UTILIZATION OF PULSED-LASER RADIATION IN BIOPHYSICS

Irradiation of tissue with low fluence, pulsed (ns) laser light generates acoustic waves. In the regime of stress confinement, the shape of these waves follows the energy density distribution in the sample, This makes it possible to measure the light distribution within the tissue and to recognize inner structures of the sample by the recording of the acoustic waves. Passing over to higher fluence values leeds to ablation effects by photospallation, even if the primary temperature rise amounts to only a few 10 degrees C.