Laser Microscanner for Treating Microvascular Lessions

Our research will develop a small, high-speed, modulated xy scanner for the photocoagulationtreatment of individual portwine stain and telangiectases microvessels. Despite significant progress, anideal device for selective photocoagulation of abnormal skin microvessels as in portwine stains andtelangiectases still does not exist. A small, high speed, modulated xy scanner for treatment of individualvessels will be developed, verified and optimized in animal studies. By individually and rapidly acquiringand photocoagulating microvessels, the device design simultaneously reduces laser power requirementsand increases the flexibility of treatment parameters in comparison with all existing surgical lasers fordermatology. A 0.2 mm uniform laser beam spot will be rapidly scanned and commanded in real timeto stop and dwell for a user-defined time as low as 2 msec, based on detection of vessels viauser-defined confocal reflectance thresholds. Because selective photocoagulation achieved by directoptical targeting, it will be possible to use inexpensive, penetrating near-infrared lasers in addition to orinstead of the high-power visible lasers now in use to treat these lesions. The project is a newcollaboration between optical scanning and medical laser research experts.