Kinetics of oxygenation of skin tissue exposed to low-intensity laser radiation

We present the results of modeling the action spectrum and an experimental investigation of the effect of laser-induced photodissociation of oxyhemoglobin in vivo on the increase in the degree of oxygenation of skin tissue in the exposed area. We have shown that controlling the local concentration of free molecular oxygen in biological tissues together with the possibility of eliminating tissue hypoxia using laser radiation makes it possible to stimulate aerobic cell metabolism and to achieve the needed therapeutic effect. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 1, pp. 120–125, January–February, 2007.     

Oxyhemoglobin photodissociation efficiency in biological tissue exposed to laser radiation

We have obtained quantitative data on the differential (with respect to depth) and the integrated oxyhemoglobin photodissociation efficiency in the dermis when the skin surface is exposed to a light beam in the wavelength range 300–650 nm. With this aim, we have used our own previously developed optical model for skin tissue and analytical procedure for calculating the characteristics of optical fields in a medium. We have estimated the number of oxygen molecules formed at different depths in the medium, and also their integrated number over the entire thickness of the dermis as a function of the irradiation wavelength. We consider models for a dermis that is homogeneous with respect to depth and a dermis that has a layered structure. We show that the spectral photodissociation efficiency has a number of maxima associated with the absorption spectrum of oxyhemoglobin and the optical properties of all the layers of skin tissue. We discuss the effect of the epidermis on these maxima.     

Laser-induced photodissociation of oxyhemoglobin: Optical method of elimination of hypoxia (oxygen deficiency in biotissue)

We consider the effect of laser-induced in vivo photodissociation of blood oxyhemoglobin on gas exchange in biological tissues. An optical method of laser-induced oxygenation of biotissues is developed and proposed. We show that, in the region of the action of the laser radiation, the degree of oxygenation of a tissue increases. We experimentally confirm that the phenomenon of laser-induced in vivo photodissociation of oxyhemoglobin opens up a new possibility of controlling the local concentration of free molecular oxygen in tissues, eliminating tissue hypoxia, and stimulating aerobic metabolism of cells. We show that the efficiency of the proposed method of laser-induced oxygenation of biotissues proves to be comparable with the efficiency of the hyperbaric oxygenation, but has the advantage of the locality of the action. The proposed optical method of local oxygenation of biotissues will make it possible to eliminate the problem of hypoxia in cancerous tumor tissue and to considerably increase the efficiency of photodynamic, radiation, and chemotherapy in modern oncology.     

Spectrum of the effect of laser radiation on hemoglobin of the blood vessels of skin

We suggested and consider the primary mechanism of biostimulation and of the therapeutic effect of low-level laser radiation caused by a local increase in the effectiveness of oxygen transfer by oxyhemoglobin of the blood vessels of skin. The spectra of the effect of laser radiation on oxyhemoglobin and hemoglobin of the blood vessels of skin are presented which were obtained using a method of numerical simulation with allowance for the optical characteristics of skin and for the depth of penetration into it of radiation of different wavelengths. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 6, pp. 877–860, November–December, 1998.     

Assessment of the therapeutic action of low-intensity laser radiation from the extent of local tissue saturation with oxygen

We propose a method for dosimetry of the biological response to laser irradiation based on determination of the amount of oxygen additionally supplied to the tissue. We show that it is feasible to determine the therapeutic dose from the change in the degree of oxygen saturation of the blood, heart rate, hemoglobin concentration in the blood, and exposure time. __________ 13Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 4, pp. 516–520, July–August, 2006.     

Laser-induced photodissociation of carboxyhemoglobin: An optical method for eliminating the toxic effect of carbon monoxide

We propose and examine an optical method for eliminating the toxic effect of carbon monoxide. The developed method is based on laser-induced photodissociation of carboxyhemoglobin in blood vessels and capillaries. By numerical simulation of the interaction of laser radiation with tissue, we calculate the spectra of the action of carboxyhemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin in cutaneous blood vessels. We show that, despite the sufficiently strong overlap of the action spectra of carboxyhemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin, the substantial difference in the quantum yield values makes it possible to develop an optical method for eliminating the toxic effect of carbon monoxide. We determine the criteria for the efficiency of laser-induced photodissociation of carboxyhemoglobin under direct action on lung alveoli through the skin tissue and intravenously.     

Depth distributions of light action spectra for skin chromophores

Light action spectra over wavelengths of 300–1000 nm are calculated for components of the human cutaneous covering: melanin, basal (bloodless) tissue, and blood oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin. The transformation of the spectra with depth in biological tissue results from two factors. The first is the wavelength dependence of the absorption coefficient corresponding to a particular skin chromophore and the second is the spectral selectivity of the radiation flux in biological tissue. This factor is related to the optical properties of all chromophores. A significant change is found to take place in the spectral distribution of absorbed radiant power with increasing depth. The action spectrum of light for the molecular oxygen contained in all components of biological tissue is also studied in the 625–645 nm range. The spectra are found to change with both the volume fraction of blood vessels and the degree of oxygenation of the blood. These results are useful for analyzing processes associated with optical absorption that are possible mechanisms for the interaction of light with biological tissues: photodissociation of oxyhemoglobin and the light-oxygen effect.     

Nano-ionic thin films of gadolinia-doped ceria prepared by pulsed laser ablation

Microstructural properties of nano-ionic thin films of gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) prepared by pulsed laser ablation from sintered targets of gadolinia (5–20 mol%) doped ceria are investigated. The ionic conductivity measurements of the sintered pellets showed a decrease in the activation energy from 1.1 to 0.65 eV for 5 and 30 mol% gadolinia-doped ceria, respectively. The microstructural properties of the GDC films as a function of substrate temperature, oxygen partial pressure, and laser energy show that the films are polycrystalline in the entire range of substrate temperature. The grain size is found to increase with increasing temperature up to 873 K. Further improved crystallinity is noticed for the films grown with oxygen partial pressure of 0.1–0.2 mbar. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal nanocrystalline grains with textured growth along <111> orientation in these films at low substrate temperature and at lower oxygen partial pressure. TEM study shows a uniform distribution of nanocrystal of 8–10 nm for energies ≤200 mJ/pulse, and nanocrystals embedded in a large crystalline matrix of doped ceria for energies in the range 400–600 mJ/pulse. Raman spectroscopy also confirms the defects in these films. The study also reveals that the substrate temperature and oxygen partial pressure could influence preferred orientation, while the laser energy could significantly influence defect concentration in these films. Invited paper presented at the Third International Conference on Ionic Devices (ICID 2006), Chennai, Tamilnadu, India, Dec. 7–9, 2006.     

Laser polarimetry of the orientation structure of bone tissue osteons

A matrix method is proposed for describing polarization properties of biological tissues as an aggregate of uniaxial crystal structures. We investigated 25 μm-thick histological sections of compact bone tissue which provided single light scattering. It is shown that in this case there exists a unique relationship between the polarization parameters of the boundary laser field and the parameters of anisotropy and orientation of the structural elements of biological tissue. On this basis, contactless methods of laser polarimetry of histological sections of bone tissue have been proposed. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 1, pp. 52–55, January–February, 2000.     

Laser-induced fluorescence of cardiac tissue with calcinosis

Investigations of laser-induced fluorescence spectra for human cardiac valve tissue with calcinosis are performed as compared to similar spectra of bone and myocardial tissue of an animal that are excited by an excimer laser with a 248-nm wavelength. It is shown that a healthy tissue has a laser-induced fluorescence maximum in the region of 300–400 nm which corresponds to protein tissue luminescence. For tissue affected by calcinosis, the laser-induced fluorescence spectra differ significantly from the spectra of healthy tissue and have a maximum in the region of 400–500 nm. The obtained results offer the prospects for using laser-induced fluorescence to diagnose tissue with calcinosis in open-heart surgery. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 64, No. 4, pp. 539–541, July–August, 1997.     

Local spectral determination of gases and carbon in solid samples by the method of laser spectral analysis

We show the possibility of local spectral determination of nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon in solid materials with the use of a plasma obtained on exposure of materials to laser radiation, including single laser pulses. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 4, pp. 482–485, July–August, 1998.     

Determination of carbon in soil by laser spectral analysis

We have used a combination laser/electrospark method for fast determination of carbon content in soil. Excitation of the spectra is carried out both directly in a laser ablation plume and when a pulsed electric discharge is applied to it. We have plotted a calibration curve that is linear for the major concentration range of practical importance for the analyte element, all the way up to 8.6%. The carbon detection limit for the combination discharge approach is 0.07%. We have analyzed the ratio of the nitrogen and carbon contents, and also the hydrogen and carbon contents as a function of the carbon concentration in the studied soils samples. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 75, No. 2, pp. 262–268, March–April, 2008.     

Passive Q-switching of erbium glass laser by magnesium aluminosilicate sitall with cobalt ions

We have studied the radiation output parameters for an erbium glass laser, lasing at a wavelength of 1.54 μm, with passive Q-switching by means of a cobalt-containing magnesium aluminosilicate sitall compared with a saturable absorber based on a magnesium aluminum spinel crystal with cobalt ions. We have shown that the output characteristics of the laser emission when using sitall are not inferior to the analogous characteristics of a laser based on a spinel crystal, and are practically independent of the temperature of the saturable absorber in the range 0°C–80°C. The duration (energy) of the output pulses was 70 nsec (∼4 mJ), the energy dispersion of the radiation pulse relative to the average value was no greater than 3%, the beam divergence was 2.8 mrad, the laser beam quality factor was M² = 1.2. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 1, pp. 126–131, January–February, 2007.     

The biomedical effect of laser-induced photodissociation of oxyhemoglobin in vivo

It is demonstrated that the photodissociation of oxyhemoglobin in cutaneous blood vessels and capillaries allows additional extraction of molecular oxygen, prevents hypoxia, and stimulates aerobic metabolism of cells. On the basis of the studied phenomena, a new optical technology of local oxygenation of tissue directly in the zone of laser irradiation has been developed. It is shown that the efficiency of the proposed method for laser-induced oxygenation of biotissues is comparable with the efficiency of hyperbaric oxygenation, with local action being an additional advantage. Various aspects of the applications of the new technology in modern medicine in which the elimination of local hypoxia is needed are discussed. The proposed optical method for local oxygenation of biotissues makes it possible to solve the hypoxia problem in malignant tissue and substantially increase the efficiency of photodynamic, radiation, and chemical therapy in modern oncology.     

Stability of the conditions for excitation of atomic spectra in plasma produced on exposure of copper alloys to laser radiation

We show that the temperature of plasma produced by exposure of copper-zinc alloy specimens to laser radiation changes little (within the limits of random errors) with a change in the conditions of the laser effect and chemical composition of the specimens. With use of electric discharges (a low-voltage spark), systematic changes in the temperature of the plasma are observed when the chemical composition of copper-zinc alloys changes. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 3, pp. 319–321, May–June, 1998.     

Effect of intravenous laser irradiation on the molecular structure of blood and blood components

We present the results of a spectral study of the effect of low-intensity laser radiation on the molecular structure of blood and blood components. Analysis of the Fourier transform IR absorption spectra of blood confirmed the changes we observed previously in the oxygen transport characteristics of blood with intravenous exposure to the emission from a He-Ne laser. We show that structural and conformational changes in the hemoglobin tetramer, initiated by laser-induced photoreactions between Hb and oxygen, lead to characteristic changes in the shape and intensity of the IR bands for NH stretching vibrations, and also the amide I and amide II absorption bands. In the IR spectra of irradiated blood samples, we note increased absorption in the bands for stretching vibrations of the phosphate groups (945–1280 cm⁻¹), which is evidence for an increase in the nucleic acid content (DNA, RNA). In the spectra of plasma and erythrocytes prepared from irradiated blood, there are no changes in this region of the IR spectrum. At the same time, in the IR spectra of samples of irradiated plasma, the intensity of the bands for stretching vibrations of the CH₂ groups increases substantially. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 1, pp. 106–112, January–February, 2006.     

Excited states, relaxation processes, and coordination reactions in the active centers of heme proteins

Based on the results of studying hemoglobin and myoglobin molecules using the methods of laser absorption spectroscopy of superhigh time resolution, we described photophysical and spectral properties of excited states, and intramolecular electronic and thermal relaxation processes. A mechanisms of the photodissociation reaction of oxy forms of these proteins is proposed and substantiated. Reported at the VIIIth International Conference on Spectroscopy of Porphyrins and Their Analogs, Minsk, September 22–26, 1998. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 4, pp. 479–482, July–August, 1999.     

Major features of frequency sweeping of emission from heterojunction quantum lasers

We have used numerical modeling to establish the major features of the variation (sweeping) of the “ instantaneous” laser frequency of heterojunction quantum lasers as a function of the pump current modulation frequency and tuning of the lasing frequency within the gain band. The active medium is described within a two-band model with identical distribution of levels for the electron and hole subbands, assuming transitions with no selection rule between the ground-state subbands. Sweeping of the laser frequency occurs due to variation of the refractive index of the active medium, as a result of the variation in the concentration of nonequilibrium charge carriers. Laser frequency sweeping does not occur for low current modulation frequencies, corresponding to realization of the quasisteady-state lasing regime. In the other limiting case of relatively high current modulation frequencies, the modulation depth of the laser output also tends toward zero. The magnitude of the sweep is greatest in the intermediate current modulation frequency region. For a specified current modulation frequency, the dynamic shift of the laser mode depends on the position of the lasing frequency within the gain band. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 2, pp. 223–229, March–April, 2007.     

Fluorescence and absorption of polystyrene exposed to UV laser radiation

We show that when polystyrene is exposed (for 15–60 sec) to a UV laser light beam (λ = 248 nm), its absorption and luminescent properties change significantly. In the irradiated polymer, optical centers are formed with absorption bands in the 280–460 nm region and fluorescence bands in the 330–520 nm region. We have established the chemical structure of the optical centers for fluorescence of polystyrene. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 1, pp. 54–58, January–February, 2006.     

Generation of coherent tunable deep UV radiation for detection and absorption studies of explosives RDX and TNT

We report a technique for the efficient generation of tunable coherent deep UV radiation and its application in studies of RDX and TNT at the ppm level on the basis of their absorption characteristics. The obtained experimental absorption data are compared with conventional spectrophotometric data. The UV radiation in the range 200–260 nm has been generated by the type-I noncollinear third harmonic of the dye laser radiation (600–700 nm) and also by sum frequency mixing (SFM) of Nd:YAG output (1064 nm) with the second harmonic of the dye laser in β-barium borate (BBO) crystal. The maximum conversion efficiency of the generated signal is estimated to be 57.5% at λ = 218.9 nm wavelength. Apart from measurements of the absorbance of RDX and TNT at different concentrations in their respective solutions, the minimum detection concentrations have also been ascertained. The estimated minimum detectable concentration of RDX is 8.47·10⁻⁹ M, whereas that for TNT is 35.7·10⁻⁹ M. The data were obtained using only ∼100 μJ/pulse of laser energy. Published in Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 6, pp. 516–521, July–August, 2007.