CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Advanced Search
Home > Proceedings > Volume 3260 > Article
Open Access Paper
29 April 1998 How safe is gamete micromanipulation by laser tweezers?
Karsten Koenig, Bruce J. Tromberg, Yona Tadir M.D., Michael W. Berns
Author Affiliations +
Proceedings Volume 3260, Optical Investigations of Cells In Vitro and In Vivo; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.307112
Event: BiOS '98 International Biomedical Optics Symposium, 1998, San Jose, CA, United States
Abstract
Laser tweezers, used as novel sterile micromanipulation tools of living cells, are employed in laser-assisted in vitro fertilization (IVF). For example, controlled spermatozoa transport with 1064 nm tweezers to human egg cells has been performed in European clinics in cases of male infertility. The interaction of approximately 100 mW near infrared (NIR) trapping beams at MW/cm2 intensity with human gametes results in low mean less than 2 K temperature increases and less than 100 pN trapping forces. Therefore, photothermal or photomechanical induced destructive effects appear unlikely. However, the high photon flux densities may induce simultaneous absorption of two NIR photons resulting in nonlinear interactions. These nonlinear interactions imply non-resonant two-photon excitation of endogenous cellular chromophores. In the case of less than 800 nm tweezers, UV- like damage effects may occur. The destructive effect is amplified when multimode cw lasers are used as tweezer sources due to longitudinal mode-beating effects and partial mode- locking. Spermatozoa damage within seconds using 760 nm traps due to formation of unstable ps pulses in a cw Ti:Sa ring laser is demonstrated. We recommend the use of greater than or equal to 800 nm traps for optical gamete micromanipulation. To our opinion, further basic studies on the influence of nonlinear effects of laser tweezers on human gamete are necessary.
© (1998) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Citation Download Citation
Karsten Koenig, Bruce J. Tromberg, Yona Tadir M.D., and Michael W. Berns "How safe is gamete micromanipulation by laser tweezers?", Proc. SPIE 3260, Optical Investigations of Cells In Vitro and In Vivo, (29 April 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.307112
PROCEEDINGS
 7 PAGES
DOWNLOAD PAPER SAVE TO MY LIBRARY
GET CITATION
Advertisement
Advertisement
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission  Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace
KEYWORDS
Near infrared
Optical tweezers
Continuous wave operation
Absorption
Luminescence
Head
Sapphire lasers
RELATED CONTENT
Subscribe to Digital Library
Receive Erratum Email Alert
Back to Top