Breakthrough in Cardiac Surgery: Femtosecond Lasers Show Promise for Precision Myocardial Incision

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the Beijing University of Technology have made a significant discovery in the field of cardiac surgery, using advanced femtosecond laser technology to achieve precise myocardial incision with minimal collateral damage. The study, published in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B-biology, found that femtosecond lasers can be used to excise myocardial tissue with high precision, reducing the risk of complications and improving outcomes for patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study examined the effects of laser power and scanning speed on myocardial cutting outcomes, finding that laser power played a decisive role in determining the cutting width, depth, and extent of thermal damage.
  • The researchers used a 1064 nm femtosecond fiber laser emitting 179 fs duration pulses at a repetition rate of 500 kHz to laser-cut cubic volumes of porcine hearts at varying powers (1.0 W to 5.0 W) and scanning speeds (1.0 mm/s to 4.0 mm/s).
  • Digital optical microscopy measured incision width, depth, and thermal injury area, and statistical methods including correlation analysis and linear regression were used to analyze the relationships between variables.
  • Pathological examination revealed that increased laser power led to changes in thermal damage to myocardial tissue, characterized by enhanced eosinophilia of myocardial cell cytoplasm.
  • The study highlighted the potential of femtosecond laser technology for precision cardiac surgery, with researchers concluding that further research is required to investigate related mechanisms.

Statistics:

  • The study used a 1064 nm femtosecond fiber laser emitting 179 fs duration pulses at a repetition rate of 500 kHz.
  • Laser power varied from 1.0 W to 5.0 W, and scanning speed varied from 1.0 mm/s to 4.0 mm/s.
  • Incision widths ranged from 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm, with depths ranging from 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.
  • Thermal injury areas increased with increasing laser power, from 0.05 mm^2 to 0.2 mm^2.

Sources:

  • "Femtosecond laser-induced myocardial incision: Preclinical study towards new tools for precision cardiac surgery." Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B-biology, 2025;270:113221.
  • Beijing University of Technology. "Findings in Obesity, Fitness and Wellness (Femtosecond laser-induced myocardial incision: Preclinical study towards new tools for precision cardiac surgery)". Journal of Engineering, July 28, 2025; p 159.