Diode laser devices, as a core tool in modern minimally invasive medicine, leverage the selective photothermal interaction—a mechanism that enables precise, targeted energy delivery while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. At the heart of this process lies the laser’s ability to emit specific wavelengths of light that are preferentially absorbed by key molecules in pathological regions: primarily hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying protein in blood) and water molecules (abundant in most soft tissues). When these molecules absorb the laser energy, they undergo rapid energy conversion, transforming the light energy into intense thermal energy within a localized area (often confined to a few millimeters).
This concentrated thermal energy serves two critical, synergistic purposes in clinical procedures. First, it efficiently vaporizes pathological tissue—such as abnormal vascular lesions, benign or malignant tissue growths, or damaged tissue in minimally invasive surgeries—by breaking down the molecular bonds of the target tissue. Unlike traditional surgical tools that rely on mechanical cutting (which can cause broad tissue trauma), the laser’s vaporization effect allows for ultra-precise tissue removal, ensuring only the diseased area is addressed while preserving adjacent healthy cells.
Second, the same thermal energy simultaneously seals blood vessels and lymphatic vessels with diameters up to 1–2 mm. As the thermal energy heats the vessel walls, it causes collagen denaturation and contraction, effectively closing the vessel lumens and preventing bleeding (hemostasis) and lymph leakage. This dual action—precise tissue cutting and immediate hemostasis—significantly reduces intraoperative blood loss, shortens surgical time, and minimizes post-operative complications such as hematomas or lymphoceles.
Clinically, this mechanism makes diode laser devices indispensable in fields like dermatology (for vascular lesions), gynecology (for minimally invasive surgeries), and oral and maxillofacial surgery (for soft tissue resections). By harnessing selective photothermal interaction, diode lasers balance efficacy and safety, representing a key advancement in minimally invasive medical technology.
