Holographic UV laser microsurgery

We use a spatial light modulator (SLM) to diffract a single UV laser pulse to ablate multiple points on a Drosophila embryo. This system dynamically generates a phase hologram for ablating a user-defined pattern fast enough to be used with living, and thus moving, tissue. We demonstrate the ability of this single-pulse multi-point system to perform two experiments that are very difficult for conventional microsurgery-isolating single cells in vivo and measuring fast retractions from large incisions. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America