Skin resurfacing using an ultrasonic surgical aspirator

Kate Lawes; Sharon L. Thomsen M.D.; Kathy Nolan; Jan Carr; Jenifer S. Kennedy

doi:10.1117/12.312326

1 July 1998 Skin resurfacing using an ultrasonic surgical aspirator

Kate Lawes, Sharon L. Thomsen M.D., Kathy Nolan, Jan Carr, Jenifer S. Kennedy

Proceedings Volume 3245, Lasers in Surgery: Advanced Characterization, Therapeutics, and Systems VIII; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.312326
Event: BiOS '98 International Biomedical Optics Symposium, 1998, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

The ultrasonic aspirator is essentially a vibrating tip whose ultrasonic frequencies fragment soft tissues, before aspirating it away from the surgical field. In the case of skin, the softer epidermis absorbs the vibrating tip's impact force so as to fragment it, whereas the more elastic and collagenous dermis reflects it. Understanding this, a chronic study to compare a skin resurfacing laser (Coherent, Palo Alto, CA) and an ultrasonic surgical aspirator (CUSA) (Valleylab Inc., Boulder, CO) as a skin resurfacing tool was performed using an in-vivo pigmented porcine model. Gross and histopathologic evaluations were made of the lesions removed at 0, 1, 3, 6, 11, 21, and 56 days post procedure. The laser parameters utilized constant power (60 W) and spot size but the number of passes was varied from 1 to 4 passes. This simulated typical minimal to maximal clinical laser treatments. CUSA parameters were then chosen so as to imitate the various laser passes. On sacrifice gross evaluations showed similar levels of healing, using lesion color and scab formation as the method of evaluation. Histological analysis showed evidence of thermal effects with both devices and that some but not all CUSA settings were comparable to the laser. In short, ultrasonic technology may have the potential to provide a controlled method of selectively removing the epidermal skin layer during resurfacing.

Citation Download Citation

Kate Lawes, Sharon L. Thomsen M.D., Kathy Nolan, Jan Carr, and Jenifer S. Kennedy "Skin resurfacing using an ultrasonic surgical aspirator", Proc. SPIE 3245, Lasers in Surgery: Advanced Characterization, Therapeutics, and Systems VIII, (1 July 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.312326

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