THERMAL IMAGING OF THE TEMPORAL BONE IN CO2-LASER SURGERY - AN EXPERIMENTAL-MODEL

The unique properties of lasers create an enormous potential for speci fic treatment of chronic ear disease. Despite the widespread acceptanc e and use of the laser, however, a complete understanding of the time- and space-dependent temperature distribution in otic capsule bone imme diately after pulsed laser exposure has not been elucidated. Using a l iquid nitrogen-cooled mercury-cadmium telluride infrared detector, the temperature distribution in human cadaveric otic capsule bone was det ermined immediately after pulsed (100 msec) carbon dioxide laser expos ure (0.3 to 4.0 W; 200 mu m spot diameter). The time-and space-depende nt temperature increases and thermal diffusion were determined as a fu nction of the laser power density and were found to vary linearly.