Comments on `Interaction of carbon dioxide laser radiation with ocular tissues´ by T.J. Bridges et al

Previous experiments by Bridges et al. (in D.B. Karlin, 1984) on the interaction of carbon dioxide laser radiation with human eye lens tissue have been repeated. Contrary to previous results, it is found that there is a threshold fluence for the vaporization of lens tissue for its phototransection. Its average value is found to be about 26 J/cm ² for 10.6-μm radiation. Beyond this threshold fluence, the depth of incision increases with the interaction time of the laser beam. The possibility of thermal dissolution of cataractous eye lens tissue is explored and it is shown that with the CO₂ laser this is a high-temperature (270°C) process, which makes it impractical for the removal of cataracts