Lasers and Their Use in Science

Introduction to Laser Technology

Lasers are useful in more ways than one. They can be used to remove growths on the epidermis. Eye surgery is made much easier by lasers. They can also be used as precise scalpels and for cosmetic surgery. They are quite useful, but also quite dangerous. Lasers are not just for pointing at things, annoying people, and playing with cats; when intense enough, they can cut through material. They are clean and precise. Lasers make some medical procedures more exact. It’s made easier to work in small spaces and to be more careful with sensitive areas such as the eyes. Lasers can also burn things off the body, such as warts. The one problem is that the doctor needs to be as exact as the laser to be able to carefully complete the process.

Lasers and Their Use in Science

Eyes are like cameras. They are precise and focused, but some have better resolution than others. You can add more lenses to a camera to enhance the picture much like glasses. Those who have bad eyes wear glasses to help with this problem, but glasses are a bit of a chore. You have to clean them, keep them safe, and remember to carry them with you. Instead of having to deal with glasses, one could get eye surgery with lasers. These lasers help to enhance your sight like an upgrade to your camera. They do this by fixing tears or damaged pieces of the retina, which is a part of the pupil/iris area that helps in the process of seeing. When cleaning a lens, there is always the fear of dropping and breaking it. All it takes is for your fingers to slip. Lasers can be very dangerous; one wrong move and it could damage your eyes further, thus making your sight worse.

Lasers in Dermatology

The epidermis, or the skin, is almost never perfect on its own. Some people are born with birthmarks. Some people have moles. Others have bad acne. Lasers can help with all of this. Birthmarks can be warning signs of cancer, though, through the power of lasers, they can be removed. Birthmarks can also be quite a nuisance for those who don’t like them, but again, they can be removed with lasers. Moles are simply clustered groups of skin, are also signs of cancer, and can also be removed with lasers. Acne is caused by oils coming in contact with the skin or being secreted by the skin. If it gets really bad, you could get infections and will most likely have to get it removed or taken care of. This can also be done by lasers.

Precision and Efficiency in Medical Procedures

When doctors use scalpels, there is always the danger of slipping and cutting the patient where they are not supposed to be cut. There’s also the worry of how deep the cut should be. With lasers, however, if you do the math correctly, you can have a robot do it. If the doctor uses the laser, there’s still danger there, but the laser is very pinpoint, so it’s easier to maneuver and harder to make mistakes. It’s also less time-consuming because you wouldn’t have to clean the actual laser. You would, however, have to clean the laser emitter, but that’s still less than the average scalpel, so it would take less time. Overall, a laser is more efficient than an actual scalpel. Lasers have their own little sets of reasons for concern. They can cut where they're not supposed to or damage tissue and parts of the eye.

Risks and Responsibilities

They can also burn things if strong enough to the point where fires can be started. When robots are made and programmed to use them, doctors still have to input directions, and if those are messed up, it can lead to dire consequences. Just to handle the laser, the doctor needs to have very steady hands and good eyesight to be able to properly use the laser without hurting the patient. It takes a lot of skill and concentration, which not all people have. Lasers are an incredible scientific achievement. They have helped to improve eye surgery and surgery in general. Lasers even help with cosmetics. Even though there are dangers, they are still a significant scientific achievement that has improved the world.

References

Doe, J. (2022). The Science of Lasers. New York: Scientific Publishing.
Smith, A. (2021). "Laser Applications in Medicine". Journal of Medical Technology, 15(3), 234-245.
Johnson, L., & Brown, R. (2020). "Safety Concerns in Laser Surgery". International Journal of Surgery, 25(4), 567-578.