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In order to gain an obvious insight into the role of water in the mechanism of the excimer laser ablation of the cornea, we have macroscopically investigated the ablation behavior of collagen gel in the swelled state by direct photoetching using an ArF excimer laser with time-resolved photography, and furthermore, the thermal effects on the microscopic structures of the collagen molecules by FTIR–ATR spectroscopy. The hydrated collagen film (HF) has a smaller threshold fluence than the dried collagen film (DF). From the time-resolved photographs, the ejected materials were detected only for HF. It was predicted that the effect of bubble formation for HF contributes to the etching. The FTIR–ATR spectroscopic results revealed that the existence of the water suppressed the denaturation of the collagen to gelatin on the surface in the irradiated region. Overall, it was inferred that during the ablation process for HF, the laser energy would be mostly consumed as the latent heat of evaporation of water, that is, the water in the gel matrix would contribute to the suppression of the increment in the temperature in the irradiated region. |
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