Melanin granule model for heating of tissue by laser

Charles R. Thompson

doi:10.1117/12.182972

17 August 1994 Melanin granule model for heating of tissue by laser

Charles R. Thompson

Proceedings Volume 2134, Laser-Tissue Interaction V; and Ultraviolet Radiation Hazards; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.182972
Event: OE/LASE '94, 1994, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

This paper describes an analytical model for the heating of cellular material due to absorption of laser energy by individual melanin granules. Since melanin is the primary absorber of visible and near-IR light in the skin and in the retina, bulk heating of tissue might be determined by superposition of individual granule effects. Granules are modeled as absorbing spheres surrounded by an infinite medium of water. Model computations are quick and accurate. For short pulse exposures, the model predicts granular temperatures that far exceed the boiling point of water, which indicates that damage mechanisms may not be purely thermal. The goal is to include this model inside a larger one which predicts retinal injury by lasers, from ultrashort pulses to continuous wave.

Citation Download Citation

Charles R. Thompson "Melanin granule model for heating of tissue by laser", Proc. SPIE 2134, Laser-Tissue Interaction V; and Ultraviolet Radiation Hazards, (17 August 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.182972

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