OKLAHOMA CENTER FOR LASER DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATIONS

The Oklahoma Center for Laser Development and Applications (OCLDA) is one of three state of Oklahoma Centers of Excellence established through the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST). The Oklahoma Economic Development Act of 1987 authorized the creation of the OCAST "to foster innovation in existing and developing businesses by supporting basic and applied research laboratories and firms." The Center of Excellence program is a keystone of this science and technology initiative. The OCLDA is an alliance between the Oklahoma State University Center for Laser Research, the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center, and Oklahoma industries.

The Center provides a mechanism for continuing a strong basic research program while stimulating and coordinating multidisciplinary university/industrial and university/medical cooperative applied research programs. The synergism realized by this interaction between scientists, engineers, veterinarians, and physicians benefits the State by 1) expanding the research infrastructure of state universities and the State; 2) enhancing the competitiveness of state universities and industries for large scale research funding; 3) helping the state universities attract and retain top quality students and faculty; 4) enhancing the universities' abilities to provide research support for high-tech industries; and 5) expanding our abilities for solving critical problems in the development of lasers and their applications.

The OSU Center for Laser Research (UCLR) has become one of the premier laser research institutes in the world. The unifying intellectual theme of the research conducted in the Center focuses on the use of lasers in basic scientific research and the development of new lasers and their applications. The Center is housed in the Noble Research Center with over 12,000 square feet of modern laboratory facilities equipped with over 30 state-of-the-art laser systems of all types. A modern computer facility for theoretical modeling research on lasers and optical devices is also part of the Center. Center personnel include faculty members, visiting scientists, research associates, and graduate and undergraduate students from the Department of Physics, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the Department of Chemistry, and the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Balance is a major key to the success of the UCLR: balance between basic and applied research, balance between multidisciplinary endeavors and individual efforts, and balance between research and education. The faculty associated with the Center are currently involved in over twenty on-going research projects in the development, use, and applications of lasers. These projects are funded by federal, state, and private funds. The primary areas of basic research include optical properties of materials for solid state laser systems and nonlinear optics; equilibrium & nonequilibrium states; theoretical modeling; quantum microelectronics materials; laser and nonlinear systems development; and integrated optical devices. The industrial partners currently affiliated with the Oklahoma Center for Laser Development and Applications are Eagle Picher Research Laboratories, 3M Corporation, Conoco Research Laboratories, Williams Telecommunications Group, Halliburton Services, and Frontier Engineering, Inc. Past associates include Phillips Petroleum Co. and Uponor Aldyl Company. Examples of industrial projects conducted at the Center are:

Eagle Picher Research Laboratories in Miami, "Development of Blue Diode Lasers"; Ą
3M Corporation in Weatherford, "Laser Web Cutting and Flaw Detection"; Ą
Conoco Research Laboratories in Ponca City, "Development of a Mid-I.R. Laser System"; Ą
Williams Telecommunications Group in Tulsa, "Increased Capacity and New Optical Components for Fiber Optics Communications"; Ą
Halliburton Services in Duncan, "Optical Measurement of Mechanical Displacement"; and Ą
Frontier Engineering, Inc. in Stillwater, "Investigations of Fiber Lasers and Transparencies Based on MoirŽ Deflectometry."

The goal of each of these projects is to develop the use of lasers for enhancing the production of products or services marketed by these industries. Whereas other research centers in the country work on the principal of transferring information developed in the Center to industries whether it is directly applicable to their problems or not, the optical devices and processes developed through the OCLDA will directly help these Oklahoma companies be more competitive. These features make the OCLDA a truly unique center. At the present time, the Center is involved with these companies in filing several patent applications based on devices and processes developed through these joint research projects. Through association with the Oklahoma Alliance for Excellence in Manufacturing, the OCLDA continues to offer its services to Oklahoma industries. The Alliance is an extension system to aid small and mid-sized manufacturers. Through the utilization of existing resources, the Alliance and OCLDA can assist Oklahoma businesses in applying technologies to increase efficiencies and competitiveness.

The medical projects supported by the OCLDA all involve joint research interactions between scientists in the Oklahoma State University laser laboratories and physicians at the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City or their clinical branch in Tulsa. In addition, laser surgeons in the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine collaborate on these projects and some of the research is done in facilities of the Boren Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital. Examples of the medical projects conducted at the Center are:

"Selective Lesions in Labeled Brain Cells by Laser Photothermolysis"; Ą
"Vestibular and Auditory Systems and Functions After Laser-Induced Labyrinthectomy"; Ą
"Prevention of Root Caries with Topical Fluoride Application and Laser Treatment of the Root Surface of Human Teeth"; Ą
"Laser-Assisted Gamete Micromanipulation"; Ą
"Non-Invasive Laser Monitoring of Glucose"; Ą
"Veterinary Surgical Laser Laboratory"; Ą
"Pathology Interpretations of Laser-Tissue Interactions"; and Ą
"Fundamental Processes Occurring During Laser-Tissue Interactions."

All of the medical laser research projects have the focus of laser ablation of the diseased tissue with the preservation of good tissue. The key to the development of these applications of lasers in medicine is a basic understanding of laser-tissue interactions. A second focus of the medical research is the development of efficient fiber delivery systems for a variety of procedures. Our program is unique in two ways. The medical projects all begin with fundamental studies of laser-tissue interactions, continue through live animal studies conducted with the veterinary medicine research, and conclude with transferring the technology to clinical physicians. Virtually no other center in the country has this vertically integrated approach to laser medical research. To date, the medical projects in the Center have resulted in numerous patent applications and several FDA approvals.

The balance between basic and applied research and the multidisciplinary collaborations coordinated through the Center will continue to enhance the generation of new knowledge in this important field of science and technology and the transferring of this knowledge into technological applications. Through the OCLDA, the state of Oklahoma is maintaining a national leadership in laser technology and is providing students with state- of-the-art education in this field. Through our support from OCAST and the collaborations between OSU Center for Laser Research, Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center, and Oklahoma industrial affiliates, the OCLDA is dedicated to advancing these efforts and is proud to represent Oklahoma as a world-class Center of Excellence.