Pulsed laser ablation of soft biological tissues

In this chapter we focus on the key elements that form our current understanding of the mechanisms of pulsed laser ablation of soft biological tissues. We present a conceptual framework providing mechanistic links between various ablation applications and the underlying thermodynamic and phase change processes [1]. We define pulsed laser ablation as the use of laser pulses with duration of ~1 ms or less for the incision or removal of tissue regardless of the photophysical or photochemical processes involved. However, we will confine this presentation to pulsed ablation performed on a tissue level that does not involve laser-induced plasma formation. Ablation processes within transparent tissues or cells resulting from non-linear absorption have been considered in reviews by Vogel and Venugopalan [1] and by Vogel and co-workers [2].