Computed temperature distributions around ectatic capillaries exposed to yellow (578 nm) laser light

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Abstract
The authors have numerically modelled the thermal effects of yellow (577 or 578 nm) light illumination on the ectatic blood vessels of port wine stains. They investigated the effect of the laser treatment parameters of light irradiance and illumination time on the extent of coagulation (coagulation thickness) of the endothelial cells of the ectatic vessels. They assumed that this coagulation is dependent on heating the cells to a critical temperature (coagulation temperature). They iteratively adjusted the treatment parameters so that the model vessels has a maximum temperature that did not exceed the boiling point of blood. Given the likely range of variation of coagulation temperature, coagulation thickness and vessel size, coagulation temperature was found to have the greatest effect on the treatment parameters. It is concluded that, in order to achieve coagulation with these short laser pulses, the choice of irradiance is critical.