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The effects of laser energy on three bacterial strains, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were studied utilizing the neodymium:YAG laser. Cell suspensions of each strain were divided into four groups. In group I, suspensions from each strain were exposed to laser energy densities of 555-3,333 J/cm2. In groups II and III, two artificial dyes, congo red or methylene blue, were added to the suspensions prior to lasing. In group IVa, no laser energy was used, and group IVb was used to measure the bactericidal thermal effects of the laser. It was concluded that: Low dosages of laser energy exceeding 1,667 J/cm2 resulted in a 2 to 8 log decline in the number of viable bacterial colonies in vitro. Compared to the other two bacterial strains, P aeruginosa was the most sensitive to YAG laser irradiation. Addition of methylene blue, a dark-colored dye, enhanced the bactericidal effects of the YAG laser as indicated by the significantly reduced viability of P aeruginosa after irradiation with 2,222 J/cm2.
Schultz et al. (1986) studied this question.