Lasers & photonics
For manufacturing, there is evidence to suggest that higher resolution and smaller focal points are needed.
in ultrafast laser processing. Considering this technology is critical to the manufacturing of semiconductors, and can hone devices to a remarkable degree of accuracy, this shrinkage could transform both the production and final use of medical devices. As Professor Yuichi Kozawa, involved in this focal spot-shrinking research project at Tohoku University in Japan, told industry magazine Photonics Spectra, his research “opens new possibilities for laser nanoprocessing in various industries and scientific fields”.
“You could use lasers to drill lots of little holes to release the tension [in the scarring]. It’s the same theory as for cosmetic treatments.”
Dr Jon Exley $22bn
The total medical laser market cap is projected to be this by 2034.
Yahoo!Finance 114
Beyond the headline jargon, however, what have Kozawa and his colleagues achieved? It all centres on tightening the focus of a laser, enhancing its processing accuracy and resolution to then create a super small ablation hole. When testing it on a glass surface, the researchers claim to have made an incision just 67µm (nanometres) across. For some this is a big leap forward, with experts stating it’s unusual to get below 50µm in diameter for a laser beam that might be used in a medical or clinical setting. And looking forward, Kozawa’s journal article explains, a cut of 30µm would be an effective holy grail for making items like semiconductors. Ergo: in manufacturing terms, this is a potential big advancement.
Getting to the point
For Kozawa and his team, actually shrinking the laser down involved moving away from methods considered non-ideal for laser drilling. Using a
radially polarised beam, they moved it through a lens, similar to those found on microscopes to create a tighter laser spot. This, they claim, enabled direct laser processing by inducing a light- matter interaction. That, in turn, resulted in a very small ablation hole – showing potential for achieving laser nanoprocessing at below 100µm. That’s something that has traditionally been hard to achieve using existing laser methods. While precise fabrication at the micrometre (micron) scale is common in ultrafast laser processing – thanks to the ability to pulse lasers at picosecond and femtoseconds – achieving incisions at nanometres is considered far more challenging. In the medical device manufacturing industry, there is certainly evidence to suggest that higher resolution and smaller focal points are what’s needed to push the sector forward. Elyn Wu, director at laser specialists Kunshan Yunco Precision, has written about current difficulties in ultrafast laser processing, noting that challenges arise around fiddly processing methods – especially in device manufacturing that requires welding materials with different properties together. Successfully cutting ultra-thin materials can be tricky too. But with higher precision ultrafast laser processing, Wu suggests, it’s increasingly possible to more effectively engineer everything from micro scalpels and tweezers to microporous filters and glass lenses. That’s even as the resulting products come with fewer of the deficiencies that blight traditional laser manufacturing, notably around the creation of burrs or imprecisions.
Cut through advancements Similarly optimistic is Dr Jon Exley, managing director at laser manufacturer Lynton and honorary secretary of the British Medical Laser
Medical Device Developments /
www.nsmedicaldevices.com
Guryanov Andrey/
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