Medical Lasers
Since their first appearance, lasers have found countless applications in the medical industry. Hospitals, doctors' offices, dental offices, medical spas, and veterinary clinics all commonly use medical lasers. There are several advantages to using lasers over scalpels and other medical instruments, such as higher accuracy and smaller incisions. Lasers also sterilize the area being operated on, result in fewer complications, and offer faster patient recovery time.
There are three types of lasers that are often used in medicine. By changing light into heat, carbon dioxide lasers are used to cut and vaporize tissue. Argon lasers, on the other hand, are frequently used in dermatological procedures and laser eye surgery. Yag lasers are used to break through deep tissue, often in difficult to reach areas.
Applications for medical lasers include laser cutting, laser marking, laser welding, and die-board. During medical laser cutting, tissue is removed by melting, evaporation, or vaporization. Medical laser marking is used to mark medical and surgical parts, while medical laser welding is used to fuse medical materials together. Medical lasers also are used to cut die-board.