Surgical co2 laser

The CO2 laser is used in a broad range of clinical applications. The surgical
laser can augment and, in many instances, even replace traditional
instruments and methods. The Aesculight and Luxar CO2 surgical lasers are
useful in procedures where:

Surface penetration is desired;

Soft tissue is the target.

Laser - Tissue Interaction

Lasers differ from each other by the wavelength of light they produce. The
CO2 laser wavelength of 10,600 nanometers is highly absorbed by soft
tissues with high water content - see the water absorption spectrum below.
Many tens thousands of CO2 surgical lasers are being used today in surgical
suites around the world.

The Luxar laser is operated in a non-contact fashion. The tip is held close to,
but does not touch, the target tissue. The tissue effects are different from

contact lasers, where the primary effect is a result of heat conducted from
the tip to the tissue. The primary determinants of laser effect on tissue are:

Wavelength;
Tissue type;
Power density;
Exposure time.

Exact guidelines on various surgical laser techniques are presented in the

Aesculight Laser Operator's Manual as well as Luxar Laser Operator's
Manual.
Laser Physiology
The CO2 laser is cleared by the FDA for soft tissue procedures only. The
laser is an effective hemostatic tool for vascular tissue. When the CO2 laser
is used for muscle dissection there is minimal heating or contraction of the
muscle. This helps facilitate certain procedures and reduce post-surgical pain
and edema. Proper use of Luxar CO2 surgical lasers within the FDA-cleared
indications for use may offer some of the following advantages over
conventional treatment:

Improved access to some areas, compared to the scalpel;

Reduced operative time in some procedures;
Tissue sculpting ability;
Easier removal of lesions without distortion of surrounding tissue;
Less bleeding, often with less trauma;
Less need for suturing;
Reduced postoperative pain and discomfort;
Minimized ecchymosis and edema.

Patients often report less postoperative pain with laser wounds. The laser is
more versatile than conventional surgical instruments because it can:

Incise or excise;
Vaporize or ablate;
Provide hemostasis.

As is the case with any other surgical instrument, no one should use the
Luxar surgical laser, or any other medical laser, without specific training in
both medical laser use and laser safety.
The CO2 laser is not cleared by the FDA for use on bone or in hard tissue
procedures in the United States.
Laser surgery benefits for the clinician
Improved visibility of the surgical field
The laser beam seals capillaries and small blood vessels as it "cuts" the
tissue. This dramatically reduces bleeding, resulting in a much drier and
clearer surgical site. In addition, the Luxar surgical laser does not use the
very distracting aiming beam usually associated with outdated articulated
arm CO2 laser systems.
Reduction of procedure time

The hemostatic effect of the CO2 laser beam and the improved visibility of
the surgical field reduce the time needed to perform the surgery, and may
also reduce the need for sutures, bandaging, and other after-care measures.
Pinpoint accuracy and control
The diameter of the beam may be adjusted down to a small fraction of a
millimeter or expanded to address a much wider swath. The power of the
beam may be set for rapid removal of relatively large tissue amounts, or
adjusted to remove only one or two cell layers at a time.
Increased surgical capabilities
Laser surgery changes the character of many procedures by making them
simpler or by reducing risk. This opens up the possibility of expanding the
clinician's surgical repertoire to include procedures that are not practical
with conventional scalpel-based techniques.
Laser surgery benefits for the patient
Less Pain
The laser seals lymphatics and nerve endings as it cuts, resulting in less
edema and pain that leads to a more comfortable post-operative recovery.
Reduced risk of infection
CO2 laser surgery is a "no touch" technology. The laser beam kills bacteria
in its path, producing a sanitizing effect.
Quicker recovery time
Reduced risk of infection, less bleeding, less swelling, and less pain often
allow the patient a more rapid return to normal activities.

Lasers in Cancer Treatment

The word LASER actually stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated
Emission of Radiation.
Laser light is different from regular light. The light from the sun or from a
light bulb has many wavelengths and spreads out in all directions. Laser
light, on the other hand, has a single wavelength and can be focused in a
very narrow beam. This makes it both powerful and precise. Lasers can be
used instead of blades (scalpels) for very careful surgical work, such as
repairing a damaged retina in the eye or cutting through body tissue.
Types of lasers
Lasers are named for the liquid, gas, solid, or electronic substance that is
used to create the light. Many types of lasers are used to treat medical
problems, and new ones are being tested all the time. Today, 3 kinds of
lasers are commonly used in cancer treatment. carbon dioxide (CO2), argon,
and the neodymium: yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG).
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
The CO2 laser is mainly a surgical tool. It can cut or vaporize tissue with
fairly little bleeding as the light energy changes to heat. This type of laser is
used to remove thin layers from the surface of the skin without going into
the deeper layers.
Argon
The argon laser only goes a short distance into tissue. Its useful in treating
skin problems and in eye surgery. It is sometimes used during colonoscopies
(tests to look for colon cancer) to remove growths called polyps before they
become cancer. It can be used with light-sensitive drugs to kill cancer cells
in a treatment known as photodynamic therapy (PDT). (You can learn more
about this in our document titled Photodynamic Therapy. Call us at 1-800227-2345 for a copy, or read it on our Web site.)
Neodymium: Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet (Nd:YAG)
Light from this laser can go deeper into tissue than light from other types of
lasers, and it can make blood clot quickly. Nd:YAG lasers can be used

through thin flexible tubes called endoscopes to get to hard-to-reach parts

inside the body, such as the swallowing tube (esophagus) or large intestine
(colon). This light can also travel through optical fibers, which can be bent
and placed into a tumor to heat it up and destroy it.
Other lasers used in medicine
Some newer types of lasers the erbium: yttrium aluminum garnet
(Er:YAG); holium: yttrium aluminum garnet (Ho:YAG), copper vapor, and
diode lasers are also being used in medical treatments.
Pros and cons of laser use in surgery
Lasers have some advantages (pros) and disadvantages (cons) compared
with standard surgical tools.
Pros of laser surgery

Lasers are more precise and exact than blades (scalpels). For instance,
the tissue near a laser cut (incision) is not affected since there is little
contact with skin or other tissue.
The heat produced by lasers helps clean (sterilize) the edges of the
body tissue that its cutting, reducing the risk of infection.
Since laser heat seals blood vessels, there is less bleeding, swelling,
pain, or scarring.
Operating time may be shorter.
Laser surgery may mean less cutting and damage to healthy tissues (it
can be less invasive). For example, with fiber optics, laser light can be
directed to parts of the body through very small cuts (incisions)
without having to make a large incision.
More procedures may be done in outpatient settings.
Healing time is often shorter.

Cons of laser surgery

Fewer doctors and nurses are trained to use lasers.

Laser equipment costs a lot of money and is bulky compared with the
usual surgical tools used. But advances in technology are slowly
helping reduce their cost and size.

Strict safety precautions must be followed in the operating room when

lasers are used. For example, the entire surgical team and the patient
must wear eye protection.
The effects of some laser treatments may not last long, so they may
need to be repeated. And sometimes the laser cannot remove all of the
tumor in one treatment, so more treatments may be needed.

Treating cancer with lasers

Lasers were first used on skin tumors in 1961. Today one of the most
common medical uses of lasers is in cancer treatment. They can be used in 2
ways to treat cancer:

To shrink or destroy a tumor with heat

To activate a chemical known as a photosensitizing agent that
kills only the cancer cells. (This is called photodynamic therapy or
PDT.)

Though lasers can be used alone, they are most often used along with other
cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation.
Lasers are also being studied for treating or preventing side effects of
common cancer treatments. For instance, some studies are looking at how
lasers might be used to prevent or treat severe mouth sores caused by
chemotherapy, and how they may be used to treat the swelling
(lymphedema) that can result after breast surgery. More research is needed to
learn about these possible uses for lasers.
Shrinking or destroying tumors directly
The CO2 and Nd:YAG lasers are used to shrink or destroy tumors. They can
be used with thin, flexible tubes called endoscopes that let doctors see inside
certain parts of the body, such as the bladder or stomach. The light from
some lasers can be sent through an endoscope fitted with fiber optics. This
lets doctors see and work in parts of the body that could not otherwise be
reached except by major surgery. It also allows very precise aim of the laser
beam.
Lasers can be used with low-power microscopes, too. This gives the doctor a
larger view of the area being treated. When used with a an instrument that
allows very fine movement (called a micromanipulator), laser systems can

produce a cutting area as small as 200 microns in diameter less than the
width of a very fine thread.
Lasers are used to treat many kinds of cancer. In the intestines or large
bowel, lasers are used to remove polyps, small growths that may become
cancer. The CO2 laser can be used to treat pre-cancerous tissue and very
early cancers of the cervix, vagina, and vulva.
Lasers are also used to remove tumors blocking the swallowing tube
(esophagus) and large intestine (colon). This does not cure the cancer, but it
relieves some symptoms, such as trouble swallowing.
The Nd:YAG laser has also been used to remove cancer that has spread to
the lungs from other areas. This helps patients avoid surgery that would
require removing large sections of lung. This type of laser cannot cure
cancer, but it can improve breathing and other symptoms in many patients.
Cancers of the head, neck, airways, and lungs can be treated (but usually not
cured) with lasers. Small tumors on the vocal cords may be treated with
lasers instead of radiation in some patients. As with tumors blocking the
esophagus, tumors blocking the upper airway can be partly removed to make
breathing easier. Blockages deeper in the airway, such as in the branches of
the breathing tubes (bronchi), can be treated with a flexible, lighted tube
called a bronchoscope and an Nd:YAG laser.
Laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy (LITT) is based on the same idea
as a cancer treatment called hyperthermia. Both methods use heat to help
shrink tumors by damaging cells or depriving them of the things they need
to live (like oxygen and food). In LITT, the laser light is passed through a
fiber optic wire and right into a tumor, where it heats up, damaging or killing
cancer cells. LITT is sometimes used to treat tumors in the liver.
Photodynamic therapy
In photodynamic therapy (PDT), a special drug called a photosensitizing
agent is put into the bloodstream. Over time it is absorbed by body tissues.
The drug stays in or around cancer cells for a longer time than it does in
normal tissue. Shining a certain kind of light on the drug that is in the cancer
cells causes a chemical reaction that then kills the cancer cells.

Photosensitizing agents are turned on or activated by a certain wavelength

of light. For example, an argon laser can be used in PDT. When cancer cells
that contain the photosensitizing agent are exposed to red light from this
laser, it causes the chemical reaction that kills the cancer cells. Light
exposure must be carefully timed so that it is used when most of the agent
has left healthy cells, but is still in the cancer cells.
PDT can have some advantages over other treatments. Cancer cells can be
singled out and destroyed but most normal cells are spared. The damaging
effect of the photosensitizing agent happens only when the drug is exposed
to light, and the side effects are fairly mild.
Still, PDT as it is currently used is not without its problems. Argon laser
light cannot pass through more than about 1 centimeter of tissue (a little
more than one-third of an inch), which means its not as useful against
deeper tumors. And the photosensitizing agents used today can leave people
very sensitive to light, causing sunburn-like reactions after only very brief
sun exposure. This can greatly limit the patients activities until the body
gets rid of the drug, which often takes weeks.
PDT is sometimes used to treat cancers and pre-cancers of the swallowing
tube (esophagus), and certain kinds of lung cancer that can be reached with
thin, flexible tubes called endoscopes. PDT is being studied for use in other
cancers, such as those of the brain and prostate. Researchers also are looking
at different kinds of lasers and new photosensitizer drugs that might work
even better.
.
The outlook for lasers in cancer treatment
Because of their power and precision, lasers are well-suited for certain
cancer surgeries, and doctors are trying to find new and better ways to use
them. As more cancer surgeons learn to use lasers, as the lasers themselves
become smaller and cheaper, and as technology improves to allow tumors
deep within the body to be treated, lasers will probably be used more often
as part of cancer treatment.

Lasers in Cancer Treatment

Key Points

Laser light can be used to remove cancer or precancerous growths or to relieve

symptoms of cancer. It is used most often to treat cancers on the surface of the
body or the lining of internal organs.
Laser therapy is often given through a thin tube called an endoscope, which can
be inserted in openings in the body to treat cancer or precancerous growths inside
the trachea (windpipe), esophagus, stomach, or colon.
Laser therapy causes less bleeding and damage to normal tissue than standard
surgical tools do, and there is a lower risk of infection.
However, the effects of laser surgery may not be permanent, so the surgery may
have to be repeated.

Laser instruments for gynaecology

The CO2 laser wavelength is carried via hollow tubes, waveguides, and mirrors.
Conventional fiberoptics are not currently available for clinical use. The
laparoscopic use of this wavelength is possible with the use of a focusing cube
and an operative laparoscope or with a variety of waveguides designed for
multi-puncture laparoscopic applications. The focusing cube permits the use of
the CO2 laser in a free beam mode for cutting, vaporization, and coagulation of
tissue. The focusing cube also is capable of transmitting an aiming beam. This
feature makes it easier for the surgeon to direct the laser energy to the desired
target. A variety of procedures, such as myomectomy, partial oophorectomy,
resection and ablation of endometriomas, adhesiolysis, and even
cholecystectomy have been accomplished successfully with this delivery
system. Cholecystectomy requires a McKernan-type approach. The successful
use of this approach requires knowledge and facility with the operative
laparoscope and the surgeons ability to visualize the desired target and
maneuver a micromanipulator or joystick. The surgeon can alter the tissue
effect by focusing or defocusing the laser beam as well as varying the laser
wattage selected. Laser waveguides are hollow tubes with mirror-like surfaces
that reflect the CO2 wavelength. Waveguides are available in both rigid and
flexible versions and can be used to achieve a spot size (ie, burn or incision)
that is in the range of 0.8mm to 2.2mm. As a general principle, the waveguide
is used in a noncontact fashion, particularly because tissue contact can
obstruct the waveguide and liquid can be drawn into the hollow waveguide by

capillary action. The result of these events is the irreversible destruction of the
waveguide. Recent developments include the Omniguide, which is a smalldiameter solid chalcogenide glass waveguide and which is currently being used
in otolaryngology and neurosurgical applications.
The successful use of this laser for dissection and hemostasis requires that the
surgeon be adept and expert with the laser, as this will affect the ability to
dissect tissues and achieve an adequate degree of hemostasis. Both the
focusing cube and waveguide systems require a direct line of sight or the use of
angled mirrors. This further complicates the maneuverability of these devices
more so than fiber capable lasers and conventional instruments. Both
configurations require flowing gas to cool the system and to prevent vaporized
tissue plume from being thrown into the device. The most frequently used
purge gases are argon and carbon dioxide. High CO2 gas flow rates can actually
absorb the laser energy and reduce its efficiency (ie, the transmission of
energy from the laser to the tissue). Therefore, lower flow rates (ie, 1L/min)
are suggested. Some laser systems are equipped with a nitrogen purge gas
system. The surgeon should NOT use nitrogen during laparoscopy, because its
absorption from the peritoneum can cause the bends.
The optimal use of the CO2 laser for laparoscopic or open use is achieved when
the beam is oriented perpendicular to the desired target. Hemostasis is
enhanced by tissue compression, the use of epinephrine-containing local
anesthetic solutions and the ability of the operator to recognize the presence
of a vessel prior to its division. Under these conditions, the surgeon defocuses
the laser (ie, moves the handpiece, waveguide, or operating laparoscope
farther away from the target) and then applies short bursts of energy to the
vessel in the area to be divided. This maneuver heats and coagulates the
vessel, thereby enabling its division by the focused beam. The surgeon should
use the highest power setting with which he or she is comfortable, because this
will enable more efficient cutting, better hemostasis, and less thermal injury
to the wound edges by minimizing conductive and radiative heat loss into the
wound. Intermittent evacuation of the vaporized tissue plume or the use of a
recirculating filtration system assure a clear field of view and prevent
absorption of toxic products of combustion by the patient. This problem is
identical in magnitude and toxicity to the vaporized tissue plume created
byany electrosurgical, thermal, or laser source. Similarly the smoke should

not be vented into the operating room, because it is considered hazardous for
OR personnel. OSHA/NIOSH has written regulations that require that OR staff
be protected from vaporized tissue plume regardless of its source.
ARGON LASER
The argon laser has been used extensively for gynecologic laparoscopic
procedures in the past.10,33 It has largely been replaced by other technologies
today. This laser produces light in the visible portion of the spectrum. This
laser actually produces 6 lines (wavelengths). However, the majority of the
laser output is in the blue-green spectrum (wavelength = 488 514nm). This
energy is intensely absorbed by hemoglobin and melanin, although other
exogenous chromophores will absorb these wavelengths efficiently. Visible light
wavelengths can be passed through water, enabling the argon laser to be used
in aqueous environments, such as the bladder, during hysteroscopy,
arthroscopy, and in the presence of irrigating fluids. This property enables the
surgeon to photocoagulate a bleeding area while irrigating to locate the source
of the bleeding.
Both free-beam and conventional fiberoptic applications are utilized during
operative laparoscopy. A Microslad unit may be coupled with the operative
laparoscope. A gimbaled mirror and joystick allow the surgeon to maneuver the
beam in the surgical field. The fiber can be used in both a contact and
noncontact mode.
Argon laser light penetrates and scatters in tissues. The resultant damage can
be as much as 6mm. When used in an incisional mode, the speed of incision and
the degree of hemostasis are adequate. Blood vessels on the order of 2mm in
diameter can be divided and coagulated with this wavelength. Although some
authors10,13,16-20,25 have reported successful hemostasis with vessels as large as
3mm to 4mm in diameter, delayed rebleeding may occur. Therefore, the
surgeon would do well to use ligature and hemo-clip methods for hemostasis in
these instances. The etiology of the delayed bleeding is necrosis of
photocoagulated tissue and resultant tissue slough. This condition also occurs
after use of the Nd: YAG laser in a free beam mode on similar tissues.
The contact or fiber-optic method is much more easily mastered than is the
free-beam approach, because the surgeon has direct tactile feedback from the
tissue. The speed of incision and the degree of hemostasis are adequate, and

the more selective absorption of the wavelength in hemoglobin enables the

surgeon to photocoagulate vessels before their division by bringing the fiber
away from the tissue surface. This maneuver is similar to defocusing the free
beam. The defocused mode is used to vaporize endometriomas. Some
manufacturers produce a variety of sculpted fibers and metal-jacketed fiber
delivery systems. These fibers are constructed to be more durable and work
more like a scalpel due to absorption of some of the laser energy in the fiber
resulting in heating of the fiber. This produces an optically driven cautery
effect. So-called bare or urologic fibers are easily used and are cleaved and
stripped as the fiber end degrades with use. Optimal cutting occurs by using
the tip of the fiber either end-on or oblique to the plane of the dissection.
Because these wavelengths are color dependent, the surgeon should note that
white or lightly colored tissue, such as meniscus and tumor implants, will not
cut efficiently and will not be vaporized (ablated) unless they are first painted
with India ink, indigo carmine dye, or another exogenous chromophore. A
droplet of blood placed on the surface is sometimes effective for this purpose.
Blackened or ebonized instruments and the use of optical backstops are
required to prevent beam reflection and iatrogenic injury.
One of the main drawbacks of the laparoscopic use of the argon laser is the
camera/eye safety filter. The eye and camera filters must block the 6 lines (ie,
wavelengths) produced by the laser. These filters are usually a deep orange
color and absorb 30% to 60% of the visible spectrum. As a result, the color
balance of the image is distorted, and the need for a high-powered light source
is critical to the surgeons ability to visualize the operative field. Many laser
systems have intermittent shutter mechanisms that place the filter in the
visual field only while the laser is actually being fired. The surgeon must be an
expert at the local anatomy and the details of the procedure prior to
attempting to work with this laser. This laser system is rarely used today due to
the availability of KTP and KDP laser systems, which are much less cumbersome
to use.
Nd: YAG LASER
The neodymium YAG laser produces near infrared light at a wavelength of
1060nm. This wavelength is carried via conventional fiberoptics, and, like
visible light lasers, the energy will be transmitted through water. The energy
can be applied to tissues with a wide array of delivery systems including

cleaved bare fibers (ie, urologic fibers), polished GI fibers, sapphire tips (ie,
the delivery device that is marketed as the Contact Laser), sculpted fiber (eg,
Microcontact tip and various other proprietary versions of this technology), as
well as free beam via a micromanipulator or Microslad unit.1,3,5,6,12,16-20,30The
energy of the Nd: YAG laser is intensely absorbed by tissue protein and
chromophores and is highly scattered in tissue. These properties result in deep
penetration of the energy and much greater damage below the tissue than can
be appreciated at the surface. This makes noncontact (ie, GI fiber, free beam)
and bare-fiber applications of the Nd: YAG laser extremely dangerous unless
the surgeon has a thorough understanding of the laser-tissue interaction and
orients the beam in a direction that would reduce the likelihood of damaging
nearby structures. Specialized angled delivery or ADD fibers have been
developed for use in photocoagulation of the prostate. These devices project
the beam at right angles to the long axis of the probe, thereby allowing the
prostatic tissue to be photocoagulated or vaporized. These applications require
knowledge of the anatomy and tissue effects. The surgeon orients the laser
output toward the 10:00 and 12:00 positions and will fire the laser at a preset
energy for a specified length of time based on the volume of tissue to be
photocoagulated.
The Nd: YAG laser is a poor cutting instrument when it is used in a noncontact
mode. The development of sapphire tips and sculpted fiber technologies
facilitate use of this laser in contact with tissue. Free-beam type applications
can result in damage to 1cm to 2cm of liver tissue and the photocoagulation of
vessels up to 4mm in diameter. However, the sapphire tip technology is a
combination of a combined thermal and optical interaction with tissue. Much of
the Nd: YAG energy is absorbed by the sapphire or fiber tip and converted to
heat. The result is to produce optically driven cautery. The temperature of the
tip can be tightly regulated for some applications. These instruments improve
the cutting ability of the laser, but the tissue damage and the extent of
coagulation are reduced dramatically. The histology of these devices is quite
similar to the results produced by electrosurgical devices. Since their main
tissue interaction is thermal cautery, the rate of incision and the degree of
hemostasis can be reduced when these devices are used in the presence of
irrigating fluids or in the aqueous environment of the bladder or joint space.

Holography for nondestructive testing

Optical Holographic techniques can be used for nondestructive testing of materials

(HNDT). Nonoptical Holography techniques include Acoustical, Microwave, X-Ray and
Electron beam Holography.
HNDT essentially measures deformations on the surface of the object. However, there is
sufficient sensitivity to detect sub- surface and internal defects in metallic and composite
specimens.
In HNDT techniques, the test sample is interferometrically compared with the sample
after it has been stressed (loaded). A flaw can be detected if by stressing the object it
creates an anomalous
deformation of the surface around the flaw.
Optical holography is an imaging method, which records the amplitude and phase of light
reflected from an object as an interferometric pattern on film. It thus allows
reconstruction of the full 3-D image of the object. In HNDT, the test sample is
interferometrically compared in two different stressed states.
Stressing can be mechanical, thermal, vibration etc. The resulting interference pattern
contours the deformation undergone by the specimen in between the two recordings.
Surface as well as subsurface defects show distortions in the otherwise uniform pattern.
In addition, the characteristics of the component, such as vibration modes, mechanical
properties, residual stress etc. can be identified through holographic inspection.
Applications in fluid mechanics and gas dynamics also abound.
The light used to illuminate the surface of the specimen must be coherent, which means
that it must also be monochromatic, and the only practical source is a laser. Each type of
laser emits a

characteristic wavelength, e.g. a helium-neon laser emits 632.8nm; a ruby laser emits
694.3nm. Laser diodes are nowadays an exciting and compact alternative. Indeed,
holography using laser pointers have also been demonstrated.
High-resolution films are another necessity for holography. With the advent of CCD and
digital image processing, digital holographic interferometry offers tremendous flexibility
and real-time visualization.
Furthermore, image-processing schemes can provide computerised analysis of patterns
for automated defect detection and analysis.
Finally since intricate interferometric patterns have to be recorded, vibration isolation is
also required.
Novel schemes have been proposed, including use of pulsed lasers to record holograms in
factory environments.
Advances and developments in lasers, computers, and recording materials introduce new
techniques such as electronic (or TV) holography, multi-wavelength recording,
thermoplastic medium, timeaveraged holography, dynamic holographic interferometry,
cineholography, and digital holography with each new development. Methods that once
held only academic interest often become practically viable with these developments in
hardware and software.
HNDT is widely applied in aerospace to find impact damage, corrosion, delamination,
debonds, and cracks in high performance composite aircraft parts as well as turbine
blades, solid propellant rocket motor casings, tyres and air foils. But Holography is also
finding new applications in commercial and defense related industries to investigate and
test object ranging from microscopic computer chips and circuits to cultural articles,
paintings and restoration.
Holographic nondestructive testing techniques (HNDT) are used to locate and evaluate
cracks, disbonds, voids, delaminations, inhomogeneity and residual stresses in a test
sample without destruction of the sample. The holographic interferometry techniques are
applied for nondestructive testing of materials.
The HNDT techniques can be used for the testing of laminated structures, turbine blades,
solid propellant rocket motor casings, tyres and air foils. These techniques are also useful
in medical and dental research. In HNDT techniques, the test sample is
interferometrically compared with the sample after it has been stressed (loaded). A flaw
can be detected if by stressing the object it creates an anomalous deformation of the
surface around the flaw. The holographic interferogram will show up the anomalous
deformation by an abrupt change in the shape of the interference pattern.
The object can be stressed by mechanical stressing, pressure or vacuum stressing, thermal
stressing, vibrational stressing and magnetic stressing. The stressing of the object can
create gross deformation and rigid body motion of the object. This will produce fine
interference fringes in the interferogram if the test area is large. In such a situation, the
interference fringes around the flaw will be very fine and it would not be detected by
unaided eye. By using fringe control methods, the effects of gross deformation and rigid
body motion can be compensated.

Applications of holographic interferometry

Field

Applications

Aerospace

Defects
in
honeycomb
plates
Testing
of
construction
materials,
Testing
of
welding
methods
Inspection
of
rocket
bodies
Flow
visualization
in
wind
tunnels
Vibration modes of turbine blades

Automobiles

Testing
of
oil
pressure
sections
Testing
of
welding
methods
Research
in
construction
of
automobile
bodies
Construction of engines

Machine tools and precision

instruments

Measurement of deformations of machine parts,

jigs
and
tools
Measurement
inside
cylinders
Measurements of stiffness (heat, static or
dynamic)
Analysis of construction of instruments and tools

Electrical
industries

Vibration modes of turbine blades, motors,

transformers,
loudspeakers
Testing
of
welding
and
adhesion
Testing
of
circuit
parts
Analysis
of
audio
equipments
Leak test of batteries

and

Civil Engineering

electronic

Analysis
of
Design
of
Research in concrete.

constructions
pipes

Chemical industry

Measurement of mixed fluids. Tyre, rubber and

NDT
of
tyres,
plastics
Testing
of
molded
products
Measurement of adhesion defects

Medicine

Measurement
on
living
bodies
Chest
deformation
due
to
inhalation
Measurement
on
teeth
and
bones
Testing
materials
for
dental
surgery
Testing
of
urinary
track
Measurement on eyes, ears, etc.

Musical instruments

Measurement of vibration modes

Cultural articles and paintings

NDT and restoration.