Laser Technology & Equipment Flashcards
7 cards from real CLT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Laser Technology & Equipment flashcards as text
Which laser type uses a gas mixture of carbon dioxide as the active medium and emits at 10,600 nm?
Answer: CO2 laser
The CO2 laser emits at 10,600 nm in the mid-infrared spectrum and is strongly absorbed by water, making it effective for tissue ablation and resurfacing.
What property of a laser beam is described by the term 'coherence'?
Answer: All photons travel in phase with one another
Coherence means the light waves in a laser beam maintain a fixed phase relationship, enabling constructive interference and extremely focused energy delivery.
The Er:YAG laser (2940 nm) is preferred over CO2 (10,600 nm) for superficial skin resurfacing because it:
Answer: Has 10–16× greater water absorption, allowing more precise ablation with less thermal damage
At 2940 nm, Er:YAG matches the peak absorption of water more closely than CO2, resulting in precise micro-ablation with minimal collateral thermal injury.
Which parameter directly controls the depth of laser energy penetration into tissue?
Answer: Wavelength
Wavelength determines how deeply photons penetrate tissue because each tissue chromophore has characteristic absorption coefficients at specific wavelengths.
A fractional laser creates an array of micro-treatment zones (MTZs) separated by untreated tissue columns. What is the primary clinical benefit of this approach?
Answer: Faster healing due to migration of cells from untreated zones
Sparing columns of untreated tissue between MTZs provides a reservoir of intact cells that accelerate re-epithelialization and collagen remodeling.
Which safety feature prevents accidental laser emission when the handpiece is not properly seated or the door is open?
Answer: Interlock system
Interlock systems automatically interrupt laser emission when protective covers are removed or treatment room doors are opened, preventing accidental exposure.
In a long-pulsed laser designed for vascular treatments, increasing the pulse duration while keeping fluence constant will:
Answer: Reduce peak power and decrease collateral thermal damage to nearby structures
Longer pulses lower peak power, spreading heat delivery over time, which reduces non-specific thermal damage to surrounding tissue for large vascular targets.