The use of lasers in urology.

There are four types of lasers commercially available which are named by the substance used as the lasing medium (Table I). The CO2 laser uses a gaseous mixture of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and helium in the laser cavity, and the light emitted is in the far infrared band of the electromagnetic wave spectrum (10,600 nm). The argon laser is ion based, and acts within the visible spectrum in the blue-green range (458-515 nm). The Nd:YAG laser consists of 1-3 percent neodymium ions contained in a crystalline structure of yttrium-aluminum-garnet. This is pumped with a xenon or krypton lamp and emits light in the near infrared region (1,060 nm). The tunable dye laser is a liquid medium pumped by an argon laser and emits in a variety of wavelengths determined by the dye in use.There are four types of lasers commercially available which are named by the substance used as the lasing medium (Table I). The CO2 laser uses a gaseous mixture of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and helium in the laser cavity, and the light emitted is in the far infrared band of the electromagnetic wave spectrum (10,600 nm). The argon laser is ion based, and acts within the visible spectrum in the blue-green range (458-515 nm). The Nd:YAG laser consists of 1-3 percent neodymium ions contained in a crystalline structure of yttrium-aluminum-garnet. This is pumped with a xenon or krypton lamp and emits light in the near infrared region (1,060 nm). The tunable dye laser is a liquid medium pumped by an argon laser and emits in a variety of wavelengths determined by the dye in use.