Practical, low cost laser systems for soft and hard tissue surgical, dental, and biomedical applications

Summary form only given. Over the past forty years many lasers have established a large array of applications in medical and dental use. For example, pulsed CO2 laser resurfacing improves photodamage and acne scarring by removing abnormal tissue with subsequent regeneration and remodeling of collagen through heat induced collagen contraction. Diode lasers, Nd:YAG, and Alexandnte lasers have been used for hair removal, and Normal Mode Er:YAG lasers have been used for precise hard and soft tissue removal with minimal thermal damage. Pulsed Dye laser are used for treatment of unseemly blood vessels and pulsed Q-switched solid state laser devices at 1.06um are used to remove unwanted tattoos.