Intradermally focused infrared laser pulses: thermal effects at defined tissue depths

Abstract

Background and objectives: To produce controlled, spatially confined thermal effects in dermis.

Study designs/materials and methods: A 1 W, 1,500 nm fiber-coupled diode laser was focused with a high numerical aperture (NA) objective to achieve a tight optical focus within the upper dermis of skin held in contact with a glass window. The delivery optics was moved using a computer-controlled translator to generate an array of individual exposure spots. Fresh human facial skin samples were exposed to a range of pulse energies at specific focal depths, and to a range of focal depths at constant pulse energy. Cellular damage was evaluated in frozen sections using nitro-blue tetrazolium chloride (NBTC), a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity stain. Loss of birefringence due to thermal denaturation of collagen was evaluated using cross-polarized light microscopy. The extent of focal thermal injury was compared with a model for photon migration (Monte Carlo Simulation), heat diffusion, and protein denaturation (Arrhenius model).

Results: Arrays of confined, microscopic intradermal foci of thermal injury were created. At high NA, epidermal damage was avoided without active cooling. Foci of thermal injury were typically 50-150 microm in diameter, elliptical, and at controllable depths from 0 to 550 microm. Both LDH inactivation and extracellular matrix denaturation were achieved.

Conclusion: Spatially confined foci of thermal effects can be achieved by focusing a low-power infrared laser into skin. Size, depth, and density of microscopic, thermal damage foci may be arbitrarily controlled while sparing surrounding tissue. This may offer a new approach for nonablative laser therapy of dermal disorders.