What kind of laser is used for vision correction?
The Excimer laser is used in LASIK surgery to correct refractive errors by reshaping and polishing the cornea. The Excimer laser produces a cool ultraviolet beam that removes molecular layers of corneal tissue without damaging or burning the surrounding tissue. Each pulse removes only one fourth of a micron, giving the Excimer tremendous precision. As a comparison, a human red blood cell is over thirty times as thick as the amount of cornea removed with one Excimer pulse. Most patients have their vision corrected while removing an amount of corneal tissue comparable to the thickness of a human hair. Originally invented to serve as a manufacturing tool for IBM computer chips, the Excimer laser’s potential for laser vision correction was discovered in 1983. During laser vision correction surgery, a computer programmed specifically for each patient controls the Excimer laser. LASIK has helped millions of Americans see without corrective lenses. At his laser vision correction centers in In
