Thulium fiber laser lithotripsy: An in vitro analysis of stone fragmentation using a modulated 110-watt Thulium fiber laser at 1.94 μm

Background and Objectives: The high-power Thulium fiber laser has previously been shown to rapidly vaporize and coagulate soft urinary tissues (e.g., prostate). This is the first preliminary study of a high-power Thulium fiber laser for fragmentation of urinary stones. Study Design/Materials and Methods: A continuous-wave, high-power Thulium fiber laser operating at a wavelength of 1.94 μm, was modulated to operate in pulsed mode with an output pulse energy of 1 J through a 300-μm-core silica fiber at a 20 milliseconds pulse length and repetition rate of 10 Hz. The fragmentation time to reduce uric acid (UA) (n = 13) and calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) (n = 6) stones into particles