The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a surge in demand for medical treatment, medication, and medical supplies. The demand for masks, antipyretics, antigen detection reagents, oximeters, CT films, and other related medicines and medical equipment is likely to continue. Life is priceless and people are willing to unreservedly spend money on medical treatment, and this has created a medical market worth hundreds of millions.
Ultrafast Laser Realizes Precision Processing of Medical Devices
Ultrafast laser refers to the pulse laser whose output pulse width is 10⁻¹² or less than a picosecond level. The extremely narrow pulse width and high energy density of ultrafast laser make it possible to solve conventional processing bottlenecks such as high, fine, sharp, hard, and difficult processing methods that are hard to achieve. Ultrafast lasers are widely applicable to precision processing in biomedical, aerospace, and other industries.
The pain point of medical + laser welding mainly lies in the difficulty of welding dissimilar materials, differences in melting points, expansion coefficients, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, and material structures of dissimilar materials. The product features a small fine size, high precision requirements, and requires auxiliary high-magnification vision.
The pain point of medical + laser cutting mainly is that, in the cutting of ultra-thin materials (commonly referred to as thickness <0.2mm), the material is easily deformed, the heat effect zone is too large, and the edges are carbonized seriously; There are burrs, large cutting gap, and the precision is low; The thermal melting point of biodegradable materials is low and sensitive to the temperature. Cutting of brittle materials is prone to chipping, surface with micro-cracks, and residual stress problems, so the yield rate of finished products is low.
In the material processing industry, ultrafast laser can achieve high precision and an extremely small heat-affected zone, making it advantageous in the processing of some heat-sensitive materials, such as cutting, drilling, material removal, photolithography, etc. It is also suitable for processing brittle transparent materials, superhard materials, precious metals, etc. For some medical applications such as micro scalpels, tweezers, and microporous filters, ultrafast laser precision cutting can be achieved. Ultrafast laser cutting glass can be applied to glass sheets, lenses, and microporous glass used in some medical instruments.
The role of interventional and minimally invasive devices in accelerating treatment, reducing patient suffering, and promoting healing cannot be underestimated. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to process these instruments and parts with traditional techniques. In addition to being small enough to pass through delicate tissues such as human blood vessels, perform complex procedures, and meet safety and quality requirements, the common characteristics of this type of device are complex structure, thin wall, repeated clamping, extremely high requirements on surface quality, and the high demand for automation. A typical case is the heart stent, which is of extremely high processing precision and has been expensive for a long time.
Due to the extremely thin wall tubes of heart stents, laser processing is increasingly applied to replace conventional mechanical cutting. Laser processing has become the preferred method, but ordinary laser processing through ablation melting can lead to a series of problems such as burrs, uneven groove widths, serious surface ablation, and uneven rib widths. Fortunately, the emergence of picosecond and femtosecond lasers has greatly improved the processing of cardiac stents and achieved excellent results.
Application of Ultrafast Laser in Medical Cosmetology
The seamless integration of laser technology and medical services is driving continuous advancement in the medical device industry. Ultrafast laser technology has been extensively utilized in high-end technical areas like medical devices, medical services, biopharmaceuticals, and drugs, playing a pivotal role. Moreover, ultrafast lasers are increasingly being employed directly in the realm of human medicine to enhance patients' lives. With respect to application fields, ultrafast lasers are set to lead the way in biomedicine, including in areas such as ophthalmic surgery, laser beauty treatments like skin rejuvenation, tattoo removal, and hair removal.
Laser technology has been widely used in medical cosmetology and surgery for a long time. In the past, excimer laser technology was commonly utilized for myopia eye surgery, while CO2 fractional laser was preferred for freckle removal. However, the emergence of ultra-fast lasers has rapidly transformed the field. Femtosecond laser surgery has become the mainstream method for treating myopia among many corrective operations and offers several advantages over traditional excimer laser surgery, including high surgical accuracy, minimal discomfort, and excellent postoperative visual effects.
Additionally, ultrafast lasers are used to remove pigments, native moles, and tattoos, improve skin aging, and maintain skin rejuvenation. The future prospects of ultrafast lasers in the medical field are promising, especially in clinical surgery and minimally invasive surgery. The use of laser knives in the precise removal of necrotic and harmful cells and tissues that are difficult to remove manually with a knife is just one example of the technology's potential.
TEYU ultrafast laser chiller CWUP series has a temperature control accuracy of ±0.1°C and a cooling capacity of 800W-3200W. It can be used to cool 10W-40W medical ultrafast lasers, improve equipment efficiency, extend equipment life, and promote the application of ultra-fast lasers in the medical field.
Conclusion
The market application of ultrafast lasers in the medical field is just beginning, and it has immense potential for further development.
Source: https://www.teyuchiller.com/ultrafast-laser-realizes-precision-processing-of-medical-equipment
