Category: Applications of Fiber Lasers

Fiber laser technology in medicine

Fiber laser technology has become one of the most powerful instruments in medicine, including cancer treatment. Laser therapy uses an intensely focused laser beam to destroy or shrink cancer cells. It can remove tumors while preserving healthy tissue. The therapy targets a specific part of the body to prevent further disease progression.

Tumor cells absorb light at different wavelengths compared to healthy cells. Selecting the appropriate fiber laser wavelength allows effective destruction of tumor cells.

Application of fiber laser therapy

Fiber laser treatment is mainly used in surgery, especially in complex operations with high patient risk.

Surgical applications

Fiber laser systems reduce pain, swelling, and bleeding. They allow specialists to seal lymphatic vessels, nerve endings, and blood vessels, minimizing complications during and after surgery.

Use across cancer stages

Fiber lasers can be applied at various cancer stages. They help limit the spread of cancer cells, treat precancerous cells on organ surfaces, and alleviate symptoms of advanced cancer. Fiber laser modules can destroy portions of tumors.

Endoscopic fiber catheter method

Fiber laser therapy is now often delivered via a flexible endoscopic fiber catheter. This narrow tube monitors internal tissues and delivers light directly to the therapy site. Specialists can destroy or cut tumors with precise laser beams.

Advantages and disadvantages

Compared to conventional surgery, fiber lasers have several advantages. They more accurately seal cut tissues, causing less damage. Patients experience reduced pain and scarring. Operations take less time, recovery is faster, and some procedures can be performed in a doctor’s office rather than a hospital.

Despite these benefits, fiber laser therapy has some drawbacks. It is more expensive than conventional tools, though specialized equipment is often cost-effective due to convenience. Laser therapy requires trained personnel, which can be a challenge for hospitals. The effects may not always be long-lasting, sometimes requiring repeat procedures. Overall, fiber laser systems provide more benefits than drawbacks, improving safety and convenience for patients and doctors.

Recently, scientists have developed new fiber laser systems capable of killing bacterial superbugs and spores. Bacteria that threaten human life adapt to medicines, including antibiotics. This prompted developers to explore alternative treatments. In some cases, the solution is a special ultrashort-pulse fiber laser.

Fiber laser systems kill bacteria

Fiber laser modules’ effects

Researchers in the United States discovered that fiber lasers emitting ultrashort pulses can eliminate drug-resistant bacteria. They studied the germicidal properties of ultrashort-pulse lasers and found that fiber laser modules can inactivate bacteria and viruses without harming human cells. They tested common viruses and bacteria, including those causing skin, organ, urinary tract, and wound infections, as well as spores responsible for food spoilage and poisoning, some of which resist cooking and boiling.

How it works

All bacteria and viruses contain protein structures. The ultrashort-pulse fiber laser makes these structures vibrate until molecular bonds break, causing faulty linkages that stop normal protein function.

Importance of laser power

To achieve the desired results, scientists must provide precise laser power. Different pathogens require specific laser powers. If the power is too high, human cells can be damaged. Therefore, there is an optimal power range that destroys pathogens while keeping human cells intact.

Future of this fiber laser technology

Developers envision ultrashort-pulse fiber laser technology as a way to inactivate pathogens while preserving human proteins and cells. It could disinfect surgical wounds or treat bloodstream infections. This technology may also replace harmful chemicals like bleach or radiation, providing safer handling of biological and blood products.

Results show fiber lasers can kill about 99.9% of target bacteria and reduce their quantity by 1,000 times, without harming human cells, making them suitable for wound sterilization and disinfection.

Fiber lasers have gained significant attention due to their qualities, practical benefits, and wide applications. A variety of wavelengths allows specialists to use fiber laser systems in industrial environments for welding, cutting, and texturing. Ultraprecise fiber lasers are applied in fields where high accuracy is critical, such as medicine, micromachining, and scientific research.

History of the fiber lasers’ development

The history of fiber lasers began with the invention of the first laser in 1961. Early lasers were complex and expensive, which limited their popularity. Fiber lasers found serious commercial applications only in the 1990s, as the technology gradually developed.

Modern improvements

Today, fiber laser technology continues to improve, producing more powerful and efficient systems. Specialists focus on increasing accuracy and reducing environmental impact. Combining outputs from multiple fiber lasers has enhanced both power and beam range.

Medical applications of ultrafast fiber lasers

Ultrafast fiber laser systems have many applications, with medicine being one of the most critical fields where they are indispensable.

Contribution to healthcare

Fiber lasers have greatly contributed to healthcare, used from therapy to surgery. Their high-power densities in sterile, noncontact processes enable efficient cauterization and faster recovery. Fiber laser technology has rapidly adapted to evolving medical procedures.

Fiber lasers in photodynamic therapy

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) uses fiber laser light to destroy abnormal cells. Initially, PDT was developed for specific cancer types, including cancerous and precancerous cells.

Further development of PDT

Advances in PDT have extended its application to general oncology and other cancers. This noninvasive or minimally invasive method shortens recovery time and is more convenient for patients.

Fiber lasers in dentistry

Fiber lasers have been used in dentistry for decades, providing faster, less painful treatments and shorter recovery periods.

Fiber lasers’ requirements in this sphere

Requirements for dental fiber lasers include essential characteristics such as wavelength and physical properties like size for optimal performance.

Fiber lasers for optical coherence tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was initially developed for ophthalmology but now finds broader medical applications.

Diagnostic capabilities

OCT uses laser light to capture cross-sectional images for diagnostics. High-resolution images allow detection of small infections at early stages and aid in monitoring treatments.

Fiber lasers for aesthetic applications

Fiber lasers are increasingly used in aesthetic, cosmetic, and dermatology procedures. Compared to CO2 lasers, fiber lasers now demonstrate high effectiveness due to technological advances.

Efficiency and procedures

Fiber laser systems are used for precise radiation treatments. Wavelength, beam quantity, and design determine efficiency and penetration depth. Multiple fiber lasers can be arranged to target a line or specific areas.

Common applications

Common aesthetic uses of fiber lasers include skin resurfacing and tattoo removal. Advanced procedures include treatment of vascular lesions, micro-preparation of skin, and psoriasis. With ongoing advancements, fiber lasers are becoming more powerful and precise, making them essential in medical procedures and scientific research.

Laser modules are applied in various industrial fields due to the wide spectrum of produced wavelengths. High-power fiber laser systems are commonly used for welding, marking, cutting, etc. Low-power but more precise fiber lasers are suitable for applications requiring high accuracy, for example, in science and medicine.

This article focuses on two applications of low-power fiber laser modules: laser pumping and optical trapping.

Most Common Advantages of Laser Modules

Laser diodes are applied in optical pumping of fiber lasers and DPSS. They are highly effective, robust, and compact. Laser modules provide high peak energy and stable beam quality.

The principle of photon confinement in rare-earth doped fiber gives fiber lasers an advantage: stability. Since a fiber laser generates the beam within the core, it does not require complex or sensitive optical components. Conventional lasers, on the contrary, rely on optical fibers for beam regulation and mirror reflection, which demand frequent precise adjustments. Fiber lasers are less sensitive to vibrations and shocks, maintaining operational stability.

The doped fiber core limits the beam, ensuring higher accuracy and more effective focusing.

Energy efficiency is another strength of fiber lasers. They convert almost all input into the beam, minimizing thermal conversion. This improves thermal protection and reduces degradation.

Most conventional laser sources use water cooling, while fiber lasers use air cooling to dissipate heat. This improves portability and reduces power consumption. Modern air-cooling systems, based on advanced heat dissipation studies, have proven highly effective in mitigating thermal effects.

Fiber laser systems with 1–100 W output power offer a wide range of wavelengths.

Fiber Laser Systems in Optical Pumping

Optical pumping of a laser medium is illumination by an external light source to transfer it to an excited state. Fiber lasers, like all laser systems, require an excitation source to pump energy into the system.

Methods of Optical Pumping

The most common methods of optical pumping include semiconductor lasers (diodes), solid-state, and fiber lasers. Both solid-state and fiber lasers are pumped with diodes.

Pumping can be continuous or pulsed. The difference lies in the delivery method: the pumping source is connected to the fiber core and fused into a double-clad fiber. The cladding material determines whether the absorption band is wide or narrow. Depending on this, conventional or wavelength-stabilized diodes may be applied.

Fiber Laser Modules in Optical Trapping

Optical trapping uses a focused laser beam to hold and manipulate microscopic objects. This technology is widely used in biomedical research.

Applications in Biomedical Research

Optical trapping can study single molecules thanks to its ability to work with nanoparticles. This has greatly advanced research on DNA and proteins.

Most optical trapping systems use laser modules with a 1 μm wavelength, which reduces the risk of biological damage. This range is optimal for aqueous biological specimens with a low absorption coefficient.

Synergy of Optical Pumping and Trapping

Together, optical pumping and optical trapping enable innovative applications in micro- and nanotechnology. Their combined efficiency brings new opportunities to science.

Since the invention of the first fiber laser module, these systems have found applications in various scientific studies related to biology, chemistry, astronomy, etc. In the future, scientists will develop more advanced fiber lasers to meet modern challenges. Today, fiber laser systems participate in field experiments ranging from triggering lightning in thunderclouds to genomics.

Advantages of the fiber laser systems

A fiber laser is a compact system providing high electrical and optical efficiency. Fiber lasers are reliable and deliver accurately controlled laser beams. By amplifying specific wavelengths inside optical fibers, specialists can design a system with excellent beam quality and high peak energy.

Lasers are not primarily light sources. They are effective at concentrating light in space or specific wavelengths. Most laser applications fall into three segments:

• Data transmission and processing
• Accurate delivery of energy
• Alignment, measurement, and imaging

Fiber lasers have significant advantages over other types. In addition to high-quality beams, they are powerful due to high brightness. Fiber lasers require little maintenance because optical fibers are set up without mirrors or lenses.

Flow visualization with fiber lasers

Flow visualization is a method used to make flow patterns visible and collect qualitative or quantitative data. It observes particle behavior in an air stream. Lasers reveal the direction and uniformity of the flow.

Particle image velocimetry (PIV)

Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is a flow visualization technology popular in scientific and engineering fields. It is used to measure characteristics of fluids and gases, such as instantaneous velocities.

A custom PIV system includes a multi-pulsed fiber laser, at least one camera synchronized with the laser, and a computer to display the results.

Specialists use CW or pulsed fiber lasers for PIV data acquisition. Fiber lasers are powerful with short pulses. They illuminate small tracer particles that move with the fluid. A camera captures a series of images used to calculate particle speed or direction.

Applications of the PIV technology

Particle image velocimetry has applications across macro and microscopic scales due to its capabilities.

Like other fiber laser applications, PIV requires highly reliable lasers. They must operate in harsh environments, which is why robust and cost-effective modules are important.

PIV systems are valuable instruments, applied in industries such as aerospace, agriculture, and medicine.

Specific applications

Automation and quality control for gas and liquid production: PIV can measure velocity and turbulence fields simultaneously, including in gas and oil production.

Indoor airflow measurements and analysis: Complex turbulent flows are difficult to measure accurately. PIV meets this challenge and has proven effective. Scientists can select parameters depending on their needs. Despite some limitations, indoor flow data is essential for validating simulations.

Combustion diagnostics: PIV is used to study combustion and optimize in-cylinder flow structures, important for emission regulations. Engine structure makes analysis challenging, but PIV provides valuable insights.

PIV in medicine: PIV evaluates medical devices, such as blood pumps and artificial heart valves. It can predict potential blood damage. Results depend on image quantity, resolution, and quality.

Today, PIV is effective, and specialists explore new applications. Fiber lasers play a key role in its development due to their advantages over conventional equipment.

Overview of Fiber Lasers in Medicine

Fiber lasers have had a major impact in various areas, including fundamental research, molecular detection, laser surgery, and biomedical research. Experts continue to make progress in multiple studies using modern fiber laser technology. They are applied in mid-IR laser spectroscopy, photodynamic therapy, and other fields.

This article focuses on the applications of fiber lasers in these two areas of medicine.

The current trend is to identify the most effective applications for fiber laser systems, as with any medical equipment. They provide pain relief for patients during treatment, and advanced laser modules increase treatment effectiveness. High-precision laser beams allow maximum efficiency in minimal time. Additional benefits of fiber lasers include the ability to perform delicate procedures, minimal scarring, and fast recovery.

Fiber Lasers for Mid-IR Spectroscopy

Mid-infrared spectroscopy (mid-IR) is a standard, non-destructive method of chemical analysis used in laboratories.

Biomedical Applications

New biomedical applications are particularly important due to rising healthcare costs and the need for rapid, non-destructive measurement technologies. In resource-constrained environments, compact mid-infrared laser modules are critical for biomedical sensing applications.

The characteristics of fiber lasers, including benchtop applications, make them especially suitable for biomedical use. They provide high power spectral density and, consequently, a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). With current technology, final measurements can be obtained in seconds.

Advances in fiber laser systems have improved clinical environments and treatment outcomes.

Fiber Lasers for Diabetes Monitoring

Glucose monitoring in diabetes is one application of mid-infrared spectroscopy.

Modern Monitoring Process

Glucometers are among the most widely used wearable biomedical sensors. Glucose monitoring is an essential part of a patient’s life and can be performed via finger-prick tests or wearable glucose monitoring devices. Both types have a limited lifespan due to degradation. Mid-infrared spectroscopy can address some measurement challenges, though it also has certain limitations.

In modern practice, the device is placed on the patient’s skin, a flash lamp is activated, and broadband radiation is transmitted through the fiber channel into the skin. Scattered and reflected optical signals are collected via receiving optical fiber channels and interference filters to CCD arrays. Specialists then view the data on a display.

Fiber Laser Systems for Photodynamic Therapy

PDT, or photodynamic therapy, is a treatment that uses a drug activated by laser light. It is particularly effective in destroying cancerous and precancerous cells, including those in the lung, skin, bladder, brain, and more. In cancer treatment, photodynamic therapy is typically applied in early stages under endoscopic observation. Certain photosensitizers are also used to treat bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.

Overview of Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy is generally a local treatment, targeting specific areas of the body. The affected area is irradiated with a fiber laser beam. Light exposure generates a reactive form of oxygen that destroys cancer cells.

The PDT process involves two main stages:

1. Introduction of photosensitizers into the body;
2. Light exposure.

The interval between these phases can vary from 10 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the disease and its stage. Methods of light exposure depend on the location of the pathological site:

• Direct light exposure;
• Endoscopic light exposure;
• Intraoperative light exposure (during surgery);
• Intravenous light exposure (blood photomodification).

PDT in Ophthalmology

In ophthalmology, fiber lasers are used for PDT to treat certain eye diseases, most commonly age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Its role remains somewhat limited. Photosensitizers are injected intravenously and selectively accumulate in abnormal blood vessels. A low-power laser beam activates the light-sensitive drugs, which destroy or seal abnormal vessels without harming surrounding cells. Specialists view PDT as a method to slow disease progression and preserve vision.

As fiber laser use continues to expand across medical fields, laser modules have proven effective. They have been instrumental in developing a wide range of fiber laser systems and in generating useful theoretical and experimental results. This is particularly true in the medical industry, where fiber lasers are extensively used.

Overview of Fiber Laser Systems

Low-power fiber laser systems have demonstrated excellent results in a variety of applications. In the medical field, they lead to improved patient outcomes and provide convenient, user-friendly tools for healthcare professionals. In science, they enable significant innovations and developments. For example, in research, they are used to analyze processes such as chemical reactions.

Fiber Laser System Characteristics

Today’s advanced fiber lasers deliver impressive performance while maintaining compact size and ease of use. As a result, they are in demand across many applications, such as aerospace and research. Year after year, fiber laser systems continue to improve and evolve.

Advantages of Laser Modules

The laser modules use a silica glass fiber optic cable as the light guide. Due to its small size and linear structure, the laser beam is more accurate. While providing high beam quality, fiber lasers offer advantages in robustness and safety. Laser modules occupy little space, are highly efficient, and have low maintenance and operating costs.

Fiber Laser System Applications

Different types of fiber lasers have found various applications. In particular, they are widely used in medicine, from diagnostics to cutting and non-invasive procedures.

Key Medical Areas

Fiber laser systems are used in the following areas:

Urology; Brain tissue treatment; Arthroscopy; Bone and cutaneous surgery; Ophthalmology; Photodynamic therapy (PDT); Biomedical sensing – mid-infrared spectroscopy; Dentistry; Lithotripsy, and more.

In surgical applications, doctors use the laser beam as a scalpel. Typically, fiber lasers are employed for minimally invasive surgery and with mini implants. Each new generation of laser products provides smaller and thinner tools. Fiber laser technology is a promising solution for the future.

Brain Tissue Treatment by Fiber Laser Systems

Fiber laser systems are used in neurological surgeries designed to treat neurological pathologies and oncology. The critical aspect of these surgeries is the specialized instruments capable of cutting tissue while providing optimal operating conditions for both patients and medical staff. For precise, bloodless surgery with minimal thermal damage, fiber lasers have proven effective. They provide surgeons with instruments for precise tissue removal. Laser modules can be integrated into flexible cutting tools, allowing access to hard-to-reach brain areas.

Neurological Cancer Surgery

Neurological cancer surgery requires precise technology capable of removing tumor cells and tissue without damaging nearby healthy structures. This is complicated by the location of neurological cancers, which may adhere to bone structures and cause bleeding if blood vessels are damaged, making visibility difficult for the surgeon. Therefore, a range of instruments is used in the operating room to dissect, fragment, and resect tissue effectively.

Application of Fiber Lasers in Arthroscopy

Every year, more surgeons adopt fiber lasers. Previously, fiber lasers were less compact and less affordable. As they have become easier to use and less invasive, they are now available for a wider range of surgical procedures. Fiber lasers have revolutionized microsurgery, minimizing damage to surrounding tissue.

Arthroscopic Surgery Procedure

Arthroscopic surgery can use fiber lasers. Arthroscopy is a medical procedure for diagnosing and treating joint problems. Through a small incision, a narrow tube is inserted, connected to a fiber-optic video camera. A high-resolution monitor displays all details inside the joint.

In arthroscopy, laser module devices have improved the precision of cutting and ablation while providing access to hard-to-reach areas.

Overall, fiber laser systems in medicine have become multifunctional instruments for soft-tissue surgeries. Their ability to cut and coagulate simultaneously makes them indispensable in microsurgery.