Rangaswamy Srinivasan

Last updated
Rangaswamy Srinivasan
Born (1929-02-28) February 28, 1929 (age 94)
Alma mater University of Madras, University of Southern California
Known forAblative Photodecomposition, LASIK
Awards Russ Prize (2011)
National Medal of Technology and Innovation (2012)
Scientific career
Fields Physical chemistry
Institutions IBM Research

Rangaswamy Srinivasan (born February 28, 1929, in Madras, India [1] ) is a physical chemist and inventor with a 30-year career at IBM Research. He has developed techniques for ablative photodecomposition and used them to contribute to the development of LASIK eye surgery.

Contents

He received the National Medal of Technology from President Obama on February 2, 2013, for his contributions to laser eye surgery.

Education

Srinivasan was born in India on February 28, 1929. [2] Srinivasan received both bachelor's and master's degrees in science from the University of Madras, in 1949 and 1950. [2] In 1953 he moved to the United States to attend graduate school. He earned a doctorate in physical chemistry at the University of Southern California in 1956, studying protein chemistry with chemical kineticist Sidney W. Benson. [3] He held postdoctoral positions at the California Institute of Technology in 1956, and at the University of Rochester from 1957 to 1961. [4]

Career

Srinivasan has spent a thirty-year career, from 1961 to 1990, at IBM's T. J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York. He joined the research staff in 1961, and was promoted to "manager of fundamental photochemical research" in 1963. [5] His research group has studied ultraviolet light and its effects on organic matter. [4]

In 1981, Srinivasan and his coworkers determined that an ultraviolet excimer laser could be used to etch designs into polymers. The technique has since been used in the computer industry to drill polymers to create computer circuit boards and ink jet printer nozzles. [6]

Srinivasan, physicist James J. Wynne and materials scientist Samuel Blum speculated that it might also be possible to use excimer lasers on living tissue. On November 27, 1981, Srinivasan experimented with the remains of his family's Thanksgiving turkey, and proved that it was possible to create precisely-etched patterns. [5] [7] [8] An ultraviolet excimer laser pulsed at 193 nm was able to etch living tissue precisely without causing any thermal damage to surrounding area. Srinivasan named the technique Ablative Photodecomposition (APD), [4] a type of Laser ablation. [9]

In 1983, ophthalmic surgeon Stephen Trokel approached Srinivasan about the possibility of using APD for surgery of the cornea. The collaboration of Srinivasan, Trokel, and Bodil Braren led to development of LASIK eye surgery, a technique for reshaping the cornea to correct visual issues such as myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. In 1995, a commercial system for laser refractive surgery was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. [7]

Srinivasan has published over 130 scientific papers and holds at least 22 US patents. [4] A patent application filed by Stephen Trokel in 1992, claiming a LASIK surgery technique as his sole invention, was declared invalid in 2000 by an International Trade Commission ruling that found that Srinivasan should have been included as a co-author. [10]

In 1990, Srinivasan formed a consulting company, UVTech Associates. [4]

Awards

External videos
Excimer-Laser-MEL80.jpg
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg 2013 Russ Prize, Ohio University

In 1997, Srinivasan was awarded the American Chemical Society's Award for Creative Invention, [11] and the ACS North East Section's Esselen Medal. [12]

In 1998, Srinivasan was awarded the Max Delbruck Prize in Biological Physics by the American Physical Society. [13]

In 1999, he was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering. [14]

In 2002, he was inducted into the US National Inventors Hall of Fame. [2]

In 2004, he received the Prize for Industrial Applications of Physics from the American Institute of Physics. [4]

In 2011, Srinivasan, Wynne, and Blum received the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize from Ohio University and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for their work, "a bioengineering achievement that significantly improves the human condition." [5]

In 2012, Srinivasan, Wynne, and Blum were named as recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. [15] The award was presented on February 1, 2013, by President Barack Obama, to acknowledge their work with the Excimer laser, leading to the development of LASIK Surgery. [16] [17]

Related Research Articles

In integrated circuit manufacturing, photolithography or optical lithography is a general term used for techniques that use light to produce minutely patterned thin films of suitable materials over a substrate, such as a silicon wafer, to protect selected areas of it during subsequent etching, deposition, or implantation operations. Typically, ultraviolet light is used to transfer a geometric design from an optical mask to a light-sensitive chemical (photoresist) coated on the substrate. The photoresist either breaks down or hardens where it is exposed to light. The patterned film is then created by removing the softer parts of the coating with appropriate solvents, also known in this case as developers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angioplasty</span> Procedure to widen narrow arteries or veins

Angioplasty, also known as balloon angioplasty and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), is a minimally invasive endovascular procedure used to widen narrowed or obstructed arteries or veins, typically to treat arterial atherosclerosis. A deflated balloon attached to a catheter is passed over a guide-wire into the narrowed vessel and then inflated to a fixed size. The balloon forces expansion of the blood vessel and the surrounding muscular wall, allowing an improved blood flow. A stent may be inserted at the time of ballooning to ensure the vessel remains open, and the balloon is then deflated and withdrawn. Angioplasty has come to include all manner of vascular interventions that are typically performed percutaneously.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LASIK</span> Corrective ophthalmological surgery

LASIK or Lasik, commonly referred to as laser eye surgery or laser vision correction, is a type of refractive surgery for the correction of myopia, hyperopia, and an actual cure for astigmatism, since it is in the cornea. LASIK surgery is performed by an ophthalmologist who uses a laser or microkeratome to reshape the eye's cornea in order to improve visual acuity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Excimer laser</span> Type of ultraviolet laser important in chip manufacturing and eye surgery

An excimer laser, sometimes more correctly called an exciplex laser, is a form of ultraviolet laser which is commonly used in the production of microelectronic devices, semiconductor based integrated circuits or "chips", eye surgery, and micromachining. Since 1960s excimer lasers are widely used in high-resolution photolithography machines, one of the critical technologies required for microelectronic chip manufacturing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refractive surgery</span> Surgery to treat common vision disorders

Refractive surgery is optional eye surgery used to improve the refractive state of the eye and decrease or eliminate dependency on glasses or contact lenses. This can include various methods of surgical remodeling of the cornea (keratomileusis), lens implantation or lens replacement. The most common methods today use excimer lasers to reshape the curvature of the cornea. Refractive eye surgeries are used to treat common vision disorders such as myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia and astigmatism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krypton fluoride laser</span>

A krypton fluoride laser is a particular type of excimer laser, which is sometimes called an exciplex laser. With its 248 nanometer wavelength, it is a deep ultraviolet laser which is commonly used in the production of semiconductor integrated circuits, industrial micromachining, and scientific research. The term excimer is short for 'excited dimer', while exciplex is short for 'excited complex'. An excimer laser typically contains a mixture of: a noble gas such as argon, krypton, or xenon; and a halogen gas such as fluorine or chlorine. Under suitably intense conditions of electromagnetic stimulation and pressure, the mixture emits a beam of coherent stimulated radiation as laser light in the ultraviolet range.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Cohen (surgeon)</span> Canadian laser eye surgeon

Mark Cohen is a Canadian laser eye surgeon who practices in Montreal and Toronto. In 2001, he and Avi Wallerstein founded LASIK MD, Canada's largest provider of laser refractive surgery. As of 2013, LASIK MD performs over sixty percent of all laser vision correction procedures in Canada. He is one of only 14 certified C-LASIK instructors in North America.

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References

  1. Srinivasan, R.; Braren, Bodil (September 1989). "Ultraviolet laser ablation of organic polymers". Chemical Reviews. 89 (6): 1303–1316. doi:10.1021/cr00096a003.
  2. 1 2 3 "Rangaswamy Srinivasan". National Inventors Hall of Fame. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  3. "Dr. Rangaswamy Srinivasan". National Academy of Engineering. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Rangaswamy Srinivasan". American Institute of Physics. 2014-09-08. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 Carow, Colleen (January 3, 2013). "Trio of scientists to receive 2013 Russ Prize Award is top bioengineering honor in world". Compass. Ohio University. Archived from the original on 2013-09-18. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  6. Basting, D.; Marowsky, G. (2005). Excimer laser technology. Berlin: Springer/Praxis. p. 167. ISBN   978-3-540-26667-9 . Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  7. 1 2 Hamm, Steve (February 1, 2013). "How Three IBM Scientists Accomplished the Breakthrough That Led to LASIK Eye Surgery". Building a smarter planet.
  8. Quinn, Gene; Brachmann, Steve (November 26, 2014). "How Thanksgiving Leftovers Lead to the Invention of LASIK". IPWatchDog. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  9. Fouassier, Jean-Pierre; Rabek, Jan F. (1989). Lasers in polymer science and technology : applications. Boca Raton: CRC Press. ISBN   978-0849348471 . Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  10. D'Angelo, John (2012). Ethics in science : ethical misconduct in scientific research. Boca Raton, Florida: Taylor & Francis. pp. 79–80. ISBN   978-1439840863.
  11. "ACS Award for Creative Invention". American Chemical Society. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  12. "Gustavus John Esselen Award". NESACS. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  13. "1998 Max Delbruck Prize in Biological Physics Recipient". APS Physics. American Physical Society. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  14. "Dr. Rangaswamy Srinivasan". National Academy of Engineering. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  15. "Hall of famer Srinivasan named for National Medal of Technology". The American Bazaar. 2012-12-27. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  16. "IBM News Release". IBM. 2012-12-21. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  17. Choudhury, Uttara (December 26, 2012). "Indian American lasik pioneer wins top inventor award from Obama". F. Retrieved 25 April 2016.