LASER-DIODE-PUMPED FIBER-DELIVERED TM:YLF SURGICAL LASER

DEVELOPMENT OF A TM:YLF SOLID-STATE LASER SURGICAL SYSTEM WHICH WILL UTILIZE A NEW TYPE OF EFFICIENT, LASER-DIODE-PUMPING SCHEME WILL BE DEVELOPED. THIS SCHEME IS EASILY SCALABLE TO HIGH-AVERAGE-POWER OPERATION. THE LASER IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TISSUE INTERACTION EFFECTS LIKE THOSE OF THE 10-MICROMETER-WAVELENGTH C02 LASER, BUT WITH THE ADVANTAGE THAT ITS 1.95-MICROMETER-WAVELENGTH IS EASILY TRANSMITTED BY STANDARD, FLEXIBLE, LOW-OH SILICA FIBERS. INTERACTING WITH MALIGNANT OR VIRAL LESIONS, THE CW-MODE OF OPERATION IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE LOWER EMISSION OF VIABLE BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL THAN THE PULSED-MODE LASER OPERATION, TYPICAL OF FLASH-LAMP-PUMPED, SOLID-STATE LASERS OPERATING IN THE 2 MICROMETER OUTPUT-WAVELENGTH RANGE. THE NEW LASER-DIODE-PUMPED-LASER TECHNIQUE, TO BE UTILIZED IN THIS PROJECT, IS ALSO EASILY ADAPTABLE TO PULSED-LASER-DIODE-PUMPING AND THUS WILL ALLOW CONSTRUCTION OF COMPACT AND EFFICIENT, CW OR PULSED, MEDICAL LASER SYSTEMS OPERATING NEAR THE 1.93 MICROMETER WATER ABSORPTION PEAK. SUCH SYSTEMS WILL FIND READY APPLICATIONS IN MANY EXCISION/COAGULATION/CUTTING PROCEDURES WHERE THE NEED FOR FLEXIBLE FIBER DELIVERY OR THE NEED TO WORK IN A LIQUID FILLED FIELD PREVENTS EASY APPLICATION OF A C02 LASER.