Supervised IR-laser-based bone surgery for stenosis decompression

People who suffer from spinal stenosis can experience severe pain and mobility restrictions. The conventional surgical method using a surgical burr carries the risk of damaging underlying spinal cord tissue due to missing depth control, leading to prolonged operation times and recovery periods. A laser handpiece in combination with optical coherence tomography (OCT) can achieve higher precision in stenosis decompression. We conducted a parameter study with 2 μm and 3 μm wavelength lasers to compare ablation depth to laser power, pulse duration and bone hydration. A thermographic camera was used to monitor the temperature of the tissue surrounding the laser focus to adjust the parameters for water spray cooling and ensure that the biological damage threshold of 47°C for one minute was never exceeded. The OCT signal is used to detect underlying tissues to avoid damage. The aim of the research is to combine all techniques in one endoscopic device.