Photoablation of inner limiting membrane and inner retinal layers using the Erbium:YAG-laser: An in vitro study
✍ Scribed by Hans Hoerauf; Alexandra Brix; Jörg Winkler; Gerit Droege; Christian Winter; Reginald Birngruber; Horst Laqua; Alfred Vogel
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2006
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 569 KB
- Volume
- 38
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0196-8092
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Abstract
Background and Objectives
To explore the potential of Er:YAG‐laser irradiation for precise and tractionless retinal tissue and inner limiting membrane ablation.
Materials and Methods
We used free‐running Er:YAG‐laser irradiation (λ = 2.94 µm) transmitted either through a 10 cm long low‐OH‐quartz fiber or a 2 m long sapphire fiber that produced a more homogenous light distribution at the fiber tip. Retinal ablation in porcine retinal explants was performed under air or perfluorodecaline (PFD). Ablation depth was evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and from histologic sections.
Results
A radiant exposure of 5.0 J/cm^2^ delivered through a low‐OH‐quartz fiber and PFD caused a complete transsection of the neurosensory retina. Radiant exposures between 3.5 and 2.0 J/cm^2^ resulted in marked variations of ablation depth and adjacent thermal damage. By contrast, laser pulses of 4.0 and 3.0 J/cm^2^ transmitted through the sapphire fiber produced more homogenous defect patterns and less thermal damage. Close to the ablation threshold, with 1.0–2.0 J/cm^2^, ablation was limited to a 10–20 µm thin layer of the neural retina.
Conclusions
We achieved in vitro ablation of inner retinal layers, but could not produce selective and reproducible ILM removal. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.