PD7-11 LASER FIBER CLEAVING TECHNIQUES – THE EFFECT UPON ENERGY OUTPUT AND TIP MORPHOLOGY

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Commercially-available reusable laser fibers require proper cleaving of the silica core to maintain an optimal working life. The purpose of this study is to quantify the effect of different cleaving tools on energy output of the laser fiber and demonstrate changes in appearance with microscopy. METHODS: The uncleaved, manufactured tip of a new Lumenis 365 mm Reusable SlimLine laser fiber was used to obtain baseline energy transmission values using a Lumenis VP100 holmium laser set at 3 watts (0.6J, 5Hz). The fiber was then stripped with a standard 365 mm fiber stripper and cleaved using a scribe pen cleaving tool, a diamond cleaving wheel, suture scissors and a 15 blade scalpel. Fibers were cleaved with each tool 7 times, and 3 energy measurements were taken for each tip following cleaving. The fiber tips were then imaged with a scanning electron microscope for visual characterization. Independent samples Kruskal-Wallis test was used for statistical analysis, with significance at p<0.05. RESULTS: The uncleaved tip transmitted 3.0 W (100% ± 0.9) of the energy output of the generator and was used as a control. The scribe pen cleaving tool had the next highest average output (98.2% ± 1.4), followed by the 15 blade scalpel (84.8% ± 2.9), the diamond cleaving wheel (78.1% ± 6.9), and finally the suture scissors (58.0% ± 7.3). There was a significant difference between energy transmitted by the different techniques (p<0.001). Microscopy showed that the uncleaved tip had a smooth, flat core and cladding. The scribe pen produced a similar core surface but defects along the cladding. The other cleaving techniques produced defects on both the core and cladding. CONCLUSIONS: Cleaving techniques produce a significant effect on the energy transmitted through a reusable laser fiber. The scribe pen cleaving tool had the most consistent and highest average energy output. Utilization of this tool during fiber cleaving could preserve higher energy output.(Figure Presented).