Abstract

Quantitative understanding of the fundamental mechanisms in laser tissue ablation is essentia) to improve clinical laser applications. The existing plasma models consider the cascade ionization as the primary pathway for free electron generation and provides correct prediction on the optical breakdown thresholds by short laser pulses from visible to NIR in water and ocular tissues in which tissue absorption is negligible.¹⁻⁴ Through the analysis of the ablation probability data obtained from skin tissue by nanosecond laser pulses at 1064, 532, 266, and 213 nm, we have shown that the soft tissue ablation processes in the wide spectral region exhibit similar characteristics which, however, cannot be explained by the existing plasma models.⁵

© 2002 Optical Society of America