Ceramic-Based Laser Scalpel
October 4, 2016 | Terry Sharrer
Laser scalpels were invented in 1964, and mostly rely on a single crystal, such as sapphire or garnet, doped with rare earth or transition metal ions to focus and amplify light into a heated edge. Now, researchers at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have developed a ceramic compound of lutetium oxide and thulium ions that not only makes manufacturing this instrument less expensive but also improves the delicacy of its cutting depth. MORE
Image Credit: ITAR-TASS/Pavel Smertin and www.dev.MDTMag.com