Thermographic Methods during Laser-tissue Interaction

This paper describes the use of thermographic methods during laser/tissue interaction. The efficacy of laser application on human tissue is partly dependent on the skills and experience of the laser operator. The laser effects of photothermolysis occurring in the dermis are difficult to predict. With the intervention of an infrared radiometer it is possible to see the thermal distribution at the skin surface as the manually held laser light strikes the skin. It also useful in improving understanding as to the light/tissue interaction occurring in the dermis as a result of a proportion of returning energy to the skin surface. The radiometer is also useful when using computer scanning in the setting-up process. The tissue optical and thermal processes are also investigated by a Monte Carlo Model which is validated by the thermographic measurements. The results indicated the reaction of a patient’s physiology to thermal stresses, reducing the possibility of secondary skin damage during therapy and optimising various laser parameters both empirically through the validation of a theoretical model that predicts the radiative and thermal transport through the tissue medium.