| TECHNOLOGY |
With colleagues at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, he had described a phenomenon known as ablative photodecomposition (APD) (C&EN, June 13, 1983, page 4). Srinivasan says APD is a photochemical process that occurs when organic material absorbs ultraviolet (193-nm) laser radiation above a threshold power per unit area. The laser radiation breaks chemical bonds and vaporizes material without heating or charring surrounding material. It allows precision cutting or etching of material, including human tissue. AT IBM, Srinivasan's work led to a new method for photolithographic etching of computer chips. But he also investigated the use of APD for such medical procedures as the removal of dental caries and atherosclerotic plaques. In fact, Srinivasan and coworkers obtained a patent in 1988 for IBM on the use of APD in such tissue ablation. IBM has since sold the patent to Lasersight Inc. for $15 million. Srinivasan says he and his co-inventors were each paid a bonus of $10,000 by IBM for their work. |
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