Industrial gas: neon
Linde Gas
Getting the mix right for medical applications.
Best known for its fluorescent capabilities, the noble gas neon (Ne) also plays a key role in ophthalmology. A mixture of neon, fluorine and argon is used during operations on corneas, for example, to correct eyesight via a laser beam.
A mixture of neon, fluorine, argon and helium gases is used in today's standard cold laser treatments such as excimer lasing. Many of the fluorine, argon and neon gas mixtures produced by Linde go to manufacturers of these kinds of eye laser devices. Excimer lasers, however, are not limited to medical applications. They are also deployed in the electronics industry, for example, in microlithography processes for electronic circuits. Excimer lasers are also used to manufacture mobile phone displays and drill microscopic holes in the nozzles of inkjet printers.
