Dual-wavelength fibre-laser platform enables bloodless brain surgery

By: Cynthia E Keen

Photo By: The Optical Society

BLI Director Thomas Milner and BLI Researcher Nitesh Katta involved in development of the fibre laser platform.

A dual-wavelength fibre-laser platform designed for bloodless brain tissue resection has been developed by researchers at the UCI Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic and the University of Texas at Austin. Configuration of the platform for clinical use will enable neurosurgeons to rapidly remove brain tumours, forming the basis of a flexible cutting tool for precision tissue resection.

“Development of the fibre laser platform was enabled by two key scientific advances,” principal investigator Thomas Milner, director of the Beckman Laser Institute, tells Physics World. “The first is the laser dosimetry required to coagulate blood vessels of variable sizes. Large calibre blood vessels (250 µm or larger) have previously evaded laser coagulation due to fast flowing blood. My colleague Nitesh Katta worked out the scientific rationale for establishing the laser dosimetry to coagulate blood vessels up to 1.5 mm in diameter.”

Click here to read the full article on the PhysicsWorld website.