High-speed photography of the laser-induced photoablation of urinary calculi utilizing a light-emitting diode photon...

This work details the design and implementation of a high-speed photography system for capturing events occurring during the laser-induced ablation of urinary calculi. New technology is presented in the form of a digital timing circuit driving a high-intensity light-emitting diode to provide the illuminating pulse for photography. Single events having a duration of one microsecond are captured at varying time intervals after the onset of the ablating pulse using a Polaroid camera and high-speed film. The system produced clear photographs of the ablation event, and may be used to generate photographs of other events occurring on a semi-micro scale. Use of a high-intensity light-emitting diode for production of the strobe pulse offers a low-energy alternative to conventional strobe lamps and lasers.