Surgeons may someday use super-concentrated sunlight to burn tumors off major organs. So say Israeli scientists, who have succeeded in channeling sunlight down a fiber optic cable to produce laserlike beams. The device might provide a cheap alternative to medical lasers in countries with limited access to high technology but plenty of sunlight.
Laser equipment can reduce tumors, blood loss, pain, healing time, and infections. While assessing the state of laser surgery in Israel, Jeffrey M. Gordon found that even in that moderately wealthy nation, the supply of the expensive equipment was sparse.