Short-Pulse Laser Machine for Medical Micromachining

PhotoMachining’s USP III laser machine for advanced medical device manufacturing performs short-pulse, ultra-fast micromachining. The workstation uses a powerful 20-W femtosecond laser with three wavelengths: infrared, green and ultraviolet. The pulse duration is adjustable from 290 femtoseconds to 10 picoseconds, enabling the operator to fully explore the effects of wavelength and pulse duration on a given material. The laser’s high peak enables virtually any material to be micromachined with high quality and resolution, the company says.

The beam delivery includes two galvo scanning heads, one for infrared and green and the second dedicated to ultraviolet. An optional spindle stage can also be integrated into the system for the manufacture of stents, catheters and other tubular components. The company’s LaserSoft program coordinates everything from wavelength selection, stage movement and optical inspection.

Although designed for advanced medical device manufacturing, the system is suitable for any industry researching laser methods in micromachining and can migrate directly into a production environment.