Photoacoustic Probe For Dermatologic Procedures

Increase depth of treatment and imaging of various laser treatments. One application is to better diagnose burn injuries and treatment plans by the increased depth of the patent pending probe and system using a unique photoacoustic light probe with ultrasound modulation integrated with a disposable waveguide system. Current versions of light probes with waveguides in skin treatments such as dermatology, laser surgery, varicose vein and tattoo removal, have limited ability to control light without health risk to patients and operators.

POTENTIAL MARKET USES:
How will the innovation solve the problem? Health care professionals and tattoo removal technicians will be able to better direct light source to area of ablation, dermatological procedure, or burn injury diagnosis.

How can it be used in the market? A new handheld laser ablation device for the markets noted above with disposable integrated waveguide cassettes to more specifically direct light treatments for specific applications.

Who would the customers likely be? Patients and consumers desiring laser treatments, tattoo removal and burn or dermatology patients.

A health care professional in a burn clinic at a medical center can probe deeper into a burn wound to better diagnose burn treatment plans. A tattoo removal technician can effectively remove tattoos more accurately and with less exposure to harmful light rays from the treatment at increased depths than previously possible. Devices and systems will have requirements for Medical Device FDA Pre-market notification and clearance under 510k. Some applications will not be subject to these requirements in the initial implementation stages, so revenue can be generated while device is completing the process to obtain FDA pre-market clearance.

MARKET SIZE:
Total Available Market in excess of $1.5B annually in U.S. alone with a CAGR of around 12%. Existing competitors in this space offer products with far smaller feature sets (typically only one of the features of our proposed devices). They include: Syneron Medical; Cynosure; Palomar; and Lumenis.

STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT:
Continued development of 3D printed, disposable waveguide cassettes for various applications that can be rapidly replaced for next treatment. Prototype systems have been configured using novel laser device and disposable waveguide cassettes.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:
No competitor manufactures and sells a device like our proposed modular device and system. Existing competitors in this space offer products with far smaller feature sets (typically only one of the features of our proposed devices). They include: Syneron Medical; Cynosure; Palomar; and Lumenis. The proposed device and modular system offers functionality at increased capabilities and substantially lower costs to deliver treatments from incumbent technologies.