Laser: Small hops but non nul

[John2038]

When I readed about this new technics, I first thought it was jokes.
Finally, googling around, I say why not, as Raydiance and FDA Sign Cooperative Research and Development Agreement.

So here is the article.

Source

Professor develops laser to fight viruses
published on Thursday, November 8, 2007

One ASU professor is hoping to employ cutting-edge laser technology in the battle against deadly viruses, including HIV.

K. T. Tsen, a physics professor, announced last week that he successfully destroyed common viruses using pulses from a super fast, infrared laser without harming surrounding human cells.

Although Tsen said he thinks the technology could be used to target a wide array of pathogens, he is currently testing the technique on HIV.

"We have demonstrated that it works on viruses," he said. "It is our belief that it works on HIV as well. It can attack all the known and emerging pathogens. It can attack essentially every microorganism."

The laser Tsen has been testing emits extremely brief light pulses that, unlike continuous wave or ultra violet lasers, vaporize bacteria and viruses without heat, he said.

"You're just cooking it (with UV lasers)," Tsen said. "You don't want to do that. UV kills cells, but it will also give rise to mutations."

The laser Tsen uses instead produces a vibration, which shatters the protein coat of microorganisms, he said, and destroys them without causing residual damage to human cells.

The technique could be used against HIV, hepatitis and cancer, as well as for eye and dental surgeries, according to a laser manufacturing company official.

"We have seen it kill cancer cells and leave healthy tissue right next to it undisturbed," said Barry Schuler, chairman of Raydiance, Inc. "We think this is a very exciting frontier. This has a lot of promise for medical technologies."

Raydiance entered into a research agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this year, Schuler said. The FDA will utilize Raydiance's recently developed compact laser to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of laser-tissue interaction.

The technology may hit the dermatological marketplace in as soon as 18 months, Schuler added.

Schuler said he thinks the laser's first applications could involve treating skin cancer and removing moles.

"What you have people asking is, 'Are there other ways to tackle medical problems like cancer?' Cancer treatment today is pretty barbaric," he added. "We're looking for a cleaner, less toxic treatment."

Schuler said he thinks Tsen's goal of treating HIV with the technology is also attainable.

"I wouldn't say this is the future of treating viruses," he said. "But I would say this is the future of treating disease."

Tsen echoed Schuler and said the new technique could revolutionize the treatment of diseases.

"This technique can be used without side effects," he said. "We are not using any antibiotic drugs, so we don't produce resistant viruses."

Tsen said he would continue testing the technique on HIV through the remainder of the year with his son, Shaw-Wei Tsen, who has been working with him on the project.

Others links

http://sev.prnewswire.com/computer-software/20070716/NYM02016072007-1.html
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/06/raydiance?currentPage=1

[bimazek]

http://www.laserfocusworld.com/display_article/311571/12/ARTCL/none/News/ULTRAFAST-LASERS:-Femtosecond-pulses-kill-viruses,-leave-human-cells-alon