| New device promises to improve laser accuracy |
| A team of researchers in Canada developed a technique that significantly improves laser accuracy by enabling cutting to be stopped at a precise point (comparable to the idea of a Star Wars lightsaber), according to an article on www.nationalpost.com. The technique will be useful when using lasers in surgical procedures, among other applications, according to the researchers.
The team has demonstrated they can stop a laser within 50µm—or about half the diameter of a human hair.
The density and power of the cut, however, would depend on the laser that the device is being applied to.
The device is partially based on an imaging technique called "optical coherence tomography," used to provide 3-D images of human retinas.
The team calls their adaptation inline coherent imaging.
Using this imaging technique allows the user to see along the light beam that accompanies the cutting laser, enabling the creation of depth images from the incision, according to Dr. James Fraser, a professor at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, who helped developed the device.
The team also includes Queens University student Paul Webster, alumnus Ben Leung and Dr. Victor Yang, an adjunct professor at Ryerson University.
A major problem thats hindering laser application in major surgeries is that the light beam just keeps going, Fraser explained in the article, adding that lasers can be advantageous to mechanical drills or scalpels because they can focus on very tight spots and the intensity of the light is controllable.
Fraser noted the team will conduct further testing on laser cutting and laser welding, which are useful when making automotive components—an application that shares the same depth issue as surgery.
reference:http://micromanufacturing.com |
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