Abstract

Low-intensity laser therapy (LILT) with adequate wavelength, intensity, and dose can accelerate tissue repair. However, there is still disperse information about light characteristics. Several works indicate that laser polarization plays an important role on the wound healing process. This study was conducted to verify the degree of linear polarization in normal and pathological rat skin samples. Artificial burns about 6 mm in diameter were created with liquid N₂ on the back of the animals. The degree of polarization was measured in normal and pathological skin samples. It was verified that linearly polarized light can survive in the superficial layers of skin and it can be more preserved in skin under pathological condition when compared with health skin. The present study supports the hypothesis that polarized laser radiation can be used to treat open wounds and improve the healing.

© 2001 OSA/SPIE