Experimental femtosecond laser-assisted nanosurgery of anterior lens capsule.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate femtosecond laser-assisted nanosurgery of the anterior lens capsule in a prospective in vitro study.


METHODS
Eight anterior lens capsules obtained during conventional phaco surgery were irradiated with a nonamplified 80-MHz near-infrared 800-nm titanium:sapphire femtosecond laser. Line intratissue laser cuts were examined by femtosecond multiphoton laser scanning microscopy (MLSM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).


RESULTS
Speed parameters of the laser beam, laser ablation time, and pulse power determined the width of the lesions, which ranged from 220±40 nm (SD) to 1.49±0.15 µm. Both MLSM and TEM revealed minimal collateral alterations in the tissue surrounding the laser cuts.


CONCLUSIONS
Nonamplified near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses at low pulse energies may be a promising strategy for precise noncontact nanosurgery of the anterior lens capsule with minimal collateral damage to surrounding tissue. High-resolution MLSM offers 3-dimensional, noninvasive, nondestructive imaging at submicrometer resolution within seconds before and after ablation.
Toropygin
Sergey G
SG
Department of Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, University of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany. doctorop@mail.ru
Krause
Matthias
M
Akkaya
Asim
A
Riemann
Iris
I
Seitz
Berthold
B
Mestres
Pedro
P
Ruprecht
Klaus W
KW
Troeber
Leonie
L
Gatzioufas
Zisis
Z
König
Karsten
K
D057866:Anterior Capsule of the Lens / Q000601:surgery* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies