ABSTRACT
References 384
1. TECHNOLOGY
Excimer lasers are a class of lasers with multiple medical uses in fields such as ophthal-
mology, cardiology, orthopedics, and most recently, dermatology. Excimer is short for
excited dimer, and refers to a series of lasers operating in essentially the same fashion
in the ultraviolet range. Examples include the 193 nm argon-fluoride, 248 nm krypton-
fluoride, 351 nm xenon-fluoride, and of particular interest to dermatology, the 308 nm
xenon-chloride laser. These lasers were initially used in medicine for their ability to
produce “cold ablation” of tissue, and more recently as a method of nonablative
phototherapy.
