Powerful laser light is one of the most effective tools of modern surgery. Surgical laser light delivered through optical fibers to external or internal organs is precise, does not damage normal surrounding tissues, can be performed under local anesthetic, sterilizes and stops bleeding. One important class of procedures involves eradicating cancerous tissue by rapid, highly localized heating, for which laser light offers unique advantages. Patients recover faster and experience less pain and discomfort.
Because laser fiber-optic surgical units cost about $100,000 and involve major investments in infrastructure, the miniature solar collectors designed by Gordon and Feuermann, in collaboration with BIDR research colleague Dr. Mahmoud Huleihil, may provide an economically attractive replacement for laser surgery. Hospitals in sunny regions could increase productivity by using relatively inexpensive solar-based surgical devices.
Figure 3: Ex-vivo solar surgery on chicken liver.
In this application, concentrated light is fed from the mini-reflector into an optical fiber fitted with a specially shaped outlet that increases the power density of the sunlight. Physical characterization of the light and its use in surgical experiments on chicken breasts and livers, and on live rats showed that the solar surgical device is at least as good as the best corresponding laser instruments. The surgical experimentation is being done in collaboration with Prof. Solly Mizrahi and Dr. Ruthy Shaco-Levy of the Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
In commercial-scale production, the solar surgical unit could be sold for a small fraction of the cost of current surgical lasers with fiber-optic coupling. In desert climates, such as Israel’s Negev, these solar devices could be operated for about 300 days annually. In temperate, relatively clear climates, it could be used on at least half of the days of the year, with operation possible between 7 and 10 hours a day. Such capabilities would enable adopting solar surgery in many areas of the world.
