The efficacy of the CO2 laser in the sterilization of skin seeded with bacteria: Survival at the skin surface and in the plume emissions

A quantitative study on the survival of bacteria following exposure to the CO2 laser was determined at the skin surface and in the plume. Known quantities of bacteria were inoculated onto the surface of fresh pig skin and exposed to timed bursts of the radiation. Results indicate that the bacterial population at the skin surface was reduced by several orders of magnitude while the potential for spread of bacteria by the plume of smoke was negligible.