Selective ablation of rabbit atherosclerotic plaque with less thermal effect by the control of pulse structure of a quantum cascade laser in the 5.7 µm wavelength range

Keisuke Hashimura; Katsunori Ishii; Kunio Awazu

doi:10.1117/12.2212179

7 March 2016 Selective ablation of rabbit atherosclerotic plaque with less thermal effect by the control of pulse structure of a quantum cascade laser in the 5.7 μm wavelength range

Keisuke Hashimura, Katsunori Ishii, Kunio Awazu

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Proceedings Volume 9706, Optical Interactions with Tissue and Cells XXVII; 97060J (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2212179
Event: SPIE BiOS, 2016, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Cholesteryl esters are main components of atherosclerotic plaques and have an absorption peak at the wavelength of 5.75 μm originated from C=O stretching vibration mode of ester bond. Our group achieved the selective ablation of atherosclerotic lesions using a quantum cascade laser (QCL) in the 5.7 μm wavelength range. QCLs are relatively new types of semiconductor lasers that can emit mid-infrared range. They are sufficiently compact and considered to be useful for clinical application. However, large thermal effects were observed because the QCL worked as quasicontinuous wave (CW) lasers due to its short pulse interval. Then we tried macro pulse irradiation (irradiation of pulses at intervals) of the QCL and achieved effective ablation with less-thermal effects than conventional quasi-CW irradiation. However, lesion selectivity might be changed by changing pulse structure. Therefore, in this study, irradiation effects of the macro pulse irradiation to rabbit atherosclerotic plaque and normal vessel were compared. The macro pulse width and the macro pulse interval were set to 0.5 and 12 ms, respectively, because the thermal relaxation time of rabbit normal and atherosclerotic aortas in the oscillation wavelength of the QCL was 0.5–12 ms. As a result, cutting difference was achieved between rabbit atherosclerotic and normal aortas by the macro pulse irradiation. Therefore, macro pulse irradiation of a QCL in the 5.7 μm wavelength range is effective for reducing thermal effects and selective ablation of the atherosclerotic plaque. QCLs have the potential of realizing less-invasive laser angioplasty.

Citation Download Citation

Keisuke Hashimura, Katsunori Ishii, and Kunio Awazu "Selective ablation of rabbit atherosclerotic plaque with less thermal effect by the control of pulse structure of a quantum cascade laser in the 5.7 μm wavelength range", Proc. SPIE 9706, Optical Interactions with Tissue and Cells XXVII, 97060J (7 March 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2212179

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KEYWORDS

Quantum cascade lasers

Laser ablation

Thermal effects

Laser therapeutics

Pulsed laser operation

Semiconductor lasers

Absorption

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