Lasers & photonics
Association. He had just one word when he heard about the results of the Tohoku research: “Wow.” In his business, where lasers are both critical in manufacturing the devices and in what those devices can do – Lynton also fabricates devices for hair and tattoo removal – Exley says it’s unusual to get below 50µm. With Lynton selling machines that perform laser-reliant anti-ageing treatments, skin tightening and resurfacing, it’s unsurprising that Exley is interested in what such a small laser point might mean for what medical devices can achieve in themselves. “It could make a huge difference to the aesthetic treatment market,” he explains. “Theoretically, such small laser focal points could be a game changer for the industry.” Indeed, such technical advances are expected to have a substantial financial impact with the global aesthetic laser treatment industry expected to be worth $3.3bn by 2031. But it’s not just aesthetic pursuits where Exley sees utility for small laser focal points. As he explains, burns patients who have limited mobility due to scarred tissue might benefit from smaller laser focal points too. “You could use lasers to drill lots of little holes to release the tension [in the scarring],” he explains. “It’s the same theory as for cosmetic treatments – it would be an advantage.” Elsewhere, Exley describes how a more focused, high-energy beam might benefit procedures that need to shoot lasers down thin endoscopic fibres, cutting tumours out of bronchioles deep in the lungs. “I imagine that would be an advantage to get more power down flexible fibres,” the expert says, adding surgeons can already do this but are limited in how deep and effective they can be by the stiffness of fibres. Theoretically, Exley stresses, more powerful, focused lasers could solve this. Elsewhere, Exley adds that ear, nose and throat surgeries, such as cutting tumours from vocal cords, would benefit from more accurate focus of light – as that would limit any potential secondary damage to vocal cords.
On the device manufacturing side, smaller focal points can build on the advancements made in laser technology over the past few decades. Indeed, in the world of life-saving implant devices like pacemakers, recent advances have allowed the development of hermetically sealed electrical devices, better connection, sterility and biocompatibility. At the same time, smaller focal points have permitted device walls to be thinned out. That means thinner tubing in catheters and endoscopes, and smaller circuit boards in cutting- edge technology. No wonder the very smallest lasers are used in microwelding, which helps make surgical blades, medical tech batteries and endoscopic
Medical Device Developments /
www.nsmedicaldevices.com
instruments; smaller focal points bolster the manufacturing of medical tubes, hook assemblage and hypo wires. No wonder the smallest lasers – 50µm or less – are said to represent a brave new world in medical device manufacturing, with their ability to join together any combination of materials. That’s even as the smallest blasts of lasers in micromachining allow smaller holes in needles, which is better for drug delivery and wire stripping.
Laser sharp focus
Not that smaller focal points are necessarily a medical panacea. As Exley notes, whatever the accuracy benefits of new devices, the ability of surgeons to be precise still remains a limiting factor. That doubtless explains why, though the total medical laser market cap is expected to be worth $22bn by 2034, up from $5.7bn in 2023, Exley still suspects the cosmetic and aesthetic treatments market to ultimately drive growth. “We’re trying to solve the problem of keeping clinical effectiveness up while reducing downtime,” he says. “It’s why if this [smaller laser focal point] was a solution to drive an aggressive treatment, with fantastic results, and minimal downtime, it would be great and spark interest.”
Of course, developments in the medical consumer space would likely come alongside manufacturing breakthroughs too – if only because, as Wu describes in his article, more tightly focused, reliable lasers can help push forward more flexible designs in medical devices. Yet if she emphasises that the potential is huge, practical success can only come from progress in the lab – even if that simply involves making lasers even smaller. As Exley says, for manufacturers such as Lynton, the future will involve partnering with universities to keep ahead of the competition. “We’re always doing research and development,” he says, “and looking at how it could be implemented.” A laser focus indeed. ●
Smaller focal points can build on the
advancements made in making implant devices such as pacemakers.
13µm
Features as small as this are regularly cut with high
accuracy in ultrafast laser processing in medical device manufacturing.
Mass Device 115
Pitchyfoto/
Shutterstock.com
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