Solar Surgery

Chris writes "Scientists in Israel have developed a device based on a concave dish that intensifies sunlight by a factor of 15,000. By focusing this light into an optical fiber and delivering it to an operating theatre, the team says its solar-surgery setup promises to be a low-cost alternative to laser surgery." Everyone who used to operate on GI Joe figures with a magnifying glass is cheering for this to be commercially successful.

Comments

Poor anthills.

[Typingsux]

Will we see the eradication of ants by bored suburban kids?

Great....

[digitalamish]

Now I only have to hope my surgery doesn't get rained out.
--
"That's Homer Simpson sir. One of your drones from secotr 7G."

Re:Great....

[NanoGator]

God I hope they don't try this in Portland.

Bad idea

[afidel]

Middle of surgery a cloud rolls in front of sun.
Doctor:Oh shit!
Nurse:Doctor, it looks like we won't have sunlight for another 20 mintues.
Patient:Can I get some more anestesia then?

Re:Bad idea

[Total_Wimp]

I can't help but wonder that if regular concentrated sunlight can produce good results then can regular concentrated incandescent or fluorescent lights also produce good results. It seems to me that this is a spread-spectrum vs. coherent light proof-of-concept since there's nothing particularly special about sunlight itself (other than being free and bright) My guess is that manmade lights would still save lots of money over lasers but you could work 'em in the basement at midnight. TW

Re:Bad idea

[evilpenguin]

I'm afraid there are several special things about sunlight. One of them is that, like laser light, it is a coherent beam (all the rays are parallel). Actually, it isn't really, but we are so far from the sun, its rays are effectively parallel; the divergence is so small as to not matter. This allows the light to be concentrated and thus the power effectively amplified. You can't do this with light from other sources. That light scatters in all directions and thus a lens or mirror will deflect the light at various angles. You can't concentrate it at a point. That's the whole reason the laser was such an important invention.

On a totally different (but slightly relevant) subject: Does anyone else remember being subjected to a dopey little song in elementary school that began:

"The sun is a mass/of incandescent gas/a giant nuclear furnace..."

If you do remember a dopey little song like that, how does the rest of it go? (In case you are frightened of violating the DMCA, this would fall under fair use. If not, well, we could become a wonderful test case for the EFF or ACLU!).

Won't work

[Mantorp]

Since operations now can only take place on sunny days, surgeons won't be able to golf as much.

great

[Jonny Ringo]

if you live anywhere but Seattle.

GI Goe!

[American AC in Paris]

Everyone who used to operate on GI Joe figures with a magnifying glass is cheering for this to be commercially successful.

...I used to 'operate' on GI Joe figurines with firecrackers wedged into the rubber-band spinal cord.

When do we get to see the real-world equivalent of that?

Re:GI Goe!

[Viadd]

Lithotripsy is the use of shock waves from external explosions focussed on e.g., a kidney stone, to break it up.
How it works.

Re:Skin Cancer

[Bonker]

If I undestand correctly, (and physics majors please correct me) UV radition is not transmitted along with color light radiation when light is reflected (by most reflective materials). Instead, it's absorbed by the reflecting material and transferred into heat. Therefore, what reaches the patient has no damaging UV component.

Perfect Target Market!

[cybermace5]

This is a great invention for Vegans...all their cooking must be done in the sun. Now they have a natural alternative to pollution-spewing lasers.

Maybe now I can finally get that extra-dark tan I want.

Mobile Surgery

[InnovATIONS]

It seems to me that the real importance of this is the ability to be able to have a mobile surgery suite that can be taken to places where reliable electrical power does not exist, or perhaps field surgical hospitals in disaster areas. And yes, that IS big news to the poster that suggested that this was somehow misdirected priorities.

Best where electrical power is questionable....

[King_TJ]

Despite all the jokes on here about it, I think it has applications in 3rd. world countries where reliable electrical power isn't a given.

In countries like the United States, every hospital has backup power generators, uninterrupted power supplies, and so forth -- on top of being connected to a pretty reliable power grid. I can't see someone choosing sunlight over an electrically powered laser beam for surgery. The greater initial expense of the laser is quickly offset by money lost on surgeries that couldn't be performed due to weather conditions.

In a relatively undeveloped country, however, this might make a lot of sense! It could give new options to doctors who simply couldn't count on a laser-based setup to function reliably, or couldn't afford it to begin with.

Re:Best where electrical power is questionable....

[Raskolnk]

In a relatively undeveloped country, however, this might make a lot of sense! It could give new options to doctors who simply couldn't count on a laser-based setup to function reliably, or couldn't afford it to begin with.

Yes, like Palestine. The Israeli government could get PR points by making the technology available in the West Bank and Gaza.

Of course, then they'd setup military checkpoints and not allow Palestinians access to it. Then they'd start bulldozing hospitals with the excuse that they housed military laser technology.

Bush won't approve of the whole thing because it has something to do with solar technology. Long discussions with his advisors will then be required to explain to him why we can't just drill in national parks and focus petroleum for surgery.

Wavelengths

[barista]

The article was a little short on details. I work for some ophthalmologists, and they use different types of lasers for different purposes. The way it was explained to me, the main differences were in the wavelengths they use. Excimer lasers are good for LASIK and such, while argon or krypton lasers are used for retinal repairs. Carbon dioxide produces an infrared laser for photocoagulation or for cutting.

Since it's still in the nascent stage,it will be interesting to see what they eventually come up with, especially if they can isolate different wavelengths.

common sense?

[tomstdenis]

To all you lame yuppy idiots replying with "oh its cloudy" here are some questions you should have asked

1. What is the annual amount of sunshine where this is to be used? [hint: chances are its high]

2. What is the cost of this device and its use say versus the laser setup [hint: chances are their low] .........

Tom

Re:exxxcellent.

[geekoid]

then get your ass kicked by the power puff girls...

High Availability Alternative

[Oculus Habent]

Consider the possibilities this brings to field surgery in wartime or in developing countries.

With this invention, certain surgeries that are not possible in areas without electricity or expensive equipment can be performed.

It's not as though they will be replacing equipment in hospitals in a town near you...

Re:Skin Cancer

[Xeriar]

There are type of glass that aren't transmittive very far into the UV spectrum. Many materials we think of as transparent are merely 'filters' for our own visual spectrum, like a red light filter, for example.

Solar flare.

[reality-bytes]

All you need is a good size, unexpected, solar flare during an operation and 6 hours later the surgeons will be trying to explain to you why you now have a second rectum! :)

You smell something burning?.......

Obligatory Simpsons Quote

[Raul654]

Hibbert: This is such a beautiful day, I don't know why we don't operate outside more often.

[Tennis ball falls from sky into open wound, ECG flatlines]

Hibbert: Time of death.. 10:15.

Re:ouch

[AlaskanUnderachiever]

well yes, laser surgury often does use a specific band of light to target types of tissue and avoid (and in fact in some cases pass strait through) other tissue.
However, as an avid user of surplus crap, there are LOTS of materials that can filter all but a specific wavelength of light (say you ONLY want red light, or blue light, or maybe you JUST want red light filtered out) and I would think that if you wanted a specific spectrum of light, you'd just slap on the appropriate filters and KAZZAM you've got the correct wavelength for those difficult to treat tumors/warts/nasal cavity lodged cheesie poofs.

Lighting your office

[gouldtj]

I've always wondered about the idea of having natural light in a large building. I wonder if you could concentrate the light this much, it would be economical to run one 'super fiber' down 30 stories, then split it out. I would love being able to get natural light instead of the flourecent stuff...

Re:Lighting your office

[mbessey]

Here's something close -Mark

Boon for the third world... sorta

[Embedded Geek]

So, as I understand it, we're talking about a laser analoge that needs no electrical infrastructure, should require little or no maintenance, and should be relatively cheap to mass produce. For certain procedures, this will be a real boon for poor countries.

There are limits, though. The thing that a laser is real good for is high precision procedures (think Lasik) that will still require all the infrastructure to operate robotic machinery (computer, electrical power, etc.) Also, the big health issue in real poor countries is access to sanitation, trained health care workers, and vaccines (on that last, say what you will about Bill Gates, but he recognizes his philanthropy is better spent on vaccines than PDAs and gizmos for third world hospitals - the knee juerk techno solution I would've lunged at).

Still, this is a great development. Will it completely change health care in poor coutnries? No. But it is another (very useful) tool in the toolbox for health care in poor countries.

Re:Boon for the third world... sorta

[Embedded Geek]

Actually, I've heard this argument before and crunched some numbers after hearing a story on NPR about modern philanthropy. He's well behind the number one philanthropist, a guy who is driven to spend as much of his few hundred million on charity (he was running around 50% of his income into causes every year). Gates ranked number three, giving a couple of percent (I can't remember the exact number but it was not "$3 a year") of his income each year. (And,yes, I only count income - I wouldn't expect anyone to give an anual percentage of their assets)

My reaction was like yours... then I looked at my own giving. I don't go to church, so I don't put money in the plate every week like my folks did. I give stuff to Goodwill and gave my old Honda to Red Cross last year, but in truth that's just to get rid of clutter around the house. Yeah, I buy girl scout cookies, and susbscribe to PBS, but those are hardly acts of philanthropy in my book, 'cause I'm getting a tangible, immediate gain. Occasionally I cut a check to a charity, but it really isn't that much. Looking at my tax returns, it was well under 1%.

The fact is, I believe my giving is representative of most Americans who don't regularly go to church or temple or are intimately involved with a specific charity (little league coach, etc). He's giving a larger slice than many people are and he's putting it towards a very sensible cause with the vaccines (and, no, I don't defend him giving Windows away in the schols, so don't harp on that). Even if Bill is just giving 5% for the tax write off, who am I to judge him?

The moral: You can condemn Gates on any number of issues, bith as a businessman and a technologist, but he's a lot more complex than the simple good/evil labels we humans love so much.

Isn't it ironic?

[NanoGator]

You could get skin cancer while having skin cancer removed.

Solex Agitator stolen!

[ByTor-2112]

This just in. Device prototype stolen by lone assassin who charges $1 million her hit. British secret service sending their top agent to retrieve.