Three-Dimensional (3-D) Heat Profiling of a Substitute Material for Laser and Radio Frequency (RF) Dermatological Equipment
N. Naovaratpong, I. Boonyaroonate And A. Nathakaranakul
Fractional laser and radio frequency (RF) skin thermolysis technology is the technical which divide the treatment area of the patient’s skin into a field of many micro treatment spots, on the other hand, offers a new standard of treatment which goes beyond the limitations of traditional technology. However, the study process of taking many biopsy samples from patient is impossible; it may cause serious skin injury to the patient. Unlike the data derived from using human skin biopsies, the use of a substitute material enables the collection of data for constructing a three-dimensional (3-D) volumetric heat distribution profile. It is not only provided better statistical accuracy but it also offers a solution to ethical problems. As such, this technology promises to speed up the development of fractional skin thermolysis (FST) technology. Building on our previous research using liquid egg white a substitute material which showed an effective microscopic heat profile of fractional 1550 nm, this research used a solid jelly testing material prepared from egg white, table salt and agar. The jelly was transparent and had the same electrical conductivity as normal saline. The material was tested by means of four types of FST equipment widely used today, and enabled an observation of a 3-D pattern in the jelly immediately after the experiment was conducted. The study also demonstrated an energy distribution over the treatment field which had hither to never been studied.
Keywords: Dermatological laser, fractional laser, fractional radio frequency (RF), fractional skin thermolysis (FST), Finescan1550®, laser resurfacing, necrotic column, microscopic treatment zones (MTZ)