Laser-based airway surgery has evolved from a destructive ablative technique into a wavelength-selective, function-preserving therapeutic modality that can address a broad spectrum of benign, inflammatory, and malignant airway disorders with high precision and reproducibility. Early experience with the carbon dioxide (CO2 ) laser established the feasibility of endoscopic laser surgery for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis and other structural airway diseases, providing better hemostasis, improved visualization, and reduced collateral damage compared with cold instruments. Subsequently, the development of photoangiolytic lasers such as potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP, 532 nm) and 445-nm blue lasers enabled selective microvascular targeting.These lasers minimized thermal injury, expanding indications to papillomatosis, laryngeal dysplasia, hemangiomas, and inflammatory airway lesions. In parallel, advances in anesthesia management, laser-safe airway devices, surgical smoke evacuation systems, and postoperative wound modulation have improved safety and long-term outcomes.

Mid-infrared spectroscopy captures fundamental molecular vibrations, enabling label-free chemical contrast from tissues, cells, and biofluids without the need for dyes or antibodies. Quantum cascade lasers deliver high spectral brightness and narrowband emission in the mid-infrared region, facilitating faster, more compact infrared measurement systems than conventional thermal-source Fourier transform infrared platforms. This review examines the clinical translation of quantum cascade laser-based mid-infrared diagnostics and imaging, emphasizing applications across different sample types, hardware architectures that govern measurement fidelity and speed, and workflow considerations essential for clinical deployment. Principal barriers encompass atmospheric interference from water vapor and carbon dioxide, scattering-related spectral distortions, substrate artifacts, and pre-analytical variability. We outline a comprehensive translation framework that integrates analytical validity, clinical validity, and operational feasibility, addressing practical constraints of turnaround time, staffing, and cost-effectiveness for real-world implementation.

Laser management of laryngeal and tracheal disease increasingly relies on matching laser-tissue interactions to lesion-specific goals rather than selecting devices in isolation. This review synthesizes comparative evidence on photoangiolytic platforms, including the potassium titanyl phosphate laser and the 445 nm blue laser, and contrasts these approaches with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) laser techniques. It then translates the findings into practical lesion-level decision algorithms. Across indications, the key differentiators are chromophore selectivity and the depth of the thermal effect, which shape voice preservation, healing, and recurrence control.Photoangiolytic strategies are most consistently supported for vascular-dominant pathologies, such as recurrent respiratory papillomatosis and benign superficial vascular lesions, with broad feasibility for repeat treatment and office-based workflows. CO 2 laser methods remain central when precise epithelial cutting, specimen acquisition, and defined depth resection are required, particularly for the management of higher-risk dysplasia. Organizing recommendations by lesion-specific decision points reduces redundancy and produces clearer clinical pathways, while highlighting gaps in head-to-head trials, standardized reporting of laser parameters, and evidence for distal tracheal disease.

The trend toward miniaturization and multi-functionalization of implantable medical devices is shifting the paradigm of medicine from treatment to prevention and precision management; however, it faces a bottleneck due to the energy density limits of batteries. Existing power transfer technologies based on electromagnetic induction or radio frequency cause rapid efficiency degradation and electromagnetic interference issues in micro-scale devices. This paper reviews laser-based optical wireless power transfer technology as an innovative alternative to these issues, with particular emphasis on its potential medical applications. We provide an in-depth analysis of strategies to maximize penetration depth using near-infrared windows and light propagation characteristics within biological tissue, optimization of conversion efficiency through bandgap engineering of silicon (Si) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) based photovoltaic cells, and the latest wavefront shaping and optical phased array technologies to overcome dynamic scattering. Furthermore, by chronologically organizing research trends over the past 20 years, we discuss the paradigm shift from passive devices to active intelligent systems and present the technical and regulatory challenges for clinical adoption based on international safety standards (IEC 60825-1, ISO 14708-1), ultimately providing a technical roadmap for the energy autonomy of next-generation bio-electronic medicine.

Medical laser procedures require careful selection and control of parameters such as wavelength, pulse duration, fluence, spot size, repetition rate, scanning pattern, and exposure time to balance efficacy, tissue selectivity, and safety. Artificial intelligence (AI), including machine learning and control-oriented learning, is increasingly positioned to support quality management, automatic tuning, and real-time feedback during laserbased interventions. This review synthesizes the role of AI across the total product life cycle for laser parameter optimization, emphasizing end-to-end data pipelines, clinically meaningful performance metrics, and layered safety mechanisms, rather than device-centric feature descriptions. We propose a structured framework that links data provenance, model objectives, uncertainty handling, and deployment monitoring to risk management processes and clinical evaluation standards. Key considerations include multimodal data integration from device telemetry and sensing, definition of optimization targets that reflect both outcomes and adverse events, calibration and robustness testing under domain shift, and implementation of safety con straints with hard limits and human override. Regulatory-aligned practices such as Good Machine Learning Practice and transparency principles, as well as reporting and bias-assessment guidelines for clinical AI, are mapped to the laser workflow to support reproducibility and safer translation.

Laser systems used in operating and procedure rooms are high-energy devices that can create multiple concurrent hazards, including direct and reflected beam exposure, eye injury, surgical smoke exposure, and fires in oxygen-enriched environments. Although many institutions maintain laser policies, gaps persist between theoretical wavelength-specific risk information and the moment-to-moment decisions made by surgical teams. This narrative review synthesizes major safety standards and clinical guidance, differentiating itself from traditional guidelines by explicitly converting physical hazard data into a practical, workflow-oriented checklist. The framework emphasizes the role of foundational laser safety program elements, plume and surgical smoke control, fire prevention, protective eyewear, reflection control, and emergency response protocols. A central contribution to this framework is a “translation layer” that maps wavelength bands and delivery platforms to actionable control points across perioperative phases. To enhance clinical usability, the dispersed safety steps are consolidated into a comprehensive checklist, and specialty-specific clinical scenarios illustrating potential hazards are discussed. Key priorities include defining the nominal hazard zone, enforcing the use of optical-density eyewear, and standardizing emergency responses, such as airway fire management.

Background: Hair drying is a routine cosmetic practice; however, excessive heat exposure and non-uniform airflow can compromise cuticle integrity, degrade hair sensory properties, and induce scalp discomfort. This study aimed to (i) identify a practical thermal window that minimizes perturbation of hair fiber surface and quantify late-stage thermal amplification during the drying process using percentage-based analysis. Methods: Temperature-dependent hair fiber surface morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after controlled exposure to 41°C, 60°C, 80°C, and 90°C using virgin and chemically damaged hair. The drying efficacy was assessed using the surface and internal moisture indices under airflow shaping (test) and uniform airflow (control) conditions. Hair fluttering (maximum angular displacement) was evaluated before and after drying under warm-cool alternating (60°C-80°C) versus constant hot airflow (80°C). Results: SEM revealed temperature-dependent cuticle disruption, with markedly greater surface perturbation at 90°C than at 80°C. Infrared thermography demonstrated pronounced late-stage thermal amplification: at 150 seconds, the surface temperature increased by 295% (from 24.2°C to 72.0°C) at 90°C, compared with 207% (from 24.2°C to 50.7°C) at 80°C. Airflow shaping promoted preferential surface moisture removal (–13.6%) while limiting internal dehydration (–9.4%), whereas the control condition exhibited minimal surface drying (–4.6%) but substantial internal moisture loss (–22.2%). Warm-cool modulation increased hair fluttering by +11.0%, whereas constant hot airflow reduced it (–3.7%). Conclusion These findings indicate that spatial and temporal control of heat delivery represents a clinically relevant design strategy beyond the nominal temperature specification in hair-drying devices.

The late complications of autologous fat grafting, including overcorrection and asymmetry, are difficult to treat non-invasively. This paper reports a novel approach using diamond particle acoustic patch-mediated laserinduced shockwave (LISW) therapy.A 38-year-old female with a 10-year history of bilateral malar overcorrection and asymmetry following an autologous fat graft was treated with a diamond particle acoustic patch (Belluti; Simple-Stick®) coupled with 1,064 nm Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser. The procedure successfully softened the firm tissue and reduced volume asymmetry without thermal epidermal injury. Transient wheals and petechiae resolved within five to seven days. Visible volume reduction began at two weeks, with sustained improvement and lifting effects observed at the two-month follow-up.Diamond particle acoustic patch-mediated LISW therapy provides a safe, non-thermal, purely mechanical approach to reduce the subcutaneous fat volume and remodel deep fibrosis, offering a promising potential noninvasive option for refractory fat graft overcorrection.

Keloid scars are challenging to treat, often requiring multimodal strategies to achieve meaningful clinical improvement. Recent advances in laser-induced acoustic shockwave systems using diamond-particle-based patches have enabled the noninvasive generation of high-pressure acoustic pulses capable of mechanical tissue disruption similar to subcision. This paper reports two cases of acne-induced keloids successfully treated with a combination of a diamond particle acoustic patch activated by a Q-switched 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser and an intralesional triamcinolone injection. In both cases, an acoustic shockwave treatment was applied immediately before a corticosteroid injection to soften and mechanically disrupt the fibrotic tissue, and again after injection to enhance intralesional drug dispersion. Both patients showed rapid flattening of their keloids after two sessions, with no complications. These cases highlight the synergistic potential of laser-induced acoustic shockwaves and corticosteroid injections for keloid remodeling.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) and extracellular vesicles (EVs), particularly exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), have independently emerged as promising tools in regenerative medicine. Growing evidence suggests that PBM can modulate the MSC physiology by enhancing the mitochondrial activity, regulating redoxdependent transcription, and reducing inflammation. These cellular responses align with the key steps in exosome biogenesis, supporting the observations that PBM increases EV secretion without compromising structural integrity. The PBM-primed exosomes may exhibit improved biological activity, even though comprehensive cargo profiling remains limited. Therapeutic applications across wound repair, inflammation control, neuroprotection, and hair regeneration reveal a mechanistic rationale for PBM-enhanced EVs, even as direct in vivo data are still sparse. Furthermore, PBM may synergize with EV-based therapies by conditioning injured tissues to enhance vesicle uptake and functional efficacy. Advances in optical dosing technologies, single-vesicle analytics, multi-omics profiling, and scalable biomanufacturing systems now provide the technical foundation for developing PBM-engineered EV therapeutics. Despite these opportunities, significant challenges remain, including incomplete mechanistic elucidation, inconsistent PBM parameters, and the absence of rigorous preclinical combination studies. Therefore, continued investigation will be needed to define how PBM reshapes EV biogenesis and function, and establish clinically actionable PBM-EV therapeutic strategies.