Acoustic spectroscopy diagnostics for laser transmyocardial revascularization

The mechanism of channel punching in the heart muscle (myocardium) by a pulse of high-power CO 2 laser was studied. Water, PMMA and biotissue of animals were used as the models. Diagnostics of the punching process was performed by the methods of registration of sound vibrations in the air and back scattering of laser radiation. It has been revealed that at channel punching in various media, sound vibrations are excited in the spectrum region from 1 to 3.5 kHz, which are due to turbulent pulsation of vapor-drop flow ejected from the channel. The spectrum of acoustic vibrations depends on positions of the channel bottom and is sensitive to the boundary between the myocardial tissue and blood. The measurement of sound vibrations spectra can serve as the basis for diagnostics of the process of channel punching in myocardium.