Medical Laser Blog - Fotona Straight Talk for the Physician

Nd:YAG Laser Equipment and the Pepperoni Pizza

There is an idea in Aesthetic medicine that an Nd:YAG is an Nd:YAG.  That is about as true as saying all pepperoni pizzas are the same.  Sure the pepperoni may be the same, but what about the crust? Is it thin or pan…what about the cheese…the sauce, etc. You get the idea.

The wavelength is an important part of the Nd:YAG laser equipment selection process, but the truth is there are several wavelengths that can generally accomplish a single goal.  Many companies will use a second or third harmonic of a laser, shifting its wavelength a few nm and create a new story about this new unique proprietary laser.  Don’t be fooled, that is just marketing.  Take a look at any absorption curve.  The curves are continuous and generally smooth.  A few nm is not the clinical difference. Control of the laser technology is.

I have already posted on Calibration.  Another differentiating issue is how the Nd:YAG laser energy is turned on and off.  The technical term is attack and decay.  The natural attack and decay of a laser discharge is a bell shaped curved, known as Gaussian.  This results in the peak power being significantly different than the average power.  This can mean that if you choose 60 Flu on your control panel, that will be the average power, but your peak may be 100 Flu or more.  Another issue is flat top optics.  Remember as a kid using a magnifying glass to burn paper?  The center of the spot was hot and the edges cooler.  If the optics of your laser are like that, as many are, the center of the spot will be hot.

Fotona uses VSP technology to create square pulses, not Gaussian.  The square pulse makes the peak and average power nearly the same.  The Fotona optics result in a flat beam…without hot spots.

So why should you care?  The more precisely the beam is delivered, the more aggressive you can be with your treatments without concern for side effects from suboptimal beam profile.  This translates into outcomes and comfort.  Not just comfort for your patients but comfortable sleep for you.  Don’t just trust me, look at what other users have to say: Fotona Doctor Testimonials.