Surgical Laser Targets Cells Individually

Surgical lasers are often imprecise and can vaporize healthy tissue, making them unsuitable for delicate tasks such as brain surgery. Adela Ben-Yakar, an assistant professor at the University of Texas with a background in rocket science, decided to address this problem by developing a femtoscond laser so precise that it can vaporize cells individually. The laser also can slice a single nerve axon without damaging the surrounding tissue, and can even target submicrometer-sized organelles inside of living cell.

Adela Ben-Yakar | Image Courtesy of Frontiers in Neuroscience

Ben-Yakar also has developed a laser scalpel that fits in a 15-mm surgical probe. When used with another fibre with microimaging capability, the tool enables surgeons to operate through a small incision and burn off cells one by one in places like the pituitary gland and the spinal cord. “The laser turns the targeted cell into atomic dust,” Ben-Yakar told Wired magazine. The laser leaves the surrounding tissue unscathed.

Her research group at the University of Texas is also working on developing lasers for cancer diagnosis and treatment as well as micromachining applications.

Tags: Adela Ben-Yakar, femtosecond laser, laser, University of Texas