An in-vitro investigation of skin tissue soldering using gold nanoshells and diode laser

Gold-coated silica core nanoparticles have an optical response dictated by the plasmon resonance (PR). The wavelength at which the resonance occurs depends on the core and shell size, allowing nanoshells to be tailored for particular applications. The purpose of this study is to synthesize and use different concentrations of gold nanoshells as exogenous material for in-vitro skin tissue soldering and also to examine the effect of laser-soldering parameters on the properties of repaired skin. Two mixtures of albumin solder and different concentrations of gold nanoshells were prepared. A full-thickness incision of 2 × 20 mm2 was made on the surface and after addition of mixtures it was irradiated by an 810-nm diode laser at different power densities. The changes of tensile strength σt due to temperature rise, number of scan (Ns), and scan velocity (Vs) were investigated. The results showed at constant laser power density (I), σt of repaired incisions increases by increasing the concentration of gold nanoshells, Ns and decreasing Vs. It is therefore important to consider the trade-off between the scan velocity and the skin temperature for achieving an optimum operating condition. In our case, this corresponds to σt = 1,610 g/cm2 at I ∼ 60 Wcm–2, T ∼ 65°C, Ns = 10 and Vs = 0.2 mms−1.