Er:YAG laser osteotomy directed by sensor controlled systems

Background: Great efforts have been taken in the past to develop laser systems suitable for bone cutting. Laser systems emitting light in the infrared spectrum (2.9, 3.0 μm) have been found to be ideal for efficient bone ablation with very little carbonization. Aim: To evaluate a new laser bone cutt...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of cranio-maxillo-facial surgery 2003-12, Vol.31 (6), p.337-342
Main Authors: Rupprecht, Stephan, Tangermann, Katja, Kessler, Peter, Neukam, Friedrich Wilhelm, Wiltfang, Joerg
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminum Silicates
Animal bone
Animals
Closed-loop control system
Dentistry
Electronics - instrumentation
Equipment Design
Er:YAG laser
Erbium
Femur - pathology
Femur - surgery
Laser osteotomy
Laser Therapy - instrumentation
Laser Therapy - methods
Light
Mandible - pathology
Mandible - surgery
Optics and Photonics - instrumentation
Osteotomy - instrumentation
Osteotomy - methods
Rabbits
Robotics - instrumentation
Surgery, Computer-Assisted - instrumentation
Surgery, Computer-Assisted - methods
Swine
Swine, Miniature
Yttrium
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Summary:Background: Great efforts have been taken in the past to develop laser systems suitable for bone cutting. Laser systems emitting light in the infrared spectrum (2.9, 3.0 μm) have been found to be ideal for efficient bone ablation with very little carbonization. Aim: To evaluate a new laser bone cutting system enabling the automatic detection of different tissue qualities by an integrated sensor to avoid damage to sensitive structures such as blood vessels or nerves. Material: An Erbium:YAG laser containing an integrated closed-loop control system, was constructed and tested on dissected bone. Process emissions such as resonance changes caused by the interaction of laser light and various tissue structures can be used for a controlled system. Sensor signals from a photodiode and a piezo-electric accelerometer were received and processed to guide the laser osteotomy. Methods: Tests were performed on dissected bone specimens from rabbit femur (14) and minipig jaw (6). After laser application, the bone specimens were evaluated macroscopically and histologically. Results: The specimens were evaluated histomorphometrically for the depth of cortical bone ablation when the closed-loop control system switched off the laser. Mean courses of 97.45% (pig) and 97.83% (rabbit) showed that the systems work with precision. Conclusion: After penetrating the cortical bone layer, the laser beam was promptly interrupted due to extreme changes of the signal character received by the sensor system. The in vitro tests of this new laser closed-loop control system were successful.
ISSN:1010-5182
1878-4119
DOI:10.1016/j.jcms.2003.07.007