Final answer:
Laser beams are used in laser surgery to create clean and precise surgical incisions. The focused and intense light can cut and coagulate tissue, as seen in retina repair and vision correction procedures like LASIK. Lasers' unique properties also facilitate non-intrusive diagnostics for cancer assessment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Laser beams are particularly significant in medical procedures due to their ability to focus light rays intensely and precisely. This unique characteristic of lasers allows them to cut and remove tissue with extremely high accuracy, making surgical incisions cleaner and aiding in the healing process. Lasers are often utilized for laser surgery, where specific wavelengths are chosen for their strong absorption by certain tissues.
One area of medicine where lasers have had a profound impact is in the repair of detached retinas. In such cases, a green argon laser emits light that the blood-rich tissues of the retina absorb effectively, leading to coagulation that 'welds' the torn area. This precision allows for tissue repair that maintains or salvages the patient's vision.
Another application of lasers is in LASIK surgery, a vision correction procedure that relies on an excimer laser. This laser operates at a 193 nm UV wavelength, which is absorbed exceedingly well by the corneal tissue, allowing for the meticulous removal of tissue to correct vision issues such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. More than a million Americans benefit from this technology annually.
In addition to these applications, advancements in optics have led to the development of tiny lenses and optical filters attachable to fiber bundles. These innovations enable non-intrusive diagnostics, which are crucial for imaging and determining the extent of cancers within the body without the need for invasive surgical procedures.