In vitro CO2 9.3-µm short-pulsed laser caries prevention-effects of a newly developed laser irradiation pattern.

Caries prevention with different lasers has been investigated in laboratory studies and clinical pilot trials. Objective of this in vitro study was to assess whether 9.3-µm microsecond short-pulsed CO2 laser irradiation enhances enamel caries resistance without melting, with and without additional fluoride application. Seven groups of enamel, totaling 105 human enamel samples, were irradiated with 2 different carbon dioxide lasers with 2 different energy application systems (original versus spread beam; 9.3 µm wavelength, pulse repetition rate 43 Hz vs 100 Hz, fluence ranges from 1.4 to 3.9 J/cm2, pulse duration 3 µs to 18 µs). The laboratory pH-cycling was performed with or without additional fluoride, followed by cross-sectional microhardness testing. To assess caries inhibition, the mean relative mineral loss delta Z (∆Z) was determined. To evaluate for melting, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examinations were performed. For the non-laser control groups with additional fluoride use, the relative mineral loss (ΔZ, vol% × µm) ranged between 512 ± 292 and 809 ± 297 (mean ± SD). ΔZ for the laser-irradiated samples with fluoride use ranged between 186 ± 214 and 374 ± 191, averaging a 58% ± 6% mineral loss reduction (ANOVA, P < 0.01 to P < 0.0001). For the non-laser-treated controls without additional fluoride, the mineral loss increased (ΔZ 914 ± 422 to 1224 ± 736). In contrast, the ΔZ for the laser-treated groups without additional fluoride ranged between 463 ± 190 and 594 ± 272 (P < 0.01 to P < 0.001) indicative of 50% ± 2% average reduction in mineral loss. Enhanced caries resistance was achieved by all applied fluences. Using the spread beam resulted in enhanced resistance without enamel melting as seen by SEM. CO2 9.3-µm short-pulsed laser irradiation with both laser beam configurations resulted in highly significant reduction in enamel mineral loss. Modifying the beam to a more homogenous profile will allow enamel caries resistance even without apparent enamel melting.

Large depth-high resolution full 3D imaging of the anterior segments of the eye using high speed optical frequency domain imaging.

Three dimensional rapid large depth range imaging of the anterior segments of the human eye by an optical frequency domain imaging system is presented. The tunable source spans from 1217 to 1356 nm with an average output power of 60 mW providing a measured axial resolution of 10 mum in air based on the coherence envelope. The effective depth range is 4 mm, defined as the distance over which the sensitivity drops by 6 dB, achieved by frequency shifting the optical signal using acousto-optic modulators. The measured maximum sensitivity is 109 dB at a sample arm power of 14.7mW and A-lines rate of 43,900 per second. Images consisting of 512 depth profiles are acquired at an acquisition rate of 85 frames per second. We demonstrate an optical frequency domain imaging system capable of mapping in vivo the entire area of the human anterior segment (13.4 x 12 x 4.2 mm) in 1.4 seconds.

High-speed imaging of human retina in vivo with swept-source optical coherence tomography.

We present the first demonstration of human retinal imaging in vivo using optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) in the 800-nm range. With 460-muW incident power on the eye, the sensitivity is 91 dB at maximum and >85 dB over 2-mm depth range. The axial resolution is 13 mum in air. We acquired images of retina at 43,200 depth profiles per second and a continuous acquisition speed of 84 frames/s (512 A-lines per frame) could be maintained over more than 2 seconds.

Highly tunable birefringent microstructured optical fiber.

We demonstrate a method for introducing and dynamically tuning birefringence in a microstructured optical fiber. Waveguide asymmetry in the fiber is obtained by selective filling of air holes with polymer, and tunability is achieved by temperature tuning of the polymer's index. The fiber is tapered such that the mode field expands into the cladding and efficiently overlaps the polymer that has been infused into the air holes, ensuring enhanced tunability and low splice loss. Experimental results are compared with numerical simulations made with the beam propagation method and confirm birefringence tuning that corresponds to a phase change of 6pi for a 1-cm length of fiber.

Numerical analysis and experimental design of tunable birefringence in microstructured optical fiber.

We present detailed experimental and numerical results for birefringence tuning in microstructured optical fibers. Index tunable polymer is infused into specific air-holes to obtain birefringence whose tunability is achieved by temperature tuning the polymer index. We also study the symmetry properties of the modes for different waveguide structures.

Microstructured optical fiber devices.

We present several applications of microstructured optical fibers and study their modal characteristics by using Bragg gratings inscribed into photosensitive core regions designed into the air-silica microstructure. The unique characteristics revealed in these studies enable a number of functionalities including tunability and enhanced nonlinearity that provide a platform for fiber device applications. We discuss experimental and numerical tools that allow characterization of the modes of the fibers.

Experimental and scalar beam propagation analysis of an air-silica microstructure fiber.

We study the higher order guided modes in an air-silica microstructure fiber comprising a ring of six large air-holes surrounding a Germanium doped core. We characterize the modes experimentally using an intra-core Bragg grating. The experimentally observed modes are then accurately modeled by beam propagation simulations using an index profile similar to the observed fiber cross section. Theory and experiment confirm the presence of "inner cladding" modes with approximate cylindrical symmetry near the core, similar to conventional cladding modes, but which strongly exhibit the symmetry of the microstructure at large radius. Such modes are useful in fabricating robust tunable grating filters and we show that the Bragg grating is a useful diagnostic to measure their effective indices and intensity profiles.