Clinical use of laser-tissue interactions.

The five interaction mechanisms associated with laser treatment of patients are described. They are the photothermal, photochemical, photoacoustical, photoablative, and photobiostimulation mechanisms. The estimated light penetration depth as a function of wavelength for bloodless, unpigmented tissue is shown and discussed. The availability of suitable lasers and fibers for clinical applications is considered, and future prospects for laser applications are indicated. Some clinical laser treatments based on photothermal and photochemical interactions are described from a biomedical engineering perspective.