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Microperforation of the human nail plate by radiation of erbium lasers

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Abstract

The nail plate forms a barrier that limits the effectiveness of drug delivery in the treatment of nail diseases and prevents the outflow of fluid in the case of subungual hematoma formation. Microperforation of the nail plate through laser radiation can increase the effectiveness of drug delivery and ensure the possibility of blood outflow.

This study detected and identified the type and threshold of effects that arise from exposing the nail plate to Yb,Er: Glass (λ = 1.54 μm) and Er:YLF (λ = 2.81 μm) laser radiation. The rate and efficiency of nail plate ablation by the radiation of these lasers were studied. The effect of the storage time of a freshly extracted nail plate in open air on its ablation rate by Er:YLF (λ = 2.81 μm) laser radiation was also investigated.

The impact of the Yb,Er:Glass and Er:YLF laser pulses on the nail plate caused bleaching, carbonization, ablation with microcrater formation, and microperforation. The laser energy densities WE (thresholds) required for these effects were determined. The maximum ablation rate for Yb,Er:Glass laser radiation was 8 μm/pulse at WE = 91±2 J/cm2, whereas that for Er:YLF laser radiation was 12 μm/pulse at WE= 10.5±0.5 J/cm2. The maximum ablation efficiency for Yb,Er:Glass laser radiation was 0.1 μm/mJ at WE = 10.5±0.5 J/cm2, whereas that for Er:YLF laser radiation was 4.6 μm/mJ at WE = 5.3±0.3 J/cm2. The laser ablation rate depends on the storage time and conditions of the freshly extracted nail plate. For example, when exposed to Er:YLF laser radiation, the laser ablation rate decreased by half from the initial maximum value in 96 h of air storage and returned to the initial value after 1 h of storage in distilled water.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the ITMO University (Saint Petersburg, Russia) and Nela Ltd. (Saint Petersburg, Russia) for providing equipment and support to this study. The authors are also grateful to Alexei V. Skrypnik (ITMO University, Saint Petersburg, Russia) for his assistance in the study design.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Laser Technologies and Systems, Saint-Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO University), Saint Petersburg, 197101, Russia

    Andrey V. Belikov, Andrey N. Sergeev, Sergey N. Smirnov & Anastasia D. Tavalinskaya

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  1. Andrey V. Belikov
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  2. Andrey N. Sergeev
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  3. Sergey N. Smirnov
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  4. Anastasia D. Tavalinskaya
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Correspondence to Andrey V. Belikov.

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Andrey V. Belikov graduated in 1990 from Saint-Petersburg Inst itute of Fine Mechanics and Optics (SPIFMO), specialty optics. His professional experience and positions: 1990–1993, post-graduate student of Quantum Electronics and Biomedical Optics Department of SPIFMO; 1993–2002, Ph.D., senior researcher of Quantum Electronics and Biomedical Optics Department of SPIFMO; 2002–2013, associate Professor of Laser Technique and Biomedical Optics Department of Saint-Petersburg State University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (SPb SU ITMO); 2013–2015, Professor of Laser Technique and Biomedical Optics Department of Saint-Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO University); 2015–2016, Professor of Laser Technologies and Laser Technique Department of ITMO University; 2016–present, Professor of Laser Technologies and Systems Department of ITMO University.

His professional activities: 6 international projects (optics for medicine), more than 20 international congresses, 6 invited lectures. His research interests are biomedical optics, physics of interaction of light with materials. He has published more than 180 papers.

Andrey N. Sergeev received his Bachelor degree in photonics and optical information technologies from St. Petersburg State University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics in 2009; Master degree in photonics and optical information technologies from St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO University) in 2011; Ph.D. degree in quantum electronics from ITMO University in 2014. His Ph.D. thesis theme was “Design of minilasers for study of information recording in photosensitive materials by methods of nonlinear optics”. Since 2014, he is Assistant Professor at Laser Technologies and Systems Department of ITMO University. His research interests are DPSS lasers, minilasers, microchip lasers, lasers for biomedical applications, nonlinear optics, optical information recording, optical information technologies. His professional activities: participation in 6 international conferences. He has published over 20 papers.

Sergey N. Smirnov received his Bachelor degree in technical physics from St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO University) in 2013; Master degree in laser instrumentation and technologies from ITMO University in 2015. His Master's thesis was “High-power pulsed diode-pumped laser of eye-safe spectral range”. Since 2015, he is Ph.D. student of Laser Technologies and Systems department of ITMO University (specialty — quantum electronics). His professional activities: participation in 7 conferences, including 2 all-Russian and 2 international. His research interests are solid-state lasers, laser and optical systems for biomedical applications, laser-matter interaction, optoacoustics, tissue optics. He has published 5 papers.

Anastasia D. Tavalinskaya completed upper secondary education, currently — fourth year student of St. Petersburg University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO University). Since 2013, she is a student of Laser Technologies and Systems Department of ITMO University. Her professional activities: participation in 2 all-Russian conferences. Her research interests are laser technology and biomedical optics.

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Belikov, A.V., Sergeev, A.N., Smirnov, S.N. et al. Microperforation of the human nail plate by radiation of erbium lasers. Front. Optoelectron. 10, 299–307 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12200-017-0719-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12200-017-0719-3

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