Miniaturized Cutting and Drilling Using Picosecond Lasers Sidebar: Using Picosecond Lasers to Produce Disposable Ophthalmic Blades

Traditionally, electrical discharge machining (EDM) or conventional laser tools have been used to manufacture a range of precision medical devices. However, these manufacturing methods cannot be used to achieve the miniature features, precision, surface quality, and yields required for manufacturing microfluidic devices for clinical lab-on-a-chip applications, precision drug-delivery catheters, next-generation ophthalmic blades, and a host of miniaturized implants. To manufacture such devices, alternative high-precision micromachining methods are required. This article examines the use of the picosecond laser to perform micromachining processes in medical device manufacturing applications.