"We were searching for an alternative to lasers," says Gordon. "Ultrabright, immense power density, light sources uniquely suited to photo-thermal surgery and similar medical procedures."
The answer for Gordon and his team came out of the clear blue sky -- literally.
Bright Spot
"Sunlight can be uniquely suitable for surgical use because it can be concentrated," Gordon wrote in the latest issue of Applied Physics Letters, which details the BGU team's latest experiments. At the heart of their experimental system is a parabolic mirror that measures 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) in diameter. The dish-shaped mirror collects sunlight and concentrates the beams onto a small flat mirror suspended above the center of the dish.
The flat mirror reflects the concentrated light energy into a 1-millimeter-wide fiber optic cable, which can carry the light up to 100 meters away with very little loss of energy. At the other end of the fiber optic cable, the light can be directed onto any target -- against a cancerous section of a patient's kidney, for example.
Zapping Chicken Parts Cheaply
According to Gordon, the initial performance of the setup has been "excellent." As reported in Applied Physics Letters, the solar-powered laser has been able to deliver about 5 to 8 watts of energy, similar to what some conventional medical lasers can deliver.
And in initial tests against animal tissue -- fresh chicken breasts and livers -- Gordon says the setup appears to function much like a medical laser.
"We have 'killed' up to several cubic centimeters of chicken liver in a few minutes with only a few watts of radiative power," he says. What's more, Gordon says such a setup uses existing and relatively inexpensive technology.
"Based on conversations I've had with manufacturers, I would project that if the solar surgery prototype could be mass produced, it has the potential to cost around $1,000 per unit," he says. By comparison, he says traditional medical lasers can cost up to $150,000.
"There are many places in the world -- South East Asia, China, India, South America -- that cannot afford [traditional] laser fiber optics," says Gordon. "We've been overwhelmed by the number of interested parties."
Gordon and his team are plugging away with their research. They are working with physicians from the BGU's Soroka Medical Center to develop the protocols needed to test the device on live lab animals. Gordon hopes to soon try experiments involving organs with malignant tumors in rats. And while that might take a few years to develop, Gordon notes that the device has already spawned other nonmedical experiments.
For more information, visit: www.bgu.ac.il