University of Missouri: combination laser/ultrasound tattoo-removal

The first laser treatments used to treat skin conditions such as benign vascular birthmarks and port-wine stains were developed more than 40 years ago. Since then, clinicians and dermatologists have seen a rise in demand for minimally invasive laser-based treatments, including tattoo removal. However, it is difficult for the laser light, which is held at a distance from the skin, to be perfectly and selectively absorbed by only the targeted birthmark or tattoo.

Now, researchers from the University of Missouri (MU; Columbia, MO) have developed instruments that transmit laser light into the tissue through direct contact. The techniques developed by the interdisciplinary team can be used by dermatologists and will reduce safety concerns in laser dermatology by improving laser transmission through surface layers of the skin.

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The team co-authored the paper "Ultrasonic modulation of tissue optical properties in ex vivo porcine skin to improve transmitted transdermal laser intensity," which recently was accepted for publication by the society's journal, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.

The researchers are developing a startup company to commercialize the technique.

Source: http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2017/0410-laser-based-dermatological-procedures-could-be-revolutionized-with-new-technique/