Scientists Propose Laser Scalpel with a ‘Curved’ Blade

Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University and Saratov State University teamed up with colleagues from Taiwan and proposed to make a laser “blade” for a medical scalpel with a specified curved shape using a photonic “hook.” Currently there are laser scalpels only with an axisymmetric focus area, i.e., with a cylindrical blade. According to scientists, changing the shape of the blade will expand the possibilities of using the laser in medicine, while it is about two times thinner than the cylindrical option. The concept and its rationale are published in the Journal of Biophotonics.