Laser Surgery Technique Removes Not Only Tattoos but Restores Art too

A laser technique is finding a second life in preserving great sculptures, paintings and other works of art though best known for its use to remove unwanted tattoos from the skin.

A laser technique is finding a second life in preserving great sculptures, paintings and other works of art though best known for its use to remove unwanted tattoos from the skin. //

This was highlighted in a recent article in ACS' monthly journal, Accounts of Chemical Research.

Laser Eye Surgery Does Not Adversely Affect Cornea in the Long Run
Laser eye surgery that corrects vision does not lead to later problems with the cornea - at least not after nine years, a new study has found.

The technique, called laser ablation, involves removing material from a solid surface by vaporizing the material with a laser beam.

Salvatore Siano and Renzo Salimbeni point out that laser cleaning of artworks actually began about 10 years before the better-known medical and industrial applications of the technique.

Doctors, for example, use laser ablation in medicine to remove unwanted tattoos from the skin.

Atrial Fibrillation Ablated Using Visually-Guided Laser Balloon Catheter
The first U.S. doctors to ablate atrial fibrillation (AFib) using a visually-guided laser balloon catheter are a pair of Indian-origin physicians at The Mount Sinai Medical Center

In industry, the technique can remove paints, coatings and other material without damaging the underlying surface.

In the article, scientists note that laser ablation has had an important impact in preserving the world's cultural heritage of great works of art.

Alzheimer's Screening Gets Fresh Lease of Life With New Laser Headband
Physicians would now be able to easily identify the tangled proteins in brain tissue associated with Alzheimer's disease in a living person- thanks to a new laser headband, developed

They describe the latest advances in laser cleaning of stone and metal statues and wall paintings, including masterpieces like Lorenzo Ghiberti's Porta del Paradiso and Donatello's David.

They also discuss encouraging results of laser cleaning underwater for materials that could deteriorate if exposed to air.

New Laser Offers Alternative to Surgery in Treating Voice Disorders
Emory Crawford Long Hospital is the only site in the Southeast to use a new type of laser to treat certain voice disorders

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