Pulsed laser angioplasty: wavelength power and energy dependencies relevant to clinical application.

Despite the theoretical advantages of submicrosecond pulsing for clinical laser angioplasty systems, the optimal laser parameters for clinical application are undefined. Further, the enormous peak powers achieved by submicrosecond pulses destroy available fiberoptics. We irradiated 797 segments of cadaver atherosclerotic aorta with nanosecond pulses at 266, 308, 355, 532, and 1064 nanometers. Effective cutting occurred at lower energy fluences in the ultraviolet than in the visible or infrared. For 308 nanometers, at any energy density, number of pulses to perforation was relatively independent of power density. Therefore, long-pulse ultraviolet wavelengths which could be transmitted through fiberoptics were identified as well suited for a clinical, submicrosecond pulsed laser angioplasty system.