Delivery of FEL laser energy at 6.1 /spl mu/m and 6.45 /spl mu/m with chalcogenide fibers

Summary form only given. Laser energy at 6.45 /spl mu/m, which corresponds to the Amide II band of protein, has been shown to be effective for soft tissue surgery while laser energy at 6.1 /spl mu/m, which corresponds to the bending mode of water, has been shown to be effective for bone surgery. These wavelengths enable efficient ablation of tissue and bone with little collateral damage. The Vanderbilt-free-electron laser (FEL), operating in the 2-9 /spl mu/m region, is being developed as a surgical tool at these wavelengths. In order to be an effective surgical tool, however, the FEL energy must be delivered to the patient in such a way that the surgeon can readily control application of the energy to the tissue. In this paper, we demonstrate that chalcogenide fibers are capable of handling the power levels necessary for laser surgical applications.