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Thulium fibre lasers are used to break up kidney and urinary stones.
| Symbol | Tm |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 69 |
| Standard atomic weight | 168.93422 |
| Group | none (lanthanide series) |
| Period | 6 |
| Block | f-block |
| Category | Lanthanide |
| Standard state | Solid |
| Discovered | 1879 |
Source: PubChem, Thulium (periodic table data, retrieved 2026-10-19). Group and period follow the standard 18-column periodic table.
Fried showed a high-power thulium fiber laser at 1.94 µm, run in pulsed mode, could fragment both soft uric acid and hard calcium oxalate monohydrate urinary stones in lab tests.
As reported in: Fried (2005). Thulium fiber laser lithotripsy: An in vitro analysis of stone fragmentation using a modulated 110-watt Thulium fiber laser at 1.94 µm. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. doi:10.1002/lsm.20196
Abstract only
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