Fractional vaporization of tissue with an oscillatory array of high temperature rods: part I: ex vivo study.
BACKGROUND
Short pulse duration (∼0.1-5 milliseconds) CO2 lasers are perceived as excellent tools for vaporization of craters arrays in fractional skin resurfacing.


OBJECTIVE
To present a thermo-mechanical ablation technology, which affects tissue identically to fractional CO2 lasers, however at a fraction of the size and cost of a laser.


METHODS
The new technology is based on heating an oscillating array of thin metallic rods to a temperature of 400°C and advancing the rods into tissue down to a precise pre-selected depth for a duration of 0.1-5 milliseconds. As a result, an array of crater is vaporized with identical properties of those produced by CO2 lasers. An ex vivo test was performed with a thermo- metallic rod array prototype.


RESULTS
Arrays of 10 × 10 vaporized micro-craters of 350 micron diameter, 200 micron depth have been produced with lateral thermal damage of 80 micron while thermal damage below craters was 80-250 micron.


CONCLUSIONS
A resonating thermo-mechanical array of high temperature (350-400°C) rods is capable of producing an array of craters identical to those produced with pulsed CO2 lasers.
UCLA Medical School, Los Angeles, CA, USA. micslatk@zahav.net.il
Gary
G
Lask
Monica
M
Elman
Nathalie
N
Fournier
Michael
M
Slatkine
D000818:Animals; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D054020:Lasers, Gas / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013552:Swine