Laser soft-palate stiffening

Zhi Wang M.D.; Kathleen McMillan; Donald F. Perrault Jr.; Babak Nemati; Eric Carkner; Elie E. Rebeiz M.D.; Stanley M. Shapshay M.D.

doi:10.1117/12.312281

1 July 1998 Laser soft-palate stiffening

Zhi Wang M.D., Kathleen McMillan, Donald F. Perrault Jr., Babak Nemati, Eric Carkner, Elie E. Rebeiz M.D., Stanley M. Shapshay M.D.

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 3245, Lasers in Surgery: Advanced Characterization, Therapeutics, and Systems VIII; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.312281
Event: BiOS '98 International Biomedical Optics Symposium, 1998, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

Preliminary animal model experiments have been performed to test the feasibility of a new treatment for snoring. Current surgical treatments for snoring at the palatal level involve either excision of tissue to shorten the palate, or interstitial ablation of the palate to induce fibrosis and stiffening. Both shortening and stiffening of the palate are believed to be effective in reducing snoring. Mucosal surface damage and delayed tissue sloughing are the cause of considerable pain for the patient. In the new treatment proposed here, palatal stiffening with mucosal preservation is accomplished by combining evaporative cooling at the tissue surface with laser irradiation to heat subsurface tissue layers. The surface is cooled using a timed spray of tetrafluoroethane immediately prior to each pulse from a 1.54 micrometer erbium glass laser. In vivo experiments demonstrate that the technique causes significant shrinkage and decreased elasticity in hamster skin, with no tissue sloughing. In vitro experiments with canine soft palates show that laser-induced thermal damage zones ranged from approximately 0.75 to 1.75 mm below the surface, depending on laser parameters. These results suggest that the noninvasive laser technique may produce palatal stiffening with protection of the mucosal surface, for treatment of snoring with minimal morbidity.

Citation Download Citation

Zhi Wang M.D., Kathleen McMillan, Donald F. Perrault Jr., Babak Nemati, Eric Carkner, Elie E. Rebeiz M.D., and Stanley M. Shapshay M.D. "Laser soft-palate stiffening", Proc. SPIE 3245, Lasers in Surgery: Advanced Characterization, Therapeutics, and Systems VIII, (1 July 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.312281

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