Delivery System Impact on Veterinary Treatment and ROI
Scalpel-Like Feel with Maximum Accessibility
The thin, flexible fiber and its’ pen-like handpieces are simple for veterinarians to use and enable access to normally hard-to-reach areas. The laser can be conveniently positioned due to the flexibility of the fiber, with the handpiece suspended over a mayo stand for ready access.
The pen-like handpiece is used in close proximity to tissue, providing a natural, intuitive feel and superb accuracy. Our patented fiber technology provides ease of access to awkward surgical sites that would be difficult or impossible to reach with an articulated arm system. We even have accessories that will bend the beam around corners!
The articulated arm has limited movement, which often restricts convenient positioning of the laser and suspension of the handpiece over a mayo stand for ready access. The bulky articulated arm may cause the surgeon’s arm to get fatigued, and may negatively affect the procedure outcome.
Visibility
Soft-tissue CO2 laser surgery offers reduced bleeding compared to scalpel surgery, and thus improves surgical field visibility. Strong airflow from the hand piece’s beam exit aperture prevents smoke-like vaporized tissue from obscuring the surgical site. The narrow beam exit aperture is approx. 1 mm2 in area.
The articulated arm handpiece is held 10 times further from the tissue than the flexible fiber handpiece. The beam exit aperture of the articulated arm is large (area approx. 100 mm2). The large distance and size make the air purge in the articulated arm ineffective, resulting in reduced visibility of the surgical field.
Precision
The flexible fiber CO2 laser handpiece is held close to the tissue, which allows the surgeon maximum stability by resting his or her hand on the patient during treatment. This positioning enhances procedures that require high precision.
Articulated arm lasers require a visible aiming beam since the surgeon must hold the handpiece 2 – 3 cm away from the tissue in order for the laser beam to focus – the visible aiming beam is the only visible indicator of where the beam will hit the target. The visible aiming beam obscures the site and results in lower precision since the aiming beam diameter greatly exceeds that of the laser beam. Even the slightest misalignment between the aiming beam and CO2 beam results in great collateral damage, causing the laser beam to hit unintended areas around the target. Articulated arm lasers are not suitable for high precision veterinary laser surgical procedures.
Multiple Spot Sizes
Focusing tips of multiple sizes can be easily interchanged during flexible fiber CO2 laser procedures. This variety of spot sizes enables veterinarians to choose the most appropriate size for the specific procedure and soft tissue type. Tips come in multiple sizes: 0.25, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.4 mm.
Ability to Defocus
Maximum power density is needed for cutting and removing tissue, while lower power density is needed for hemostasis and wound contraction. Flexible fiber CO2 laser tips have a focal length of 1-3 mm and produce a laser beam with wide angles of convergence and divergence. Moving the handpiece away from the tissue enables the surgeon to adjust power density.
Articulated arm handpieces have a fixed 50-100 mm focal length. The beam angles of convergence and divergence are very narrow. It is thus only possible to defocus the beam by holding the handpiece very far from the tissue.