Development of a High Power Picosecond Infrared Laser for Medical Applications

This project will focus on furthering the development of a compact picosecond infrared laser (PIRL) system for use in surgical applications. This laser system, which represents a new paradigm for laser surgery, is unique in its ability to provide high-speed cutting of biological tissue without the collateral damage to surrounding tissues inherent in current surgical laser technologies. Furthermore, this laser allows for the possibility of real-time diagnostics, as molecular fragments of the ablated tissue are left intact and can be analyzed through mass spectrometry. As an intern, I will be working on furthering the development of the existing PIRL system to raise the output power by an order of magnitude compared to existing designs. Additionally, I will be working on a fibre-optic delivery system to be used as the surgeons “scalpel”. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Dwayne Miller

Student:

Ryan Field

Partner:

Synaptive Medical Inc.

Discipline:

Physics / Astronomy

Sector:

Medical devices

University:

Program: