Femtosecond laser-assisted retinal imaging and ablation

Purpose: To investigate retinal imaging and ablation using femtosecond laser pulses. Materials and Methods: Two non-amplified near-infrared femtosecond lasers were used to irradiate porcine retinal specimens in vitro. The lasers were used for tissue removal as well as multiphoton laser scanning microscopy. Results: Ablation of the nerve fiber layer was performed at pulse energies of 1.0 nJ to 3.9 nJ. Control laser scanning images were acquired within seconds after irradiation. Specimens were additionally investigated with electron microscopy. Conclusions: Non-amplified femtosecond lasers may allow precise surgery controlled by fast high-resolution imaging of the target.