title: Short laser pulse-induced irreversible photothermal effects in red blood cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Photothermal (PT) responses of individual red blood cells (RBC) to short laser pulses may depend upon PT interactions at microscale.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sequence of identical short laser pulses (0.5 and 10 nanoseconds, 532 nm) was applied to individual RBCs, and their PT properties were analyzed at microscale in real time after each single pulse.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PT interactions in RBC were found to be localized to sub-micrometer zones associated with Hb that may be responsible for overheating and evaporation at higher optical energies. At sub-ablative energies, a single short laser pulse induced irreversible changes in the optical properties of RBC that stimulated the transition from a heating-cooling response to ablative evaporation in individual erythrocytes during their exposure to subsequent, but identical pulses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PT response of RBCs to short laser pulses of specific energy includes localized irreversible modifications of cell structure, resulting in three different effects: thermal non-ablative response, ablative evaporation, and residual thermal response.
authors.affiliation: Joint American-Belarussian Laboratory for Fundamental and Biomedical Nanophotonics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.
authors.forename: Ekaterina Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Lukianova-Hleb
authors.forename: Alexander O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Oginsky
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: Dmitri O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Lapotko
mesh_terms: D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D010949:Plasma / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; C016484:hemoglobin, stroma free