Who Is LightScalpel?
Learn about VetScalpel and its parent company
Who We Are
VetScalpel, a division of LightScalpel Inc based near Seattle, Washington, designs and manufactures CO2 surgical lasers for veterinary applications. Our products are distributed worldwide. Since 2006, Aesculight/VetScalpel has been the only North American-based veterinary CO2 laser manufacturer.
VetScalpel and Aesculight’s Origins
VetScalpel’s founders, Paul Diaz and Peter Vitruk, both former principals at laser manufacturer Luxar Corporation, were intimately involved in the design and manufacture of that company’s line of CO2 surgical lasers, Paul as Luxar’s Director of Engineering, and Peter as Luxar’s Senior/Chief Scientist. In 2002, Luxar Corporation was acquired and then dissolved by Lumenis, Paul and Peter went on to found VetScalpel’s original parent company, LuxarCare LLC. Starting in Peter’s garage and working with nothing more than extensive knowledge, they provided repair services, support, and accessories to thousands of Luxar and Accuvet™ laser owners who were left without repair and maintenance options after the dissolution of Luxar.
Built on Superior Customer Service
The company was founded and built from a drive to provide a superior customer experience focusing on quality service, low cost and efficient turnaround times. In 2005, gathering together many talented and experienced former Luxar laser engineers as well as other industry experts, Paul and Peter took on the challenge of designing and building the next generation of CO2 surgical lasers and created the Aesculight brand. Then in 2017 with the third-generation VetScalpel laser with created with greatly improved accessories and pulse modes.
The results are the products you see on these web pages, a new line of CO2 surgical lasers with improved beam delivery, higher power, new patented laser tube technology, and updated control and display features. VetScalpel continues to focus on our founding principles of exceptional customer service and technical support.
An intense focus is placed on finding the best, most talented and dedicated people to carry Peter and Paul’s vision forward. We are privileged to work with many surgical laser consultants and luminaries in a number of veterinary specialties. Our close cooperation with the brightest minds in surgical laser medicine allows our engineers and scientists to develop the best surgical laser devices, tools, and accessories. Many of our surgical laser consultants have performed thousands of laser installations and laser training sessions across the United States and Canada, first with Luxar Corporation and now with the VetScalpel, Aesculight, LuxarCare, and LightScalpel brands.
The VetScalpel Surgical Laser and Aesculight brands, as well as their parent company LightScalpel Inc, are a private “family-owned” company and the fastest-growing designer and manufacturer of CO2 surgical laser technology for physicians and veterinarians. VetScalpel is the ONLY North American based manufacturer of veterinary surgical CO2 lasers. VetScalpel’s focus is on providing surgeons with state-of-the-art, proven and reliable surgical laser technologies designed to help them improve patient care. VetScalpel’s growth is powered by our proven ability to satisfy market demand with the best American made products and the best American based services.
VetScalpel Mission
We strive to perfect laser technology and to excel at helping veterinarians improve their business, patient care, and clients’ satisfaction. We are the only American based veterinary surgical CO2 laser manufacturer, and as such, are the best suited to serve and protect our customers’ investments in their VetScalpel lasers through uncompromising dedication to excellent customer service and product support.
Made in the USA: State-of-the-art Manufacturing and Service Operations
All VetScalpel surgical CO2 lasers are manufactured by LightScalpel at our state-of-the-art laser facility in Bothell (near Seattle), Washington, USA. Most of our laser engineers and technicians have been at the forefront of surgical and industrial laser technology since the early 1990s. VetScalpel’s technical support and customer services are performed directly from the factory and with direct involvement from many of our laser engineers.
VetScalpel Founding and Management Team
Peter Vitruk, PhD, MInstP, CPhys, Founder
Dr. Peter Vitruk was born and raised in Ukraine. He earned his PhD degree in Physics from the Moscow Physics and Technology Institute, Moscow in the late 1980s in the former USSR. In the 1990s he held a Research Scientist position with The Academy of Sciences in the former USSR and then a Royal Society Visiting Research Fellow position at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He later worked as Senior Scientist with Synrad Inc. in Seattle, WA, and then as Chief Scientist with Luxar/ESC/Lumenis also in Seattle, WA. In 2002 Dr. Vitruk founded Luxarcare LLC – an exclusive certified Luxar laser service and accessories provider for 12,000+ surgical Luxar laser installations around the globe. In 2005 he founded Aesculight/VetScalpel LLC and LightScalpel Inc – the only American based designer and manufacturer of surgical CO2 lasers for small office out-patient market. Dr. Vitruk has authored 10 patents and over 20 articles on CO2 lasers and is a Member of The Institute of Physics, UK. In 2017 he founded the American Laser Study Club, an educational platform that helps physicians, dentists, veterinarians, and practice staff members to excel at the efficient and safe application of laser energy in everyday practice. He is married to his wife of 34 years Natasha and they together have two children, Olga and Alexander. Peter Vitruk’s Curricula Vitae
Paul Diaz, MSc EE, Member IEEE, Founder
Prior to co-founding Aesculight/VetScalpel in 2005 and Luxarcare in 2002, Paul played major development roles in several companies. He was Project Manager with Johnson & Johnson Ultrasound and then Senior Electrical / Software Engineer and Systems Group Manager with Laakmann Electro Optics (merged into Xanar, Coherent Medical). He later co-founded Luxar Corporation (merged into ESC/Lumenis) and served as its Director of Engineering until 2002, leading all electrical and software design of the LX-20 and Novapulse systems. Paul is a Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
David Walters, General Manager
Dave is another Luxar Corp/Lumenis alumnus, where he was engaged in a variety of Engineering and Manufacturing roles between 1995 and 2002. Dave joined Aesculight/VetScalpel LLC in 2005 as our Engineering Manager. He brings extensive laser engineering and laser manufacturing experience including design, prototyping, high volume production of high-precision systems and sub-systems, quality controls, and regulatory controls. Dave also oversees daily manufacturing operations together with Peter and Paul. Prior to joining Aesculight/VetScalpel, Dave served as Engineering Manager at Sensitech Inc. in Redmond, WA.
