burn generation system studied is a reliable tool for creating partial thickness as well as full thickness skin burns in rats.
Cohen
Meir
M
Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Department of Plastic Surgery and Burn Unit, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. drcohen@netvision.net.il
Ravid
Avi
A
Scharf
Vered
V
Hauben
Daniel
D
Katzir
Abraham
A
D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007834:Lasers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D055100:Optical Fibers; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*