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DIRECTED
ENERGY
PROFESSIONAL
SOCIETY
Abstract: 24-Symp-002
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UNCLASSIFIED, PUBLIC RELEASE
Investigation of Suprathreshold Near-Infrared Laser Exposures to Skin in the Yucatan Mini Pig
A significant knowledge gap exists pertaining to the presentation and categorization of suprathreshold skin injuries due to near-infrared (NIR) laser exposure, where supra-threshold is defined as damage beyond the minimum visible lesion (MVL) level such as partial thickness 2nd degree burns and full-thickness 3rd degree burns. Existing studies feature very limited laser exposure parameter sets, do not analyze the affected tissue at depth post-exposure, and are often limited to excised tissue samples. Furthermore, computational modeling and damage prediction of NIR skin exposure has only been validated at the surface of the skin for MVL thresholds. This work investigated suprathreshold exposure to porcine skin in vivo using a continuous-wave (CW) laser system emitting at 1070 nm. The categorical parameters of variation were exposure duration and beam diameter, with each parameter combination subsequently explored over a wide range of laser powers (i.e., doses). A thermal camera was employed to capture the intra-exposure temperature history on the surface of the skin. Biopsies of each laser-induced lesion were taken three days following exposure, stained with H&E, and histologically analyzed for depth of damage penetration into the dermis. The results allow for empirical correlation between laser dose and dermal depth of damage and enable dose-response prediction of 2nd and 3rd degree burns. The data were also compared to a three-dimensional computational model of laser skin exposure for assessments of accurate damage prediction at depth.
UNCLASSIFIED, PUBLIC RELEASE
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