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Published on: April 11, 2014
Dynamic properties of surfactant-enhanced laser-induced vapor bubbles for lithotripsy applications
Nicholas C Giglio1, Thomas C Hutchens1, Austin A South2
1University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Physics and Optical Science, Charlotte, Nor, United States.
Significance:
Water is a primary absorber of infrared (IR) laser energy, and urinary stones are immersed in fluid in the urinary tract and irrigated with saline during IR laser lithotripsy. Laser-induced vapor bubbles, formed during lithotripsy, contribute to the stone ablation mechanism and stone retropulsion effects.
Aim:
Introduction of a surfactant may enable manipulation of vapor bubble dimensions and duration, potentially for more efficient laser lithotripsy.
Approach:
A surfactant with concentrations of 0%, 5%, and 10% was tested. A single pulse from a thulium fiber laser with wavelength of 1940 nm was delivered to the surfactant through a 200-μm-core optical fiber, using a wide range of laser parameters, including energies of 0.05 to 0.5 J and pulse durations of 250 to 2500 μs.
Results:
Bubble length, width, and duration with surfactant increased on average by 29%, 17%, and 120%, compared with water only.
Conclusions:
Our study demonstrated successful manipulation of laser-induced vapor bubble dimensions and duration using a biocompatible and commercially available surfactant. With further study, use of a surfactant may potentially improve the "popcorn" technique of laser lithotripsy within the confined space of the kidney, enable non-contact laser lithotripsy at longer working distances, and provide more efficient laser lithotripsy.
