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Optical-thermal simulation of tonsillar tissue irradiation
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. banuandrahul@aol.com
Background And Objective:
Despite laser applications targetted toward tonsillar tissue, there has been no characterization of underlying optical and thermal events during laser irradiation of tonsillar tissue.
Study Design/Materials And Methods:
The optical properties of canine and human tonsils were determined at 805 nm (diode laser) and 1,064 nm (Nd:YAG laser). An optical-thermal simulation was developed to predict the temperature rise in irradiated human tonsils.
Results:
The optical properties of human and canine tonsillar tissue are similar at both wavelengths. The optical-thermal simulation was validated and predicts that at 10 W and 1 minute of irradiation, the heat will be contained within the human tonsil. The diode laser causes more superficial heating than the Nd:YAG laser.
Conclusions:
The safety of irradiating human tonsils was shown. The diode laser is superior to the Nd:YAG laser because less heat affects collateral structures. The optical-thermal simulation detailed in this study can be used to predict the temperature rise in tissues undergoing irradiation.