Origin of retinal pigment epithelium cell damage by pulsed laser irradiance in the nanosecond to microsecond time regimen

Brinkmann, Ralf and Huettmann, Gereon and Roegener, Jan and Roider, Johann and Birngruber, Reginald and Lin, Charles P. (2000) Origin of retinal pigment epithelium cell damage by pulsed laser irradiance in the nanosecond to microsecond time regimen. LASERS IN SURGERY AND MEDICINE, 27 (5). pp. 451-464. ISSN 0196-8092

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Abstract

Background and Objective: Selective photodamage of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a new technique to treat a variety of retinal diseases without causing adverse effects to surrounding tissues such as the neural retina including the photoreceptors and the choroid. In this study, the mechanism of cell damage after laser irradiation was investigated. Study Design/Materials and Methods: Single porcine RPE-melanosomes and RPE cells were irradiated with a Nd:YLF laser (wavelength lambda = 527 nm, adjustable pulse duration tau = 250 nsec-3 mu sec) and a Nd:YAG laser (lambda = 532 nm, tau = 8 nsec). Fast flash photography was applied to observe vaporization at melanosomes in suspension. A fluorescence viability assay was used to probe the cells vitality. Results: The threshold radiant exposures for vaporization around individual melanosomes and for ED50 cell damage are similar at 8-nsec pulse duration. Both thresholds increase with pulse duration; however, the ED50 cell damage radiant exposure is 40% lower at 3 mu sec. Temperature calculations to model the onset of vaporization around the melanosomes are in good agreement with the experimental results when assuming a surface temperature of 150 degreesC to initiate vaporization and a homogeneous melanosome absorption coefficient of 8,000 cm(-1). Increasing the number of pulses delivered to RPE cells at a repetition rate of 500 Hz, the ED50 value decreases for all pulse durations. However, the behavior does not obey scaling laws such as the N-1/4 equation. Conclusion: The origin of RPE cell damage for single pulse irradiation up to pulse durations of 3 mu sec can be described by a damage mechanism in which microbubbles around the melanosomes cause a rupture of the cell structure. The threshold radiant exposure for RPE damage decreases with increasing number of pulses applied. Lasers Surg. Med. 27:451-464, 2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: INTERNAL ABSORPTION-COEFFICIENT; STRESS TRANSIENT; BUBBLE FORMATION; MELANIN; INJURY; PHOTOCOAGULATION; MELANOSOME; CAVITATION; THRESHOLD; PARTICLES; fast flash photography; fluorescence microscopy; melanosome; pulse stretched laser; RPE-damage; selective photocoagulation; viability assay
Subjects: 600 Technology > 610 Medical sciences Medicine
Divisions: Medicine > Lehrstuhl für Augenheilkunde
Depositing User: Dr. Gernot Deinzer
Date Deposited: 08 Jun 2022 09:40
Last Modified: 08 Jun 2022 09:40
URI: https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/43030

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