Laser technologies are becoming more present in our everyday world. The term laser is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. They are incorporated in so many different fields nowadays. Sometimes it is hard to believe that laser technologies are still something new and in their infancy.
The first laser was introduced to the world less than one hundred years ago. Today, we can notice many new and innovative laser technologies finding their applications in various spheres. Dermatology and dental treatments, manufacturing, and surgeries are just some of them.
Improved diagnostic methods
The use of laser technologies for diagnosing diseases is undoubtedly one of the most significant applications of lasers in general. Preserving and improving health is an area where there is always room for improvement. And lasers play a vital role in it. For example, it can be used in cancer diagnosis. Cancer cells are actually the normal cells of our body altered in some way. The main idea was to develop new methods able to notice and inform about these alterations. Some new lasers have the possibility to detect changed cellular activity and, therefore, diagnose cancer.
One of the cancer types that can be diagnosed is melanoma, which is also one of the most dangerous ones. Pulses released from a laser get inside of the mole and notice changes that indicate cancer development. Another laser technology used in cancer diagnosis refers to laser holography. It enables the detection of alterations in ovaries and can diagnose ovarian cancer in its early stages.
Another disease for the diagnosis of which lasers are used is Alzheimer’s disease. It can be detected with the use of a blue light laser. The laser is being pointed in the eye and it detects the substance called beta-amyloid. It is a protein that becomes more present in the body when Alzheimer’s disease starts to develop. Its diagnosis is essential because it can indicate the development of the disease long before the symptoms appear. And detecting the disease in these early stages can play a significant role in finding a way to effectively treat this neurodegenerative disease.
Img source: photonics.com
Activating light-activated medicines and participation in treatments
New laser technologies include flying microlasers that can be used for activating drugs in the body. Some of the medicines are not active the moment you take them into the body. Instead, they get activated later, after the action of a particular initiator. New microlasers can get inserted into an optical fiber and get implanted into the skin. From that position, it can deliver light to the drug in the body and activate it, so it can start working. It is an innovative technology that significantly improves pharmacological achievements.
Another way these microlasers can be used is in lab conditions, for different bioanalytic methods, or for different temperature measurements. Incorporating lasers in optical fiber has opened the door to new applications of laser technology.
Laser Box Cutter: Cut Box with Laser Cutting Machine
According to dxtech.com, another process that uses the benefits of lasers is box cutting. It enables high precision in cutting for the best possible final product. Cutting cardboard material for box making can be very tiring, and desired precision is difficult to achieve since cardboard is very thick and hard to work with. Using laser technologies makes the cardboard box cutting much easier. Laser cutting can also be applied for making acrylic and MDF boxes. And you can use it for different jewelry and storage boxes. Laser box cutting is much faster and more accurate in comparison to traditional methods. Besides, it doesn’t damage the material surface, and it preserves its quality.
Img source: freepik.com
Environmental changes
A big global problem is killing animals such as poultry. Every year, millions of little birds die because it is not cost-effective to raise male ones. And they end up in the shredder, which is more than cruel and unnecessary. Luckily, new laser technologies tend to change this practice. These technologies can help determine the sex of the egg before the chicken hatches.
For this to be done, eggs need to spend around ten days in an incubator, and then to perform a laser procedure. The laser makes a small cut on the egg. It doesn’t damage it, but it enables extracting a small amount of allantoic fluid. After sampling, the sex of the egg can be determined. If the egg is female, it returns to the incubator. If it’s male, it is removed and processed into forage. This laser application prevents killing animals and has a positive impact on agriculture and the environment in general.
Laser role in safety
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy or LIBS is being used to detect important substances and living organisms. And its usage can prevent adverse events. For example, LIBS can be used in grocery stores to understand if groceries are contaminated with bacteria. The same goes for the pharmaceutical industry and figuring out if a certain medicine contains all listed substances.
It can also be used in the military for understanding if a certain substance is dangerous and how to approach it. The exact way the laser is used for these analyses includes pointing the laser towards the substance and microscopic sampling. The sample is subjected to spectroscopic analysis and thus accurately detects the given substance. The best part is that it can analyze even the most complex substances and provide accurate information about them. These innovative laser technologies can also be applied in many other areas and contribute to their progress.
Img source: azom.com
Conclusion
Laser technologies are present in many different areas. They became a regular part of our everyday life, and contribute to it in various ways. For example, some innovative laser technologies are used nowadays to diagnose some diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. This has enormous importance since early diagnosis of these conditions can help find an efficient cure. Lasers can also be applied in treatments as drug-activating agents. Laser technologies have found application in agriculture and positively contribute to the environment. With lasers, box cutting became much more precise and accurate. Innovative laser technologies keep making our lives easier and will surely continue to contribute to our better future.
