Abstract

The high-water absorption peak α at 2.94 µm (>10,000 cm⁻¹, specific absorption depth of ~1 µm) makes exact spectroscopic measurements difficult to achieve. Measurements of films thin enough (~1 µm) to have adequate transmission for reliable detection require accurate estimation of the thickness of the film. Thicker samples may have more reliable thickness measurements, but corresponding overall transmission is too low to be measured accurately. Measurement problems increased by absorption peak shifts with higher temperatures. All these are important considerations in predicting the penetration depth of incident radiation and the amount of tissue ablated in a real surgical situation. A model is given to indicate what kinds of tissue removal per laser pulse can be expected in a given situation. Scattering is included, although unlikely in this spectral region, but to allow comparison with laser ablation at shorter wavelengths.

© 1988 Optical Society of America